Rava Laddoo

1 1/2 cups rava(semolina)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup ghee(clarified butter)
4-5 cardamoms , powdered
2 tbsp cashewnuts cut into very small pieces
2 tbsp raisins.

Roast the rava in the 2 tbsp ghee till light golden in colour. Mix the sugar,roasted rava and cardamom and powder fine in a dry grinder. Heat the remaining ghee,fry the cashewnuts and raisins.

Add to the rava-sugar mixture. Shape into tight laddoos(small round balls). The laddus can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Paneer Laddoo

1/2 cup condensed milk
250 gms. paneer (cottage cheese)
2-3 drops kewra essence
1/4 tsp. yellow colour

Mash paneer.

Add condensed milk and cook on slow flame, stirring continously.

Cook till thick and sides leave.

Add essence and remove from flame.

Mix well. Pour on plate. Cool. Make ladoos.

Sprinkle powdered elaichi and decorate.

Coconut Laddoo

1 can condensed milk
2 cups of dessicated coconut
1 tablespoon sugar


Mix the condensed milk and the coconut in a bowl. Add the sugar and stir on a low flame for about 4 minutes. Set aside till the mixture has slightly cooled down. Shape into laddoos(small round balls).

Roll each laddoo in a little dessicated coconut. Store in airtight jars.

Besan Laddoo

Besan - 4 cups (a bit thicker than ordinary)
Sugar - 2 cups (powdered)
Almonds (Badam) - 20-25 nos. (chopped)
Ghee - 1 cup
Cardamom powder. - 1 tsp.


Heat the ghee in a pan. Add besan part by part and mix it well. Keep on low flame. Keep stirring to avoid burning.

When the aroma comes, remove from heat and cool. Add the powdered sugar to it and mix well. Add the almonds and shape the mixture into balls.

Boondi Laddoo

For boondi:

2 1/2 cups gram flour (not superfine variety)
500 ml. milk
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
3 cups ghee for deep frying
a fineholed shallow strainer spoon

For syrup:

2 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. milk
few drops saffron (kesri) colour

For syrup:

Put sugar and water in a vessel and boil. When sugar dissolves, add milk. .Boil for 5 minutes till dirt forms on top.
Strain and return to fire. Add colour and boil till sticky but no thread has formed. Add cardamom powder and mix. Keep aside.

For boondi:

Mix flour and milk to a smooth batter. Heat ghee in a heavy frying pan. Hold strainer on top with one hand. With the other pour some batter all over the holes. Tap gently till all batter has fallen into hot ghee. Stir with another strainer and remove when light golden. Keep aside. Repeat for remaining batter. Immerse boondi in syrup. Drain any excess syrup. Spread in a large plate. Sprinkle few tsp. hot water over it. Cover and keep for 5 minutes. Shape in laddoos with moist palms. Cool and keep open to dry, before storing in containers.

Rice Halwa

Rice-1/2 kg
Coconuts-2
Ghee-50 grams
Cashews-100 grams
Cardamoms-5 or 6
Sugar-1/2 kg


Soak the rice well and then grind it.Take out the coconut milk from coconut and keep aside.After taking out the coconut milk, grind the coconut scraped [in which the milk was taken] with the grinded rice.After grinding it smooth , add the grinded mixture in the kadai and keep on stirring.Keep on stirring till it comes out easily without sticking to the kadai.

Then add the coconut milk and continue stirring.Then add the sugar and add the ghee little by little. And again continue stirring.Then take it out from fire till it reaches halwa consistency [ without sticking to the kadai].Grease the plate with ghee and add the above mixture.after when it has cooled cut into pieces.Decorate this with cashews.

Gajar ka Halwa ( Carrot Halwa)

1 kg juicy orange carrots
1 1/2 litre milk
400-500 gm sugar
elaichi powder (cardomon)
saffron few flakes
few drops orange colour (optional)
1 tbsp ghee


Peel and grate carrots. Put milk and carrots in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously. Add sugar and cook further till thickens. Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the ghee oozes out. Serve hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.

