Kitchen Corner-Try It

   Ash Gourd Halwa- Kashi Halwa  Kashi Halwa is a decadent dessert perfect for any occasion. Winter melon/ Ash Gourd is used to make Kashi Halwa. If you think vegetables and desserts do not go together, then this halwa will make you love veggies even more. Carrots, beets, squash, ash gourd, bottle gourd, raw papaya, pumpkin are all easy to incorporate into delicious vegetable desserts. In India, halwa is an indispensable part of festive occasions. You can find innumerable varieties of halwa in various hues and flavors. Halwa loaded with vegetables are widely popular, especially carrots, beets , and pumpkin . Kashi halwa/ Ash gourd halwa is a regional favorite from Karnataka/ South India. It is a comforting, homey dessert and has a taste that lingers in your memories. Halwa making is time-consuming. But the best part of this halwa is that it is ready in under 30 minutes. What is Halwa? Halwa or halvah is sweet gel-like confectionery much loved in Asia, especially in the W...

Thirattipal/Palkova Thirattipal is  rich and flavorful sweet milk halwa,popular in South India. It is different from the milk peda available in sweet stalls and this is a specialty of South India. It is made on special occasions . It has only a few ingredients, but it is time consuming.We used to enjoy this in our college days, because Palkova was available in our college canteen.My mom used to make it by boiling and reducing milk to one third and then adding sugar and cooking it till it thickens.I just tried an easy method of using condensed milk to reduce the cooking time. It can out perfect. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Condensed milk- 1 tin Milk- 3 cups Curd/yogurt-3 tsp Cardamom powder- a pinch Saffron- a pinch for garnish (optional) Mix condensed milk and milk in a heavy bottom pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and continue to cook till it starts thickening. Stir continuously as it has the tendency to stick to the bottom of the ...

Maa Ladoo/Maladu/Pottukadalai Laddu- Easy Diwali Sweet Indian festivals and celebrations are incomplete without delicious homemade ladoos. Diwali is the time to indulge in delicious food and traditional sweets are made and exchanged as gifts amongst family and friends. Ladoos make cute gifts and are loved by young and old. If you are new to Indian sweets, Ladoos are traditional ball-shaped sweets made with flour, lentils, or nuts. Maa ladoo/ pottukadala laddo is the easiest sweet recipe you can make for Diwali . It is a traditional ladoo more popular in South India. Maa ladoos are delicious and aromatic with the aroma of roasted Bengal gram and ghee/ clarified butter. It has an interesting texture that is unique to this ladoo. It has a soft crumble, melt in the mouth texture. Maa ladoo is a fuss recipe that involves little or no cooking. They are sweet but not overly sweet. So you can enjoy it as a snack with tea and also serve it on festive occasions. And the best part, it is ready ...

Ghee Mysore Pak Happy Diwali to all my friends and readers! May this festival of lights bring happiness and joy to all of you! Diwali invokes so many happy memories with family and friends-shopping, decorating your house, lighting diyas, evening firecrackers, and the most important the display of colorful sweets and mittais that captures your imagination. I spend my childhood in North India and Diwali was a festival that was taken very seriously with days of preparations. But moving back to Kerala I missed all the pomp and show associated with Diwali. But in recent years Diwali has attained importance and is celebrated like other Kerala festivals like Vishu, Onam, and Christmas. There is never a festive occasion or a celebration in India without sweets or mittais. Today's recipe is the South Indian favorite- Ghee Mysore pak. This famous sweet needs no introduction and is rightfully called the King of South Indian sweets. It is fragrant, rich, and exotic sweet with an addic...

Beetroot Boli This is my second attempt on the traditional south Indian sweet Boli which is served as an accompaniment for payasam in south Kerala Sadhya, especially wedding feast. I already have the recipe for sweet boli , but this Vishu, I attempted a colorful twist to the regular boli. I made this beetroot boli and served along with payasam. Ingredients Bengal gram- 1 1/2 cups Sugar -1 1/2 cups Grated beetroot- 2 medium All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups Pinch of salt+ 1 tsp sugar Gingerly oil 1/3 cup Nutmeg powder 1/3 tsp Cardamon powder - a pinch Rice flour- 3 tsp Ghee- 2 tbs   Cook Bengal gram ( kadala parippu) till it is soft and drain off the excess water. Grate beetroot and keep aside. In a heavy bottom pan heat ghee and add the grated beetroot and fry till the raw flavor disappears and the beetroot is cooked. Add the cooked kadala parippu and sugar. When the sugar melt and is completely absorbed into the gram add in nutmeg and cardamon powde...

I am already missing boli so much, that I decide to make it myself. Back in Trivandrum you can just purchase boli from bakeries or from sweet stalls. If you are having a get together you can pre order form caterers who make Sadhya . There is also a sweet shop in Trivandrum or Boli shop that is exclusively for Boli. Now you can figure out how much the natives of Trivandrum adore this  sweet. Boli is a traditional South Indian sweet and its variations is found in puran poli, bobbatlu etc.It is delicate thin crepes with a sweet lentil filling .If you have a sweet tooth like me you will not be able to resist these delicate warm sweet bolis. Have you ever tried boli before? It is served with sadhya along with pal payasam or semiya payasam . It is a melt in mouth sweet and is yummy on its own but with payasam it is out- of- this world experience.When I say Sadhya, I must say Trivandrum Sadhya, as this delicious combo is found in sadhyas in and around Trivandrum.The cuisine of...