SOOO    SWEET

In the forthcoming  festive season  treat your friends and family with these cakes, pies, slices, baklava, rabri, trifles and tarts. Serve these easy to make mouth watering treats after meal as a dessert or have it with a cup of tea or coffee as a snack. Baklava, cake and slices are also good fillers for children and school lunch boxes.

Walnut Date Cake

1 ½ cups white self raising flour

1 ½ cups whole meal self raising flour

1 cup dates chopped

½ cup walnuts chopped

½ cup raw sugar

1 tsp bicarb soda

Pinch salt

125 gm butter

2 eggs beaten

¾ cup butter milk

¼ cup lemon juice

1tbs lemon zest

1. Sieve flours and bi-carb soda in large glass bowl, add salt and walnuts, mix well and keep aside.
2.  Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs and beat well.
3. Stir in flour, along with dates and butter milk. Mix nicely and add lemon juice and zest. Mix and pour in a well greased cake tin.
4. Bake in a moderate hot oven for 45- 50 minutes or until cake is done.
5. Take it out and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
6.  Invert the cake on a cake plate and sprinkle icing sugar on top and serve with a dollop of cream on the side.

Baklava

1 cup pistachios sliced

1 cup walnuts finely chopped

1 tbs castor sugar

6 sheets of filo pastry

100gm butter melted

Sugar syrup

2 cups white sugar

2 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves

Few drops rose essence

1. Lightly grease a baking tray and keep aside.
2. Mix pista and walnuts in a bowl and add pinch of ground cinnamon and sugar. Mix and divide in six portions.
3. Take one filo pastry on a work bench. Brush melted butter on sheet and fold in a half.
4. Put one portion of nuts mixture on long side of pastry and roll up pastry in a log. Brush with butter and place on baking tray.
5. Repeat this with other five sheets and nuts. And bake in a preheated oven for ten minutes on medium or until baklava are golden.
6. Place sugar and water in a pan and bring to boil. Add cinnamon stick and cloves boil hard for 5-6 minutes until syrup is thick.
7. Pour hot syrup on baklava and leave it for half an hour.
8. Sprinkle rose water on top and cut each baklava in thick slices and serve.

Blueberry Pie

For short crust pastry

3 cups plain flour

175 gm chilled butter

½ tsp salt

80 ml iced water

For filling

500 gm blue berries

¾ cup castor sugar

4 tbs plain flour

3 tbs fresh orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

2 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

1. For pastry rub butter and flour with your finger tips. Add iced water to make firm dough.
2.  Wrap in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge for half an hour.
3. In a glass bowl combine all the blueberries with flour, zest, sugar and nutmeg. Mix and keep aside.
4. Roll out half the pastry and use to line a 23 cm pie dish. Pour blueberry mixture on the pastry. Sprinkle lemon and orange juice on top.
5. Roll out remaining half of the pastry and cut out stars with biscuit cutter and cover the pie. Press the edges to seal the pie.
6. Brush the top with water and sprinkle castor sugar and bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes on 190 c.
7. Serve this pie warm in winter and at room temperature in summer with ice cream.

Mango and Peach Trifle

2 cups vanilla custard

1 cup thickened cream

1 small butter cake

1 mango chopped

2 peach chopped

2tbs sugar

½ cup fresh orange juice

2 tbs pistachio sliced

1. Beat cream until soft peaks form. Add custard and mix gently until combined.
2. Sprinkle sugar on mango and peach mixture and keep aside.
3. In a serving bowl arrange cake slices and pour orange juice on top.
4. Spoon half of the custard mixture on top of the cake and arrange mango and peach mixture on top.
5. Cover fruit with remaining custard and sprinkle pistachio slices.
6. Put in fridge and serve after meal as a dessert.

