Tag: Deepavali

Meethe Chawal | Saffron Rice | Kesar Pulao

Sweet and fragrant, simple saffron rice or meethe chawal
09/27/2024 12:50:07 PM vindhyadesai

A comeback to blogging after a long hiatus (really long) is difficult. As I sit here at my table and type I am trying to find inspiration from the innumerable food photos I have clicked and the efforts that went into it. Trying to find words and ideas to write a good introduction to this post after a long time makes me think about those initial days of blogging 2016. Now that little ‘S’ is at school full time I will be able to give time to food blogging. It’s been so long and here we are going to learn a very simple dish, sweet saffron rice or meethe chawal. ... “Meethe Chawal | Saffron Rice | Kesar Pulao”

Sweet Potato Halwa | Genasina Halwa | Sweet Recipes

Creamy and delicious, healthy and fibrous sweet potato halwa
04/26/2020 11:35:01 AM vindhyadesai

Sweet potato is such a versatile root vegetable. It is nutritious and healthy and it does not have an overpowering smell. Hence the dish, sweet potato halwa or shakarkandi ka halwa. Halwa originated in the Middle East and travelled to India. And we make all sorts of halwa, carrot halwa, lauki halwa, beetroot halwa, badam halwa etc.
Last year for Holi I was looking for a very simple sweet to make along with Thandai and rose milk. Sweet potato halwa came to the rescue. I had never made it and anyway I had to photoshoot it, so a delicious halwa was made! It was quite easy to make and we loved the soft creamy texture. ... “Sweet Potato Halwa | Genasina Halwa | Sweet Recipes”

Gulab Jamun With Mix | Jamun with instant mix | Sweet Recipe

Soft juicy gulab jamun with mix, the most loved sweet all across our country
11/24/2019 1:01:18 PM vindhyadesai

After a hiatus from blogging for over a month, I am back with a new recipe. This time with the most loved sweet by everyone Gulab Jamun with mix. Yes, you might be thinking what’s so special in making gulab jamun with mix and what is the recipe here. There is not much of a recipe but it is important to pay attention to the proportions to get smooth soft golden gulab jamun.
Gulab jamun with mix makes use of the instant mix available in markets. My favourite is MTR or Maiyas Gulab jamun mix (*this is not a sponsored post). Although I very rarely make use of instant mixes or store-bought mixtures (except some masalas and pickles) gulab jamun with mix is an exception. It’s a weakness for those soft, sweet gulab jamun! Make sure to use fresh gulab jamun mix packet. ... “Gulab Jamun With Mix | Jamun with instant mix | Sweet Recipe”

Bhavnagri Gathiya | Gujarati Recipes | Snack Recipes

Crisp with a mild spicy taste, tea-time special Bhavnagri gathiya
09/15/2019 8:22:38 PM vindhyadesai

Come tea-time we have a number of cuisines that offer a great number of snacks to prepare and enjoy. Gujarati cuisine is one of the best of the cuisines to offer a wide variety of snack recipes. It can be anything from dhokla to khandvi or crisp and fun snacks. These special crisp Bhavnagri gathiya is one of the most fun snacks to enjoy at tea-time.
A few simple ingredients and you have fun Bhavnagri gathiya in no time. Here I have made them with a black pepper flavour because of my love for the spice. But you can add red chilli powder or crushed green chilli or garlic. Adding ajwain is important in all besan snacks to aid in digestion. Add hot oil to the dry mixture to make the Bhavnagri gathiya crisp and light. ... “Bhavnagri Gathiya | Gujarati Recipes | Snack Recipes”

Mathura Peda | Pedha Recipes | Sweet Recipes

Melt in the mouth Mathura Peda, Sri Krishna Janmashtami special sweet
08/22/2019 3:36:15 PM vindhyadesai

The best things always come in small packages at least in this case, little bundles of joy and fun, Sri Krishna Janmashtami special Mathura Peda. This is one of the best sweets to be made for the festival, Mathura is believed to be the birthplace of our Lord! This is a simple and easy way to make Mathura peda and I am not aware whether this is an authentic recipe but it does taste really good. I love the small size of the pedas and children will absolutely adore them.
Mathura peda has only a few simple ingredients and you have a delicious sweet made in no time. I have used my homemade khoya/khova recipe to make khoya. Generally I make the khoya ahead of time in order to save some energy to actually make the pedas. If I make the khoya in the morning I make the pedas in the evening. This recipe is from my last year’s menu for the festival. ... “Mathura Peda | Pedha Recipes | Sweet Recipes”

