Almond Squares / Badam Burfi

This is one of the simplest dessert recipes I learnt from my aunt. This is one of the most common foods at Indian gatherings. Please do not consume in large quantities if you have diabetes. For people like me who want instant dessert from scratch, this is a perfect recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almonds (with skin) powder*
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream (8 oz) 437 ml**
• 2 cups sugar

Makes 40 pieces

Method:

1. Grind 2 cups of almonds into a fine powder.
2. In a heavy bottom non stick vessel, add 1qt whipping cream, put on medium heat and mix until it bubbles.
3. Add 2 cups sugar and mix until it boils.
4. Then add 2 cups of almond powder and mix until everything becomes solid.
5. Pour on a waxed paper and spread with a rolling pin.
   
6. Stick the silver paper and spread again (optional).
   
7. Cut into pieces while warm.
8. Enjoy the sugar rush!!!!!!

* If you want, without skin (whiter burfis), then soak almonds in boiling water, and peel skin.
Alt. method: use store-bought almond powder

** Can use butter instead of whipping cream.

'Phoren' Murmura laddu

Traditionally murmura (puffed rice) laddus in India are made with jaggery. But if you want a 'phoren' style murmura laddu, here is the recipe. It tastes pretty good and is made with peanut butter and marshmallows. It is simple to make but the only thing to watch out is lot of butter. Even though peanut butter has proteins, it also has high fat content. It is a comfort food and not bad for a Diwali treat.

9 1/2 cups murmura/puffed rice
1/2 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter **
7 cups miniature marshmallows ***

Roast puffed rice for about 5 minutes. Melt butter and marshmallows in a big thick-bottomed vessel. Stir in peanut butter till it blends. Add peanuts and puffed rice and mix well. Wait 5 minutes for the mixture to cool down and make into laddus.

I made the dish with store bought peanut butter and marshmallows. But if you want to make them both at home then here are the links:
** Homemade peanut butter recipe: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/recipes/recipes/peanut_butter.html
*** Marshmallows recipe: http://homecooking.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/3756/whybuy.html

Veggie salad

This is the perfect dish for health nuts. The best thing about this recipe is that any combination of below ingredients works. And adding Channa / Rajma to the mix makes the salad much more filling and nutritious. I love the dressing – easy to make and tasty!
You can add a touch of Italian/Greek by adding the characteristic ingredients. To make it more interesting there is additional stuff that can be added into the mix according to individual taste.

Raw Veggies: Grated carrots, Sliced/Chopped onions, Bell pepper, Tomatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage (thinly sliced), Cucumber, Cilantro

Steamed Veggies: Corn, Peas, Chopped Carrot

Cooked: Channa, Rajma (both soaked overnight and pressure cooked with salt) or store bought pre-cooked chickpeas/kidney beans work too!

Italian: Pasta (boiled in salt water)

Greek: Pitted black olives, Feta cheese

Additional: Croutons (toasted/fried bread pieces), Bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Toasted walnuts

Dressing:
----------

2-3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1-2 tsp pepper flakes (depending on the spice requirement)
2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients and add them to the chopped veggies. And add salt to taste!

Halloween time - Pumpkin recipes!

Let's 'desify' the Halloween, shall we?! Here are a couple of easy-to-make pumpkin recipes - Pumpkin curry & Pumpkin dal. These are everyday dishes. I put them up today just because of the main ingredient - Pumpkin!
The pumpkin curry was one of the best looking dishes I've ever seen. The red, green and yellow colors look perfect and it tastes pretty good too!
And the pumpkin dal(stew) is one of the simplest - Just the time for dal to pressure cook and minutes more for seasoning more and its done!

Pumpkin Curry
============

Ingredients:

4 cups pumpkin cubes
1 green bell pepper/capsicum
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
1 tbs oil
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
3 green chillies slit
1/2 tsp ginger paste or 1/2" ginger root peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
Corriander leaves for garnish (Cilantro)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera, turmeric, chillies, ginger paste and garlic.
2. As the masala turns golden brown, add the thinly sliced onions. Saute for a couple of minutes till they are translucent.
3. Add the pumpkin cubles and the chopped green and red bell peppers. Cover the pan and simmer the flame until they are cooked.
4. Add salt and mix well. Sprinkle cilantro leaves for garnishing.


Pumpkin Dal
==========

1 cup toor dal (lentils)
4 cups pumpkin cubed

1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbs ginger paste or 1/2" ginger root peeled and finely chopped

1 small onion chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp corriander powder (dhania powder)
Corriander leaves for garnish (Cilantro)
salt to taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook dal and lentils together with about 2-3 cups of water.
2. Prepare the seasoning: Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add jeera, turmeric, ginger paste and fry till light brown. Then add the chopped onions and saute them till they are translucent.
3. Add the cooked dal and lentil mix to the seasoning.
4. Add chilli and corriander powder. Mix well and let it cook for about 10 minutes on a low flame. 5. Add salt and garnish with cilantro leaves

Hummus - The Channa chutney!!

Here is a really simple yummy recipe with Channa.

Hummus is a Mediterranean dish traditionally eaten with Pita bread but is also served as a dip or a spread. I tweaked the recipe a bit. Instead of adding 'Tahini' (sesame and olive oil paste), I put the sesame seeds into the mix directly.
Hummus contains large amounts of the nutrients iron, vitamin C and also good source of protein and dietary fiber.

1 cup - Chick peas /Channa
1 tbs - Lemon juice
1 tbs - Olive oil
1 tsp - Jeera powder
1 tsp - Sesame seeds
1 tbs - Chilli flakes/red chilli powder
Cilantro /Corriander leaves
Salt to taste

Soak Channa overnight and pressure cook them. Add cooked channa and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and blend into a coarse paste. And it is good to go 'desi' style with rotis, bread spread etc., etc.. Enjoy!
I