Say it with Chocolates !

The time has come to bid farewell to the year 2010 and welcome the New Year 2011 !

Lets hope the coming New Year will bring us all glad tidings -  good health, peace, happiness, prosperity and last but not the least some good healthy and tasty recipes too !!

Home-made chocolates with nuts and raisins

Say it with chocolates - what better way to wish all my relatives, friends, and readers, good health, wealth, peace and happiness on this coming New Year and start it on a sweet chocolatey note !

Semolina Banana Cake (eggless)

This is one of the most easiest eggless cake to make. Ideally, it should be called "No fuss  No Mess" Cake !. Its very simple to make as all the ingredients are almost always available in all homes and according to me a healthy one too, as it contains no maida, no baking powder and no butter !! This cake will not rise so there is no anxiety at all and this is best suited for a small oven as it will take only 15-20 mins to bake. The taste is simply delicious. However if baked in a loaf tin which I did this time, it takes a longer time to bake.

Just removed from the oven

Sliced cake

Ingredients:

Semolina (Fine sooji)	1 cup
Sugar	¾ cup
Milk	1 cup
Bananas (Robusta or Chiquita)	2-3
Cardamom  powder	½ tsp
Mixed chopped nuts	2 tbsps
Raisins	1 tbsp
Saffron/Kesar	A few strands
Ghee (clarified butter)	About 2tsps

Method:

1. Roast semolina in 1tsp of ghee till light brown.
2. Crush the saffron in a tsp of warm milk and keep aside.
3. Peel the bananas and puree it in the blender. Then add to it sugar, milk and the roasted and cooled semolina and run the blender for a few seconds.
4. Mix in the nuts, raisins, cardamom powder and the saffron into it.
5. Pour this batter into a greased (with 1 tsp of ghee) loaf tin.
6. Bake in the (preheated) oven at 170 degrees centigrade for 35-40 mins.
7. Cool it on a wire rack and cut into slices.

Preparation time: 30 mins
Baking time  :      40mins
Makes : 20 slices

Note :

If the cake is baked in a square or round cake tin instead of a loaf tin, then the baking time will be reduced to 15 to 20 mins only.

Chocolate chip cookies (eggless)

Its that time of the season when everybody is in the mood to have a good time and to eat yummy things. The climate too adds to the festivity. I too am in a mood of baking and what better way of starting it than the delicious chocolate chip cookies. 

This is an easy recipe and does not take much time to prepare or bake but the aroma of the baking lingers for quite sometime not only in your kitchen but also in your neighbour's ! So be prepared !

Ingrdients:

Margarine /Butter	125 gms
Castor sugar	50 gms
Brown sugar	50 gms
Vanilla essence	1 tsp
Following  to be sifted twice
All purpose flour (maida)	200 gms
Cocoa powder	25 gms
Bi-carbonate of soda	¼ tsp
Baking powder	½ tsp
Salt	¼ tsp
Combine the following
Chocolate chips	50 gms
Walnuts	50 gms

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180degrees centigrade. 
2. Cream butter and both sugars and vanilla essence together until light and fluffy.
3. Fold in sifted dry ingredients.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Mix and combine well into a dough.
6. Knead the dough and make little balls, flatten and place on baking tray 4-5cm apart.
7. Bake for 10-15mins.
8. Cool on a wire rack and store in an air-tight container when completly cooled.

Preparation time: 35 mins
Baking time       : 15 mins


Makes             : 40 cookies


Note:

• .If salted butter is used, do not add salt.
• Cookies will rise a little and will not expand much but small cracks may appear. 
• Cookies will be soft until cooled to room temperature.

Eggless Chocolate Pudding

The word "chocolate" brings a smile on any childs' face or for that matter any human being. It is difficult to resist the offer of any chocolate. Now-a -days more so, as  it has also been proven that dark chocolates are good for health. Moreover, its the season to cheer so even if you are health concious, once in a way I feel there is no harm in indulging !!

I have made this chocolate pudding using "China Grass" or "Agar Agar" as it is also known as. It  is used as a gelatine substitute mostly by vegetarians as gelatine contains animal matter. China Grass is derived from seaweed which helps to coagulate or 'set' liquids.

This is a very tasty and easy to make pudding.