Pear and Cardamom Tart

3 ripe pears

1tsp cardamom seeds

50 gm butter

¼ cup castor sugar

2 sheets puff pastry

1. Peel, core and cut pears in half lengthways.
2. Preheat the oven to 220c.
3. In a frying pan, that should go in the oven arrange butter, sugar, cardamom and pears rounded side down.
4. Cook on a medium heat until sugar melts and began to bubble. As soon as sugar caramelized, remove from heat.
5. Place puff pastry on top, tucking the edges down the side of the pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Leave to cool for five minutes and invert a pan over plate.
7. Serve this tart warm with dollop of cream on the side.

Chocolate Coconut Slice

2 cups self raising flour

1cup desiccated coconut

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup cocoa powder

½ cup choc chips

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

250 gm butter melted

1. Preheat oven on 180c. Line and grease two lamington pans.
2. In a small bowl mix together almonds, sesame seeds and a tablespoon of desiccated coconut and keep aside.
3. In a big bowl mix nicely all above ingredients and pour in the prepared lamington pans.
4. Sprinkle silvered almonds and sesame seeds mixture on top and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Cool chocolate coconut slice in pan before cutting into squares.

Milk Rabri

2 litre full cream milk

200gm white sugar

200gm mixed berries

1. Place milk in a heavy based pan and slowly bring to boil.

2. Reduce heat and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for 20 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to low and cook further stirring now and then, until milk is thick like cream.

4. Add sugar and mix nicely in thick milk. Remove from heat and mix again.

5. Allow to cool Rabri and serve in a small bowl with mixed berries.

Note….Strawberries, Raspberries and Black berries go well with Rabri.

Orange and Pistachio Cake

1 cup self raising flour

¼ cup plain flour

½ cup semolina

½ cup castor sugar

½ cup milk

2 eggs beaten

125 gm butter melted

½ tsp cardamom powder

½ cup pistachio chopped

Orange Syrup

3 oranges

½ cup sugar

80 ml water

1. To make syrup we need zest of two oranges and one cup orange juice.

2. Mix one cup of orange juice along with sugar and water in a pan and bring to boil.

3. Boil hard for five minutes and add orange zest and boil again for a minute or so. This is your orange syrup for the cake.

4. To make orange cake, sift self raising and plain flour in a bowl. Add semolina, pistachio, sugar and cardamom powder.

5. Mix and make a well in the centre, add eggs, milk and butter. Mix well with wooden spoon.

6. Spoon into prepared cake pan and bake in a preheated oven on 180c for 45 minutes.

7. Cool in the pan for five minutes and turn over on plate.

8. When ready to serve pour warm syrup on cake slices and serve.

Note….To prepare cake pan brush with melted butter and line with non stick baking paper.

Coconut Cup Cakes

2 cups self raising flour

300 ml thickened cream

½ cup desiccated coconut

½ cup castor sugar

2 eggs beaten

½ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven on 180c. Line cup cake tin with patty cases.
2. Sift flour, add coconut and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add cream, eggs, milk and vanilla essence to flour mixture and mix well.
4. Spoon cake mixture into patty cases and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
5. Test one cake with the skewer. If the skewer is clean then cakes are ready.
6. Cool on wire rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Lemon Coconut Slice

Base

1 cup plain flour

100 gm cold butter

¾ cup desiccated coconut

½ cup white sugar

Pinch of salt

Lemon filling

2 eggs beaten

¼ cup lemon juice

¾ cup white sugar

1 tbs plain flour

1 tsp lemon zest

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1. Put all the base ingredients in a food processor and process until forms like bread crumbs.
2. Press this mixture to greased and lined tray and bake on 180c for 25 minutes.
3. For the lemon filling, mix all the filling ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
4. Pour this mixture on top of baked base and bake again for 30 minutes or until set.
5. When cool enough to handle, cut in slices. Sprinkle icing sugar on top and serve.

Related posts:

1. Quick snacks recipes by Usha Kirpalani
2. Juicy recipes by Usha Kirpalani

   

Mrs. Usha Kirpalani

Chaana Chaat

1 can of chick pea (chaana)

1onion diced

1 small potato boiled

2 green chilies sliced

1 lemon juiced

1 tabs chaat masala

salt to taste

Peel and cut the potato in small pieces.

Open the can of chick pea and wash in a sieve with running water.

