Ingredients

Semiya/ Vermicelli – 2 cups

Full Cream Milk -2 litres

Sugar – 2 cups

Cardamom – 8 powdered

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp

Golden raisins – 2 tbsp

Ghee – 1 + 1 1/2 tsp

Method

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a non-stick pan and roast the semiya on a low flame till it turns light golden brown in color.  If you are using roasted semiya, skip this process.  Boil milk in a large thick-bottomed pan or a 5 litre pressure cooker and add roasted semiya.  Cook on a medium flame.  Stir every 2 minutes.  Add sugar and salt and stir well.  When the semiya is just cooked, add powdered cardamom and mix well.  Switch off the flame.  Semiya should not be over cooked.  Heat 1 1/2 tsp ghee in a small pan and add cashew nuts.  When it turns light brown, add raisins and switch off the flame.  Pour it over the payasam and mix well.  Serve yummy ‘Semiya Payasam/ Vermicelli Payasam’ hot or cold.  Enjoy with your loved ones!!!

Today I am posting a quick and easy way to make ‘Carrot Halwa’ using microwave.  ‘Carrot Halwa’ is a well known traditional Indian sweet which is usually made during festivals.  So dear friends, make this delicious dessert within no time and enjoy with your kids!

I am sending yummy ‘Carrot Halwa’ to Paru for the event “MEC: Sweets ‘n’ Savouries” which was started by Srivalli

Ingredients

Grated Carrots – 300 gm

Sugar – 3/4 cup

Ghee – 1/4 cup

Milk powder – 1/2 cup

Cashew nuts – 10

Golden raisins – 1 tbsp

Cardamom essence – 1 tsp

Method

Mix the grated carrots with sugar and ghee in a microwave bowl.  Close with a lid and microwave for 8 minutes.  Take out and add milk powder, cashew nuts, raisins and cardamom essence.  Mix well, cover with the lid and microwave for 3 minutes.  Take out and stir well.  Microwave for 1 minute more.  Let it stand for 5 minutes in the microwave.  Serve warm and enjoy!

You can add cardamom powder instead of cardamom essence.

Microwave timings may vary according to watts.  So adjust the timings as suited to your microwave.

Awards

My friends Sarah and Sangi have given me this lovely award.  Thank you dearies for your love!

Dearest Sarah has passed on this beautiful award.  Thanks a lot Sarah!

I would like to pass on these two awards to Happy Cook, Jeena, Sangeetha, Ivy and Cynthia

In Kerala, ‘Payasam’ is made during the festivals like ‘Onam’ and ‘Vishu’.  There are so many different varieties of Payasams.  ‘Moong dal Payasam’ is a favorite of my family and I also make it to celebrate birthdays of my loved ones.

‘Cherupayar Parippu Pradhaman’ is off to EC for the event “WYF: Festive Treat”

Ingredients

Green gram dal/ Moong dal - 125 gms

Jaggery - 1/2 kg

Water – 2 1/2 cups

Salt – 1/4 tsp (optional)

Thin coconut milk – 2 cups

Thick coconut milk – 1 cup

Cardamom – 4 powdered

Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp

Raisins -2 tbsp

Ghee – 3 tsp

Method

Dry roast the dal in a non stick pan till it turns light brown.  Cook the dal along with water in a 5 litre pressure cooker for 10 minutes.  (Cook it on the small burner.)  Let it cool.  Melt the jaggery by adding half a cup of water.  Strain it and keep aside.  Open the lid of the cooker  and add the jaggery to it.  Mix well and let it simmer till the dal and jaggery are blended well.  Stir in between.  Pour the thin coconut milk into the cooker.  Mix well and allow it to simmer for another 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add the cardamom powder and salt.  Finally add the thick coconut milk and stir.  Switch off the flame.  In another pan, melt the ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins.  Pour it over the Pradhaman and mix well.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Finally the Christmas Season is here! From now on I will be posting recipes which can be made during the Christmas and New Year Celebrations. Hope all of you will enjoy them! Season’s Greetings to all my blogger friends!!!

Ever since I heard of Cornflakes as the main ingredient for WBB #17 being hosted by Nags of For The Cook In Me, I was thinking about this delicious pudding! But I was wondering whether I could send it for WBB. She was only happy for me sending this pudding for the event!

Ingredients

Pineapple – 1 cup chopped finely

Cinnamon – 1″ piece

Cloves – 2

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Lemon rind – 1/2 tsp grated

Butter – 2 tsp

Krack Jack (or any sweet and salt) biscuit – 3/4 cup crushed

Cornflakes – 1 cup crushed slightly

Grated coconut -1/4 cup

Sugar – 2 tbsp

For the Custard

Milk – 500 ml

Vanilla custard powder – 2 tbsp

Sugar – 6 tbsp

Method

Take the milk in a saucepan and add the custard powder and sugar. Keep the pan on medium flame and stir continuously till it boils. Let it boil for about 2 minutes. When it is thick, put off the fire. Cool and refrigerate. In a small pan, boil the pineapple pieces with 1/4 cup of water, cinnamon and cloves till it becomes soft. Add 1 tbsp sugar and let the excess water evaporate. Put off the flame and add the lemon rinds. Remove the cinnamon and cloves and keep aside. In a bowl, mix together crushed biscuits, cornflakes, grated coconut, sugar and butter. Add the cooked pineapple and mix well. Transfer to a pie dish and bake in a preheated oven at 170 C for 5 minutes. Cool to room temp and serve with chilled custard!

I received the secret ingredient for Arusuvai Friendship Chain from dear Bharathy of spicychilly. ‘Aval’ or rice flakes was the surprise ingredient that she sent me. That too the Kerala variety made with brown rice. So I had no option but to post some authentic Kerala recipe!

Aval Vilayichathu is an all time favourite of Keralites! It is made with aval, coconut and jaggery as the main ingredients. This is a very delicious snack and nutritious too! I have used the Kerala dark brown jaggery which my husband brought from Kerala. This gives a dark brown colour to the snack. I think the wait was worth it!

What you need

Aval or rice flakes – 4 cups

Jaggery – 2 cups

Grated coconut -1 cup

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Sesame seeds – 1 tsp

Ghee – 2 tsp

Method

Break the jaggery into small pieces. Pour half a cup of water to it and melt it on flame. Strain it and keep aside. Put the aval in a vessel and sprinkle some water. Mix well so that the aval is just wet. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Heat ghee in a non stick pan and splutter sesame seeds. Pour the melted jaggery and add the grated coconut. Stir well for 2 minutes. Add the wet aval and cardamom powder. Mix well for 2 minutes till the aval is well coated wit the jaggery and coconut. Put off the fire. Transfer it to a serving dish. This can be stored in the refrigerator for a month. Make more of it and store. Take out the quantity you want, warm for 20 seconds in the microwave and serve.

Now I am sending the secret ingredients to my dear blogger friends Latha and Rachel.

Velankanni is a famous pilgrim centre in Tamil Nadu. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Health. It is one of the most visited pilgrim places in India. The festival is celebrated on September 8th every year. Mother Mary is lovingly known as ‘Annai Velankanni’ throughout Tamil Nadu. You can read more about Velankanni here.