 Ingredients:
 

Milk	½ litre or 500ml
Cocoa powder	2 tbsps
Drinking chocolate	1 tbsp
Sugar	100 gms or ½ cup
Corn flour	5-6 tbsps
Cream	100 gms or ½ cup
China grass (agar agar)	About 5 gms
Water	1/4th cup
For Decoration (optional)
Whipped cream and glazed cherry

 Method:

1. Put "china grass" (agar agar) in 1/4th cup of water and heat it till its completely dissolved.
2. Combine sugar, corn flour, cocoa powder,drinking chocolate in a bowl. Add litle milk and make a paste.
3. Boil remaining milk. Lower the flame and add to it the corn flour sugar etc mixture stirring constantly and until a thick and smooth mixture is formed. Switch off the gas.
4. Now add cream and the melted hot china grass into this smooth mixture. Mix well.
5. Rinse a jelly mould with cold water.
6. Pour the mixture in the mould and set in the freezer for 1 hour or refrigerate it for 2-3 hours.
7. Unmould pudding before serving and decorate it with whipped cream and glazed cherry.

Preparation time : 20 mins
Cooking time      : 10 mins


Note:

• China Grass is readily available in any Super Market.
• Instead of whipped cream, the pudding can also be decorated by mixed nuts or grated chocolate.

Lemon Grass & Tea

Hi ! Folks, it has been brought to my notice and rightly so, that I seem to be concentrating only on the " Ladle" part of my blog and thereby neglecting the "Brush" and the "Spade" part. So, this time I thought of doing some spade work and bring a little garden into my blog ! Fortunately or unfortunately, my gardening is confined to a limited space in my balcony wherein I have managed to grow some herbs, flowering and some ornamental plants. I shall begin by wrting about the "medicinal grass" i.e. Lemon Grass.


Lemon Grass or "Taakaa Tana" as it is called in Konkani is a medicinal plant and generally used in making tea for its flavour and also as a remedy for cold and cough. Two years ago, I got a small plant of lemon grass  from our village in Udupi district. Since it had small roots, I planted it in a pot After about a month, a small shoot appeared. And now it has grown to a considerable height. It grows easily in a pot without much care. It does need sunlight though and care should be taken to see that water is drained well and not retained at the roots.

Lemon Grass growing in my balcony

I often make tea from its leaves. It is not only very aromatic and refreshing but has a whole lot of medicinal properties. From its leaves I also make what is known as "Kashai" or "Kaadaa" i.e. a remedy for cold and cough especially for children. The surface of these leaves are rough and the edges quite sharp so care should  be taken while cleaning and handling the leaves. Always clean the leaves from the broad end towards the pointed end and not vice versa as it can easily cut your skin.

In Thailand and in China, the bulb of lemon grass is used for cooking.

Lemon Grass tea

Here is the quick recipe for lemon grass tea :

Ingredients : 2 cups of water and  3-4 leaves of lemon grass cleaned & chopped.


Method:
Boil  water and add to it the cleaned and chopped lemon grass. Let it boil for about 2-3 minutes  (the colour of water will turn slightly greenish). Switch of the gas and leave it covered for a minute and then strain it. Drink it while its hot and do not add sugar.

Recently, I also read that it has anti-cancer properties.

I came across this site which I thought of sharing with you all.
Fresh lemon grass fields in Israel become Mecca for cancer patients.

Rice Chakuli

Rice Chakuli as the name suggests, is a savoury made out of rice. "Chakuli" is the term used in Konkani language. The Tamilians call it "Murukku" and in the North it is known as "Chakli". This item too  can be prepared with different types of flour combination and each one has a taste of its own. The rice Chakuli however is considered to be the traditional one at least where GSB (konkani) community is concerned.

I do admit, that this Rice Chakuli is slightly more laborious than the ones prepared out of Jawar or any other flour. I have not prepared this since quite sometime. However this Diwali I felt it was worth going through all the trouble once in a way for its wonderful taste!

A Chakuli Mould is necessary to make this savoury.

