Makhana Dates Kheer / Payasam / Pudding

 

          Kheer / Payasam is one of the most common and a very popular Indian sweets. It is a must in all festivals, ceremonies or auspicious occasions. So check out this yummy kheer prepared with phool makhana / fox nuts and dates. So it is a sugar free dessert. It takes very little time to dish out and turns out just amazing with just a few ingredients easily available in your kitchen. 

              Makhane is a very healthy snack item that can be enjoyed by just dry roasting it in butter and ghee. You can sprinkle some pepper or chili powder for a spicy flavour. 

              However, dessert made of makhane are equally tempting, is apt for festive occasions and is also diabetic friendly. Just skip the sugar and replace it with dates and you can enjoy it guilt free. 

              Serve, garnished with chopped pistachios, dry rose petals, saffron and dates. Check out a quick step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this healthy dessert. 

• 2 cups Makhana / Fox Nuts
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 500 ml. full fat milk
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• a pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 1 tbsp. dry rose petals
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• pinch of saffron

          Blend the dates along with some water into a smooth paste. Add the rose water. Mix well and keep aside. 

          Heat ghee in a pan and sauté the makhana till it is slightly brown in colour. keep aside. 

          When it is cool, blend a handful of makhana, almonds and dry rose petals into a fine powder. Set aside.

          In a saucepan, bring the milk, a pinch of salt and bay leaves to a boil. 

          Now add the sautéed makhana and simmer on a low to medium flame till they turn almost soft. 

          Then add the ground makhana-almond powder, saffron, cardamom powder,  evaporated milk and the dates paste.

          Mix everything well and simmer further till you get the right consistency.

          Garnish with chopped pistachios, dates, saffron and dry rose petals. Serve this amazing dessert warm or chilled. 

Notes - 

        1.  If the dates are not soft and juicy enough, then soak them in warm water for a couple of minutes. Then go ahead and blend them. 

        2.  For the sugar-free version you can substitute dates with jaggery too. 

         3.   I added some powdered makhane and almonds to thicken the consistency. However, you can also thicken it with just some powdered dry fruits or just skip this step completely.

        4.   The kheer will thicken more on cooling, so keep the consistency according to your preference. 

                Blend the dates along with some water into a smooth paste. Add the 

                     rose water. Mix well and keep aside. 

                    Heat ghee & sauté the makhana till light brown. keep aside. 

                    When cool, blend a handful of makhana, almonds & dry rose petals 

                    into a fine powder. Set aside.

                         In a saucepan, bring the milk, a pinch of salt & bay leaves to a boil. 

                   Add the sautéed makhana & simmer for 4-5 minutes or till they 

                             turn almost soft. 

                       Add the ground makhana-almond powder, saffron, cardamom powder,

                                  evaporated milk and....

                            dates paste. Mix well & simmer till you get the right consistency.

  

                         Garnish with chopped pistachios, dates, saffron & dry rose petals. 

                     Serve this amazing dessert warm or chilled. 

Dates & Nuts Laddu / Laddoo

 

                      Dates & Nuts Laddu is very easy to prepare. They are healthy energy balls with the goodness of dates, almonds, cashew, pistachios, coconut, roasted chana dal and sesame seeds. I then flavored them with cardamom powder and rose water. This is a perfect guilt free dessert apt for your Diwali celebration. Besides, they can be enjoyed as a quick breakfast on the go. It is also a perfect snack for weight watchers and ideal for youngsters.

              Dates and nuts laddu is completely sugar free as it has only the natural sweetness of the dates. So they are diabetic friendly. It can be made much in advance and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. So check out a quick step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this Diwali treat. 

• 1 cup soft dates, deseeded & chopped
• 2 tsp. ghee
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup cashew nuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1/4 cup roasted chana dal
• 2 tbsp. raisins
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp. dry rose petals
• 1 tbsp. rose water

          Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in a pan and sauté the chopped almonds and cashew nuts till they turn slightly brownish in colour. 

         Then add the chopped pistachios and sesame seeds. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Keep aside.

          In the same pan, dry roast the fresh grated coconut till light brown. Add the roasted chana dal and give it a stir. Keep aside. 

          Heat remaining 1 tbsp. ghee in the pan and sauté the raisins for a minute. Then add the chopped dates and mix well till it is soft and comes together.

          Then add all the roasted nuts, dry rose petals, pinch of salt, cardamom powder and rose water. Combine everything well.

          Switch off the flame and set aside for a couple of minutes to slightly cool down. 

          Take a small portion of the mix and form into round shaped balls. Make similar balls with the rest of the dates mixture. Yummy Dates & Nuts Laddus are ready. 

                         Heat 1 tbsp. ghee & sauté the almonds & cashew till light brown.

                     Add the pistachios & sesame seeds. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Keep aside.

                                 Dry roast the fresh grated coconut till light brown. 

                                  Add the roasted chana dal & give it a stir. Keep aside. 

                            Heat remaining 1 tsp. ghee & sauté the raisins for a minute. 

                          Add the chopped dates & mix well till it is soft & comes together.

                        Add all the roasted nuts, dry rose petals, pinch of salt, cardamom 

                        powder & rose water. Combine well.  Switch off the flame & set

                        aside for a couple of minutes to slightly cool down. 

