Kaju Katli (Cashew Burfi)

Kaju Katli or Cashew Burfi is the king of all the sweets (according to me and not wiki :P) It is rich, decadent, not too sweet, leaves a great after taste and is elegant to look at plus you cannot stop it at one, it is an addictive sweet! Hands down the most gorgeous looking diamond cut burfi :) Yes, in my house we call it Diamond Burfi ( thanks to my son :)).

Kaju means Cashew and Katli means a slice. It is also known as Kaju Katari or Kaju Burfi. It is one of the most expensive sweets available in the market and extensively gifted to friends and family on the occasion of festivals or family events.

Until recently I got these beauties from India, meaning whenever anyone came visiting us from there, my mother in law saw to it that she tucked a Kaju Katli box with them to give it to me (all this for her grandson). My kid loves it so much, he can finish the whole box in one sitting.  If I go to an Indian grocery store, it is mandatory for me to pick up this kaju katli box or jalebis. I am not sure why I don't make these often at home :) and why I wait to make it only on some special occasions or festivals.

Well wait, I know why :) don't laugh at the reason, it's that edible silver foil (vark) that is coated on the Kaju Katli which makes it extra special when you bring it from the store. Till now, I did not find it in the market and without the vark, burfi looks plain and bland. ( It's like an actress without makeup :)) This year I ordered it from amazon and was thrilled to make use of vark! So yup, you guessed it right! From now on, it will be home made Kaju Katli only :)

You will be surprised to know that this burfi gets done in no time, really! Simple and fantastic tasting dessert at your fingertips!

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 5 drops of kewra water (or pinch of cardamom powder)
• 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Preparation: 

• In a blender ground cashews into a powder. (Sieve it if you want fine looking burfi)
• In a non-stick pan add water and sugar, bring it to a boil while stirring sugar. Cook just until sugar melts and you see bubbles forming in the syrup. Takes just about a minute. 

• Keep the gas flame on medium now, add cashew powder and start stirring the mixture. Keep doing it until the mixture leaves the non-stick pan. Will take about 4-5 minutes. (you can test it by taking a very small portion of mixture and forming a ball with your fingers, be careful as it will be hot)

• Add kewra water or cardamom powder, mix once.
• Keep a plate ready that is greased with ghee. Pour the mixture on the plate. Spread it lightly so that it cools down.
• As soon as you can handle the mixture, slather the ghee in your palms and softly knead the Katli mixture. 

• Take butter paper (wax paper) or piece of plastic and place the dough. Now cover it with another square piece of butter paper. 
• Use a rolling pin to make a squarish shaped sheet. You can keep the thickness of the Kaju Katli as per your liking. Usually, it is 1 to 1 1/2 inches. 

• With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheet in diamond shapes. 
• Take edible silver leaf (vark) and place it on the burfi. This is very very delicate, take it fully along with the paper and place it on the burfi. 

• Let it cool down completely. Store it in air tight container.

Notes:* You can also add saffron strands in the mixture or yellow food color to get yellow kaju katli. That looks very nice too.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: 

Unsaturated fats and omega fats not only reduce bad cholesterol but also lower triglycerides helping your heart to stay healthy. Our body needs nutrients from all food groups including fats. Cashew nuts naturally have a negligible amount of sodium in them, unless you eat salted cashew. They contain a fair amount of potassium that contributes in regulating blood pressure. Cashews are rich in protein. Cashews contain anacardic acids that are found to effectively kill organisms that cause tooth decay and abscesses. Of course, this dish contains sugar, but you can eat it one piece after your meals and have fun with it. Try giving it to kids which will boost their energy levels.

Oats Rava Idli (With Carrots and nuts)

  If dosa is the heart of south Indian breakfasts then idli is the soul :) Man! I am starting this post with an intense statement :) In today's world of fusion cuisine, experimenting with oats and quinoa has become a normal norm. Health conscious community is constantly coming up with innovative ideas, some really good and some super flop :) I have made oats dosa and gave a thumbs up (yet to list it on my blog) and now tried Oats Idlis, I have to say I have fallen in love with these beauties.

It is easy to make with no fermentation process involved. It is nutritious as all ingredients used are healthy and last but not the least it is FILLING. Yes!! Eat 2 or 3 Oats Idlis and you have a full stomach :) Great for dieting according to me :)

Pair it with some spicy peanut chutney and you will know what I am talking about once you have had it. I have added carrots to the idlis and that gives a nice yellowish-orangish tinge to it making it irresistible.

Idlis can be consumed as breakfast, or as a snack, as light supper. It is one perfect dish to have on the days that you are fasting or you can carry it while you are travelling on the road. Another advantage of these oats idlis is that you don't necessarily need any accompaniment, like chutneys or sambar, it in itself is a delicious treat.