Rice Chakulis

Chakuli mould

Ingredients : 

Raw Rice	2 cups
Udad Dal (Black gram Dal)	1 cup
Jeera	2 tsps
Butter	1 heaped tbsp
Salt	To taste
Water	About ½ cup
Oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Wash and soak rice in water for about 3 hours.
2. Roast Udad Dal (Black gram dal) in a pan on a low flame till golden brown. Takes about 15 - 20 mins.
3. When cooled, powder it and sift it. Separate the coarse powder from the fine one.
4. After three hours of soaking time, grind the soaked rice along with the coarse udad dal powder with enough water and salt. Remove it in a bowl.
5. Now add jeera (cummin), butter and the fine powdered udad dal to the ground mixture. Mix well into a soft dough. If necesary, add a little water. Keep this covered for an hour before making the Chakulis.
6. After an hour, take enough quantitiy of the dough to fill the Chakuli mould.
7. Make at least six chakulis at a time on a sheet of butter paper. 
8. In the meantime, heat oil in a wok/kadai and when the oil is hot enough gently slide the six chakulis one after another in the hot oil and fry till golden brown.
9. Continue in this manner till all the dough has been utilised.
10. Store in an air-tight container when cooled.

Frying time    :  11/2 hours
Makes           :  58 chakulis



Note:

• The quantity of the Chakulis may vary depending upon the size.
• Keeps for almost a month when stored in an air-tight container.

Pepper Tukdi

"Tukdi" is the konkani word for diamond-shaped savoury. It is prepared in different varieties; such as sweet- tukdi, biscuit-tukdi (shankarpali) and each one is equally tasty. My daughter and my husband prefer "Pepper Tukdi" to other varities and hence I always end up preparing this during Diwali.

It is also prepared with wheat flour and semollina (fine sooji) thereby omitting Maida (all purpose flour) all together. The variety is endless.

Pepper-Tukdi

Tukdi-Cuter

Ingredients:

Maida (all purpose flour)	11/2 cup
Wheat flour	11/2 cup
Freshly ground pepper	2 tbsps
Salt	1 tsp
Oil	1 tbsp
Water	About 1 cup
Oil for deep frying

Preparation time : 30 mins
Frying time         : 1 hour



Method:

1. Mix the maida, wheat flour, pepper, salt and oil (1tbsp) in a bowl.
2. Add water to it, a little at a time to form a soft dough.
3. Divide this dough into 20 balls.
4. In the meantime, heat a kadai/wok with oil on a moderate flame.
5. Roll out one ball at a time into chapati of 1/8 inch thickness.
6. Cut each chappati  with the "Tukdi cutter" diagonally so as to get the shape of a diamond.
7. Separate the pieces and deep fry in oil till crisp and golden brown.
8. Continue in this manner for all the 20 balls.
9. Store in an air-tight container.

Note:

• The quantity of pepper can be increased if you need it more spicy.
• If you do not have a "Tukdi-cutter" you can cut it with a knife.
• Keeps for a month when stored in an air-tight container.
• Do not roll out all the dough at one time as the tukdi will not puff-up while frying.

Churm Oondo

Churm Oondo ('Oondo" Konkani word for laddus) is a typical Konkani sweet and this is the second easiest sweet next to "Sheera" that we all learnt from our mothers as we were growing up. The making of these "Oondos" (i.e. binding the mixture in the palm of your hand to form a laddu) can be done at leisure while watching TV (which I generally do). The whole family can also join in for  making these "Oondos" . However, take care to see that the size is uniformly maintained ! Or else you will have a container filled with Mamma Laddu, Pappa Laddu and Baby Laddus! That is how I learnt to prepare them at a very young age during our school vacations. My brothers too would volunteer to help but they would mostly help out in eating instead of making them !!

"ChurmOondo" apart from being tasty and easy to prepare, the ingredients needed for preparing them, are generally readily available in most homes.

This is also the second item from my "Diwali Sweets" platter. The third being Chocolate Fudge; the recipe for which has already been posted earlier in my blog.

Ingredients :

Wheat flour	2 cups
Besan (gram flour)	4 tbsps
Ghee (clarified butter)	4 tbsps
Raisins	2 tbsps
Cashew nut bits	2 tbsps
Cardamom powder	1 tsp
Powdered sugar	11/2 cups

Method:

1. Wash & fry the raisins and the cashew nuts bits in a little ghee.
2. Pour the remaining ghee in  frying pan, add besan (gram flour) and stir constantly on a medium fire till it gives a nice flavour, but take care to see that it does not turn brown.
3. Add the wheat flour and stir as before till the mixture becomes light brown in colour.
4. Remove from flame and allow it to cool down.
5. When it has cooled down, add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, fried raisins and nuts and mix well.
6. Take some of this powder in the hollow of the palm, press gently and prepare oondos or laddus or balls.
7. In this manner prepare all the laddus and store it in an airtight container.