                           Take a small portion of the mix & form into round shaped balls. 

                       Yummy Dates & Nuts Laddus are ready. Enjoy !!!!!

Kacha Lau Pata Bata (Bottle Gourd Leaves Chutney - Bong style)

 

          Kacha Lau Pata Bata is a traditional Bengali homemade style chutney that has its roots in the very heart and soul of Bengali cuisine. In fact, it has been an integral part of Bengali cuisine for generations. Less common these days, it is mostly sourced only in the interiors of West Bengal and Bangladesh. 

         

              This is a dish indigenous to Bengal, the recipe of which is slowly fading away from cookbooks. This particular dish is made out of Bottle Gourd Leaves. They contain the most nutrients and it tastes simply yummy. So time to try out this rustic, village style regional delicacy that is bursting with flavors by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

 

            You must have noticed bottle gourd creepers growing around everywhere. Just try making a chutney out of few tender leaves, garlic and green chilies. It taste just awesome. This is a no fire recipe as there is no frying, cooking or sautéing.

            It is a grandmothers recipe and almost a forgotten one. This is in no way a restaurant style dish. One does not get to see such homemade recipes these days, unless you have an elderly person in your midst. This amazingly healthy side dish is best relished with hot steamed rice and a drizzle of some raw mustard oil.

• 10-12 tender Bottle Gourd Leaves, washed, drained & chopped roughly
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 2-3 green chilies
• 1-2 tsp. mustard oil
• salt to taste

             Blend the leaves, garlic and green chilies into a fine paste by adding very little water in a mixer grinder. However, It gives a good texture if you are using a grinding stone. 

              Add salt and a drizzle of some raw mustard oil. Mix well and your Kacha Lau Pata Bata is ready. Relish this simple delicacy with hot steamed rice for a divine experience. 

                                Take few tender bottle gourd leaves.

                     Blend the leaves, garlic & green chilies into a paste by adding very little water. 

                             Add salt & a drizzle of some raw mustard oil. Mix well & your 

                             Kacha Lau Pata Bata is ready.

                        Relish this simple delicacy with hot steamed rice for a divine experience. 

Basanti Pulao (Sweet Pulao - Bong style)

 

          Basanti Pulao is also know as Mishti (sweet) Pulao or Holud (turmeric) Pulao. So as the name implies, this is a sweet pulao that is reserved to be served during festive or any special occasions. It is a must during Durga Puja and it is also a very popular menu in all Bengali restaurants. It is traditionally prepared with the fragrant Gobindobhog rice, which is a small variety fragrant rice. In the absence of it you can make use of basmati rice.

          Very few ingredients goes into preparing this Bong delicacy. The most prominent being ghee, turmeric powder, sugar, cashew nuts, raisins and garam masala. The yellow colour can be obtained from saffron too, if you wish. However, typically  turmeric powder is used for that perfect colour. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this festive delight.

• 1/2 cup Gobindobhog rice 
• 3 tbsp. ghee
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon
• 2 green cardamom
• 4 cloves
• 1/3 cup cashew nuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste

         Wash the rice well, drain and set aside to dry. Transfer the rice into a mixing bowl. 

          Add 1 tsp. ghee, 1/2 tsp. salt, garam masala powder, ginger and turmeric powder. Mix well so that all the grains are well coated. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

          Heat remaining ghee in a kadai / pan. Temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Sauté for a few seconds.

         Then add the cashew and raisins. Stir fry till they turn slightly brown. Now add the marinated rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

          Add 3/4 cup water and sugar. Mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles. 

          Set aside for 10 minutes before you open the lid. Fluff it up with a fork and Basanti Pulao is ready to serve. 

          Enjoy just as it is or with Kosha Dalna, Kosha Mangsho, Aloo Dum or Begun Bhaja for a comfort meal. 

Note - 

1.   Basanti pulao is traditionally cooked in an open pan. However, I used the pressure cooker method which saves a lot of time. 

2.   Wash the rice well and stir fry it for 2-3 minutes or more to remove the starch as this ensures a perfect fluffy rice without getting sticky.  

3.   I used very less sugar. So adjust the sweetness according to your preference.

4.   For the pressure cooking method use 3/4 cup water for 1/2 cup rice, 1 & 1/4 cup water for 1 cup rice and so forth. 

5.   Set aside the cooked pulao for a couple of minutes before relishing it so that you get perfect and fluffy pulao. 

                                 Wash the rice well, drain and set aside to dry.

                         Transfer the rice into a mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp. ghee, 1/2 tsp. salt, 

                         garam masala powder, ginger & turmeric powder. 

                     Mix well so that all the grains are well coated. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

                      Heat remaining ghee in a pan. Temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, 

                         cardamom and cloves. Sauté for a few seconds.

                          Add the cashew and raisins. Stir fry till they turn slightly brown. 

                                 Now add the marinated rice & sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

                                  Add 3/4 cup water ......

                                  .... & sugar. Mix well & pressure cook for 2 whistles.

                              Set aside for 10 minutes. Then fluff it up with a fork.

                       Enjoy just as it is or with Kosha Dalna, Kosha Mangsho, Aloo Dum 

                       or Begun Bhaja for a comfort meal.