Breakfast, Paratha/Flatbread
Sanika Khadilkar
Aloo Paratha
Aloo Paratha

Festivals

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Pineapple Sheera

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Pineapple Sheera

Serves: 4 persons

Sheera is an Indian sweet similar to pudding. It is usually prepared with semolina, butter and sugar. It's a simple but delicious and quick dessert which doesn't need lot of preparation.

Pineapple sheera is just a twist to the regular version. I used a can of crushed pineapple but you can always just use canned pineapple chunks.

Hope you will enjoy this Indian dessert!

IMG_4718.jpg

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sooji (semolina)
  • 5 tablespoon ghee ( clarified butter)
  • 1 can ( 398 ML) crushed pineapple in pineapple juice
  • 1½ cup water
  • 1½ cup sugar
  • pinch of saffron
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon chopped almonds

Method:

  1. Heat a pan and add ghee and sooji in it. Keep the flame low. Keep stirring and roast till you get a nice aroma. This is the main process and it may take 10-12 minutes.
  2. Open the can and strain the pineapple juice into a bowl. Use a spoon to squeeze out the maximum juice. Keep the pineapple and juice seperate. This turned out to be approx. 1 cup of pineapple juice and 1 cup of crushed pineapple.
  3. Add water to the pineapple juice and keep it on the gas. Let it boil.
  4. As soon as the water starts to boil, add it slowly to the roasted sooji. Add crushed pineapple. Mix everything well with the spatula. The flame should be low and keep the lid on it. Leave it for 10 minutes.
  5. After 10 minutes, stir again and mix well. Add sugar. The mixture will be thin as you add the sugar. Once again, keep the lid on for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove the lid. Add ground cardamom, chopped almonds and saffron.
  7. Enjoy :)
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Tilachi Vadi or Sesame Snaps

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Tilachi Vadi or Sesame snaps

Makes 15

Makar Sankranti is the first festival of the year. Usually it is celebrated on 14th of January. It is celebrated in different states of India with different names. In Maharashtra, married women get together and exchange 'Haldi' (Turmeric) and 'Kumkum'(Vermillion). Give each other 'Tilgul' or 'Tilachi Vadi' and 'Halwa' while saying, 'Tilgul ghya ani goad bola' (Eat sweet and talk sweet) Til is sesame and Gul is jaggery. Very simple recipe to make 'Tilvadi' is given below:

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • ¼ cup grated jaggery
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1½ tablespoon ghee/butter

Method:

  1. Add sesame seeds in a pan and dry roaste until the raw smell goes away. Fry on a low flame or else seeds may get burn. Keep it aside and let it cool.
  2. Grease the platform or the plate with a little ghee, where you are going to pour the vadi mixture. Also, grease the rolling pin with the ghee too.
  3. Heat a tablespoon ghee/butter in a pan. Add grated jaggery and a teaspoon of water. Keep it on low flame. Stir the jaggery continiously. Let it melt completely. It will start bubbling in a couple of minutes.
  4. When the jaggery stops bubbling, add sesame seeds, ½ teaspoon cardamom and ginger powder into the jaggery mixture. Switch off the flame. Mix it and immediately pour it on a greased plate. Start rolling with the rolling pin. Cut into squres with the knife while the mixture is hot. Sprinkle remaining cardamom powder and ginger powder. Let it cool down completely.
  5. Store it in a container.