Mama's World

Caramel Custard

Custard powder 4 table spoons

Milk ½ litre

Sugar 6 table spoons

Method:

Boil the milk, add the sugar and mix well while it is boiling add the custard powder (mixed in a small bowl with cold milk) continue stirring it so that there are no lumps till a think consistency.

In another bowl add a little sugar(about 4-5 tsp) and keep it on the stove, keep it moving round and round (with a clamp) till the sugar melts and becomes nice and dark brown, now pour the custard mixture into this bowl. Allow it to cool and then place it in the fridge. When it is chilled, you can overturn it onto a large plate so that the caramel is on the surface.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potato 200 gms

Jaggery 100 gms

Method:

Scrape the sweet potato and wash it well. Take a dish place the sweet potatos (slit and cut into two) and add 2 cups of water and the crushed jaggery and cook on slow fire till the jaggery solution become thick and the sweet potato is cooked. It is a very simple, easy and healthy sweet.

Channa Dal (Bengal gram)Sweet:

Channa dal 2 cups

Jaggery 200 gms

Ghee 2 table spoons

Cardamom 2 tsp powder

Raisins & cashew 10-12

Method:

Soak the dal for about 2 hours and pressure cook it , grate it and keep aside.

Crush the jaggery and keep aside.

Take a dish and add the ghee, when hot add the cardamom, raisins and cashew and fry till light brown, add the grated dal and the jaggery and keep stirring it till the mixture starts leaving the sides. Remove on to a greased plate, flatten it and cut into pieces.

Coconut Sweet

Fresh coconuts 2

Sugar 2 cups

Vanilla essence 2 tsp

Cardamom 1

Method:

Remove the coconut from the shell wash it and grate it and keep aside.

Take a pan add the sugar and one cup of water allow it to boil till a syrup is formed.

You can check if there is a string like consistency then add the grated coconut, essence, powdered cardamom and keep on stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the dish.(If you have pink, lemon or orange colour can be added mixed with little milk.)

Remove it on to a greased plate and allow it to cool. Cut into required size pieces.

Sent to Midweek Fiesta Food Corner

Carrot Halva

Carrots 1 kg

Ghee 2 table spoons

Milk 1 litre

Sugar 2 cups

Cardamom 2-3

Raisins 15-20

Cashew 10

Method:

Wash the carrots well and grate it or scrape it on a coconut scraper or use the food processor, and keep aside

Boil the milk and keep aside

Take a big dish and add ghee 2 table spoons, add the crushed cardamoms, raisins and cashew and fry till light brown. Add the grated carrot and mix it well into the ghee, add the sugar and the milk and mix it well. Allow it to cook on slow fire for about 10 minutes. Fry well till completely dry and remove from stove. If you have vanilla essence you can add 2 tsps just before removing from the stove. If you have any other dry fruits like almond & pista also can be added. Serve hot.

Bread Sweet

Bread 6-8 slices

Ghee 3-4 table spoons

Sugar ½ cup

Milk 1 ½ cup

Cardamom 2

Cashew 5-6

Raisins 8-10

Method:

Cut the bread slices into halves, apply a little ghee on both sides and toast it brown on a frying pan and keep it aside.

In a kadai/wok add to 2 table spoons of ghee, put in the crushed cardamom, cashew, raisins and fry it to light brown, add the toasted bread slices, add the sugar, and pour the milk over the slices and allow it to cook on slow fire till it is dry. Mix it slowly so that the bread does not become a paste.

Serve it hot in small bowls.

Dry Apricot (Kubani) Sweet

Dried apricots 20 nos

Sugar 1 small cup

Method:

Soak the apricots overnight in 2 cups of water. Deseed the apricots. Crack the seeds and remove the dry seed from within and keep aside.

Place the apricots with the water on the stove and allow it to cook for about 15 min. on medium flame and just smash the apricots, add the sugar and allow it to thicken, add the dry fruit seeds and remove from the stove.

You can serve it with vanilla ice cream or a little cold cream or custard.