Drain the chickpea and keep in serving bowl.

Add all the above ingredients and mix it lightly.

Garnish with coriander and mint leaves.

Potato Tikki

2 large potatoes

1 slice of bread

2 green chilies chopped

10 mint leaves chopped

½ tsp chaat masala

¼ tsp red chili powder

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Boil potatoes, when still warm peel the skin and mash it.

Soak the bread in little water. Squeeze and add to potato mix.

Add red and green chilies, chaat masala, salt and mint leaves.

Mix nicely and shape into small round tikkies.

Heat oil in frying pan and shallow fry both sides till golden brown.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Stir Fried Prawns

250gm green prawns

1tbs garlic finely chopped

1tbs ginger finely chopped

2 fresh red chilies chopped

1tbs fish sauce

1tbs oyster sauce

Pinch of sugar and salt

2tbs cooking oil

2tbs chopped coriander leaves

Peel and divine the prawns. Wash and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Heat oil in a large pan. Fry prawns for 2 minutes, take it out and keep aside.

Reheat the pan. Fry garlic and ginger, adding prawns, red chilies oyster sauce,

fish sauce, sugar and salt. Keep stir frying for 4 minutes.

Add chopped coriander leaves, mix and serve at once with coconut rice.

Note: Now days you can buy peeled prawns from wollies.

Coconut Rice

2cups long grain white rice

2 cups of coconut milk

2cups water

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

Wash the rice in sieve and drain.

Bring to the boil water, coconut milk, sugar and salt.

Add rice and cook on simmer, till water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Leave it for five minutes to rest; fluff and serve with stir fried prawns.

Malpuras

1 cup wheat flour

½ cup sugar

½ tsp saunf(fennel seeds)

¼ tsp cardamom seeds

1tsp melted ghee

Mix all above ingredients and make a thick batter by adding luke warm water.

Leave aside to rest for half an hour.

Heat ghee in fry pan to a depth of about an inch, and pour spoonful of the batter

When one side is golden, turn over and fry other side.

Serve after the main meal with yogurt. .

Spicy Grilled Fish

400gm white boneless fish

1tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp chili powder

1tsp chaat masala

1tsp coriander powder

1tbs cornflour

½ tsp salt

Cut fish in long fingers 2cm by 6cm.

Mix and rub, all above ingredients into fish pieces.

Brush preheated grill with oil, and grill fish for 3 minutes on each side.

Serve fish as a snack with tomato sauce or with roti and raita.

Gobhi Fry

500gm cauliflower

Bunch spring onion

2tbs garlic chopped

2tbs ginger chopped

2fresh red chilies diced

1tbs soy sauce

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp turmeric

2tbs coriander leaves

½ cup water

Cut cauliflower in small florets. Cut spring onion into 2cm pieces.

Heat oil in a large fry pan and add garlic, ginger, red chilies and spring onions. Cook for a minute

Add cauliflower and fry it for a minute, adding soy sauce, sugar, turmeric and water.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, till tender. Sprinkle coriander leaves on top.

Serve with cooked white rice, yogurt and pappadum.

Tangri Kebab

6-8 chicken drumsticks

3tbs natural yogurt

4tbs tandoori paste

Pinch of salt

1 large onion

1 lemon

Cut onion in rings and lemon into wedges, and keep aside.

Skin the chicken and make 2 deep cuts on each drumstick.

Mix together yogurt, salt and tandoori paste. Coat chicken legs with this marinade and leave it overnight or at least 2 hours in fridge.

Grill or barbecue for10-12 minutes on each side, basting with melted butter or ghee.

Serve Tangri Kebab with Naan bread, mint raita, onion rings and lemon wedges.

Mint Raita

1cup natural yogurt

2tbs mint leaves chopped

2 green chilies finely chopped

Salt to taste

½ tsp cumin seeds

Dry roast cumin seeds in a fry pan, and when it changes colour to dark brown, take it out and keep aside.

Mix all above ingredients in a serving bowl and sprinkle roasted cumin on top, then serve with Tangri Kebab.

