iCookiPost

Gulab jamun is a popular dessert of India and it is commonly served during festivals like Diwali or marriage celebrations.Here I used milk powder for making dough. How to Make Gulab Jamun using Milk Powder Ingredients For the Sugar Syrup Sugar –250gms/1 1/4 cups Water – 11/2 cup Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp Rose water – 1 1/2 tsp For the dough Milk powder – 1 cup All purpose flour(Maida) – 3 tbsp Baking powder –1/4 tsp Corn Flour – 2 tbsp Ghee – 2 cups Water – 3tbsp Preparation Boil water in a small pot.Once it starts to boil,add sugar and let it dissolve.add cardamom powder,rose water to it and let it boil on medium flame for 3-4 minutes.remove from heat. Syrup is ready. Mix together maida and baking powder.Add milk powder,corn flour ,water to it .Knead and make smooth dough.Grease your palms with little ghee and shape into round balls.Make sure surface of the balls is free of cracks. 3.Heat the ghee in a frying pan on low flame. 4.Add the balls at the right temperature.Take a round sieved spoon and turn the balls by rotating the bottom edge of the spoon against the top of the balls.Keep rotating until the jamuns are golden brown in color.Remove ,drain and add to the hot sugar syrup.(heat the sugar syrup on low flame while frying jamuns) 5.Cook the jamuns in the sugar syrup for another 3 minutes on low heat.Leave the jamuns in syrup for at least 30 minutes before Serving. Tips: To test the right temperature of the ghee,add one ball.it should slowly rise to the surface from the bottom of the pan with a touch of spoon. If the jamun doesn’t rise to the surface then the ghee needs to be more heated. if the jamun rises too fast and changes color,then the temperature is too high and heat needs to be lowered.Allow the ghee to cool down a while.Jamuns fried in hot oil will have their center uncooked and hard. If you don’t have milk powder in your pantry, you can use pan cake mix for making dough. While frying, gulab jamuns will expand. So there should be enough space for the jamuns to get soak in the syrup. Kala Jamun For making Kala Jamuns,fry the jamuns on low flame till you get dark brown color.

I wish all my readers a happy and prosperous new year 2012. Hope all your dreams and resolutions comes true.I am starting this new year by posting a sweet recipe of Bottle gourd(lauki).

Bottle gourd/Lauki plays an important role in Ayurveda medicine.it is 98% water and lauki juice is  good for treating urinary disorders.I have read in news that the gourds which has bitter taste must be toxic.So as a precaution,a small piece of lauki must be cut and tasted to ensure it is not bitter and only then should the juice be extracted.

Lauki Halwa is quick and easy to make with less ingredients.

Ingredients

1. Bottle Gourd/Lauki (grated)– 3 cups
2. Milk – 11/2  cup
3. Khoya (grated) – 1/2 cup
4. Sugar – 2 cups
5. Ghee- 2 tbsp
6. Cardamom powder- 1tsp
7. cahsew nuts(Almonds) – to garnish

Preparation

1. In a pan,add grated lauki,khoya sugar and milk.mix well and stir in intervals.while cooking lauki,don’t cover with a pan.
2. once it is dry,add ghee to it and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add cardamom powder to it and mix well.
4. Transfer into a bowl and garnish with cashew nuts or almonds.
5. Once it is cool,cut into desired shapes.

Iam sending this to Veggie/ Fruit A Month Event- Bottle Gourd created by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan is being hosted at Vegetarian Tastebuds.

Kerala is the land of coconuts and Elaneer /Tender coconut water is the health drink of Kerala which is really nutritious and delicious with a good flavor.Tender coconut flesh is used to prepared pudding and also masala curry.Will post the recipe for the karikku masala soon.This is the most popular pudding of Kerala and it is prepared using coconut pulp,coconut water,china grass and milk.Enjoy this easy and yummy dessert.

Ingredients

1. Tender Coconut –1
2. Condensed Milk( I used milkmaid) – 1 tin
3. Tender Coconut water- 1 tin (used the same condensed milk tin)
4. China Grass(Agar Agar) – 10gms
5. Water- 1 tin
6. Milk – 1 1/2 cups
7. Desiccated Coconut(to garnish) –1/2 cup
8. Sugar – 6 tbsp

Preparation

1. Scoop out the pulp from the tender coconut and grind it with coconut water.Keep aside
2. Soak china grass in  water and boil on low flame till it dissolves completely.Remove from fire.
3. Heat a pan and boil milk,condensed milk and 2tbsp sugar.Add melted china grass mix to the boiled milk mix and stir well.While adding china grass mix to milk, both should be the same temperature.Otherwise it will curdle.Let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. Finally add the coconut pulp mix to it and combine well.
5. Transfer the mix into a flat dish.Allow it to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes(by that time the pudding will thicken) and then refrigerate.
6. For garnishing,Heat  a pan and add desiccated coconut with 4tbsp of sugar and fry on low flame till coconut turns brown.At the time for serving,garnish with coconut .
7. Cut into desired shapes and Serve chilled in small bowls.