Ananas Bhat or Sweet Pineapple Rice

Diwali just passed us and it was a time of making lots and lots of sweets. This was one of the sweets I made. Try it and see, you will not be disappointed. Its taste of pineapple and coconut will transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise !!!

This recipe is adapted from Ruchira ( a very popular Marathi cookbook ).

 

 

 

 

Modak and Karanji

Modak and Karanji are sweet, coconut-filled, deep fried pastries commonly made in the month of September in India. They are said to be a favorite of Lord Ganesh.

Many a time, I have had modaks that are either so hard that you might just need a hammer to break into it or too chewy that you get a good jaw workout for free ! This recipe, however, makes the most amazing modaks . The cover is crispy, flaky and yet strong enough to hold the filling. And the filling has just the right amount of sweetness. Pop one of these in your mouth and you will be amazed at how the cover just dissolves to give way to the sweet coconutty goodness.

Karanji and modak are essentially the same thing assembled in different ways. It takes much longer to make modaks than karanjis because of the small size. So usually in many households, including mine, we make the customary 21 modaks and for the rest of the dough and filling, we make karanjis out of it. Karanjis are also be made during diwali or any special occasion.

Green Coconut Chutney

This tangy, coconuty green chutney goes well with anything. Have it as a sandwich spread, as an accompaniment with your rice or roti or even have it with idlis. Here I am serving it with some masala dosas.

Ingredients

6-8 green chilies
6 oz / 170 gm fresh grated coconut ( I used the frozen coconut packets ( 1 pkt ), thaw them first )
1/2 cup packed cilantro, washed
6-8 curry leaves
1 tbsp lime juice (1/2 a lime)
1/8 tsp granulated sugar
salt, to taste

For the tadka ( hot oil seasoning )

1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp urad dal, split black gram dal ( optional )
some curry leaves
1 - 2 dried whole red chili
a dash of asafoetida / hing


Method

• In a blender, blend the green chilies, coconut, cilantro, curry leaves, sugar, lime juice and salt together. Add a little water if need. Blend till it all comes together in a thick paste. Remove from blender, check seasoning and adjust accordingly.
• In a small saucepan, heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. After they start to crackle, add the red chilies, urad dal, curry leaves and hing. When the dal turns a pinkish brown, remove and pour over the blended coconut chutney. Mix it well together and serve with the Masala Dosa or idlis or even as a spread in your sandwiches.

Besan and Coconut Barfi

This is also called the 7-cup barfi. Barfi is an Indian fudge that is commonly made to celebrate festivals and other wonderful events in our lives. There are so many kind of barfis. This is a very easy to make barfi, it uses a few ingredients and does not take too much time either..

I learnt to make this barfi on my very recent trip to Arizona. We had a family reunion there and spent most of our waking moments, laughing, talking and sharing recipes. My sis-in-law's friend made these barfis for us. They were so delicious that I had to get the recipe. She was very gracious in sharing it with us. This barfi tastes a little like Mysore Pak. Try it and see, you will be hooked too.

Pistachio and Rose Coconut Burfi ( Nariyal ki Burfi )

This is one of my favorite Indian sweets or mithai as we call it. Moist, chewy and full of coconut flavor. I remember my mother making this whenever we had a party in our home and sometimes even for Diwali  ( Festival of Lights ). She would make different colored layers and it would look so beautiful and festive. You can try it if you are feeling ambitious or you can even leave it plain white. I admit that I love the color pink, I can't help myself I am just drawn to that color.

I garnished my barfi with pistachios, you can even garnish with cashews or almonds or any other kind of nuts. I used rose essence to flavor my barfi as I love that flavor and pistachios complement this very well.

Adding the mava and the sugar makes this barfi moist and chewy which is very similar to my favorite candy bar the ' Bounty ' , or ' Almond Joy ' as it is known in the US, sans the almond and the chocolate covering.




Coconut Barfi

Dry Lasun ki Chutney ( Garlic Chutney, Dry )

This is a garlic spiked red hot chutney that will perk up anything it is put in. I love it in my sandwiches and sometimes I even add this to my sabjis to jazz it up a bit.

Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients

9 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/3 cup dried coconut flakes
2 tbsp deggi mirch powder ( or substitute with 2 tbsp cayenne powder / lal mirch powder, I use deggi mirch for the lovely red color )
a big pinch of sugar
salt, to taste
1 tsp cooking oil


Method

• Heat the oil in a small saucepan, add the garlic cloves to it and saute briefly till it get a light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on an absorbent towel. Next add the coconut and saute till it gets light golden brown, add the red chili powder to the coconut and saute lightly again for one minute and remove from heat.
• Blend in a blender, do not add any water to this. Mix in the sugar and salt. Store in an air tight container, at room temperature.

 The garlic and coconut + red chili powder after roasting.

The final result after grinding.

Aaji's Rava Ladoos ( Semolina Sweets )

My Grandmother makes the best Rava Ladoos ever. In India we make ladoos for festivals or any celebratory function at home. There are so many kinds of ladoos, some of the most prominent ones are the quintessential besan ladoo, the revered boondi ladoo and the festive rava ladoo.

I love them all but the rava ladoo holds a special place in my heart because this recipe has been passed down from my grandma to my amma and now to me. When we were small we spent three year at my grandparents house. This time with them made us more Indian then we ever were -  we learnt the language, the customs, the food and the festivals and also we got to meet most of our extended family. Grandma made sure that all festivals were celebrated properly and she and my aunties made all the foods and sweets.

Rava ladoo is her speciality, she makes the best ladoos I have ever had. They are moist and fragrant and they melt in your mouth. Her rava ladoos are so addictive that it is difficult to stop at just one. I love the contrast of textures offered in the slightly chewy coconut, plump raisins and nutty cashew nuts.

So if you are looking for the best tasting, moist and fragrant ladoos then this is your recipe. Your teeth will thank you as you will not have to test their strength while biting into them.


Rava Ladoo