Dry Fruit Baked Karanji

I have been following Sanjeev Kapoor the master chef of India.. and his recs are very trusting. Hardly ever they Flop and see the GB...so I trust his word and do try his rec.s with some alteration to suit what I have on hand. Similarly I came across Date and Anjeer(Figs) Baked karanji, so I tried my hand at these, next try with be with some Gulkand.

You will need;

for outer layer 

1 cup--Refined flour (maida)

2 tbspn-- Semolina (rawa/suji)

2 tbspn-- Ghee-Smoking hot

1/4th cup--Milk 

Either the above or store bought Pastry sheets..(I used the pastry sheets)

Stuffing
3/4 cup--Dates, chopped , seedless ,
3/4 cupf--Dried figs, chopped ,
15 - 20--Cashewnuts, crushed ,
15 - 20--Pistachios,
1 tspn-- crushed Green cardamom powder
1 tspn--Dry coconut Half cup, roasted ,
2 tblspn--Milk
Sugar as per need

--Take refined flour in a bowl. Add semolina, ghee and milk and knead into a semi soft dough. Divide into equal portions and shape them into pedas. Keep them covered with a damp cloth. Preheat oven to 350°F. To make the stuffing take dates and figs in a bowl. Add crushed cashewnuts, pistachios, green cardamom powder, roasted coconut and mix. Mash lightly with fingers and add a little milk. Roll out a dough peda. Place it in the karanji mould. Put a small portion of the prepared filling in the hollow. Apply a little water on edges, close the mould and press firmly. Remove the excess dough and use again. Similarly make the remaining karanjis. These can be made without the mould too. Place the karanjis on a greased baking tray and bake at 350°C for twenty to twenty five minutes. Cool, store in an airtight container.

 Please note that I had copied this rec from Sanjeev Kapoor' Website and this is his rec.. I am sharing it as I liked it as it is really easy and FAST .. and it can be done with no sugar if you like.

I am sending this rec to Anu's healthy Kitchen Diwali event.

Love Ash.

Diwali 2010

A very warm and happy diwali to all my friends who have been very kind with their words and take time out of their busy lives to read and most importantly to comment on my posts. I am sharing with you all some of the things I did this Diwali. The mehndi took me to  a very different phase of my life when I was  a little girl and having someone draw lovely henna on my tiny palms was the dream come true!!!!!

 Hoping all your dreams and wises come true in this festive season. Happy holidays!!!!!

Love Ash.

Bhagar Amti

Bhagar And Danyachi amti( peanut powder Soup) is a traditional yet very delicious and fast meal which was had as a Fast food...Fast=upas or Fasting fast....and not Fast Food=Junk Food....well most of our fasting foods are Junk. so my home calls it feasting foods...all empty cals and no nutrition as such...But this can be done in less than 30 mins. We did not Have RR( Rachael Ray's) in our kitchen back when we were little, yet many meals in our everyday cooking sum up top less than 30 mins meals.....this is one such meal....

Bhagar is a special Rice.. called as Vrat ke chawal/ or SAMO

1 cup Samo rice Washed and drained

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Green chili--Medium hot

Salt and sugar to taste

Oil-arnd 1tbspn

and water 2 cups boiling hot

Heat Oil in a wok, when hot add the chili and the cumin, once that splutters, add the drained rice and roast well, then add the boiling water and salt and sugar. Cover and let cook on slow heat for 10-15 mins or till rice gets fluffy.. Your Bhagar is done. Remove from stove and keep covered.

Peanut Soup or Danyachi Amti;

1 cup roasted Peanut powder or 2 tbspns peanut butter

1 tbspn Tamarind juice

1 stone jaggery to adjust the tartness of tamarind

1 tspn cumin seeds

1tspn red chili powder

Salt and Sugar to taste

Water to make the soup.

1tbspn Oil

In a pan take the water and mix the peanut butter or the powder, add the tamarind juice, jaggery, sugar salt and red chili powder. Let the soup boil over medium heat and mix well. In a smaller pan heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and once it splutters, add this to the soup pan...

once everything boils well and the mix looks cooked...its ready. Garnish with cilantro and Njoii with Bhagar.

