Seviyan Kheer (Semiya)

Ingredients:

Seviyan/Semiya/Vermicelli - 1 Cup 
Boiled Milk - 3 Cups  
Sugar - 1/2 Cup [ to taste] 
Condensed Milk - 2 tbsp [optional]
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tps 
Cashew Nuts - 6-7 [chopped]
Raisins - 1 tps 
Ghee/Clasified Butter - 1 tsp [optional]

Method:

1. In a pan heat ghee, fry the cashews, raisins until golden brown in medium flame & keep aside OR dry roast the cashews in case of not using ghee.
2. In a same pan fry the seviyan/semiya until golden brown and keep aside OR dry roast the seviya in case of not using ghee.
3. Add boiled milk to seviyan and cook in medium flame until it starts to boil, add sugar, condensed milk and stir well to mix.
4. Cook for 3-4 mins until seviya gets soft on medium flame, add half of cashew, raisins, cardamom powder, give a gentle stir and off flame. 
5. Garnish with remaining nuts.  Serve warm or cold.
Variations ~

~ You can cook semiya in water and then add milk, this way semiya doesn't get thicker very fast.
~ You can skip condensed milk if you wish.
~ Normally payasam tends to get thicker once it cools down, you may add boiled milk again and stir while serving.
~ Add few stands of saffron for richer kheer.
~ I used less than 1/2 cup of sugar, adjust sugar according to taste. 

COCONUT KHOYA GULKAND LADOO (LADDU) RECIPE

Delicious Ladoo made with coconut, khoya (mawa) and filled with gulkand, perfect for any festival. 

Author:	Priti	Category:	Sweets/Dessert	Cuisine:	North Indian
Prep Time:	10 Mins	Cook Time:	5 Mins	Total Time:	15 Mins
Yields:	10 to 12 Ladoo

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups - Desiccated Coconut
• 3/4 Cup - Unsweeten Khoya/Mawa
• 3/4 Cup - Sugar
• 4 - Green Cardamom/Elachi
• 2 tbsp - Gulkand
• 2 tbsp - Warm Milk
• A Pinch - Saffron (optional)
• 2 tbsp - Chopped Pista (optional)

• METHOD:

  1. Soak saffron in warm milk for 5 to 10 mins and meanwhile finely chop pista, keep aside.
  2. Grind sugar and cardamom in to powder.
  
  3. In a wok or kadai add khoya/mawa and cook in slow flame for 2-3 minutes or until it's melts, loosen up, off flame. Add saffron milk, sugar powder to khoya and mix well, allow to cool. (Keep flame only in slow/low or khoya will get burnt).
  
  4. Add desiccated coconut with khoya mixture and combine well to form smooth dough.
  
  5. Divide into equal 10 to 12 portions, take one piece and roll in to ball/laddu, flatten it like cutlet or tikki.
  
  6. Fill 1 to 2 tsp of gulkand in center and carefully bring edges together and form in to ball or laddoo again.
  
  7. Do this carefully so gulkand doesn't leaks from sides and from sides if gulkand then gently press it. If you get gulkand small dots in ladoo it's same it does make it look good. Repeat same for rest of ladoo and garnish it with chopped pista or roll in descciated coconut.
  

  Garnish with remaining dry fruits and fruits and serve.
  
  Notes
  
  • If using sweet khoya then reduce sugar or don't use sugar atall.
  • If you don't have gulkand, fill ladoo with finely chopped nuts of choice or chocolate rice etc.
  • If you can't bind ladoo add little more desiccated coconut and mix well.

Copyright © Home Book

Posted By KSR

RAMADAN SPECIAL SESAME LADDU

DATES AND SESAME LADDU RECIPE

Dates, sesame and coconut laddu is vegan, sugar-free, quick and easy. 

Author:	KSR	Category:	Sweets/Desserts	Cuisine:	South Indian
Prep Time:	15 Mins	Cook Time:	2 Mins	Total Time:	17 Mins
Yields:	10-12 Laddus

NGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup - White Sesame Seeds
• 3/4 Cup - Chopped Dates
• 1/2 Cup - Dessciate or Dry Grated Coconut

  METHOD:

  1. Remove seeds from dates if not suing pitted dates and finely chop it. If you keep dates in fridge then take it outside a night or day before, this will make dates soft, easy to chop and make laddus. Dates has to soft so it can bind well.
  
  2. Dry roast sesame in a pan or wok until it light golden brown around 1-2 minutes in medium flame, keep aside to cool. In the same pan add coconut, stir and off flame
  
  3. Grind sesame in a mixer or coffee grinder only for 3-4 seconds, don't not grind more than that, we want to light crush the sesame seeds and not powder it. While you grinding count to 3 so you don't over do it :) OR you can also pound sesame seeds in mortar and pestle.
  
