Nutritious Indian Winter Sweets.
Badam Halwa
Badam Halwa: Makes: 8 servings
Preparation time: 10mts. Cooking time: 15mts.
Ingredients: 2C almonds; 2 ½C sugar;2 drops saffron color or 6-8strands of saffron crushed and soaked in a little water; 1C ghee; 1C milk
Method:
1. Soak the almonds in water for 2hours or soak them in hot water for an hour.
Remove the skin and reserve 4-5tbsp- soaked water.
2. Grind the Almonds with milk, to a paste.
3. Make sugar syrup and boil till one thread consistency is formed.
4. Add the badam paste and cook till the mixture is thickens. Mix the saffron in the cooking mixture.
5. Add ghee little by little stirring constantly on low heat until all the ghee is incorporated with the mixture and forms the halwa. Serve hot.
It is quite a heavy halwa so take it in small quantity.
North Indian Sweets:
Speaking of traditional North Indian Sweets especially during Punjabi marriages, the families of bride and bridegroom used to distribute special sweets named as "Bhaji", to the relatives and kin's as wedding gifts.
These delicacies include Sakerparas, Sweet Savia, Barfi, Besan ke Ladoo, different types of Pinnis of Atta, and lentils. Saltish Delicacries such as Saltish Mathri, Besan ke Pakoras, kachori, Plain Mathri.
North Indian Desserts specially Moong Dal Pinnis, Gaggar ka Halwa and Pinjiri are winter desserts and have nutritious values Urad Dal Pinni (Black lentil Sweet lentil balls)
Chana Dal Pinni's are very Delicious and full of nutrients.
As children my mother used to make them in winter and she used to give (we were 7 brothers and sisters) every morning one Pinni with hot milk. She did not have to put pressure on us to eat the pinni, as all of us love to have it, though to drink milk was a problem.
Health Benefits;
The Chana Dal Pinni is good for Brain, as well as for cold. In winter it gives us warmth, energy and boost our immune system.
Channa Dal Pinni (Sweet Gram Lentil balls)
Ingredients:
1lb/16oz Chana Dal (Gram Lentil), picked, cleaned washed, drained completely and soaked in milk
1lb/16oz Milk + 2tbsp extra if needed for grinding
1lb/16oz + 2tbsp Ghee for frying Nuts
1lb/16oz Castor Sugar
15-20 Almonds cut in halves
¼lb/4oz/ ½ C Raisins
Method:
1. Grind the soaked dal in the food processor to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a large Skillet. Stir fry the nuts, when brown take them out from ghee and keep aside.
3. Lower heat and add Dal paste, Cook stirring and mixing all the time, until the dal incorporated with the ghee. Continue cooking and stirring for 30 minutes until the ghee separates and the dal is light brown.
Test for rawness of the dal and rectify by cooking for 5 minutes more.
4. Shut off heat and mix the fried nuts in the mixture.
5. Now add the castor sugar, gradually adding little by little and mixing with the mixture until all the sugar is incorporated. You can serve a part of this Pinni mixture hot if desired.
6. Cool the mixture to a workable temperature. Make round balls of walnut size. Place the pinnis on a greased plate and let them cool completely, then store them in an air tight container.
Urad Dal Pinni (Black lentil Sweet Balls)
Ingredients:
1 C Urad dal, soaked for 6 hours at least and grind it to a smooth paste
2/3 C Almond halves
½C Ghee
1 ½ C Sugi
1C Basin (Gram Flour)
Atta 2 tbsp
¾C Sugar
½C water
½ C Khoya, crumbled
3-4 cardamoms crushed
Method:
1. Make syrup with sugar, water and crushed cardamom of one thread consistency. Keep aside.
2. Heat ghee put in sugi, besan and atta. Stir cook for 10 minutes on slow heat until the mixture is light brown
3. Add Urad dal paste, continue cooking and stir-fry until the mixture is dry and light brown in color. (15-20 minutes)
4. Now add gradually the syrup to the cooked mixture of dal. Cook on high heat, stirring continuously until the ghee separates and the pinni mixture is pliable enough to form pinnis.
5. Add the crumbled Khoya. Cook, stirring for 5 more minutes and then add ¼ C chopped almonds.
6. Spread the mixture on a greased thali, cool it and make pinnis of required size.
7. Decorate the pinnis with almonds halves.
Pinjiri:
A health preparation of nut-flour-ghee spice mixture given to women after delivery to repair internal wounds and increase immunity.
Ingredients:
3C whole wheat flour
1 ¼C Sugi
1tbsp Ajwan roasted
100gm Geondar, crushed (Gum edible)
½C/150gm Pista
½C/100gm Cashew
½C/100gm Walnut
½C/150gm Almonds
1C big black raisins (Maneka)
50gm Phool Mahkana (a little crushed)
3C/ ¾ to 1kg/2lbs sugar
2tbsp Saunt (dried ginger)
1Kg Ghee approx.