Dryfruit Halwa

Cashewnuts, Walnuts, Almonds and Pistachios - 100gms. each (coarsely ground)
Milk - 1 glass
Sugar - 300 gms.
Khoya - 400 gms.
Black raisins - 50 gms.
Ghee or oil - 1 cup
Cardamoms - 2 (ground)



Heat the ghee and fry the khoya stirring all the time till it turns a light brown. Keep aside. Boil the milk and add the sugar. Stir till the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and mix well with the khoya.

Add the dryfruits , raisins and cardamom pwd. and mix well. Spoon the mixture into a greased plate and smoothen with a flat spoon. Cut into diamond shaped pieces and garnish with almonds and pistachios.

Chickoo( Sapota) Halwa

6 chickoos
1/2 tea cup milk
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
150 gms khoya or milk powder made paste.
2 - 3 drops cochineal (essence)
1 tbsp ghee



Peel and mash chickoos or blend. Add milk and boil in heavy saucepan. When slightly thick add khoya and cook, stirring continuously.

Add sugar and ghee. Cook on low turning continuously till ghee oozes. Garnish with almond or walnut in centre of the halwa.

Banana-Apple Halwa

1 cup chopped apple (without skin)
1 cup chopped banana
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup milk or 1/2 cup milk powder
1 cup coconut
3/4 cup ghee
2 cups sugar



Grind carrot & milk. Mix all the ingredients together except ghee. Keep on stirring till the apple & banana pieces are cooked & the halwa becomes one mass.

Then add ghee, cardamom powder.Remove from the stove top & decorate with nuts of your choice.

Pedhas

500 gms. khoya (mawa)
300 gms. sugar
3 drops colour as required
8 to 10 pistas sliced
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
cookie moulds

Grate khoya . Powder sugar . Mix together in a skillet . Heat on low flame , stiring continously . Cook till mixture thickens . It should form a very soft lump . Cool for 10 minutes . Add cardamom powder & colour . Mix well . Take a small fistful of mixture . Form a ball . Press into the cookie mould . Turn out carefully . Press 2-3 slices of pista on the centre . Repeat for remaining mixture .

To make Khoya at home:

Boil milk on high flame in a large heavy saucepan till water evaporates, leaving a soft lump. Stir frequently while cooking. Or Substitute with 1 tin (400 gms.) condensed milk and 1 cup milk. Lessen sugar by 1/2. Boil till a soft lump is formed. Stir continuously while cooking.

Milk and Coconut Burfi

Finely grated coconut - 3/4 cup
1 litre milk
1 cup sugar
chopped nuts for topping(pista, almonds)
silver foil (optional)
Pure Ghee - 3 to 4 Tblsp.

Heat milk in a heavy Kadai till it is reduced to half its volume. Add coconut, sugar and stir till it becomes thick. Add ghee when it sticks tothe bottom. When it reaches burfi stage, the mixture turns golden and becomes frothy. Add the toppings and pour on a greased tray and cut it into squares

Mysore Pak

Bengal Gram flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups heaped
Water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 cup
Vanaspathi - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup



Mix ghee with flour. Place a heavy kadai over the fire with sugar and water. When sugar is dssolved completely, strain it through a muslain cloth to remove dirt. pour it back in the kadai and heat till ball consistency (soft) is achieved. Sprinkle flour at this stage and keep stirring without forming lumps. In another pan, heat ghee , vanaspathi and oil together till it becomes very hot.

When flour blends well with the syrup, pour hot ghee in small amounts and stir constantly. All the ghee will get absorbed. After a few miutes the mixture will become frothy and ghee will be left out. At this stage, remove the kadai from the fire and pour over a greased tray. Pat it well for uniform distribution. Cut it into square pieces when still warm.

Dates and Dryfruits Burfi

1 tin condensed milk
1 kg khajur deseeded (dates)
250 gm mixed dryfruits (badam, cashew, pista)
1/2 cup dessicated dry coconut


Break up Dates coarsely Add milkmaid and dryfruit all in a heavy, non-stick pan. Cook on slow flame, stirring continuously. Do not allow to stick to bottom. It takes a while to cook Stir gently till a soft lump forms. Spread some of the coconut on a butter paper sheet.

