APPLE SLICES WTH NUTELLA

Sometimes the simplest things are the best. This snack is no exception.  I don’t know if there’s much to say about these, other than when you take something great, add it to something better, and then roll it in peanuts (or another nut), you can’t really go wrong.  I made apple slices dipped in Nutella and then rolled in peanuts and I haven’t been the same since. The tartness of the apples paired with the chocolaty smoothness of the Nutella and the crunch of the peanuts extremely satisfying.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ Pink Lady (apple) per person
• Nutrella or any other chocolate spread
• Unsalted Peanuts or chopped almonds or your favorite nuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slice apples and remove seeds. Spread one side of each with Nutella and roll in nuts.

Gajar ka Halwa or Carrot Halwa

With the arrival of winters, the one sweet dish we all often crave for is Gajar ka Halwa or Carrot Halwa. Since winter season brings is laden with so many festivals in India like Dusshera and Diwali, Gajar ka halwa becomes a staple Indian dessert in most Indian homes. I must say that after gulab jamuns the one dessert that i truly love to have is carrot halwa. What can be more comforting than warm carrot halwa on a cold and frosty winter day!!

Gajar ka Halwa is basically a famous North Indian sweet desert pudding that is made from grated carrots which is slowly cooked in milk with sugar.

The carrots can be grated manually or in a food processor. Gajar ka halwa can be prepared in a variety of way using milk, khoya or condensed milk. For those who intend to make this recipe a bit quicker, they can prepare it in microwave or in a pressure cooker. But the slowly cooked halwa is beyond comparison. Since the halwa is simmered for a good hour or so, one should use always use a pan with a thick base or go for non-stick pan.

  Level: Difficulty    

 Prep time: 15 mins

 Cook time: 1 hr

 Total time: 1hr 15mins

INGREDIENTS:

• Carrots –  1 kg or 10 nos approx.
• Sugar – 2 cups (500grm)
• Boiled Milk – 3cups (600 ml approx.)
• Ghee (clarified butter) – 12 tbps (be generous)
• Cashew nuts -3-4 tbps chop the nuts
• Almonds (badam) – 10 (optional for garnishing)
• Cardamom Powder - 1tbps
• Khoya – ¼ cup

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Wash the carrots and trim their edges. Scrape the skin lightly and grate all the carrots using a grater and keep aside
2. Soak the almonds in some warm water for 15-20 mins and peel the skin and chopped them into sliver and keep aside
3. Heat the pan or uril and add 8tbps of ghee. When it became warm, add the chopped cashew nuts and roast over low flame till they turned into golden brown. Drain them completely and transfer to a plate and keep aside.
4. Now to the same pan add the grated carrots. Simmer the flame completely and sauté for 20- 25 mins. The color of the carrots would have completely changed and it would have gotten cooked completely. But the most important thing is to get rid of the raw smell of the carrots
5. Now add milk to cook the carrots and increase the flame to medium. Let the carrots cook in the milk till the entire mixture becomes dry. Keep mixing in between to avoid the carrots sticking to the bottom of the pan. This should tale 15-20 mins.
6. Now add sugar and mix well once you add the sugar the entire mixture would once again become liquefied or of loose consistency. The sugar would begin to caramelize the carrots and milk mixture and you can see that the consistency become sticky this should take 15mins.
7. Now add shredded khoya to this mixture and give a good mix.
8. When the halwa becomes dry add the remaining 4tbps of ghee, cardamom powder, roasted cashew nuts and mix well. Cook for more 5mins while mixing continuously and halwa come together in a mass. Switch off the flame and take off stove.
9. Serve hot in individual bowls and garnish with slivered almonds. 

NOTES:

1. Adding cardamom powder is optional
2. Always add sugar only after the carrots are fully cooked
3. Carrots in generally are sweet so adjust the sweetness accordingly
4. During the cooking process of carrots make sure the flame is medium low so you don’t burn them

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KOSHA MANGSHO

For my Non-Bengali friends who have no clue about it let me explain a bit. KOSHA MANGSHO is an exclusive Bengali dish where mutton is slow cooked into a hot, spicy gravy and simmered into that thick rich gravy. Every regions of India has a similar dish but each recipe is different with their own exclusive spices and cooking techniques. 

So, here we go with the authentic "KOSHA MANGSHO AKA BENGALI MUTTON KOSHA”

 Level: Average difficulty    

 Prep time: 12 hrs 

 Cook time: 1.30 hrs    

 Total time: 13.30 hrs     

 Serves: 6 

Ingredients: 

1 kg goat meat cut into chunky pieces

For the marinade:

• 1/2  cup of hung yogurt or Greek yogurt

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 1/2  tsp coriander powder

• 1 1/2  tsp cumin powder

• 1 tbsp garlic paste

• 1 tbsp ginger paste

• 1 tbsp mustard oil                             

• 1/2 tsp sugar

For tempering the oil:

• 5 tbsp mustard oil

• 6 green cardamoms

• 6 cloves

• 1 black cardamom

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 inch stick of cinnamon

• 3 dry red chilies

For cooking:

• 3 large onions made into a paste

• 2 tsp of ginger paste

• 1 tsp of garlic paste

• 3 medium tomatoes, pureed

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 2tps ghee 

• 2 cups water

• salt to taste

• 1 tsp garam masala powder

Instructions: 

Mix all the marinating ingredients in a bowl and add the mutton pieces to it. Mix well and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Do not add salt to the marinade. When the mutton has marinated for long enough, take a pressure cooker and heat the remaining mustard oil in it. Temper the oil with the whole spices (about 30 seconds) and add the onion paste. When the onion turns slightly brown add the ginger and garlic paste. Sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes and then add the tomato puree. Cook until the tomato has turned a darker red .Add the cumin and coriander powder and cook for 2 more minutes. Now add the mutton pieces with the marinade. Mix well before adding the warm water. When it comes to a boil, cover with the lid and pressure cook until the meat is soft (takes about 20-35 minutes depending on the cooker).When the steam has escaped, open the lid and let the meat slow cook for at least 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the garam masala powder and pour ghee just before turning off the heat. Serve with steamed rice or roti.

Tips: 

1.      Do not ever add salt into the marinade. Otherwise the mutton will release water and that will dilute the marinate