Mambazha Pradhaman (Sweet Mango Dessert)

You will have a tough time resisting yourself while the Pradhaman gets prepared. I had to lick my spoon in between!

Ingredients

1. Sweet Ripe Mangoes – 3 big
2. Mango pulp – 2 cups (I used Canned Mango Pulp)
3. Powdered Jaggery – 3 or 4 big cubes (Alter according to your desired sweetness)
4. Dried ginger powder  (Chukku podi) – 1/4 tsp
5. Cardamom powder (Elakka Podi) – 3/4 to 1 tsp
6. Thin Coconut milk – Around 2 cups
7. Thick Coconut Milk – 1/2 cup
8. Cashews -  15
9. Raisins -  A handful
10. Ghee – 3 to 4 tbsp
11. Water – 1 cup

Preparation Method

1. Peel the mangoes and dice it into small pieces.
2. Boil the jaggery in 1 cup of water to make a thick syrup.
3. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and saute the mango pieces until it changes color.
4. Mash the mango pieces as it gets cooked. Keep on stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the pan.
5. Slowly add the mango pulp to the pan and continue sauteing for 5-7  minutes.
6. Add the jaggery syrup to the pan and keep on stirring until it thickens. This will take some time until it reaches a thick consistency (Varattiya Paruvam). So please be patient at this stage.
7. Reduce heat and add thin coconut milk to the pan, stirring continuously.
8. Now add the dried ginger powder and cardamom powder and mix well.
9. Simmer for 5-7 minutes and then add thick coconut milk. Simmer for a few more minutes and remove from stove top. Do not allow it to boil.
10. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan and fry the raisins and cashews for a few minutes. Pour it over the pradhaman. Serve this yummy mango pradhaman warm or chilled. This payasam tends to thicken over time.

Note

1. Please use real good variety of Mangoes like Alphonso.
2. You can also fry Coconut bits and add it to the Pradhaman for garnishing.
3. You can loosen the consistency of the Pradhaman by adding 1 more cup of Thin Coconut Milk.

Wishing you all a very Happy Onam!!!

Here is the recipe for an easy Payasam using Aval (Flattened/Beaten Rice). You can make this Paysam quickly without much effort.

Aval Payasam (Beaten Rice Dessert)

Ingredients

1. Aval (Flattened/Beaten Rice) – 2 cups
2. Milk – 3 cups
3. Sugar – 6 tbsp (Adjust according to desired sweetness)
4. Powdered Cardamom (Elakka) – 1 tsp
5. Condensed Milk – 4 tbsp
6. Ghee – 2 + 1 tbsp
7. Cashews – 10 to 12
8. Raisins – 8 to 10
9. Salt – a pinch

1. Wash the Beaten Rice thoroughly. Drain and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan and add the beaten rice. Lightly roast it for a few minutes until it becomes crisp.
3. In a wide pan, heat 2 cups of milk. Add the roasted beaten rice, sugar and cardamom powder.
4. Keep stirring so that the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a pinch of salt to balance the taste.
5. Cook the beaten rice for around ten minutes until it has softened.
6. When the Beaten Rice is cooked, add 1 more cup of milk. Simmer the Payasam for a few more minutes stirring frequently.
7. Reduce heat and add condensed milk. Keep stirring for another 2-3 minutes and then remove the Paysam from stove top.
8. In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee. Throw in the cashews and raisins and fry until the cashews begin to brown. Add the fried cashews and raisins to the Payasam.
9. Serve this yummy Aval Pyasam hot or cold.

Microwave Apple Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1. Bread – 5 slices (White or Wheat)
2. Apples (Peeled & Diced) – 2 Nos. (I used Golden Delicious Apples)
3. Raisins – A handful (Optional)
4. Milk – 1.5 to 2 cups (Skim Milk is fine)
5. Brown Sugar – 4 tbsp (Alter according to your desired sweetness)
6. Vanilla Essence – 1/2 tsp
7. Cinnamon Powder – 1/4 tsp
8. Crushed Honey Roasted Peanuts – A handful
9. Butter – 1 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. In a microwave safe dish, melt the butter by heating it for half a minute or so.
2. In another bowl, whisk the milk, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla essence and cinnamon powder.
3. Remove the edges from the bread and cube it roughly.
4. Spread the bread, raisins (optional) and apple at the bottom of the greased microwave safe dish.
5. Pour the milk mixture and allow the bread to soak in for a few minutes.
6. Microwave the dish for around 6 minutes checking every 3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts and continue microwaving for another 3-4 minutes until the pudding appears set.
8. Allow it to stand for 5 minutes and then serve with Whipped Topping.
9. Alternatively, you can steam the pudding for around 15 minutes or until set. The texture will be slightly different from the microwaved version.