Grease hands and take a chunk of the mixture and roll into a thick roll, on the sheet, all the coconut to cover it. Chill the rolls in the refridgerator. Cut into slices Or set in a tray and cut into squares

Cashew Burfi

Cashew Burfi



150 gm cashewnuts
400 gm sugar
elaichi powdered
silver foil (optional)
500 gm khoya



Dry grind the cashew Mix khoya (grated) and sugar. Heat in a heavy pan, stirring continuously. Once the sugar dissolves, add the cashew (powdered) and elaichi.


Keep Cooking, constantly stir till soft lump is formed and does not stick to sides Roll on a flat surface to desired thickness and apply silver foil.

Soan Papdi

1 1/4 cup gramflour
1 1/4 cup plain flour (maida)
250 gms. ghee
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds crushed coarsely
4" squares cut from a thin polythene sheet



Sift both flours together. Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan. Add flour mixture and roast on low till light golden. Keep aside to cool a little, stirring occasionally. Prepare syrup simultaneously. Make syrup out of sugar, water and milk as shown in introduction. Bring syrup to 2 1/2 thread consistency.

Pour at once into the flour mixture. Beat well with a large fork till the mixture forms threadlike flakes. Pour onto a greased surface or thali and roll to 1" thickness lightly. Sprinkle the elaichi and gently press down with palm.
Cool, cut into 1" squares, wrap individually into square pieces of thin plastic sheet. Store in an airtight container.

Coconut Burfi

250 gms. finely grated coconut
250 gms. sugar
150 ml. water
ghee for greasing plate



Prepare syrup with sugar and water to 2-3 thread consistency. Warm coconut in heavy saucepan, pour in the syrup. Stir well and cook till soft lump forms. Spread in a greased plate. Cool. Sprinkle cardamom powder (optional).
Cut into squares, store in airtight container.

Besan Burfi

1 cup Besan
1 cup Shortening agent
1 c Sugar
4 seeds Cardamom
Nuts (optional)


Melt shortening in a pan. Turn down heat and add cardamom and Besan. Fry, stirring constantly to prevent burning until it has changed to a brown color and smells done. (Test: a few drops of water sprinkled on it sputters instantly).. Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar. Spread 1/ 2" thick onto a platter. Cut into diamond shapes after it has cooled down.

Beetroot Burfi

Big beetroots-6
Sugar- 2 tumblers
Cardamoms- 1 tbsp
Cashews- 50 grams
Ghee-100 grams
Milk-1 tumbler

Peel the beetroot’s skin. Scrape it. Boil the milk in a pan and add the scraped beetroot. After when the beetroot is cooked properly,add the sugar and cardamoms.keep adding ghee little by little while stirring.

Fry the cashews separately and keep aside.the sweet above mixture should come like as mysore pak.then put it in the greased with ghee plate.
Then cut into shapes so that the pieces comes off easily when cooled.
Then decorate with fried cashews.

Sweet Boondi

1 cup gram flour
1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
6-8 chopped almonds
ghee to deep fry
perforated flat spoon about 5" diameter


Boil the sugar and water together. Add a tbsp. of milk to bring up the dirt. Remove dirt and boil liquid till the syrup is sticky between the fingers. Keep aide, but keep warm for use. Make batter with gram flour, which should not be too thin. The batter should evenly coat the back of a spoon when dipped in it. Heat ghee, hold perforated spoon a little above the hot ghee, pour some batter on the spoon. Tap very lightly at edge of spoon to allow small droplets to fall in the ghee.

Pour back remaining batter and wipe spoon. Stir the boondis in the ghee gently and fry till crisp but not brown. Drain and put into the syrup. Keep for 3-4 minutes before draining from the syrup. Spread on a wide plate, add cardamom powder, almonds and mix gently. Cool completely and loosen the boondi with finger till each droplet separates. Store in an airtight container