Matthri

1cup plain flour

1cup semolina (rava)

2tbs natural yogurt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

¼ tsp turmeric

2tbs ghee

½ tsp salt

Mix together all dry ingredients. Add ghee and yogurt, mix and add enough warm water to make the firm dough.

Divide the dough into small walnut size balls. Roll into a thick circle and deep fry on both sides till light brown in colour.

These mathris can be eaten as a snack on its own or serve with any kind of chaat.

Dal ki Kachori

½ cup black gram dal (urad dal)

½ cup moong dal

2 green chilies

Few coriander leaves

½ tsp red chili powder

1tsp ginger grated

Salt to taste

Pinch of baking powder

Oil for deep frying

Soak dal for an hour. Drain and grind to a fine paste with salt, ginger, and chopped green chilies. Add coriander leaves and chili powder to dal paste.

Heat oil and fry lime size balls of this paste till golden brown on medium heat.

Serve with imli chutney as a snack with a cup of tea.

Imly Chutney

1/2 cup tamarind pulp (imli)

1 cup hot water

2tbs brown sugar

1 tsp finely grated ginger

1tsp garam masala

1tbs chaat masala

½ tsp red chili powder

Salt to taste

Soak imli in hot water for half an hour. Knead and strain through nylon sieve.

Throw pulp and seeds away.

Add salt, sugar,ginger and other masalas to imli water, stir and mix well.

Serve with dal ki kachori as a dipping sauce.

Related posts:

1. Juicy recipes by Usha Kirpalani

Mrs. Usha Kirpalani the NSW State winner of 1995 Dairy Farmer’s Top Cook competition and author of  Indian Cooking  for All Ocassions

By Usha Kirpalani
One of the most efficient way to supply a wide range of nutrients to your body is by juicing fruit and vegetables every day. Drinking two to three glasses of juice first thing in the morning when stomach is empty will speed up your body’s metabolism that will assist in the maintenance of optimum weight.
Here Usha Kirpalani, the NSW State winner of 1995 Dairy Farmer’s Top Cook competition and author of  Indian Cooking  for All Ocassions shares some “juicy” recipes with the valued readers
of The Indian Sub-continent Times

Juicy recipes

Eating fruit and vegetables is a vital part of a healthy, balanced diet. Health organisations and nutrition recommends at least three servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables every day.
One of the most efficient way to supply a wide range of nutrients to your body is by juicing fruit and vegetables every day. Drinking two to three glasses of juice first thing in the morning when stomach is empty will speed up your body’s metabolism that will assist in the maintenance of optimum weight.
Juices are good source of energy, but have slow releasing natural sugars that will keep you full for a long period.
Juices provide instant nutrition, minerals and vitamins that help in building a strong immune system. As juices are free of fibre, they are absorbed rapidly into blood stream, healing, revitalising and creating a sense of wellbeing.
So start juicing for a good health.

Blood Builder Beetroot Juice

2 Beetroots with leaves
1 Apple sliced
2 Carrots top removed
1 lime or lemon juiced
1 inch fresh Ginger peeled

Wash beetroot leaves with lot of water to remove dirt.
Juice the carrot, apple, ginger and beetroot with leaves in a juicer.
Mix-in lime juice, stir and drink in the morning for maximum cleansing effect.
The beetroot juice is rich in iron which gives boost to Red Blood Corpuscles in the blood.

Veges and Fruit Cocktail

4 Carrots
2 Celery sticks
½ Beetroot fresh
1 Apple cored and sliced
1/2 lettuce

Prepare vegetables for juicing by washing and slicing.
Juice one by one in the juicer, and mix and drink within 15 minutes of juicing first thing in the morning.

Juice For Acne

1 Cucumber sliced in half
2 Carrots top removed
1 Celery Stick
1 hand full English Spinach

Juice cucumber, carrots, celery and English spinach in the juicer.
Pour in a tall glass and drink.
Drink this juice every morning; it is good for acne prone skin.

Creamy Thai juice

In Thailand this juice is sold in plastic bags with straw. You can buy this refreshing juice very cheap from roadside stalls.

