Instant Oats Jalebi

Ingredients:

Oats Powder                               - 1 cup
Plain Flour/Maida                      - 1/4 cup
Yeast                                          - 1 1/2 tspoon
Cardamom Powder                    - a pinch
Sugar                                          - 1/2 tespoon
Oil                                              - 1 tspoon + for frying
Orange Food Colour                  - 2 drops
Water                                         - Mixing the batter

Sugar Syrup:
Sugar / Sugarfree Powder         - 1 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder                   - 2 pinch
Saffron Threads                        - 2-3 crushed
Lemon Juice                             - 1 tspoon
Rose/Kewra Essence                - for flavoring of syrup (Optional)
Water                                        - 1 cup



Method:

For Jalebi Batter:
In a deep mixing bowl, add Maida, Oats, Yeast,  Sugar, Cardamom Powder, and 1 tspoon oil. Mix it well,
Now add water to it and blend using a hand blender. Using a hand blender will give you a smooth lump free batter.
Add few drops of food colour.
Now keep this batter for 30 minutes for fermentation, as we are using yeast, it will be ready in 25-30 minutes. No need of overnight fermentation.
Adding the food colour is totally optional. I saw some Halwai and my mum doing that so is the reason I add it, that way Jalebis look vibrant.
It's great to keep your batter a bit on thicker side before fermentation, as after fermentation the consistency changes to be a bit runny.

For sugar Syrup:
15 minutes before frying the Jalebi, take a medium size wide pan.
Add sugar and water to it and bring it to boil. Now reduce the heat to low and simmer.
Now add saffron thread, cardamom and lemon juice to it. Mix it well. Simmer for few minutes and switch off the flame.
You can add the rose/Kewra essence at this time.
All this will take approximately 10 minutes. By this time, when syrup will start to cool down you will have 1 sting syrup.
Now keep this pot just next to the pan, which you are going to fry Jalebis.
Adding lemon juice prevents the syrup in crystallization of sugar.

Frying Jalebis:
Take another wide Pan/Karahi. It should not be very deep but should be wide enough.
Take at-least 2.5 inch of oil in the pan for frying Jalebis. Let the oil heat up on medium flame.
Now lets check the batter of Jalebis. By this time you batter will be fluffy and airy. You can also smell the fermentation from the batter.
Now check the consistency of the batter. Mix it with the beater slowly and check if it very thick.
Take a spoon and pour the batter from height and it should pour like ribbon.
If your batter is thick, add little water to it and mix well. Do not add a lot of water, add little by little using a spoon.
Take a squeezable bottle with a nozzle. Fill the batter up in the bottle.
To test the oil temperature, drop a small quantity of batter to the oil. It should come up sizzling to the top of the oil taking 1-2 second without loosing their shape. Take more time in coming up means oil isn't hot enough. Coming to the top right away means the oil is too hot.
If oil is too hot keep the pan of away from heat for few minutes and let it's temperature go down a bit. If the oil isn't hot enough do the batter test again until you get the right amount of heat in the oil.
Now Squeeze the batter out of the nozzle, applying constant pressure and making 3-4 concentric circles in the oil and sealing them in the middle.
Work from inside to outside. It takes time and experience to get proper shape and it gets better and better batch after every batch.
Sometimes I make the Jalebis in a long joint shapes like Halwais.
Do not fry more than 3-4 Jalebis in a batch.
Once you have shaped the Jalebis in hot oil, in 2-3 seconds they will come up without loosing their shape, flip and let turn golden on the other side too.
Once golden, take out of from the hot oil, tilting the spider or frying spoon so that excess oil is drained.
Add the fried Jalebis to the lukewarm (not hot)syrup.
Let Jalebis soak for not more than few seconds (like 5-10) and take out again tilting the ladle to drain excess syrup else they will break and turn soggy.
Fry up all the Jalebis and soak in syrup. Serve warm Jalebis with yogurt or milk.
Store the ready Jalebis to the room temperature and consume them in 2 days, as they are instant and go bad very soon.
The right texture of the Jalebi will be crispy outside and when you bite them they are filled with syrup.
For the pictorial view of making Jalebi, pls refer my post of Classic Jalebis.