Makes : 32 laddus

Note :

• The amount of  ghee can be varied. However, if lesser quantity is used, then the laddus will crumble easily. If more ghee is used, then the laddus will be more firm. So the quantity of the ghee can be used according to ones' choice.
• These last for a month when stored in an air-tight container.

Naan-Katai (Indian cookies)

This is my first post after Diwali, you will notice that my blog has got a face-lift. The feed back that I got from time to time from some of you has compelled me to make these changes. My son-in-law was kind enough to help me with these changes. I have changed the colour of the background; I have added a search box wherein you can type the title of any of my recipes to find them quickly and finally buttons for easy and quick sharing on facebook and twitter. Looking forward to more constructive criticism and feed back from you all.

And now that Diwali is over, I am sure all of you have had your fill of Diwali sweets. But as they say, if one has a sweet tooth, one just needs an excuse to have them more! Diwali or no Diwali ! So here is my first Diwali sweet recipe. This one is very easy to prepare and very tasty too. You will just love it. Try it out and see for yourself.

Ingredients:

1 cup - Sifted maida (all purpose flour) or self raising flour
1 tsp -  Baking powder
½ cup - Sifted gram four
½ cup - powdered sugar
½ cup - Ghee (clarified butter)
2tsps - Cardamom powder (freshly ground)
½ tsp - Cinnamon powder (freshly ground)

Garnish:
1tsp - Cardamom powder
1tbsp - Powdered Pistachio nuts


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Centigrade.
2. Combine all the above ingredients (except garnish) in a bowl and knead it well with your hand for 10 minutes.
3. Then divide this into 32 small balls. Roll each ball between two palms till they are smooth (no cracks should appear) and slightly flatten them with your thumb in the cente. Place them on the greased baking tray with an inch space between each.
4. Press a little garnish on top of each flattened ball. Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes.
5. Cool on wire rack.
6. When cooled, store it in an air-tight container.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Baking time       : 20 mins

Note:

• If self-raising flour is used, then omit baking powder.
• It is advisable to sift both the flours together with baking powder (if added) before combining with all the other ingredients.
• Will last for a month if stored in an air-tight container.

Happy Diwali

Diwali also known as the "Festival of Lights" is round the corner and every home is buzzing with activities like spring cleaning, renovating, decorating, preparing sweets or shopping for new clothes and fire crackers and diyas. One can feel the excitement of the festive spirit in the air. All the shops are well lit and decorated offering large discounts to attract customers.

The excitement is contagious because, every year during Diwali once the cleaning and preparation of sweets are completed, I say to myself that from next year I am not going to prepare so many items as it is very exhausting. But as Diwali approaches I seem to get a burst of energy and the process of preparation starts. This time too, I prepared five different varieties – two savories and three sweets and hence I did not find to time to post new recipes in my blog. I shall make up for it after Diwali.

Here’s wishing all my readers and their families a very Happy and a prosperous Diwali.

Watch out for the recipes of these Diwali sweets in my next post.

Stuffed Okra

“Okra” or “ Lady’s finger” or “ Bhendi” (in Hindi) is generally available throughout the year. A variety of dishes can be prepared from this wonderful green vegetable.

This Maharashtrian dish is not only tasty and attractive.but also quite easy to prepare. Try it out.

Ingredients:

250 gms tender Okra (lady’s fingers)

For Filling:

3tbsps Gram flour

1 tsp Chilly powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

½ tsp – sugar

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

2 tbsps oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

A pinch asafetida

½ tsp turmeric powder

For Garnishing:

1 tbsp coriander leaves

1 tbsp grated coconut

Method:

1. Wash the Okra (lady’s fingers) and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Cut off the edges and make a slit in the centre lengthwise into each one of them.
2. Mix all the filling items in a bowl to form a thick paste. Take a little of this paste and stuff it well into each okra slits.
3. Heat oil in a shallow pan or Kadai. Add to it the seasoning ingredients. When the mustard seeds stops spluttering, add the stuffed okra one by one taking care to see that the stuffing (masala) does not come out.
4. Cover the pan and cook on low heat. Occasionally stir the okra taking care to see that they are not burnt. Cook till done.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Serves: 3

Note:

• This dish goes well with Rice & Dal.
• It is advisable to use non-stick pan/kadai while cooking this dish as no water is added while cooking.
  

