Carrot Halwa

'Double Oscar delight for A R Rahman'.

Hurray, Finally India made it at Oscars with Slum Dog Millionare winning 8 prizes out of 10 nominations and our own music maestro A.R.Rahman bagging in two awards for best music. Bravo, Rahman. Its celebration time for whole of Indian movie lovers. I congradulate them for their efforts & hard work to bring India the much awaited golden statue.

To celebrate Oscars I think, I don't mind to put on a few calories. Lets celebrate!

Carrot Halwa:

Traditionally carrot halwa is made by sauteing the carrots in ghee first and then adding khoya to it & of-course leading to an automatic addition of loads of calories. By using non-fat milk for khoya you can reduce the unnecessary calories and the addition of ghee at the end will give the same taste & glaze to the Halwa
Red carrots are used for this recipe but its unavailable in this country so I have used regular orange carrots.

1 heaped cup grated carrots
1 ½ cup milk
½ cup sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
A few broken cashewnuts
2 tbsp ghee

Boil milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add carrots & simmer until the mixture thickens stirring occassionally in between. As it thickens stir continuously to avoid sticking to the surface of the pan. Add sugar, cardamom powder, ghee & cashewnuts & simmer until thick, stirring continuously. Serve luke warm or chilled.

healthy dinner in 20 min.

Hi,
tonight feeling a little lazy to cook, went for a long walk. so I decided to cook something very simple quick yet nutritious to energise me. Here's a quick menu for you.

Spinach sabji

cooking time: 5 min

serves: 4

What I used:
1 bundle spinach
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1tbsp oil
salt to taste

Remove the stems & wash & shred the spinach leaves. Heat oil, add cumin. Add all the spices, garlic & then spinach & cook for 4 to 5 min with little water(2 tbsp) uncovered.
Serve hot with chapatis.

Kadhi (microwave)

cooking time :10 min

serves:4

1 cup yogurt or buttermilk

2 tbsp gram flour

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp chilli powder

few curry leaves

2 tsp oil

1 broken red chiili(optional)

salt to taste

garnish: chopped corriander leaves

Whisk together yogurt, gram flour & 1 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. ( you can add more water & less yogurt if the yogurt is too sour & vice versa if using fresh butter milk). Add salt, turmeric powder & fenugreek seeds. Microwave on high for 5 min. stir & again microwave on medium high for 4 min. prepare a tempering - heat oil add mustard seeds & alllow to splutter, add curry leaves, red chilli & chilli powder. Immediately pour the tempering on the kadhi. garnish with chopped corriander leaves. Serve hot with vegetable pulao.