Mawa Mewa Ladoo / Khoya Dry Fruit Ladoo

Ingredients:

Mawa/Khoya                                  - 1 cup
Granulated Sugar                            - 1 cup
Cardamom powder                          - 1 tsp
Coarse Mix Dry Nuts                      - 1/2 cup
Pistachio / Almond Flakes              - few for garnishing

Method:

If the Khoya was in refrigerator, take it out 1 hour before making laddoos.
Use the grinder to coarse grind the dry nuts. I used Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios.
In a heavy bottom Karahi, tip the Khoya and mash it on low flame.
Once khoya is soft, mix the dry nuts and cardamom powder to it.
Mix well, keep the flame to low all the time.
Now take it out in a big Thali or wide plate. Let it cool down a bit.
Once it's on temperature which can be handled on your palms
Add the Sugar into Khoya.
Using your fingers, mix it well.
Once mixed well, rub the khoya mixture in between your palms.
Now comes binding the ladoos, first rubbing the mixture between your palms and then binding them using one hand (the way you must have seen the Halwais doing).
You need to keep pressing them firmly between your fist to bind it properly.
With each laddo done garnish it with pistachio or almond flake.
Bind the laddoos when the mixture is warm not completely cold.

Mawa Gujhiya

Ingredients:

For Gujhiya Crust:
All purpose flour/ Maida                                                 - 2 cups
Clarified Butter / Ghee                                                    - 2 tblspoon
Water                                                                               - as required or 1/4 cup

For Mawa Stuffing:
Mawa / Khoya                                                                 - 1/2 cup
Mixed Nuts                                                                      - 1/2 cup
Desiccated coconut                                                          - 2 tablespoon
Cardamom powder                                                          - 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar Granulated                                                             - 4 tablespoons
Ghee or oil                                                                       - for deep frying


Method:

Making the crust:

Mix maida and ghee. Rub the ghee into flour using your fingertips. Check the right amount of ghee by binding flour into your fist, if it forms a shape for few seconds, the amount is right.
Knead into stiff and smooth dough by adding little water at a time. Cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Making Mawa Stuffing:

While the dough rests, we will get on to make stuffing.
Heat the mawa in a pan on medium heat. Cook it till it starts to get light brown and stir continuously.
Remove it to a bowl and let it cool till it is lukewarm. Add sugar, nuts, coconut, cardamom powder, and mix it well. Let it cool down completely.

Assembling Gujiya:

Now knead the dough once again and divide it into 15 equal portions.  Cover them to keep them smooth.
Work with one portion at a time, make smooth ball and flatten it into a disc.
Roll it evenly into 3 inch diameter circle.

Put the stuffing into the center and shape it as shown in the picture.

Seal it properly by using some flour+water mix, so it won't open up while frying.

Shape all the gujiya and keep it covered with kitchen towel.
Once you are done shaping all Gujhiya, heat the oil or ghee for frying on medium heat.
Once oil is hot enough fry gujiya till it becomes golden brown and crispy from both sides.

Take them out on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
Serve them lukewarm, they taste better when warm.

Jalebi

Ingredients:
For Jalebi Batter:

Maida/Plain Flour                            - 1 1/2 cup
Cornstarch                                        - 2 tblspoon
Yeast                                                 - 1 tspoon
Oil                                                     - 2 tspoon + for frying
Yogurt                                               - 4 tspoon
Saffron Powder                                 - a pinch
Yellow/Orange Food Colour            - 2 drops (I use yellow for Jalebi and orange for Imarti)
Sugar                                                 - 1/2 tespoon
Water                                                 - 2 tblspoon for yeast + Mixing the batter
Cardamom Powder                            - a pinch

Sugar Syrup:
Sugar                                                   - 1 1/2 cup 
Cardamom Powder                              - 2 pinch
Saffron Threads                                   - 2-3 crushed
Lemon Juice                                        - 1 tspoon
Rose/Kewra Essence                           - for flavoring of syrup (Optional)
Water                                                   - 1 cup

Method:

For Jalebi Batter:
In a deep mixing bowl, add Maida, Cornstarch, Yeast, Yogurt, Sugar, Cardamom Powder, Saffron powder and oil. Mix it well, Now add water to it and blend using a hand blender. Using a hand blender will give you a smooth lump free batter. If saffron doesn't give very bright colour to the batter add few drops of food colour. 
Now keep this batter for overnight fermentation.
Sometimes people just mix yeast and use the batter to make Jalebis right away but I find those instant Jalebis less flavorful and crispy. I keep the batter for overnight fermentation when I mix yeast to it.
If I do not mix yeast I keep the batter for at-least 24 hours to get fermented.
Adding the food colour is totally optional. I saw some Halwai and my mum doing that so is the reason I add it.
It's great to keep your batter a bit on thicker side before fermentation, as after fermentation the consistency changes.