Purple Cabbage Salad

This tasty salad is very quick and easy to prepare and is very healthy too. It is said that cabbage should be eaten raw i.e. in the form of salad rather than cooking, as it loses some of its valuable nutrients. Moreover, no cooking means less work too !

Earlier, I used to prepare this salad in a different way but I found that nothing beats our "desi" type of salad with "desi" ingredients. I learnt this recipe from one of my nieces (from my husband's side). You can spice it up adding more chilies if you so desire. She prepared this once at our place with the green cabbage. I used the same method for the purple one and the result is the same except that the leaves of the purple cabbage are slightly tougher than the green ones - tastewise, they are similar. Try it out and see for yourself.

Ingredients:

250 gms - Purple Cabbage

1 (large) - Onion

Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

2 tsps - Oil

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

1 tsp - Jeera (cumin) seeds

a pinch - Asafetida

1 or 2 - Green chilly (slit)

1 sprig - Curry leaves

For Garnishing

2 tbsps - Coriander leaves (chopped)

2 tsps - Lime juice

Method

1. Wash the cabbage and chop it finely. (If you have a food processor, this can be done in a few seconds).
2. Chop the onions too finely.
3. In a bowl, mix the chopped cabbage and onion and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a small pan and add the seasoning ingredients - mustard seeds, cumin seeds and when they start spluttering add the split green chilly, asafetida and curry leaves.
5. Fry it for a while and then pour the seasoning onto the cabbage and onion mix.
6. Mix it thoroughly and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and lime juice.
7. Add salt just before serving and mix well.

Serves: 4

Note:

This salad goes well with chapatis or puris.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi fell on 8th September this year (2010). I am a bit late in writing this blog. Nevertheless, I hope I have managed to capture the festive spirit that this festival brings about.

Exactly ten days after Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day of Bhadrapad (which falls around September) month.This festival is also celebrated through out India in every city, town and village. In some places, people come together and jointly perform this festival which is called “Saarvajanik” Ganesh festival.

Ganesh ( the Elephant God) or Ganapathi or “Vighneshwara” as he is also called means “Controller of obstacles”. Hence before the start of any auspicious activities, the first puja is performed for the Lord Ganesh.

Our Ganesha Puja is held in our ancestral home at Doddamane Katapady, Udupi district, Karnataka.

Decorated Ganesh idol

All our relatives from nearby towns and villages gather here on this occasion. The Ganesha idol is brought home in the morning around 8.00 and 9.00 am. We have a readymade Mantap for seating the idol. The Mantap is decorated with flowers and two full sugarcane plants which are tied to the front two pillars of the Mantap. This part of the decoration is a must.

108 coconuts halved

The Puja and the bhajans go on till around noon while the cooking of the prasadam and lunch preparations go on simultaneously. This year we had also made a special puja called “Mooda Ganapathy” which means offering of 108 coconuts and a specified amount of “Panchakajjai” with special ingredients - black sesame (til) sugarcane pieces, ghee, beaten rice, popped rice powder (Lhaai in Konkani) and honey.

Pooja being performed

The 108 coconuts are halved and stacked in a big container covered with a red silk cloth and decorated with flowers. Pooja is performed by the Vedic Brahman called “Bhat” (in Konkani).

Preparation of " Panchakatai" in progress

After the puja, sumptuous lunch prasadam is served on plantain leaves to all family members who have gathered and the special Panchkajjai prasadam is distributed along with the halved coconut to the whole village or anyone who visits the house for the “Darshan of Ganesha”.

The Lunch Menu consisted of :

1. Yellow pumpkin upkari
2. Bhuri Saaru
3. Channa Ghashi
4. Dalithoy
5. Six varieties of phodis
6. Patholi
7. Pathradau
8. Khotto
9. Phova Kheeri
10. Oondau
11. Rice
12. Nonche

Children performing the "Tiger Dance" in front of the temple

"Vaaga Vesu"

I actually missed their act and only managed to get this picture

As an entertainment, people paint their bodies resembling the bodies of tigers and dance to the drum beats. This is called “Vaaga Vesu” in Konkani which means “Tiger Fancy Dress”. Children too imitate the elders and have fun dancing to the beats which they perform in front of the temple where the Ganesh idol is kept.

