Kashi Halwa - Winter Melon Sweet

Sinfully delicious is what I would say for this dessert ! So easy to prepare. Just a few grated melons is what we need. Rest of the ingredients will be easily available in your pantry. Both my husband and I are so addicted to this dish. 

This dish is originated from Karnataka and I am still not very sure why is it named as Kashi Halwa.This is a must in ceremonies at Mangalore, usually served for breakfast. This is the third time in row I have made for any occasion which calls a dessert or sweet dish. My ninja food processor does a wonderful job in grating the melons and it's a cakewalk for me to make this. The only drawback of this is (which I truly dislike) is the quantity shrinks greatly. Two large pieces of melon is what I used today and the final dish can be served to 3-4 people. Must say the serving portion can not be generous if you want to squeeze in more people for this quantity. 

The version I have made is with sugar. But I very clearly remember my grandmother making it with jaggery and would call it a healthier version. I really did not understand at that age jaggery is better than sugar. However I like both the version and next time I make it with jaggery I will surely post the pictures.

I have not added any color. I do not add colors to food, I can say I do not have any at all. The golden color is due to continuous stirring on very low setting and kesar (saffron). I love the golden color it gives to halwa or even kesari bath.

Wheat Flour Halwa

Let me warn you this is rich both in ghee and sugar. It is very appetising to me. I have always relished it to the fullest. I have seen people in love with it like myself, my mom and daughter ! You can call it heridity ;) and my husband just not a fan of this halwa. During our recent trip to India I learnt my cousin does not like it either. So there are few who may not like the amount of ghee it calls for.

My aunt is an expert in cooking and this was her go to "instant sweet" when we craved for dessert as kids. I wonder how could she make this as her "go to" dish. May be this is what is passion. According to me this is time consuming and need a lot of patience. I wont deny I have thoroughly enjoyed cooking and eating this. I was always told this sweet dish orginated from a very famous hotel called Taj Mahal in Karkala Town. There are different versions or may be same as this all over India but for me this will always be "karakala halwa". 

Kai Holige

Wish you all a Very Happy Ugadi. Ugadi festival reminds me of childhood days. New clothes, lots of food and not to forget yummy ubatti. I still remember that song of our school days "Uga Ugadi Kaledaru"...what a lovely and meaningful lyrics. My cousin mentioned this festival is also called as "Ubbati Parab". Ubbati is a sweet dish prepared specially during Ugadi and Parab means festival in konkani.

My DH is not a big fan of chana dal. So I decided to replace ubbati with kai holige this time. He loved it ! My grandmother used to make this holige every year without fail right after Gauri festival. Because we celebrated Gauri puja at home, there used to be lots of coconut which is typically called as "vaina". It was her belief to make only sweet dishes out of vaina she used to make kai holige and distribute among her kids and their family.

Kai holige is made with coconut stuffing whereas ubbati with chana dal stuffing. We call this coconut stuffing as huran and the outside layer made with all purpose flour or maida as "kanik".This is my second attempt in preparing kai holige and this time the preparation was a bliss. Rolling after placing coconut dumpling came out perfect. This surely is a time consuming sweet dish and needs patience ! But the end result is something you can relish :)

Aamras/ Mango Pulp

Its mango season again :-) ! I just love mangoes. I used to avoid eating mangoes with a fear of gaining weight. Recently  I started reading about nutritional facts of mangoes and if it really causes weight gain the answer was "no". Wow what a relief to me ! I can have mangoes this season without any guilt !

I always buy mangoes for my DD from wholefoods. Those were so sweet and totally yum ! But I just love the ones we get from Indian grocery stores. The first mango I bought this year I could not stop myself from preparing aamras with poori. Yumilicious !

Mango in Coconut Milk/ Ambe Rasayana (Hashale)

During July and August New India Bazar had lots of fresh mangoes. Those were so rich and tasty. We have hogged quite a few. I also prepared some of the authentic dishes. Ambe Rasayana or Ambe Hashale is one among them. Ambo in konkani is mango. Rasayana is made with mangoes, coconut milk and jaggery. Of course high in calories ! Since mangoes are not available widely round the year I did prepare this. I love to have these with puris. But I had to stop myself from making puris which will simply add some more calories :-). We just had this hashale (this is how we call it at home) as a dessert. 

Jackfruit Sweet Dish/Ponasa Mulik

Mulik means "modaka" in kannada which I believe is also called as "modak" in few other languages.

While shopping our weekly groceries we found nice and fresh jackfruit. My husband loves it ! He asked me if I can prepare mulik a snack for people with sweet tooth. Rainy evening was a perfect weather to relax at home and enjoy these little deep fried dumplings.


Ingredients:
15-20 jackfruit pieces
1 cup grated or powdered jaggery
cardamom for taste
1/2 cup grated coconut, fresh or frozen
1 cup rava (sooji)
pinch of salt
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Isolate jackfruit from its skin and seeds. Cut into small pieces.
In a mixer or blender make a thick paste of cut jackfruit, coconut, cardamom, salt and jaggery. Add water only if required.
To this paste mix sooji. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.
Make small balls and deep fry it on simmer.
Eat hot.

Serves: 3-4
Prepartion time: 45 minutes


Note: I used upma rava. You can prepare it with idly rava also.

Sweet Khichidi

I was surprised to see everyone having this khichidi for breakfast at my MIL's place. This surely is a good dish but sweet for breakfast??? I dont think I can ever have such dishes early in the morning. Even today my hubby had this with urad dosa !!!


Ingredients:
1/2 cup chana dal
1/2 cup broken wheat
10-15 cashews
raisins
cardamom
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup grater coconut
2 table spoons ghee (optional)

Method:
Cook chana dal, broken wheat and cashews in a pressure cooker for 7-10 mins.
In a kadai, add little water to sugar and make a syrup. The consistency of this syrup should be thick.
Add cooked dal and wheat to this syrup. Keep stiring.
You can see this mixture becomes thicker and sticky, add raisins, cardamom and grated coconut.
Pour ghee on top and serve hot.

Serves: 3
Preparation Time: 25 mins

Note: This is typically eaten with neer dosa or any other dosa. But for me, this is equivalent to a dessert after lunch/dinner.