For sugar Syrup:
15 minutes before frying the Jalebi, take a medium size wide pan.
Add sugar and water to it and bring it to boil. Now reduce the heat to low and simmer.
Now add saffron thread, cardamom and lemon juice to it. Mix it well. Simmer for few minutes and switch off the flame.
You can add the rose/Kewra essence at this time.
All theis will take approximately 10 minutes. By this time, when syrup will start to cool down you will have 1 sting syrup.
Now keep this pot just next to the pan, which you are going to fry Jalebis.
Adding lemon juice prevents the syrup in crystallization of sugar.

Frying Jalebis:
Take another wide Pan/Karahi. It should not be very deep but should be wide enough.
Take at-least 2.5 inch of oil in the pan for frying Jalebis. Let the oil heat up on medium flame.
Now lets check the batter of Jalebis. By this time you batter will be fluffy and airy. You can also smell the fermentation from the batter.

Now check the consistency of the batter. Mix it with the beater slowly and check if it very thick.
Take a spoon and pour the batter from height and it should pour like ribbon. Refer the picture.

If your batter is thick, add little water to it and mix well. Do not add a lot of water, add little by little using a spoon.
Take a squeezable bottle with a nozzle. Fill the batter up in the bottle.

To test the oil temperature, drop a small quantity of batter to the oil. It should come up sizzling to the top of the oil taking 1-2 second without loosing their shape. Take more time in coming up means oil isn't hot enough. Coming to the top right away means the oil is too hot.
If oil is too hot keep the pan of away from heat for few minutes and let it's temperature go down a bit. If the oil isn't hot enough do the batter test again until you get the right amount of heat in the oil.
Now Squeeze the batter out of the nozzle, applying constant pressure and making 3-4 concentric circles in the oil and sealing them in the middle.

Work from inside to outside. It takes time and experience to get proper shape and it gets better and better batch after every batch.

Sometimes I make the Jalebis in a long joint shapes like Halwais.











Do not fry more than 3-4 Jalebis in a batch. 
Once you have shaped the Jalebis in hot oil, in 2-3 seconds they will come up without loosing their shape, flip and let turn golden on the other side too. 
Once golden, take out of from the hot oil, tilting the spider or frying spoon so that excess oil is drained.
Add the fried Jalebis to the lukewarm (not hot)syrup. 

Let Jalebis soak for not more than few seconds (like 20-25) and take out again tilting the ladle to drain excess syrup else they will break and turn soggy.

Fry up all the Jalebis and soak in syrup. Serve warm Jalebis with yogurt or milk.
Store the ready Jalebis to the room temperature.
The right texture of the Jalebi will be crispy outside and when you bite them they are filled with syrup.

Royal Nutty Veggie Kofta

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

Cashewnuts                        - 5
Almonds                             - 5
Pistachio                             - 5
Coconut                              - 1 tblspoon grated
Raisins                                - 10
Corn Kernels                      - 1 tblspoon
Carrot                                 - 2 tblspoon (Grated / Finely chopped)
Mix Peppers                       - 2 tblspoon (Finely chopped)
Boiled Potatoes                  - 3 boiled and mashed
Fresh Coriander                 - 1 tblspoon
Cornflour                           - 2 tblspoon
Salt                                    - To taste
Amchoor                           - 1 tspoon
Black pepper                     - 1 tspoon (Powder)
Oil                                     - for deep frying

For Kofta Gravy:

Cumin Seeds                     - 1/4 tspoon
Hing                                  - 1 pinch
Green Cardamom             - 2
Cloves                               - 2
Cinnamon powder            - 1/4 tspoon
Onions                              - 2
Garlic                                - 4 cloves
Ginger                               - 1 inch
Tomatoes                          - 2 large
Cashewnuts                      - 5 soaked in water
coriander powder             - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala                  - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder             - 1/4 teaspoon
Kasoori methi                  - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt                                   - to taste
Cream/Set Yogurt            - 2 tblspoon
Oil                                     - 1 tblspoon for tempering
Water                               - 2 cup or your choice of thickness


Method:

For Kofta balls:

Mash the boiled potatoes in a deep mixing bowl.
Now mix in the veggies to the potatoes.
Coarse grind the nuts except raisin and coconut.
Mix the nuts, raisins and coconut to the potatoes.
Finely chop the fresh coriander and throw it in the mixing bowl.
Now add all the dry masalas (salt, amchoor, black pepper powder) and cornflour into the bowl.
Give it a good mix using your hands and make it like a dough.
Now make same size round balls out of this mix.