Visarjan Puja being performed near the well

In the evening bhajans are sung and later on the “Visarjan Puja” is performed after which the idol is immersed in the well of our compound.

My camera batteries decided it had enough for the day, precisely at this moment and hence I could not photograph the actual immersion of Lord Ganesh.

In our house the idol is kept for one day only. In other places the festivities may go on for three, five, seven or ten days.

Soorna (Yam) Tambude

"Tambude” is a sweet & sour, hot & spicy and of course it goes without saying, a tasty Konkani dish. One can come across this dish during festivals or weddings. It is a sort of a pickle.

This root vegetable is called “Soornu” in Konkani, “Elephant Foot Yam” in English and “Suran” in Hindi. Varieties of dishes can be prepared from this tuber.

It cooks quickly though cleaning this tuber might pose a problem for a few. I feel itchy all over my hands if I am not careful while cleaning it. Hence take care.

Once the hard exterior portion which is dark brown in color, is cut off, you will notice the pinkish colour on the inside. After removing the entire hard brown portion, immerse it in water to clean it. If exposed to air for a long time, it will show discoloration.

As soon as it is cleaned, chop it into desired pieces. If for some reason, you need to keep a portion of the cleaned yam (to be used later), then immerse it in a container full of water and refrigerate it. It will retain its color this way.

Ingredients

Yam/Suran Mustard seeds Methi (fenugreek) seeds Corriander (dhania) seeds Dry red chillies Turmeric Asafoetida Tamarind Salt Jaggery (powdered) Curry leaves Oil Water

200gms 2 tsps 1 tsp 2 tsps 8 or 9 ½ tsp ½ tsp A big marble size lump To taste 2 tsps 1 sprig 3 tsps 11/2 cups

Method:

1. Wash and cut the yam into small cubes.
2. Boil the cubes in water till soft.
3. Roast in a small quantity of oil – mustard seeds(1 tsp), fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chilies, asafetida and turmeric for about 4-5 mins.
4. When cooled, grind the above roasted mixture along with tamarind and a little water to a fine paste.
5. To the cooked yam/suran cubes, add salt and jaggery. Stir well.
6. Finally add the ground masala. Mix well and allow it to boil. Remove from flame.
7. Season it with mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil.

Serves : 6

Note:

• Raw Jackfruit Tambude (Kadagi in konkani) is also prepared in the same manner as above.
• Red Chilies can be added according to ones taste. The red chilies (Byadagi variety) which I generally use are not very hot but give good color to the masala.
  

Sheera

This is a very simple, common, and a tasty Indian sweet dish. In earlier days, this used to be one of the first sweet dishes one would generally learn from their mothers. This is also made as “Prasadam” or “Naivedya” (offering to God) during festival time.

I remember during our childhood days when guests would arrive unexpectedly (of course, this is quite unheard of in todays world, what with mobile phones etc), my Mom would quickly prepare this sweet in honour of our guests as all the ingredients are generally available at home.

I had prepared this as "Naivedya" for the recent Janmashtami Puja.

Ingredients:

Fine Sooji (Semolina)	1 cup
Sugar	¾ cup
Ghee	4 tbsps
Cardamom powder	1 tsp
Raisins	1 tbsp
Kesar / Saffron (ground in a tbsp of hot water or hot milk)	A pinch / a few strands
Boiling water	1 cup

Method:

1. Fry the sooji/semolina with a tbsp of ghee for about 3-4 minutes on a low flame.
2. Add boiling water and stir well. Within minutes, all the water will evaporate and the semolina will be cooked and will turn soft.
3. Now add sugar. Stir constantly while the sugar melts and see that no lumps are formed.
4. Next add raisins and the ground kesar/saffron. Keep on stirring.
5. Add the remaining ghee and stir as before till it leaves the sides of the vessel.
6. Lastly add the cardamom powder and mix well. Remove from flame.
7. Pour the contents on to a greased plate (smeared with a little ghee) and flatten it evenly with a back of a spoon or ladle.
8. When cooled, cut it into squares or into diamond shapes.

Makes: around 30 pieces

Note:

• Sheera lasts only for a few days without refrigeration.
• A few chopped almonds or cashew nuts added to the above recipe also enhances its taste.
• A variation can be prepared by adding ripened bananas to the above.