Steamed Apple Bread Pudding

Homemade Chocolate Truffles

You can prepare these truffles as a treat for your kids or for parties. I have used Crackers and Peanuts for making these truffles. For variety, try using different nuts like almonds, cashews and you can even try dried fruit bits. I didn’t coat my truffles except for one which I coated with Cake Decor Sprinkles. Try experimenting with different coatings like Dessicated Coconut, Confectioner’s Sugar and so on. These pictures were taken after rolling them into balls and before freezing. So the truffles are a bit moist. After they are frozen, they will no longer appear moist.

Easy Chocolate Truffles with Nesquik

Ingredients

1. Nesquik Chocolate Drink Powder – 1 cup
2. Milk – 2 to 4 tbsp
3. Sugar – 2 tbsp (Alter according to the desired level of sweetness)
4. Keebler Club Crackers – 10 to 12 Nos.
5. Roasted Peanuts – 10 to 15

Preparation Method

1. Place the crackers in a zip lock bag and powder it finely using a rolling pin. Alternatively, run it in the food processor.
2. Similarly grind the roasted peanuts to a coarse powder.
3. Combine the chocolate powder, sugar, powdered crackers and peanuts in a bowl.
4. Add milk little by little to the bowl and start mixing everything to form a soft chocolate dough. The mixture will be very sticky at this stage.
5. Cover the bowl and keep the mixture in the freezer for an hour or two.
6. After an hour in the freezer, the chocolate dough will be more manageable.
7. Start rolling out small balls using your hands. You may coat theee balls with powdered sugar, chocolate powder, nuts, dessicated coconut and so on.
8. You may place the balls in individual cup cake papers or simply spread it in a freezer proof bowl such that the balls do not touch each other.
9. Keep it in the freezer until ready to be served. Just before serving, keep it outside for half an hour so that it softens a bit.
10. You can make around 8-10 small truffles using the above proportions.

Note

• You can try using any other Chocolate Drink Powder like Cadbury Drinking Chocolate, Ovaltine etc.

Microwave Apple Cracker Dessert

We have also had this for breakfast and as a quick evening snack. You need to use really Sweet Apples for this recipe and it will taste delicious. What better way to finish your apples?

Ingredients

1. Apples (Any Sweet Variety) – 4 small (I used Golden Delicious Apples)
2. All Purpose Flour – 2 tbsp
3. Brown Sugar – 1 tbsp
4. Sugar – 1 to 2 tbsp
5. Milk – 3/4 cup
6. Ginger Powder – 1/4 + 1/4 tsp
7. Cinnamon Powder – 1/4 tsp

For the Topping

1. Keebler Club Crackers (Original/Reduced Fat/Multi Grain) – 5 to 6 pieces
2. Brown Sugar – 1 tsp
3. Milk – 1/4 cup
4. Honey Roasted Peanuts – A handful (optional)

Preparation Method

1. Peel the apples and slice it into small uniform pieces.
2. Mix these apple pieces with 2 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp Ginger Powder, 1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder and 1 tbsp Brown Sugar.
3. Spread the apple pieces in a large Microwave Safe Dish and microwave it for 3-4 minutes until the apples are tender.
4. Meanwhile, mix 3/4 cup of milk, 1/4 tsp of ginger powder and 1-2 tbsp sugar in a bowl.
5. Pour milk over the apples and microwave for another 3 minutes.
6. The apples would have absorbed most of the milk by now. Mix everything together.
7. Crumble the crackers using your hands and spread it over the apple & milk mixture. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of milk and 1 tsp brown sugar on top of the crackers.
8. Continue to microwave the mixture for 4 minutes and allow it to cool.
9. Serve this yummy dessert along with a handful of honey roasted peanuts (optional).

Note

1. If you do not have Club Crackers, you can substitute it with 2 Slices of Bread or Cookies and it will still taste good.
2. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of sugar.