Gajar Ka Halwa/Gajrela or Carrot Halwa (a sweet, creamy, rich pudding from Punjab, with the aromatic taste of cardamon) is a dessert that is a popular dish served at festivals. It is a warm dessert and is best enjoyed in winter. It is an easy dish with few ingredients but not a quick one (unless you use a pressure cooker). Like most halwas, it requires attention while cooking. Being a warm dish, it was a perfect dessert for cold winter days. The carrots in this recipe are regular store-bought carrots rather than the sought-after deep orange carrots normally found in wintertime in Northern India.
Gajar ka Halwa
Gajar ka Halwa is a creamy, rich dessert with the aromatic taste of cardamom.
Ingredients
- 10 medium carrots
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 whole green cardamom
- ¼ tsp fresh ground green cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 12 blanched almonds (save half for garnish)
Instructions
- Scrub the carrots with a vegetable brush and peel them.
- Using a hand grater or food processor, grate the carrots.
- Transfer the grated carrots, milk, and whipping cream into a heavy-bottomed medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat. About 10 minutes.
- Add the whole cardamom and cardamom powder. Simmer on medium-low, occasionally stirring, until 75% of the milk is reduced. About 20 minutes.
- Add the sugar and golden raisins. Stir in half the nuts. Cook for another 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, but the halwa is still moist.
- Carefully transfer the cooked dessert to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the nuts. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
You can use sautéed cashew nuts instead of almonds. If you are not sure of nut allergies when serving to guests, you can omit cooking the halwa with the nuts and just serve them on the side.
You can also garnish with silver foil to get that traditional, authentic feeling!
Sometimes I get into the mood to bake bread, and I take the easy route. Years ago, when volunteering at our church thrift shop, I picked up an almost brand-new bread machine for less than half the market price. Now when the mood hits for fresh homemade bread, I pull it out and go for it! Today I have a half loaf lying around— a product of five days ago. I decide to fix Bread Uppma for breakfast. Most Indians refer to bread as ‘double roti,’ or simply bread.
Bread uppma is great for breakfast or a tea-time snack. It is savory and tangy, and, of course, who doesn’t love bread!!
Bread Uppama
Bread uppama is great for breakfast or a tea-time snack. It is savory and tangy, and, of course, who doesn't love bread!!
Ingredients
- 12 slices bread (preferably stale, toasted, and cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 Serrano chili (chopped one whole red chili optional—to your taste)
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 1 cup onion (chopped finely, yellow or red)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped-about 1 cup)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp lemon or lime juice (only)
- ½ cup cocktail or sautéed peanuts or cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) (washed and chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium heat.
- Add the chopped green chili or red chili. Stir a couple of times and add the mustard seeds. Be careful as they splutter.
- Give it less than 30 seconds, and add the curry leaves. Stir and add the onions.
- Sauté the onions for about 6 minutes until they are translucent and start to turn reddish in the corners.
- Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the oil starts to surface.
- Add your choice of nuts (optional) and give them a stir.
- Now stir in the toasted bread cubes until they are nicely coated with the onion and tomato mixture.
- Add a ¼ cup of water. Lower the heat and cover the skillet. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the lid, sprinkle the juice of half a lemon/lime, and stir. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
- Remove to a serving dish and garnish with the chopped cilantro.
Notes
You can add the nuts as a garnish as well.
If you are gluten-free, you can make it with gluten-free bread.
My neighbor has sent over some Seviyan Kheer she has fixed for Eid-al-Fitr, one of the biggest Muslim festivals. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a time of fasting and prayer. Celebrating religious festivals was special in India due to the diversity of faiths. It was common for neighbors to share the sweets prepared to celebrate their festivals, irrespective of religion. This was especially so in smaller towns than big cities.
Seviyan, is made out of roasted vermicelli, milk, sugar, plums, cardamom, and almonds. It is a quick fix and a dish most Indians like to make as a dessert. There is also Sweet Seviyan, a dish that does not involve milk.
