Homemade Khurma...A sweet delicacy

Ingredients:

• 3 cups maida (all purpose flour)
• 1 n 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• Refined oil/ghee for deep frying
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• water

Method:

• In a bowl mix maida, baking powder and 3 tbsp oil. Make a medium consistency dough with warm water. Cover and leave the dough for 15 minutes. 
• Now smooth the dough and divide in 4 parts. Smooth each part in a round ball shape. 
• Roll out the balls one by one. With a sharp knife cut it in small rectangular or square shape pieces. 
• Now heat oil for deep-frying in a pan. Fry all the pieces till brown in color and keep aside. 
• Now in a deep pan add sugar and 1/2 cup water . 
• Make a thick sugar syrup of it. When a drop of syrup dropped in a glass of water starts to thicken immediately, take the pan off the heat. 
• Add all the fried pieces and keep turning with a spoon to coat all the pieces with sugar nicely. 
• When completely dry take out in a bowl, cool and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (Maida)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Chopped almonds 3-4 tsp

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degree /350º F.
• Grease  cake tins or tray with little bit of butter. 
• Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder  to a large bowl and  whisk the mixture until combined well.
• Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, almonds and vanilla to flour mixture and make a fine batter. 
• Pour the batter in the cake tin for baking. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. 
• To check the cake is baked insert a metal skewer into the center, it should come out clean with crumbs on it, not cake mixture.

Payash in Assamese style ( kheer)

Ingredients:

• 200 gms Joha Rice 
• 2 Litres milk 
• 2-3 elachi ( cardamom) 
• 1-2 tej paat (bay leaves) 
• 200 gms sugar
• 3-4 tsp raisins
• Cashew nuts
• 5-6 Strands of kesar(optional)

Method:

• Wash 200 gms rice and leave it for drying.
• Boil the milk for about 15 minutes.
• Add rice. Cook till rice is well done and milk becomes thick.
• Add cardamom , kesar and bay leaves.
• Add sugar now. Stir till sugar melts.
• Take out from the fire.
• Garnish with raisins and cashew nuts

Rasgulla.........

Rasgulla needs no introduction. A very well liked desert for Indians. Especially it's very popular in Bengal, Assam and Orissa.........

Ingredients :

For Rasgulla balls:

1. Milk- 4 cups
2. Lemon juice disssolved in water 2tsp
3. 1 tbsp plain flour (maida)

For the sugar syrup:

1. Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
2. Water- 4 cups
3. Cardamom powder- 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

1.Heat milk in a pan and bring it to boil for about 10 minutes.
2.When it starts boiling, add lemon juice and wait for the milk to curdle completely.
3.Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 3-5 minutes.
4.Pour over a clean thin muslin cloth and tie it with a tight knot. On straining this milk, the curd is obtained is called “paneer”.
5.wash paneer well using muslin cloth under cold running water to remove lemon juice flavor.
6.Knead paneer for about 5-10 minutes to make a smooth dough. Add flour and knead again for few minutes.
7.Make smalls of about 1 inch in size of the dough and keep aside.
8.To make sugar syrup mix sugar, water and cardamom powder in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
9.Put all the doughs into the syrup (chasni).
10.Cook it for 5 to 10 min with lid partially covered.
11.Your rasgullas are ready.
12.Transfer into a serving dish.

Quick Gajar Halwa ( Indian carrot pudding)

Ingredients:

1. Peeled and grated Carrots 2 cups
2. Milk 2 cups
3. Sugar 2 cups
4. Milk powder or Mava (Khoya) 5tsp
5. Ghee(clarified butter ) 5-6 tsp
6. Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
7. Cashew-nuts, almonds and raisins


Method:

1.Put carrots and milk in cooker and bring to full pressure on high heat for 2 whistles.
2.Open the cooker and add the milk powder or Mava (khoya), sugar and cardamom powder and cook for       3 to 4 minutes,.
3.Now Add  ghee and cook till ghee shows separately, stirring constantly.
4.Garnish with cashew-nuts, almonds and raisins.