Once all the balls are shaped, keep them in the fridge for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes take the Kofta balls out of the fridge and deep fry them until golden brown and crisp.
Keep the kofta balls aside after frying them to cool them.

For Kofta Gravy:

Grind Onion, garlic and ginger to fine paste.
Grind the cashewnuts into a fine paste.
Also puree the tomatoes. Keep both the pastes and puree aside and start with the cooking of gravy.
Warm 1 tblspoon oil heavy bottom pan. Add all the whole spices ( Cumin, Green Cardamom, Cloves and hing) to it.
Now lower the flame to slow, add cinnamon powder, turmeric powder and salt to the pan.
Mix it well for a second and add onion paste to it. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the raw smell of onion goes away.
Once done, add in the tomato puree to it. cook again for 2-3 minutes.
Now add coriander powder, kasoori methi and cashewnut paste to it.
Mix it well and cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the 1 n half tblspoon of set yogurt/cream to the pan and mix it very well while stirring continuously.
Add in the water and let it boil for 5-7 minutes.
Check the consistency of gravy as per your choice. I keep kofta curry a bit thick else koftas go very soft and fall apart in the gravy.
The gravy is ready.

To assemble the koftas and gravy, your just need to take out the gravy in a deep serving bowl and dip the kofta balls into it.
Garnish them with fresh coriander and 1/2 table spoon of cream/yogurt.

If your kofta balls are very soft, do not dip them in the gravy just after cooking. Dip them just before serving.
Serve these Royal Nutty Veggie Koftas with steamed rice and laccha parathas.

Eggless Doughnuts (Filled / Glazed)

Ingredients:

Plain Flour                               - 1 1/2 Cup (+1/2 cup for dusting)
Warm Milk                              - 2/3 cup or 8 Tblspoon
Sugar                                       - 6 Tblspoon
Butter                                      - 1/4 Cup
Yeast                                       - 1/2 Tblespoon
Milk Powder                           - 2 Tblspoon
Oil                                           - To Fry

For decoration:

Dark Chocolate Sauce -  To Glaze
White Chocolate Sauce - To Glaze
Sprinkles or Whatever your kids love on their doughnuts!

Method:

Take  bowl and add the sugar and yeast to the warm milk. Stir and keep aside for 10 mins.
In a deep mixing bowl, add the flour, milk powder and mix well.
Once the yeast mixture is frothy add that in and knead to a sticky dough.

Add the butter and knead for 8-10 minutes. Once done, cover and let it prove for one hour.
Then take the flour sprinkle some of it and punch down the dough. Knead and then roll it dusting flour in between.

Roll it into ½ inch thickness and then cut it using donut cutter or a glass or cookie cutters. Using a 1 inch diameter cutter, make a hole in center as well.

Keep these in a tray and let them prove for another hour at a warm spot.

Heat some oil to fry these. Once the oil seems to be medium hot, throw in a small center of the doughnut to check whether its hot enough. If it starts bubbling after a second its ready.








Add the doughnuts and fry in med flame. Once fried transfer to a plate which is lined with kitchen towels.










Now let them rest for few minutes on cooling rack.

Now coat the donut with chocolate sauce and decorate however you wish. My kids did their doughnuts decorating job beautifully!!!

Nariyal Laddoo

Ingredients:

Condensed milk                -1/2 tin
Grated/desiccated coconut     -2 cups + 1/2 cup for rolling
Ghee                                -For greasing your palm for rolling Laddoo
Milk powder                          -2 tblsp

Method:
Add condensed milk in a non-stick pan, 2 cups grated coconut and milk powder.
Heat over medium flame and stir for 4 – 5 minutes or until the mixture turns non sticky and becomes a mass.

Make sure your keep the flame always in medium flame. Switch off the flame and let it go to warm temperature.
In a plate the remaining 1/2 cup grated coconut.
Now make equal sized laddoos out of the warm mixture and roll these ladoos over the grated coconut.

Grease your hands with ghee each time while rolling laddoos.
Your Nariyal/Coconut Laddoos are ready to serve.
I normally refrigerate the ladoos but because of coconut they are consumed within couple of days.