Seviyan Kheer (Vermicelli Pudding)
Seviyan is a delicious dessert made from roasted vermicelli,milk, sugar, plums, cardamom, and almonds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted vermicelli/seviyan (available at Indian grocery stores—see notes )
- 5 cups milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup roasted slivered almonds (save some for garnish)
- ¼ cup golden raisins (save some for garnish)
- ⅛ tsp green cardamom powder (or take 2 cardamom pods and crush it in a mortar pestle till coarsely powdered—remove husks)
- 2 drops Kewra water (optional—available at Indian grocery stores)
Instructions
- Break the roasted seviyan into several bits.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed large saucepan on medium heat and add the tablespoon of butter and the seviyan. Stir for about 1 minute.
- Pour it onto a plate and set aside.
- Return the pan to the stove, and on medium heat, add the milk and bring it to a boil—about 10 minutes.
- Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the crushed cardamom and let it simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until the milk is reduced slightly. Stir often, scraping the sides and bottom to avoid the milk sticking and burning.
- Add the roasted vermicelli and let it cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. About 3 minutes.
- Do a taste test and add more sugar if desired.
- Add almonds, golden raisins, cardamom powder, and kewra drops.
- Simmer for another 5 minutes,stirring gently, until the pudding mix is creamy.
- Pour into a serving dish and garnish with reserved almonds and raisins.
- You can serve Seviyan warm or chilled.
Notes
1. If you cannot get roasted vermicelli, you can roast it yourself. Add 2 teaspoons of ghee or unsalted butter into the pan and roast the vermicelli for 3-4 minutes on medium heat till golden. Be careful not to burn. Remove from pan and set aside. Now add your milk to the pan and follow the rest of the instructions.
2. Seviyan kheer will thicken as it cools and get a film on top. If you plan to serve it chilled, cover it with cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, mix it well. You can add some heavy cream or half-and-half to thin it out if it is too thick. It should have the consistency of porridge. You can then pour it into a serving bowl or individual bowls and garnish it.
3. Tip: When using a stainless steel pot to boil milk, rinse it with water first, as the milk tends to form a quick film at the bottom that tends to burn.
One legend of Valentine’s Day is that a priest in the third century performed secret marriage ceremonies for couples as Emperor Claudius of Rome outlawed marriage for young men. The Emperor felt single men would stay more focused as soldiers. The priest was beaten, stoned, and beheaded when the Emperor found out. Valentine’s Day has become a day to celebrate love.
If you want a special meal to celebrate your loved one this Valentine’s Day, here is an easy menu for a delicious Indian meal that can be prepared early and left in a warm oven until you are ready to eat. The dishes are light on spices. You can prepare it a day ahead, zap it on the microwave, and keep it in the warm oven until dinner time.
The heat in Indian food comes from the use of red and green chilies. You can moderate it according to your taste by adding less. If you want to turn it up, add more!!
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Suggestions for an Easy Valentine’s Day Menu
Cocktails
Your choice
Hors d’Oeuvres
Pick these up from an Indian Restaurant or an Indian grocery store. If you have a Trader Joe’s near where you live, they have them as well.
Mini samosas
Pakoras
Dinner
Kala Zeera Gajar Chawal (Black Cumin Carrot Pilaf)
Chicken Chatpata (Spicy Chicken)
Palak Allu Sabzi
Bread – Any kind of flatbread. Naan, Paratha, Roti /Tortilla. These are all available at the Indian Grocery Store, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s.
Dessert (Any or all)
Seviyan Kheer (Vermicelli Pudding)
Vanilla Ice Cream topped with Kesar Mango Pulp (These cans are available at the Indian grocery store).