2 large carrots
½ bunch coriander leaves
½ cup coconut milk

Wash carrots and cut their tops and juice them in a juicer.
Blend juice, coriander leaves and coconut milk in blender until thick
Pour in a tall glasses and drink.

Creamy Cucumber Juice

1cucumber sliced in half
2 medium apples washed and chopped
3 mint leaves

Juice cucumber and mint first and then apple in a juicer. Mix and drink.
Drink this juice early in the morning for cleansing effect.
Apples have low Glycaemic Index (low GI) and they keep hunger pangs at bay for longer time than other fruits.

Date Banana Thick Shake

In the after noon when you feel tired and the lunch break is a distant memory, this drink provides quick energy.

1 large banana peeled
1 apple chopped
1cup natural yogurt
5 dates

Juice apple in a juicer and pour into blender with banana yogurt and dates.
Blend nicely and drink within ten minutes.

Apple and Pear and prune Juice

This juice contains soluble fibre pectin, which aids the digestion and the prunes keeps you regular.

2 Apples sliced
2 Pears sliced
6 Prunes
Pinch cinnamon

Juice apple and pear slices together. Pour juice in blender along with prunes and blend.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top and serve.

Stone Fruit Juice
1 Peach stoned
2 Apricots stoned
1 Plum stoned
Few drops rose water

Juice apricots and plums in a juicer.
Sprinkle rose water, mix and serve in small glasses.

Sunny Summer Drink

1 Mango, peeled and stoned
½ Pine apple peeled
1 Passion fruit cut in half
Mint leaf to serve

Juice mango and pine apple in juicer. Take out pulp and seeds from passion fruit.
Mix to the juice and serve with a mint leaf.
Relax and enjoy this juice on sunny evenings

You will get vitamin E from this drink.

Flu Fighter

2 Oranges peeled
½ Pine apple sliced
Ginger half inch piece

Put oranges and pine apple in a juicer or blender.
Blend or juice fruit with ginger and serve.
This juice is full of vitamin C. Drink more often for cold and flu.

Melon Supreme

1 Rockmelon
¼ Watermelon skin removed
Fresh Ginger

Cut rockmelon in half, peel and take out seeds. Cut flesh in slices
Blend in blender along with watermelon and ginger.
Now you have a creamy and nutritional thick shake without any dairy product.
This is a thick juice for those people who want to avoid milk.

Berry Delight.

1 cup Raspberries frozen
1 cup Strawberries frozen
1 Apple sliced

Juice apple in juicer and pour onto strawberries and raspberries.
Blend in the blender and pour into slim tall glasses

Fruit Cocktail with Mint

2 Oranges peeled
1 punnet Raspberries
1 cup white grapes
1 Lime peeled
5 Mint leaves

Juice raspberries, oranges, grapes and lime in a juicer.
Pour over ice cubes in a large jug and add chopped mint.
Serve in slim glasses with two ice cubes each.

Grapes are rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin C and E.

Papaya and Grape Juice

2 cups grapes
1 papaya peeled and sliced
Lemon juice to taste
Juice grapes and papaya in juicer. Add lemon juice and serve.
Grapes are high in potassium and magnesium and vitamins A, B and C.

Grapes are also good for high blood pressure and arthritic pain and they help cleanse the liver.

Banana and Mango Delight

Drink this banana and mango delight in the morning in place of breakfast. This drink will keep you full and satisfied till lunch time.

1 Banana peeled
1 mango peeled and stoned
1 cup chilled natural yogurt
1 passion fruit
4-6 ice cubes
1tsp honey

Blend banana and mango in a blender.
Add ice, yogurt and honey and blend again.
Cut passion fruit in half scoop out flesh and put into two glasses.
Pour Banana and Mango delight on top, mix and serve.

Citrus Grape Fruit Juice

2 grape fruits peeled
1 fresh beetroot sliced

Juice beetroot first and then grape fruit in a juicer.

Pour into tall glasses and enjoy your cleansing juice.

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