Moong Daal Khasta

Ingredients

For The Dough:
Maida / Plain flour                          -2 cups
Melted Ghee                                    -1/4 cup
Salt                                                  -1/2 tblspoon

For The Filling:
Yellow moong dal                          -1/2 cup (split yellow gram) , soaked for at least 5 hours
Cumin seeds (jeera)                        -1 tspoon
Fennel Seeds (Saunf)                      -1 tspoon
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya)             -1 tspoon
Asafoetida (hing)                            -1/4 tspoon
Red Chilli powder                          -1 tspoon
Garam masala                                -1 tspoon
Dried mango powder (amchur)     -1 tspoon
Coriander Powder (Dhaniya)        -1 tspoon
Besan (bengal gram flour)             -2 tblspoon
Oil                                                  -2 tblspoon + for deep frying
Salt                                                -to taste


Method:

For the dough :

Combine all the ingredients and knead into a semi-soft dough using enough water.
Knead very well for 5 to 7 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and keep covered under a wet muslin cloth.

For the filling:

Drain the soaked moong dal. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, Fennel seeds, coriander seeds and asafoetida.
When the seeds start to crackle, add the drained moong dal and sauté for a few seconds.
Now the dry masalas chilli powder, garam masala, amchur powder, dhaniya powder, gram flour and salt and stir for 8 to 10 minutes till the masalas are cooked.
Cool and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into an even sized round peda or you can keep it without rolling.
Now Roll out each portion of the dough into a 2" diameter circle.
Place one peda or 2 tblspoon of the filling mixture in the centre of the rolled dough circle.
Pinch the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling mixture.
Seal the ends tightly and remove any excess dough.
Roll each filled portion into a 2 1/2"/3" diameter circle taking care to ensure that the filling does not burst out.
Gently press the centre of the Khasta with your thumb.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make all other Khasta.
Deep fry the Khastas in hot oil over a slow flame till golden brown on both sides.
The khastas will puff up like puris.
These take a bit of long time to fry as the crust is thick and needs to be cooked from the inside as well.
take them out on a paper towel to remove excess oil and serve with chutneys and ginger tea.
You can keep them for a week or so in an air-tight container.

Shahi Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

For Gulab Jamun:
Khoya / Mawa               -1 cup (unsweetened)
Maida                              -3 tblspoon (All Purpose Flour)
Sodium bicarbonate       -1/8 tsp (cooking soda)
Milk                                 -As required to make dough
Powdered Mix Nuts        -2 tblspoon (Almond, Cashew, Pistachio)
Elachi powder                 -2 pinch
Oil                                    -As required for deep frying

For Syrup:
Sugar                              -1 & 1/2 cups
Water                              -1 & 1/2 cups
Saffron                          -Few strands (optional)
Rose essence                   -2 drops  (optional)



Method:

Take Khoya in a bowl and crumble it. If you have kept it in fridge bring khoya to room temperature.
Crumble it with your hands and measure it in a measuring cup.
Put Khoya, Maida, Powdered nuts and cooking soda in a mixing bowl. Mix well.

Slowly add milk with tablespoon as we won't require large amount of it, and make a smooth dough.
No need to knead very hard, just gather with your hands so that it forms a smooth dough without lumps.

Keep the dough aside for 5 mins and after 5 minutes make equal sized balls. you can use ghee to grease your palm.
If you have cracks in the balls when you are making, sprinkle more milk and make a smooth dough.
I made 20 out of it as I made it small. The balls should be smooth outside.

Please do not roll so tightly applying pressure. Just roll them softly until they smooth out.
Meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup with water, sugar, powdered elachi and saffron, bring to boil and boil for 8-10 minutes in medium flame.

After 10 minutes switch off the flame and add the rose essence. While the sugar syrup is boiling lets fry the rolled Jamuns.
Heat the oil in deep heavy bottom Karahi to deep fry the Jamuns.
Let the oil be hot but not smoking hot, just hot enough to fry the Jamuns and let them increase size while getting fried.

If oil is too hot, then Jamuns will get brun and won't cook from inside. So make sure you cook in low or medium flame.
Also if the oil is not hot enough Jamuns will start to crack and will soak a lot of oil.
Keep in low flame and add the jamuns and keep rolling the jamuns very gently in the oil with the use of the ladle so that they cook evenly.
Let them fry till they are golden brown in colour. Fry only 3-4 at a time, don't put many of them at a time in the oil.

Drain the Jamuns in kitchen towel and immediately add it to hot syrup. Let them get soaked well.

Let the Gulab Jamuns get soaked well in the syrup for at-least an hour and enjoy the juicy sweet Gulab Jamuns.