  4. Take sesame seeds in a large bowl, add chopped dates, coconut (keep 1 tbsp of coconut aside) and mix well to combine everything together well and to bind it, using hand is best option.
  
  5. Take small amount of mixture and roll it in hand to form a ball or laddu shape, roll prepared laddu in coconut we save and repeat same for rest.
  
  Our laddu is ready, store in air tight container.
  
  Variations 
  
  • If you dates are not sweet enough then add more dates.
  • If mixture is not binding well then add 2-3 tbsp of honey to help it bind well.  For Vegan version use oil. 
  • You can use brown or black sesame seeds or a mix or white, brown/black sesame seeds too.
  • Use fresh good quality of dates.

Copyright © Home Book

Posted By KSR

Baklava Rolls Lebanese

Summary: Our Lebanese Baklava Rolls recipe is very easy to prepare at home and it yields delicious authentic Baklava fingers.

Baklava Rolls Ingredients (12 servings)

• 1 pack of Fillo Dough, thawed
• 1 cup of coarsely grinded walnuts*
• 1/3 cup of finely grinded pistachio
• 7 drops of Orange Blossom Essence**
• 1/3 lb of sweet/unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• optional: A tiny hint of nutmeg powder, ground cloves and ground cardamom

* You can substitute walnuts with pine nuts, pistachio, cashew or your favorite nuts ** You can substitute Orange Blossom Essence with twice the quantity of Orange Blossom Water

Baklava Sugar Syrup Ingredients

• 1 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of  Orange Blossom Water

Preparation Method

1. Baklava Stuffing: Mix the ground walnuts or your favorite nuts with 2 teaspoons of sugar and a few drops of Orange Blossom Essence. Alternatively, you could use 1 teaspoon of regular Orange Blossom Water.
2. Baklava Rolls: Place one sheet of thawed fillo dough on a cutting board then lightly brush it with melted butter. Repeat the process by placing 3 more fillo dough sheets on top of one another while buttering each sheet prior to placing the next one. Add 4-5 teaspoons of the Baklava Stuffing along the width of the dough. Roll tightly until the thickness of the roll is about 3/4th of an inch. Cut along the roll to separate it from the leftover fillo dough sheet, which could be used for another roll. Cut the Baklava roll into a few pieces, a couple of inches each then place in a buttered baking tray and brush rolls one last time with a bit of butter. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. The color of a perfectly cooked baklava dough should be light brown/golden, but not too dark as the taste can change.
3. Preparing the Simple Sugar Syrup: While the Baklava is baking, mix 1 cup of sugar with 3/4 cup of water, place in a pot on medium heat stirring occasionally. Once it starts to boil add the lemon juice then lower the heat to the min and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Once done, add the Orange Blossom Water at the end and let it rest and cool down. In our case and since we like to avoid bleached products, we used brown sugar in preparing the syrup which yielded the dark brown color. However you can make it with white sugar which would yield a transparent syrup with a lighter flavor.
4. Soaking the Baklava: After the Baklava is baked and while it’s still hot, immediately pour a few tablespoons of simple sugar syrup all over the rolls and let the dough absorb it. Sprinkle a bit of pistachio on each piece for decoration and let rest for 45-60 minutes prior to serving. Baklava can be stored at room temperature (in an air-tight container) for 2-3 weeks.Preparation time: 1 hour(s)

Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegetarian
Number of servings (yield): 12
Culinary tradition: Middle Eastern
Copyright © Home Book

Posted By KSR

Dates Fudge Dessert With Walnuts and Coconut

Summary: This is a simple dates dessert that contains no processed or artificial sugars.

Dates Fudge Ingredients (28 dates balls)

• 2 lbs of baking dates paste (Zeyad brand, ready for baking). If this is not available, grind pitted dates in a food processor for a few mins until they turn into a paste.
• 2 table spoons of unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb of Walnuts
• 1/4 lb Coconut flakes

Dates Fudge Preparation Method

1. Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat
2. Hand-knead pitted dates with butter in a deep bowl, or you could also plate pitted dates and butter in food processor and grind for 3-5 minutes.
3. Split the 2 lbs of dates into about 28 pieces, stuff each piece with a couple of walnut halves, then roll it between the palm of your hands until it turns into a smooth ball. The ball should be a bit smaller in size than a golf ball.
4. Dip or roll the ball in a plate full of coconut flakes. Once ready, you can leave the rolls at room temperature or place them in a fridge. The coolness brings out the flavor more for some reason.
5. Serve with Arabic coffee or black tea.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)Cooking time: 5 minute(s)Diet type: VegetarianDiet tags: Gluten free, RawNumber of servings (yield): 28Culinary tradition: Middle EasternCopyright © Home Book

Post by KSR

101 Beauty Tips Every Girl Should Know (Cont.)

14. To get your braid to last all day, try styling hair that’s “dirty with product.” This will make the style stick longer.