 So without any further ado, let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup regular oats
• 1/2 cup semolina (rava, sooji)
• 1 cup carrots grated
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp oil
• 2 tbsp cashews (lightly crushed)
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp channa dal
• 1 sprig of curry leaves (optional)
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Heat a pan or a tava/griddle and roast oats for just a couple of minutes. Transfer to a blender and grind it to a powder.
• In the same pan add 3 tsp oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa dal, urad dal, curry leaves, cashews and saute for a couple of minutes, then add grated carrots, saute for another minute.
• Add semolina and roast further for 3 minutes on med flame. 
• Now transfer this mixture into the bowl, add powdered oats, yogurt, salt, cilantro and mix everything. Add water and keep the consistency little thick, don't make it a running batter. Mix and keep aside for 10 minutes. Rava will soak in water and raise a little. Now add more water if needed.
• Lastly, add baking soda and sprinkle few drops of water over it. Mix the batter again.
• Grease the idli moulds with oil or oil spray and add 2-3 tbsp of batter into each mould. Steam it for 12 minutes on med-high flame. 
• Remove and wait for a couple of minutes for the idlis to cool down. Use a spoon and scoop it out into a plate.
• Serve hot with your favorite chutney. I have shown red peanut chutney in the picture.

You may also like Poha Idli (Instant), Dosa, Cilantro Chutney, Ginger Chutney, Sabudana Khichdi.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

recipe adapted from another foodie Priya Reddy! 

Notes:* If you don't have an idli mould no worries, use a plain steel vessel, add batter and steam for 12 minutes. Cut the idlis in square or diamond shape and enjoy :) Roasting the ingredients is an important step to make fluffy oats idli. The sour the yogurt better the taste :)

Health Benefits:

Oats are high in fibre content, helps lower cholesterol. Enhances the immune response to infection. It is known to stabilize sugar levels. Studies show that it may reduce asthma risks in children.

Semolina(Rava, Sooji)- Since rava, sooji or semolina is made from durum wheat(hard variety, cream of wheat) and not the usual soft wheat which is used in bread making, it is digested slowly. Having a low glycemic index, semolina is ideal for those who wish to lose weight or those who have blood sugar problems. It improves kidney problem due to its potassium content.

Mushroom Matar Masala

The word "mushroom" brings back sweet memories for me. Few decades back remember how people used to look forward to eating and relishing their seasonal favorites? Nostalgia connected with Mushrooms and Monsoon season go hand in hand for me. It's also called Alambi in the local coastal region and they are the yummiest ones. Shallow fry version used to be my favorite. My mom makes a kick ass mushroom curry :) [I will be soon featuring it here, I promise]

We are lucky that we find mushroom all year round now, though it kind of loses the special treatment and wow factor due to that  :) :) Mushroom Matar masala comes from the northern region of India. Usage of cream and cashews makes it a Mughlai style rich dish. What I have observed is children enjoy this kind of dishes.

So without any delay let's get to the recipe...

Mushroom Matar Masala

 Ingredients:

• 10 mushrooms cut into 4 parts each
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tsp oil
• 3 medium size tomatoes
• 10 cashews soaked in warm water for 10 min
• 1-inch ginger
• 2 green chillies (use as per your spice level)
• 1 tsp coriander seeds powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• handful cilantro chopped for garnish
• 1 tbsp cream (or 2 tbsp whole milk) 
• 5-6 black pepper, 1 inch cinnamon(dalchini) stick,  2 big(or small) cardamon(elaichi), 2-3 cloves(laung)
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1/2 cup water ( if u don't like it very thick) 
• salt as per taste

Preparation:

• Grind tomatoes, ginger, green chillies and cashew together and keep aside.
• Roughly grind whole garam masala- pepper, dalchini, elaichi, cloves.
• Heat oil in a pan and add jeera, as it splutters add hing and turmeric and pour the tomato mixture and stir. Cover the lid till it comes to a boil, keep stirring in between. 
• Then add kasoori methi, ground whole garam masala, chilli powder and mix everything together and cook till it leaves oil on top of gravy.
• Now add peas and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add Cream or milk over the peas masala and bring to a boil quickly. 
• You can add water if you want the consistency of the gravy to be thin.
• While you simmer the gravy add mushrooms and salt to taste. [mushroom cooks fast and hence add it in the end]. Cook for around 4-5 minutes and shut the stove off. Garnish with cilantro.
• Serve with nan, roti, parathas, phulka or just plain rice. 

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Note: You can skip adding cream/milk if you are using cashews. I used both, correcting the ratio as per my requirement. Also, if the tomatoes you are using are not sour enough use 1 tbsp of tomato paste, you get good color and sourness in the gravy.

Based on recipe courtesy: www.Nisha Madhulika.com (changed measurements and few ingredients)

Health Benefits: Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D and more. They are a good source of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and help in weight loss. Only keep in mind you eat good quality fresh mushrooms.