Food Corner

Kapoor kand’s main ingredient is vegetable of bottle gourd [louki / dudhi]. This recipe is also called halwa of louki / dudhi and it is easily digestible.

INGREDIENTS

1kg green louki

1.5 liter milk

200 g Sugar or as per taste

1 g saffron

3 tsp cardamom powder

Half to one tsp black pepper powder

25 g almonds cut into pieces

25 g pistachio cut into pieces

50 g cashew nuts

50 g dry fruit chironji

10 to 20 leaves of red rose for garnishing

Half tsp rose water or kewda water for flavour

PROCESS

Peel off and deseed louki. Grate it in small pieces. Put it in stew pan. Add milk, sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, black pepper powder and 50% of dry fruits. Put the stew pan on full flame for five minutes, afterwards on medium flame. Keep stirring from the beginning touching bottom of the stew pan. Avoid over heating. When the contents remain less than half and becomes a thick paste the process is over. Taste a little, if it tastes half cooked, then continue cooking until completion. Transfer the kapoor kand in a plate or bowl. Mix rose water or kewda water or both. Garnish with dry fruits and red rose leaves. Serve hot or cold.

Pedas are most popular sweet dish of India from ancient times. All peoples get familiar with it from early childhood.

INGREDIENTS

2.5 liter whole milk

150 g sugar

2 to 4 g saffron

2 tsp cardamom powder

Dry fruits of your choice, in quantity of your choice, crushed or uncrushed

PROCESS

Transfer all the material in a kadhai and boil the milk while stirring down to the bottom. Alternatively dry fruits can also be mixed at last. Keep boiling and stirring at medium or lowest flame, securing that contents should not be over heated at the bottom. When contents reduce to a very thick paste the process is almost complete. You can taste it now. If possible without over heating try to reduce it more. If you have not mixed dry fruits previously, mix them now. When the material is little warm, make flat balls of it, each about 25gms. Now the pedas are ready, serve them hot or cold. Pedas can also be made by this process using milk and sugar only. When we are in middle of the process, taste the contents it is also very tasty, you may require to add a little sugar; it is called “RABRI.” It is also the name of wife of famous Indian politician “Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav.” She had been chief minister of Bihar state of India for seven years. Deep freeze the rabri and it is a very tasty ice cream.

Ingredients- 2 liters whole milk 100 to 150 grams rice 200 grams sugar 1 gram saffron 5 grams cardamom powder 50 grams kishmish (dry grapes) Dry fruits of your choice and in quantity of your choice. Process- Wash the rice three times in plain water. Drain out extra water. Put the rice and sugar in deep fry pan (kadhai). Mix kishmish, saffron, half cardamom powder and half the quantity of dry fruits crushed or uncrushed as you like. Pour all the milk in kadhai and mix to dissolve the sugar. Put the kadhai on gas on full flame for two minutes, medium flame for five minutes, afterwards lowest flame. Meanwhile keep deep mixing with large spoon so that contents could not get over heated at bottom of the kadhai. The whole process will take about 30 to 50 minutes. In the mean time if you are tired of spooning, turn the gas off or seek the help of other family members.When the quantity reduces to about 40% to 50% the Kheer is prepared. Now turn off the flame and taste it hot. It must be very tasty. Now garnish the KHEER with cardamom powder and dry fruits Serve hot or refrigerated as you like. Happy cooking !!