13. Use a clarifying shampoo once a week to get rid of any product build-up that may have occured during the week.

12. If you have chipped nail polish, add glitter on top to disguise the look of chipping.

11. Use a pumice stone on your feet after the shower to get rid of calluses.

101 Beauty Tips Every Girl Should Know (Cont.)

29. Get quick volume by using a root lifter, then use hairspray to set hair. This will prevent it from falling flat during the day.

28. For makeup that lasts all day and night, use a makeup-sealing product like a setting spray.

27. To help you find the right shade of foundation, choose the product you think is closest to your color and try it on your jawline in natural light. You will be able to easily compare it to your neck’s color to see if you need to go for a different undertone, lighter or darker.

101 Beauty Tips Every Girl Should Know (Cont.)

44.”You should always go to a hair-removal specialist, where waxing, laser etc. is their main business – don’t go to a nail salon for a wax”- Cindy Barshop,Completely Bare and Bravo’s RHONYC.

43.”A little silvery-blue eyeliner on the lower lid is very flirty”- Dimitri James, makeup artist, author and creator of Skinn Cosmetics.

42.”Use your concealer as a base on your eyelids”-Melissa Silver, Maybelline makeup artist. Concealer will help to absorb oil and your eyeshadow will stick to the product instead of your lids, making it stay longer.

101 Beauty Tips Every Girl Should Know (Cont.)

59.”Go for a trim every 6-8 weeks to ensure you have no damaged ends making your hair look unhealthy”- Nick Arrojo, Arrojo Studio (and the man who worked for seven years changing lives on What Not To Wear).

58. Remember, clean your makeup brushes to fight against potential bacteria and breakouts! At least once a week, swirl brushes around in a mixture of warm water and mild soap, then lay flat to dry.

101 Beauty Tips Every Girl Should Know (cont.)

74. “If you’re afraid of red lipstick, I love putting it on and then blotting it off to wear it as more of a stain”- Pat McGrath, makeup artist. Another way to make it less intense? Apply with your fingertip instead of straight from the tube.

73. For the summer months, you don’t want to be caked down in foundation, so try a tinted moisturizer or BB cream instead.

72. Use blotting papers to manage oil and shine in your T-Zone, “which are also great for cleaning up around the eyes”- Rebecca Restrepo, makeup artist.

DELICIOUS FRUIT SALAD RECIPE

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 12

• Serving size: 1 cup

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  5 mins

Total time:  25 mins

This is a simple fresh fruit salad recipe that you can make at home in a few minutes and enjoy with family and friends.

Ingredients

• 4 apples (different colors)
• 6 tangerines
• 4 medium mangos
• 8 prunes
• 20 strawberries
• 1 lemon

Instructions

1. If fruits are not organic, soak them in water + vinegar for a few minutes then rinse them well. Or you can use vegetable wash as well.
2. Juice 2 tangerines and put aside
3. Juice 1 lemon and put aside
4. Cut remaining fruits in small chunks of ⅔ of an inch and add to bowl
5. Add juice from tangerine and lemon on top and mix well with clean hands
6. Serve with a topping of fresh cream/whipped cream and some honey, or serve plain.

Notes

You can virtually add any fruits you like. Make sure to have at least 5 types of fruits, and that they are a mix between sour and sweet. Or to your likings.

SIMPLE CHESSE CAKE RECEIPE

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 2 cups (475 ml) of Graham cracker crumbs (from a little less than 2 packages Graham crackers
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 5 Tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt), melted

Filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese (900 g), room temperature
• 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar (270 g)
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream (160 ml)
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (160 ml)

Toppings

• 2 cups sour cream (475 ml)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (35 g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounces (340 g) fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• 1/2 cup water (120 ml)

Special equipment needed

• 9-inch, 2 3/4-inch high springform pan
• Heavy-duty, 18-inch wide aluminum foil
• A large, high-sided roasting pan

METHOD

Prepare the crust

 

 

1 Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking. Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Press the foil around the edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan. To be triply safe, repeat with a third layer of heavy duty foil. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter.

 

3 Put all but 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup for if you happen to have any holes that need to be filled in, either while you are making the crust, or after the cake has cooked and you've unmolded it.) Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Make the filling

 

4 Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.

Cook the cheesecake

 

 

5 Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.

6 Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.

7 Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.

Prepare sour cream topping

8 Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.

Note that this recipe produces enough sour cream topping for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired. If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.

Prepare the raspberry sauce

 

9 Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries. Heat on medium, whisking, about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Let cool.

Prepare the cake to serve

 

 

10 Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish. Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Dorie recommends, and we've done with success, that you use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides. Spread the top with the sour cream mixture. Serve plain or drizzled with raspberry sauce.