Mango Sheera

Mango season is going to end, soon. So I keep buying them often to make the most when it is available. Apart from eating the fruit as it is, I had lot more to be used up. And I decided to make a mango flavored sheera. There is no second thoughts when it comes to making sweet. It is always welcome at home.  Its very easy to make and tastes delicious with the flavor of mango. 

You need

• Roasted rava/semolina - 1 cup
• Milk - 1 cup
• Water-1/2 cup
• Fresh mango pulp - 1 cup
• Sugar -1 cup
• Ghee - 2 tblspn
• Cardamom powder -1/2 tspn
• Cashewnuts,raisins - 1 tblspn

Method
Select a medium sized mango which doesn't have fibre. De-skin and cut the mango into cubes. Pulse in the mixer and make a fine puree.  You can use tinned pulp too. In that case adjust the sugar accordingly.

In a kadai or thick bottomed vessel, take mango pulp, milk, water and sugar. Boil the mixture till the sugar is fully dissolved. Add the roasted rava and mix well. Cook on low heat. When the mixture starts to thicken, add 2 tablespoon of ghee. Continue to cook till all the liquid dries up and the mixture is moist. Switch of the heat. 

In a seasoning ladle, add a teaspoon of ghee. Roast cashew and raisins. Add it to the sheera. Finally add cardamom powder. Mix well.  Serve warm.

Chocolate Semiya Kesari

My husband usually searches for sweets, post dinner. Sometimes there may not be even dates, to satisfy his cravings. Depending on the strength of the urge, I'll be asked to make kesari,  since it is a quickie, which can be done in 10 minutes. There is no waiting time also and it can be scooped straight from the pan. On one such night, he suggested semiya (vermicelli) kesari. And I decided to go for half and half of semiya and rava. While cooking, when I had to add the color powder, I thought why not some cocoa e powder. Since I was making a small quantity, I could  afford to experiment. And anything chocolate has to taste good. The end result was so good and then on its mostly chocolate kesari at home. I sometimes make with only semolina or vermicelli.

You  need

• Rava/Semolina - 1/2 cup
• Semiya/Vermicelli - 1/2 cup
• Sugar -1 cup
• Water - 2 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 1 tblspn
• Cocoa powder - 2 tspn
• Cashew and raisins - few

Method

Roast rava and semiya separately till light brown. If you are using roasted semiya, then no need to roast it again.

Take a kadai and add the measured water. When it starts boiling, add the roasted semiya. When its half cooked, add rava and cocoa powder. Semiya takes more time to cook, hence adding it first. When both rava and semiya is cooked well and the water is fully absorbed, stir in the sugar. Continue cooking till the melts completely and the mixture comes together. Add half a tablespoon of ghee and give it a nice stir.

In a separate pan, heat ghee and add cashews. When cashews start browning, add raisins. Stir in the fried cashews and raisins along with the ghee to the cooked kesari. If you wish to slice them, spread it on a plate greased with ghee. When cool, slice into desired shape.

Aval/Poha Kesari and Friday Kolam

The sweet, kesari is synonymous with rava kesari. If there is a change in the ingredient or addition of another, it gets added to the name like Pineapple kesari or semiya kesari. As with halwas, there are varieties of kesari. The most common at home is rava kesari. Two years back, during our visit to my BIL at Bangalore, we were invited by J akka, sister of my co-sister (manni in Tamil). J akka is like a sister to me too and incidentally she shares my sister's name. J akka cooks well. One of her signature dish is Bisi Bele Bath. She had made that for lunch and for dessert, it was kesari. When I tasted kesari, the texture and color was similar to rava kesari but the taste was slightly different. It was then she told me it was made of aval/poha.

From then on, I wanted to try it at home. But it never happened until two weeks back when my uncle and family came for breakfast on a Sunday. I decided Sevai with potato masala and coconut chutney. I could not decide on the sweet. I wanted to make something light and quick and kesari fits the bill. But then wanted something different to offer to the guests and I was running short of time. My uncle and family was expected anytime. Then luckily the bulb flashed and was reminded of aval kesari. I could make it in flat 15 minutes from start to finish.

I used matta aval (thick, brown variety). if you are using the white variety, the color will be yellow. Since I used brown, the color was brown too. The flavor of poha was more prominent that what I had in J akka's house.

You need



Coarsely powdered Aval - 1/2 cup

Water - 1 cup

Sugar - less than 1 cup (Take 1 cup if you like it very sweet)

Ghee - 1 1/2 tblspn

cashew/raisins - few

cardamom powder - 1/2 tspn

Yellow color - a pinch


Method

Pulse aval in the mixie coarsely. The texture should be grainy and not too fine. This will help in getting a fluffy kesari rather than a gummy kind.  Heat a kadai. Add half  tablespoon of ghee. Roast cashews and raisins and remove them. Add a cup of water and and a pinch of yellow color. When water starts boiling, stir in the powdered aval. Mix well. When the water is fully abosrbed, add sugar. Aval doesn't turn lumpy like rava. Its lot more easier. Stir in a tablespoon of ghee. Keep mixing and it  gets done in 5 minutes. You can see the ghee floating on top. Add cardamom powder and the roasted cashews. The amount of ghee required is also less than in the usual kesari. It remained soft even the next day.

Friday Kolam and this is the last friday of the month in the regional calendar (Thai/Makaram)

MahaShivarathri wishes to all my readers who celebrate.

Pineapple Kesari

I can't remember how many times I have made kesari at home. Everytime, when my hsuband has the sweet craving (that craving is there almost daily) and there isn't anything near to sweet to munch on, he will ask me to make kesari. Then the quantity I make will be very less. that is just one serving for two. When the whole of my neigborhood must be getting ready to hit the bed, I will be busy in the kitchen making kesari. When you are making in small quantities, its very easy, much easier than making upma, since no chopping involved here. On one such night, when I set out to make kesari, the pineapple on my kitchen caught my attention. I have heard of pineapple kesari a lot but never tried it. Decided it was pineapple kesari that day. Chopped the pineapple into bite sized pieces and used a cup of it for the kesari. I have heard many people cribbing at the thought of cutting a pineapple. I have never found it difficult. The remaining pineapple was used for making jam. I followed my usual way of making kesari with the addition of the pineapple chunks in it. I just increased the water and sugar quantity to make up for the addition of the pineapple.

You need


Roasted rava/semolina - 1 cup

Sugar -2 1/4 cups ( increase 1/4 cup more depending on the sweetness of pineapple)

Water - 2 1/2 cups

Yellow food color -a pinch. ( Can use turmeric powder too)

Ghee - 1/2- 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tspn



I usually roast rava as soon as I buy them from store. If not roasted, dry roast rava till light pink. You get roasted rava too from the stores.

Heat a kadai, add measured water with a pinch of food color. When water starts boiling, add the pienapple pieces. After a minute or so, add rava and mix well. Let the rava cook and by then the water will be fully absorbed. Add sugar. The sugar will melt and the mixture will turn runny. Mix well and take care to break the lumps if any. Slowly add ghee at intervals. The kesari will take a glossy sheen and will leave the sides of the pan. It tastes beest when served cold. You can press it down on a greased plate and cut into desired shape while warm.  Loved the hint of pineapple in the kesari.

Note: If you don't want to bite into the pineapple pieces, you can give a run in the food processor or mixer and then add for a smooth texture. You can add roasted cashews too.


I am sending this to Sanghi's FIL event which features Fruits for the current month