You can even Njoii this with Sabudana Khichadi with some aloo chivda!!!!!! Bingo You have made yourself Farali Misal

Sabudana Khichadi is at

http://indulge-ashscorner.blogspot.com/2009/08/sabudanyachi-khichadi.html

Happy Fasting or Feasting!!!!!

Love Ash.

Apple Pie

The Fall Weather is one of the best seasons, we experience here in US.... not too hot and not too cold is just right....The leavers start turning colour and believe it or not, even the critic within us, says that Fall is the time to fall in love again.. with food, colour, nature.....orange yellow and reds are the colours to fall back on....will share some pics of the fall here in NJ..it has never been so colour full..ever....



Fall season also brings seasonal activities like Apple picking, festivals, Halloween and the mood for holidays sets in....We went applepicking and picked a little too many apples....So the only way to finish these off was to bake a pie...I followed the usual Rec on the back of the Ready made pie crusts..which I had got for something else.. but then used it for the pie.

The filing was;

 5-6 Apples....Jonathan or Red delicious Apples

half cup brown sugar, half cup regular sugar,

2tbspns Lime Juice,

2Tspns Cinnamon powder

2tbspns All purpose flour.

Mix the above in a pan and keep aside for about 30 mins.. in a pie dish.. Keep one sheet of the pie crust.. and let it stick to the dish..then mix the apple mixture and pour it on the crust.. cover with The second layer of the pie crust. Snip the upper layer to make small outlet for steam to pass while baking. Preheat oven @ 450 degrees and then reduce to 350degrees and bake for about 25-30 mins.
Njoii the pie with Whipped Cream or with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream!!!!! Either ways it Tastes Heavenly!

Till I bake again!!!!
Love Ash.

Making Roses from Buttercream Icing

I Learnt following this video;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRv5sQnr43k&feature=related

Hope you enjoii making these roses.

Love Ash.

My First Ever Cake Classes

YES!!!!!!! I was finally able to start my very own cake decorating classes. More of teaching it was a learning experience for me. But I am happy to tell you that I was able to cover all of what I set out to show them form torting levelling the cakes to decoarting and taking home  a creative piece of art!!!!

Things I covered in this class;


Preparing the cake.. torting, leveling and filing
icing the cake
decorating
Star tip use making shells, rosettes, and rope border
Leaf tip-- making leaves
Writing tip- Making lace, Vines and wirting
Rose tip and Flower Nail--
Showed them how to make roses and how to place them on the cake.

 The Picture is clear proof of what awesome Girls I had to share my journey with!!!! They had never ever worked with Icing or even close to any cake decorating and this was their effort. Please comment on their work... It's comments like these that keep us encouraging to do what we set out to and keep doing it!

Love Ash!!!

Must follow in evryday life!!!!!

The only people you need in your life are the one's that need you in theirs.

Don't make someone a priority if they only make you an option !

Shevai Kheer

This is a Big Week as Diwali is rite around the corner, so gearing up for Diwali.. preparations are on the way for the big festival at my home... My Hubby put up the lights and the lantern yesterday.. and I started with the usual Snacks.. no celebration is complete without food.. Diwali is festival of lights.. and some special snacks.. like Shev, Chakli, ladoo, Mithai, Chivda and the list is endless.....

I will start the special week by something sweet....Shevai Kheer or Sevai Kheer.You will need

One cup Shevai. Roasted in ghee

2 cups Milk-2%

2 cups Evaporated Milk

2 Tbspn Condensed Milk

3/4th cup Sugar

Cashews Roasted in ghee-1 Tbspn-Optional

Saffron Strands and One tspns Elaichi Powder

Roast the shevai and nuts in Ghee till light brown...and keep aside...Take the milk and evaporated milk in a pot and boil it with sugar and condensed milk.. when it come to  a small boil add the nuts and the roasted shevai to it and let cook for abt 10 mins ion medium heat. keep stirring as it will not stick to the bottom of the pan..when it all looks cooked and reduced. turn off the heat, Add the saffron and the elaichi powder.... Enjoii with hot pooris or phulkas... or enjoii Chilled on its own.....either ways.. it takes you in  a happy place.......

Wishing everyone a Happy Diwali and  a Very Prosperous New Year!!!

Love Ash.

PS. : These Lights are also home made from the Magic Model Clay!!!!!!!!!