I decided to try and grow green beans in my little garden plot. I researched planting and growing on the internet and followed all the tips to grow it in my planting zone. So I was excited when the beans started to sprout and grow. I even got enough to cook two lots of sabzi (sautéed vegetables) with them. Then we had an off-season heat wave which my poor bean plants succumbed to. Hopefully, I will have better luck next time.
Beans and potatoes are an easy vegetable to cook. You can use it in a wrap or serve it with dal, rice, and roti.
Hara Sem Allu Sabzi (Sautéed Green Beans and Potato)
Beans and potatoes are an easy vegetable dish to cook. You can use it in a wrap or serve it with dal, rice, and roti.
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans (or 1 lb packet of frozen green cut beans)
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger
- 1 whole red chili (optional)
- ½ tsp chili powder (more or less, to your taste)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 medium potatoes (scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil (your choice)
- ¼ tsp garam masala (optional)
- ⅛ tsp asafetida (optional)
Instructions
Preparing the Fresh Green Beans
- Check the beans and discard any moldy or discolored ones.
- Wash beans several times, rubbing them with your fingers to remove any dirt. Drain in a colander.
- Before cutting the beans, take the stem end off by breaking it with your fingers. This also removes the bean string/vein running down the top side of the bean.
- You do not have to cut the tip if it's tender, but I prefer to.
- Now you can gather several beans together on your cutting board and cut them into 1-inch bits.
- Often at the grocery store, you can get beans in plastic bags already prepped. All you have to do is wash and cut them. When you are done prepping the beans, set them aside while you start cooking the masala.
Preparing the Frozen Green Beans
- If you are using a frozen pack, empty it into a colander and give it several shakes to eliminate any frozen ice crystals. This way, you can monitor the water while cooking and not end up with soggy beans.
To Cook
- In a wok or skillet, heat oil on medium-high.
- Add the whole red chili, and let it change color a bit, about 30 seconds. The fumes are pretty strong, so try not to inhale too deeply!! Add the asafetida (optional) and stir.
- Add the chopped ginger, wait 30 seconds, stir, and then add the turmeric, chili, and cumin powders.
- Stir and add the potatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes before adding the freshly cut or frozen beans.
- Stir well until the beans and potatoes are nicely coated with the masala.
- Add 1/2 cup of water and the salt.
- Cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes till potatoes and beans are tender.
- Transfer beans to a serving dish and sprinkle with garam masala or paprika if you prefer.
- Serve with any Indian meal. You can also use it in a wrap with roti, paratha, or any flatbread.
Notes
You can omit the potatoes if you have to watch your starch/carb intake.
Next to wheat, rice is one of India’s leading food staples. Most dals and curries go well with plain boiled white rice. In India, a majority of households use plain cooked rice in their meals at least once during the day. There are different types of rice:
Short-grained—high in starch and tends to be sticky
Medium-grained—longer and a little chewy when cooked
Long-grained rice—less starchy with a firmer texture and excellent for pilafs.
The popular Basmati rice is a long-grained rice grown at the foothills of the Himalayas, both in India and Pakistan. It is mainly used for pilafs and Biryanis and has a nutty popcorn fragrance. The name Basmati originates from the Sanskrit word Vasmati which means fragrant.
Saada Ubala Hua Saphed Chavaal (Plain Boiled White Rice)
A leading food staple in India, most dals and curries go well with plain boiled white rice.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white Basmati rice
- 3¾ cups water
Instructions
- Place the rice in a medium bowl.
- Half-fill the bowl with water and wash the grains by gently sifting and rubbing the rice with your fingers. Do this at least 4 times.
- Now add enough water to the bowl just to cover the rice and let the rice soak in the water for 15 minutes. (You can skip the step if you are in a hurry, but add 4 cups of water when boiling).
- Rinse and strain the rice through a rice or fine strainer under running water.
- Transfer the rice to a medium pot and add 3¾-cups of water.
- Stir the rice and bring the uncovered rice to a boil on medium heat. It takes about 15-20 minutes.