Method:
1. Clean goondar and deep fry until it swells. Keep aside.
2. In ¼lb ghee fry the dry nuts and keep aside.
3. Fry Phool Mahkana until it swells a little, keep aside.
4. Fry Raisins till they swell, keep aside.
5. Roast Ajwan on a tawa or skillet. Keep aside.
6. In a big skillet add the remaining ghee and fry atta and sugi on slow heat, continuously stirring, till lightly brown.
7. The ghee should be sufficient so that it floats a little on the mixture.
8. Cool the flour sugi mixture and add roasted ajwan, powdered dried ginger. Mix. Then add the rest of the nuts and sugar. Mix well.
9. Keep the pinjiri in the air-tight container when completely cooled.
Take 1 dessert spoon of this mixture with milk every day during breakfast, to get the maximum health benefit of the Pingiri.
This is a tonic for women after delivery.
Lodri festival sweets:
Bhugga: Khoya- Sesame Seeds Balls of nuts and sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
200gm Fresh khoya, crumbled
20 green raisins
5-6 half cashews roughly chopped
5-6 shelled pistas (Pistachios) chopped
5-6 almonds cut in pieces
4-5tbsp sesame seeds
1tsp ghee
3-4tbsp castor sugar or to taste
Method;
1. Warm ghee on low heat, add khoya and cook on low heat until it melts.
2. Mix 2tbsp sesame seed mix cook for a few seconds, then stir in 2tbsp. mixed nuts and raisins.
3. Now mix in the sugar thoroughly.
Transfer the mixture on a plate and make balls of tennis ball size. Roll each ball of mixture in the sesame seeds. Then decorate the top of the bhugga with broken cashews, almonds pieces and pista (Pistachios) finely chopped..
Note:
The balls should be quite warm when rolling in sesame seeds otherwise the seeds will not stick to the balls.
Besan Ke Barfi
Ingredients:
1 ¾ C Besan
¼C Sugi (roasted)
1Tbsp powdered Cashew
2tsp cashew Nuts chopped roughly
¾C Sugar
2 stick butter (8oz)
1C milk powder
Method:
1. Mix sugar, milk powder and cashew powder thoroughly and keep aside.
1. Melt butter in a microwave dish, add besan and sugi mix. Microwave the mixture for 3 minutes.
2. Now add sugar, milk powder and cashew mixture, mix well and microwave for 3 minutes more.
Badam Halwa: Makes: 8 servings
Preparation time: 10mts. Cooking time: 15mts.
Ingredients: 2C almonds; 2 ½C sugar;2 drops saffron color or 6-8strands of saffron crushed and soaked in a little water; 1C ghee; 1C milk
Method:
1. Soak the almonds in water for 2hours or soak them in hot water for an hour.
Remove the skin and reserve 4-5tbsp- soaked water.
2. Grind the Almonds with milk, to a paste.
3. Make sugar syrup and boil till one thread consistency is formed.
4. Add the badam paste and cook till the mixture is thickens. Mix the saffron in the cooking mixture.
5. Add ghee little by little stirring constantly on low heat until all the ghee is incorporated with the mixture and forms the halwa. Serve hot.
It is quite a heavy halwa so take it in small quantity.
North Indian Sweets:
Speaking of traditional North Indian Sweets especially during Punjabi marriages, the families of bride and bridegroom used to distribute special sweets named as "Bhaji", to the relatives and kin's as wedding gifts.
These delicacies include Sakerparas, Sweet Savia, Barfi, Besan ke Ladoo, different types of Pinnis of Atta, and lentils. Saltish Delicacries such as Saltish Mathri, Besan ke Pakoras, kachori, Plain Mathri.
North Indian Desserts specially Moong Dal Pinnis, Gaggar ka Halwa and Pinjiri are winter desserts and have nutritious values Urad Dal Pinni (Black lentil Sweet lentil balls)
Chana Dal Pinni's are very Delicious and full of nutrients.
As children my mother used to make them in winter and she used to give (we were 7 brothers and sisters) every morning one Pinni with hot milk. She did not have to put pressure on us to eat the pinni, as all of us love to have it, though to drink milk was a problem.
Health Benefits;
The Chana Dal Pinni is good for Brain, as well as for cold. In winter it gives us warmth, energy and boost our immune system.
Channa Dal Pinni (Sweet Gram Lentil balls)
Ingredients:
1lb/16oz Chana Dal (Gram Lentil), picked, cleaned washed, drained completely and soaked in milk
1lb/16oz Milk + 2tbsp extra if needed for grinding
1lb/16oz + 2tbsp Ghee for frying Nuts
1lb/16oz Castor Sugar
15-20 Almonds cut in halves
¼lb/4oz/ ½ C Raisins
Method:
1. Grind the soaked dal in the food processor to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a large Skillet. Stir fry the nuts, when brown take them out from ghee and keep aside.
