Kaju Katli

Ingredients:

Cashew Powder                    -            200 grams
Sugar                                     -            150 grams
Ghee/ Clarified butter            -            2 tablespoons
Green Caradamom Powder   -            1 teaspoon
Water                                     -            ( as required)
Crushed Pistas and Almonds -            for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Once you have a tray greased and ready, the making of Kaju Katli is really easy!!
In a heavy bottomed vessel, take Cashew powder and lightly roast it. Now add sugar and some water and start stirring. If you think there is not enough water in the mixture, add more water and keep stirring it. After 2-3 minutes, this paste gets really sticky and this is when we should add the ghee and keep stirring it. Once the mixture thickens like a good caramel, pour it onto the greased tray and spread evenly ( about 1-2 inches thick) and garnish it with the crushed nuts. Before it is completely cooled down, grease a knife and cut it into your favourite shapes and enjoy.

This dish when completely cooled down, can be stored for about a week in a air-tight container.

  

Molasses Cake Circles

Ingredients:

Butter                         -       about 35 grms
Egg(s)                         -        1
Brown Sugar              -        4 Tablespoons
Ground Cinnamon     -        3 Teaspoons
Ground Ginger           -        1 Teaspoon
Ground Clove            -        1 Teaspoon
Molasses                    -         2 Tablespoons
Wheat Flour               -        1 1/2 Cups
Baking Powder          -        1 teaspoon    

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 300 F. Take the butter at room temperature,  add brown sugar and beat it. Break an egg into this mixture and mix well with a fork or a blender. At this point, if you think the butter is too melted and broken down, then cool this mixture in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes.
Now add all the spices and molasses and mix it in. Finally add the Flour and Baking powder and fold it in.
Take a Cookie sheet and using a two spoons, place the batter in form of cookies (You will get a total of 6 for this recipe)  leaving enough space in between them.  donot spread the batter in form of circles. It will automatically melt down into flat sheets when baking.
Bake them for about 7-10 minutes at 300 F checking every 30 seconds after 7 minutes to see if it is done. Once you see the cake consistency..remove them from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
Enjoy these deliciously soft-baked molasses cookies/cake circles :)

The Shortcut to Heaven / Fried Sweet Plaintain Recipe

I fell in  love with this dish the first time I had it in Dos Caminos, NYC. since then, I so badly want to bring it to my kitchen.

Method :

Take a very very ripe plantain. buy a good sized partially ripe plantain from the super market and let it ripe for a week at least or until you see the skin of the plantain turning really black and the body soft. At this stage, Peel it { Easy way to peel it is to cut off both the edges of the plantain..cut it in half and draw your knife vertically on the two halves, then peel it } and make wedge cuts...Fry these plantain pieces on a Medium Flame till golden brown..voila...Your dessert is ready to be served..

Optional :  You can serve these by sprinkling spiced sugar or Milk Creme..

For Spice Sugar : Take refined sugar and add cinnamon powder, ginger powder, clove powder or all-spice according to your taste.

banana halwa

Cute little dosas :)