- Once it comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat to low, stir gently, and cover the rice with a tight lid.
- Let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Try not to uncover the rice and stir at this stage, as it will allow the steam to escape, making the rice drier.
- Turn off the heat and let sit undisturbed for 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork by gently lifting the rice up all around the pot, and-breaking up any clumps.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or dish when ready to serve.
- Plain boiled rice tastes good with any dal and any curried-style meats or vegetables. You can serve it as a meal with the usual array of pickles, raitas, papads, and chutneys.
Notes
Test for Doneness:
Crush a few rice grains against a flat surface to test for doneness. If it feels grainy, then the rice is not done. If that happens, sprinkle about a tablespoon of water over the rice and let it sit on low heat for 5 minutes. Or, you can place it in the oven at 180F temp for 10 minutes.
Stovetop and Oven Method:
Cook the rice on the stovetop in an oven-safe pot. Set your oven to 180 F. Once the water nearly evaporates and pits start forming on the rice's surface, turn off the heat and transfer the cooking pot to the oven. Let it bake for about 20 minutes until done.
Boiling Rice in Lots of Water:
Another way to fix rice is to wash and rinse the rice as above. Then in a pot, add about 4 times the water as rice (1:4 ratio). Bring the rice to a boil on medium heat, then reduce the heat and let the rice cook for 15 minutes. Test the grain to see if it's almost done. Turn off the heat. Now strain the rice through a rice strainer or fine sieve. Be careful of the steam! When all the water is drained, give the sieve a shake and put the rice back into the pot Cover with a tight lid and let it sit for 15 minutes before you fluff it.
Most Indian households, when using this method of cooking rice, save the water that has essential minerals and nutrients to drink later. This is especially so in the southern states of India where "kanji' (rice water ) is used as an energy booster for its healthy nutrients.
When we were kids and had an upset stomach, Mama always gave us plain soupy boiled rice and plain yogurt with pepper and salt to settle our stomachs. I still do that to this day whenever anyone in the house has an upset stomach.
Before synthetic starches came on the market in India, this starchy water (kanji) was diluted and used by our dhobis (people who washed our clothes in the absence of washing machines) to starch cotton shirt collars, kurtas, saris, and cotton table linen.
Be aware that cooking times may vary in higher altitudes, and you may need to increase the water by about 1/4 ounce and the resting time by about 5 minutes more.
If you are using white rice other than Basmati, follow the cooking instructions on the packet. Also do this when you are using a manual or electric pressure cooker, microwave oven, or rice cooker.
Another way to fix rice is to wash and rinse the rice as above. Then in a pot, add about 4 times the water as rice (1:4 ratio). Bring the rice to a boil on medium heat, then reduce the heat and let the rice cook for 15 minutes. Test the grain to see if it's almost done. Turn off the heat. Now strain the rice through a rice strainer or fine sieve. Be careful of the steam! When all the water is drained, give the sieve a shake and put the rice back into the pot Cover with a tight lid and let it sit for 15 minutes before you fluff it.
Most Indian households, when using this method of cooking rice, save the water that has essential minerals and nutrients to drink later. This is especially so in the southern states of India where "kanji' (rice water ) is used as an energy booster for its healthy nutrients.
When we were kids and had an upset stomach, Mama always gave us plain soupy boiled rice and plain yogurt with pepper and salt to settle our stomachs. I still do that to this day whenever anyone in the house has an upset stomach.
Before synthetic starches came on the market in India, this starchy water (kanji) was diluted and used by our dhobis (people who washed our clothes in the absence of washing machines) to starch cotton shirt collars, kurtas, saris, and cotton table linen.
Be aware that cooking times may vary in higher altitudes, and you may need to increase the water by about 1/4 ounce and the resting time by about 5 minutes more.
If you are using white rice other than Basmati, follow the cooking instructions on the packet. Also do this when you are using a manual or electric pressure cooker, microwave oven, or rice cooker.