Cashew Burfi / Kaju Katli

One of the simple but yummiest sweet. Always on demand.



Ingredients:-
Cashew Powder - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Water -1/2 cup
Ghee - 1-2 sp Optional


Warm up the cashews for a minute or so in a hot tava / or in the MW and grind to powder.
(Over powdering/over heating will bring out oil from cashew and it tends to form lumps)

In a tava, boil water and sugar, bring it to one string consistency.

Switch off the flame, swiftly add the cashew powder and give a good mix. Adding couple of spoons of ghee at this stage is optional. (If a piece of this is dropped in water, you should be able to make a soft ball)

Pour it into a greased plate. (Use the backside of the plate if u want to use the rolling pin)

Use a rolling pin / spatula to even out the surface and bring it to the required thickness.

Leave it for 5-7 mins, cut into pieces.

Besan Ladoo

Thanks my mother in law for this wonderful traditional recipe. The aroma of Besan and ghee filled my kitchen and its tasting awesome. The deep frying before Ladoos and the coarser texture (could have been finer if not for my US Blender) added a great deal of taste for this sweet.



Ingredients:
Besan Flour - 1 cup (To yeild about 2 cups of Besan Powder)
Sugar - 2 cups (Should be equal to the quantity of Besan powder)
Cardamom Powder - 1 sp
Nuts to garnish
Water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1-2 Tbsp
Oil - to fry
Water

Add water to Besan, sieve well and mix like Roti dough.
Divide the dough to portions and roll a small lemon sized dough between the palms to bring a finger like shape (or any shape will do) and deep fry them to a nice red color.
Grind the deepfried patties/fingers in mixie/blender to fine powder.
In a pan, mix water and sugar and let it boil till u can see thin threads on consistency test.
Remove from heat, add cardamom,add grounded besan powder and give a good mix.
(If required, put back on low flame till the mass thickens)
With a touch of ghee, make ladoo while its still warm.
Dip one side of Ladoos in ghee and press any nuts to it.

Thenkuzhal

My first attempt on Thenkuzhal, I am greatly satisfied with the results. Very crispy and very tasty. I followed chithra auntys recipe from here

Shape wise cannot do more justice as I do not have the Murukku Press, so just made a cone out of plastic wrap and used it.



Ingredients:-

Urad - 1 cup
Processed Rice flour - 6 cups
Butter - 1/2 cup
Salt
Cumin - 1 sp
Sesame - 1 sp

Pressurecook the urad dal wiht 4 cups of water 3 whistles.
Once cooled, add butter & hing to it and set aside for an hour.
Grind to paste, add salt,cumin/sesame,rice flour & deep fry on oil directly using the Thenkuzhal press.

Happy Deepavali

Wish you all a very happy safe and prosperous Deepavali.