3. Lower heat and add Dal paste, Cook stirring and mixing all the time, until the dal incorporated with the ghee. Continue cooking and stirring for 30 minutes until the ghee separates and the dal is light brown.
Test for rawness of the dal and rectify by cooking for 5 minutes more.
4. Shut off heat and mix the fried nuts in the mixture.
5. Now add the castor sugar, gradually adding little by little and mixing with the mixture until all the sugar is incorporated. You can serve a part of this Pinni mixture hot if desired.
6. Cool the mixture to a workable temperature. Make round balls of walnut size. Place the pinnis on a greased plate and let them cool completely, then store them in an air tight container.
Urad Dal Pinni (Black lentil Sweet Balls)
Ingredients:
1 C Urad dal, soaked for 6 hours at least and grind it to a smooth paste
2/3 C Almond halves
½C Ghee
1 ½ C Sugi
1C Basin (Gram Flour)
Atta 2 tbsp
¾C Sugar
½C water
½ C Khoya, crumbled
3-4 cardamoms crushed
Method:
1. Make syrup with sugar, water and crushed cardamom of one thread consistency. Keep aside.
2. Heat ghee put in sugi, besan and atta. Stir cook for 10 minutes on slow heat until the mixture is light brown
3. Add Urad dal paste, continue cooking and stir-fry until the mixture is dry and light brown in color. (15-20 minutes)
4. Now add gradually the syrup to the cooked mixture of dal. Cook on high heat, stirring continuously until the ghee separates and the pinni mixture is pliable enough to form pinnis.
5. Add the crumbled Khoya. Cook, stirring for 5 more minutes and then add ¼ C chopped almonds.
6. Spread the mixture on a greased thali, cool it and make pinnis of required size.
7. Decorate the pinnis with almonds halves.
Pinjiri:
A health preparation of nut-flour-ghee spice mixture given to women after delivery to repair internal wounds and increase immunity.
Ingredients:
3C whole wheat flour
1 ¼C Sugi
1tbsp Ajwan roasted
100gm Geondar, crushed (Gum edible)
½C/150gm Pista
½C/100gm Cashew
½C/100gm Walnut
½C/150gm Almonds
1C big black raisins (Maneka)
50gm Phool Mahkana (a little crushed)
3C/ ¾ to 1kg/2lbs sugar
2tbsp Saunt (dried ginger)
1Kg Ghee approx.
Method:
1. Clean goondar and deep fry until it swells. Keep aside.
2. In ¼lb ghee fry the dry nuts and keep aside.
3. Fry Phool Mahkana until it swells a little, keep aside.
4. Fry Raisins till they swell, keep aside.
5. Roast Ajwan on a tawa or skillet. Keep aside.
6. In a big skillet add the remaining ghee and fry atta and sugi on slow heat, continuously stirring, till lightly brown.
7. The ghee should be sufficient so that it floats a little on the mixture.
8. Cool the flour sugi mixture and add roasted ajwan, powdered dried ginger. Mix. Then add the rest of the nuts and sugar. Mix well.
9. Keep the pinjiri in the air-tight container when completely cooled.
Take 1 dessert spoon of this mixture with milk every day during breakfast, to get the maximum health benefit of the Pingiri.
This is a tonic for women after delivery.
Lodri festival sweets:
Bhugga: Khoya- Sesame Seeds Balls of nuts and sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
200gm Fresh khoya, crumbled
20 green raisins
5-6 half cashews roughly chopped
5-6 shelled pistas (Pistachios) chopped
5-6 almonds cut in pieces
4-5tbsp sesame seeds
1tsp ghee
3-4tbsp castor sugar or to taste
Method;
1. Warm ghee on low heat, add khoya and cook on low heat until it melts.
2. Mix 2tbsp sesame seed mix cook for a few seconds, then stir in 2tbsp. mixed nuts and raisins.
3. Now mix in the sugar thoroughly.
Transfer the mixture on a plate and make balls of tennis ball size. Roll each ball of mixture in the sesame seeds. Then decorate the top of the bhugga with broken cashews, almonds pieces and pista (Pistachios) finely chopped..
Note:
The balls should be quite warm when rolling in sesame seeds otherwise the seeds will not stick to the balls.
Besan Ke Barfi
Ingredients:
1 ¾ C Besan
¼C Sugi (roasted)
1Tbsp powdered Cashew
2tsp cashew Nuts chopped roughly
¾C Sugar
2 stick butter (8oz)
1C milk powder
Method:
1. Mix sugar, milk powder and cashew powder thoroughly and keep aside.
1. Melt butter in a microwave dish, add besan and sugi mix. Microwave the mixture for 3 minutes.
2. Now add sugar, milk powder and cashew mixture, mix well and microwave for 3 minutes more.