Panchamrutha | Panchamritha | Festival Recipes

Sweet nectar as naivedya, panchamrutha with bananas & a balance of ingredients
08/06/2019 5:44:27 PM vindhyadesai

Now that Shravana month/masa has started, there are festivals almost everyday. But we cannot make sweets everyday and it is not good to consume so many sweets too. Of course, we do need to offer naivedya during the pooja rituals and what better than a simple yet wholesome ‘Panchamrutha’. Before I write a whole lot I would like clarify that there are many ways in which people make Panchamrutha but this is one way we make at home.
It is about the balance of all ingredients, the 5 nectars , milk, curd, sugar, ghee and honey. Kids and adults alike like this and it is one of the things we used to look forward to during festivals and on visit to temples. It is just a beautiful thing to wait for as the flavours develop as it sits. Panchamrutha is just so satisfying and the sweetness makes your digestive juices to start working before the big meal! ... “Panchamrutha | Panchamritha | Festival Recipes”

Godhi Kuttida Payasa | Daliya Payasa | Payasa Recipes

A creamy delicious Karnataka special godhi kuttida payasa, perfect for festivals
07/11/2019 9:10:24 PM vindhyadesai

Simple payasas are one of the most satisfying sweets out there. Our good old South Indian payasa/payasams are so wholesome. Even though they are sweet, they are filled with nutrition especially the ones made with jaggery. Rich in minerals and fibre, this godhi kuttida payasa or daliya payasa is one of the best.
Godhi kuttida payasa is whole wheat daliya, jaggery mixed with a freshly ground paste of coconut and poppy seeds. Almonds and cashews add richness and raisins add fun to this payasa. And what better than ghee and milk to further enrich this wonderful ‘food of the gods’! A bowlful of this payasa is actually food for the soul. ... “Godhi Kuttida Payasa | Daliya Payasa | Payasa Recipes”

Rice Kheer | Chawal Ki Kheer | Kheer Recipes

A delicious thick creamy dessert, North Indian style rice kheer or chawal ki kheer
04/22/2019 7:00:21 PM vindhyadesai

A creamy rice kheer is pure bliss! It can be dessert, a sweet, sometimes a light lunch or snack. Ok, don’t tell anyone, it is absolutely to die for! Once in a while, rice kheer or chawal ki kheer for lunch is fine, yes let’s say it is 🙂
For this rice kheer, I have made it North Indian style using fragrant basmati rice. Rice is slowly cooked in milk and then sweetened with sugar. It is then simmered until rice cooks completely and the sugar gets fully absorbed. ... “Rice Kheer | Chawal Ki Kheer | Kheer Recipes”

Basundi | Homemade Basundi | Sweet Recipes

Creamy Basundi with lightly crunchy dry nuts and delicate saffron
03/25/2019 3:45:55 PM vindhyadesai

This month, March’19 Food Of Interest completes 3 full years. I did post the 1st post on March 4th 2016 but I would like to think March and April 2016 were the founding months of FOI. It laid the foundations, setting up the website, finding a nice format for the posts, easy to read and make recipes, indeed it is a special month! With over 15K users per month I thank my readers for trying my recipes 🙂 So here it is and to make it even more statistically special, the 400th post on FOI, on a sweet note with “Basundi“.
Creamy milk sweets are too good to ignore. Imagine thickened sweetened creamy milk loaded with pistachios, almonds, cashews, with subtle fragrance of elaichi. Makes you go into a different world, a world filled with creaminess of milk and nuttiness of rich nuts! This rich introduction is for a traditional Maharashtra and Karnataka special sweet dish, “Basundi”. ... “Basundi | Homemade Basundi | Sweet Recipes”

Baalekayi Bajji | Raw Banana Fritters | Snack Recipes

Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, tea-time special, baalekayi bajji
02/17/2019 8:02:50 PM vindhyadesai

Winter is almost over for many of us in the Northern hemisphere. But still the cold lingers on and one feels like eating something chatpata or crisp at tea time. What better than these crisp baalekayi bajji or raw banana fries/fritters. They are crisp, slightly chatpata and soft on the inside.
A simple batter made with besan and a little rice flour to render crispiness. Then a few simple masalas are added which add the right amount of seasoning. Thin slices of raw banana are dunked into the coating batter and deep fried in oil. A snack ready, in no time at all either for a lazy Sunday afternoon or for tea-time on weekdays! ... “Baalekayi Bajji | Raw Banana Fritters | Snack Recipes”