Rocky Road : Our first attempt

This was our first attempt at rocky road a week back. Turned out better than we expected it to. Its still stored in the fridge. We have used it for lunchbox and snacks and dessert 😍. Would be a great pick for long road trips too.

Ingredients:

- Cadbury milk chocolate melts: 1 cup

- Cadbury dark chocolate melts: 1 cup

- Nuts of your choice - 1/2 cup (I have omitted nuts as this had to go into lunch box)

- Moist coconut flakes - 1/2 cup

- Kit Kat and cookies of your choice - 1/2 cup (just break into pieces)

- Marshmallow - 2 cups - cut into halves (or you could use the small ones)

- Gummies (cut into smaller pieces)

- Salted butter - 2 tsp (add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter) 

 

Method: 

- Line a baking tray with butter paper.

- In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate melts.

- Keep microwave on low and melt the chocolate in 30 sec bursts until completely melted.

- Add all the ingredients and mix until everything is well coated with chocolate. Keep it quick unless you want to risk setting the chocolate in this shape.

- Put the mixture in a baking tray and level it up.

- Let it cool in the fridge for 2 hours.

- Take it out and leave it on counter top for 30 mins.

- Dip the knife in hot water for smooth cut and even shapes for the rocky road.

- Cut into rectangles or squares and serve.

Note: 

- This can be stored in the fridge for up to a month.

- If stored in the fridge, let it come to room temperature before serving.

Gulaab Jamun

What better than homemade gulab jamuns for dessert after an Indian meal. This is one dessert every Indian knows about and most of us like. There are many instant packs available in stores but it is very easy to make at home. A riddle that my daughter asked us a few days ago:

What do you call a rose that went to the moon?

You guessed it right, "Gulaab JaaaaMooonnn"

 I got the recipe from Hebbar's Kitchen and followed it. Have documented the recipe below:

Ingredients:

Jamun:

- Amul Milk Powder - 3/4 cup

- Maida / All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup

- Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

- Ghee/Clarified Butter - 2tbsp

- Milk - 3/4 cup

- Oil and Ghee for frying

Sugar Syrup:

- Sugar - 2 cups

- Water - 2 cups

- Cardamom - 2

- Lemon juice - 1 tsp 

Method:

- Add sugar, cardamom pods and water and bring to a boil. Reduce it to a 1 string consistency. Add lemon juice after turning off heat. Let it cool.

- For the jamuns, add milk powder, ghee, maida, baking powder and mix the dry ingredients with the tip of your fingers. Give it a good mix.

- Add milk and make a firm but soft dough.

- Divide the dough into equal portions and form balls with your palm.

- Heat oil and ghee in a wok. Deep fry the dough balls.

- Fry on medium low heat till deep brown.

- Transfer to cooled sugar syrup and let it sit there for at least 2 hours.

Serve hot with ice cream or enjoy as a simple dessert.

 

Gajar Ka Halwa...

There are some things in life that give you immense happiness no matter what situation you are in. For me even thinking of having home made Gajar ka Halwa is one of those things. I love this dessert. Although this is a dessert I also have it as a snack sometimes. This recipe is from Tarla Dalal's book "MITHAI". I followed the recipe blindly without changing even a single bit and ended up preparing super delicious Gajar Ka Halwa. :) :)

Ingredients:
- 6 medium carrots grated
- 1/2 cup full fat milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- a few saffron strands
- 2 tbsp cream
- 3 tbsp ghee
                                                      - 3-4 cashews


Method :

- Heat the ghee in a broad non stick pan and saute the carrots for 2-3 mins.
- Add the milk and stir till it evaporates.
- Then add the sugar and continue stirring until the mixture is slightly thick.
- Add the cardamom powder, saffron dissolved in a little milk and cream and stir well.
- Serve hot garnished with cashews.

:)

This is my entry for :

- WTML at Vegetarian Food and me which is originally Gayathri's event.

 - Spring Seasonal Food at Srav's Culinary Concepts

Rosh Bora - The traditional bengali sweet

Bengalis are famous for their sweet tooth.For a bengali, sweets are a must in the platter.
Bengalis just love anything sweet, be it rosogolla, mishti doi, sandesh, payesh or simply any pithe.

Rosh bora is a bengali dessert which is not so famous outside bengal. But is indeed very famous in the bengali household. This is a particular dessert that you won't get in the sweet shops but is prepared at home very often.
It is very simple to make and is a bit crispy in nature.

Ingredients :
- Urad Dal (1 cup)
- Water (2 cups)
- Sugar (2 cups)
- Cardamom powder (1 tsp)
- Sunflower oil (2 cups)


Method:


- Soak the urad dal in water for 4-5 hours.
- Now strain the water and make a paste of the dal in the grinder with minimum water possible. You shall get a creamy paste.
- Take the paste in a bowl and beat it. This will give the bora a crispy texture when you fry it.
- Now lets make the sugar syrup. Take 2 cups water in a bowl and add 2 cups sugar to it.Let it boil on high flame.Dont make the sugar syrup too thick. Sugar syrup tends to become thicker as it cools.
- Take oil in a wok and heat it. Make balls of the dal paste and drop it into the oil for deep frying.
- When the bora (urad dal paste balls) turn golden brown take it out from the oil and put it in the sugar syrup.
- Let it cool in the syrup before you taste it or serve it.

So next time you are planning to make dessert try this unique and simple recipe. I am sure you will love it.
:)

This is my entry for the following blog events:

Just "4" Fun at Good Food

 
  Vegan Diet at Srav's Culinary Concepts

 Love Lock Series: Legumes at Zesty Palette and Sweet Karam Kapi

Mishti Doi - The famous Bengali dessert

Mishti doi is almost synonymous with Bengal. Bengalis are very well known for their sweet preparations and mishti doi is among one of them. A bengali puja, or function never ends without mishti doi. Be it bhai phota, kali puja, durga puja or any marriage you shall surely be offered mishti doi in the end.
As a kid I used to love this dessert. You get this in almost all the sweetmeat shops in Bengal. I would have  tasted it there for the first time as a kid. As I asked for this dessert too often Ma started preparing it at home.
I still love mishti doi. It is the easiest dessert that you can prepare and shall never let you down. It tastes heavenly when chilled. So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:
- Milk (1 litre full cream)
- Sugar (1 and 1/2 cups)
- Curd (3-4 tbsp)
- Cardamom (2 pods)

How the magic happens?
- Add one cup sugar to the milk and bring it to boil. Continue boiling for 10-12 mins.
- Meanwhile caramelise the sugar. Now how you should be doing that? Put remaining sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat on high stirring continuously . Once it  becomes brown like caramel, add water and stir well till it starts boiling.
-  Add the caramelised sugar and cardamoms to the milk and mix well stirring continously.
- Boil the mixture for 5 more minutes.
- Let the mixture cool.
- Take a bowl preferably made of clay or glass. It helps the yoghurt to set properly.
- In the bowl add the curd. Now pour the mixture in the bowl and stir well.
- Cover with lids and keep in a warm and dry place.
- Once the yoghurt is set place it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours and serve chilled.


This is my entry for  :
- Summer splash at Spicy Treats hosted by Sangeetha and event of Kalyani's from Sizzling tastebuds.


- Beat the Heat at MyCookBook.

- When I saw the announcement for A walk through the memory lane event at Roshan's Cucina and Gayathri's Cookspot I knew I would send in this entry.