Peda

Peda (pronounced [ˈpeːɽaː]) is a sweet from the Indian subcontinent, usually prepared in thick, semi-soft pieces. The main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavorings, including cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and saffron.

Ingredients used by Kitchen-e-India

(1) Khoa  - 1 cup around 250gms
(2) Ghee - 2 teaspoons
(3) Boora - 1 cup
(4) cardamom powder - 1/2  tea spoons

Kitchenware and Cookwares used by Kitchen-e-India 

(1) Wok/Pan -1
(2) Spatula -1
(3) Big plate/Tray - 2

Preparation Method used by Kitchen-e-India

(1) Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a Wok/Pan and add Khoa pieces into it. If Khoa is hard then break it into pieces before adding to ghee.

(2) Roast Khoa in ghee with the help of spatula, turning the Khoa pieces every 2-3 minutes, until Khoa turns light pink in color. This can be done on medium flame. Switch off the flame once Khoa turns pink and take it out on a plate.

(3) Let Khoa cool until it can be touched and then add Boora and Cardamom powder to it and mash all the ingredients together with hand so that they are mixed well and has a smooth consistency.
You can apply little ghee on palms from the one spoon left ghee if Khoa becomes very sticky.

(4) Make small balls of Khoa and flatten in the middle with the help of a finger/thumb to give it a nice shape and put it on the other tray. Keep applying little ghee on both the palms if there is some stickiness.
the tasty Peda is ready, let it cool completely and enjoy eating it.

Note: You can add saffron/dry fruits as desired in the Khoa while roasting to give Peda more flavors.

Tips used by Kitchen-e-India

(1) Apply ghee on palms to prevent Khoa from sticking.
(2) Roasting of Khoa gives a nice taste to Peda.
(3) Addition of Boora instead of Sugar enhances the taste of Peda as it gives granular taste in mouth.
check out the Recipes of Khoa here- http://kitcheneindia.blogspot.sg/2017/10/khoa-or-mawa.html
check out the recipe of Boora here-  https://kitcheneindia.blogspot.com/2017/10/boora-tagar-important.html

NOTE: Please let me know about your experience while preparing Peda. You can put your comments here or on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

Khoa or Mawa

Khoa is made by simmering full-fat milk in a large, shallow iron pan for several hours over a medium fire. The gradual evaporation of its water content leaves only the milk solids.
It is used in most of the Indian sweets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoa


Ingredients used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1)  Full Cream Milk - 1 litre

 Kitchenware and Cookwares used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Wok/Pan  - 1
(2) Spatula - 1

Preparation Method used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Boil Milk in a deep Pan or Wok until it boils.
(2)  Keep heating the milk in a low flame and stir with the help of spatula every 2-3 minutes until the milk completely thickens.
(3) Once the milk thickens completely evaporating all the water in it then switchoff the flame.
(4) Your mawa/Khoa is ready, it can be stored in refrigerator for 2-3 days and in deep freezer for upto 15 days or more ( when covered properly with plastic sheet or inside a air tight container.

Khoa can be eaten alone or can be used to make Parathas, sweets etc. 

Tips used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Use a heavy Pan/Wok which has a thick bottom and more depth, this prevents milk from burning and overflowing after boiling up.
(2) Stirring is very important as it prevents milk from burning from the bottom.
(3) As preparing Khoa at home is time taking so it can be done simultaneously with other tasks performed in the kitchen.

NOTE:
Please let us know about your experience preparing Khoa at home below with your comments or on our Facebook page . 

Boora / Tagar - An Important Ingredient of Indian Dry Sweets

Boora/Tagar is powdery fine grains of sugar. Boora has grains much minute than Tagar.
Boora/Tagar is used in the preparation of Laddoo, Peda and many other Indian sweets.

Remember the Indian Hindi rhyme for Kids:Chandamama door ke , Pue pakaye BOOR ke....


Ingredients used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Sugar - 3 cups
(2) Water - 1 cup ( or the amount sufficient to submerge all sugar)
(3) Ghee - 2 tea spoons

Kitchenware and Cookwares used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Wok/Pan - 1
(2) Spatula -1


Preparation Method used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Put Sugar and Water in Wok and start heating it on a medium flame.
(2) Keep stirring the contents of Wok every 2-3 minutes with the help of spatula.
(3) When the sugar starts to thicken, add ghee in the wok and keep stirring with the help of spatula for 2-3 more minutes and then switchoff the flame.
(4) Keep stirring even after the flame is switched off until a good white powdery grains are formed.
(5) Your Boora/Tagar is ready for use now. Store it in airtight container and use it as desired. It can be stored for a longer duration just like sugar.

Tips used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Ghee is added to prevent the stickiness of sugar and keep each grains separate from each other.
(2) If  Boora solidifies and doesnt remain as powder then you can take the crystals which formed like stones and blend/grind it in a mixer/blender and sieve it if required.
Do not grind it on high speed or for a long time as we do not want the Boora powder to be very smooth in texture. It should be like fine small particles resembling sand or salt.
(3) If sugar has lot of dirt then 1 or 2 spoons of milk can be added into it when sugar boils in water. This will help to accumulate the impurities and then the impurities can be removed easily.

NOTE:

Please comment us here or on Facebook and share your experience and pictures of Boora.

Carrot/Gajar Halwa

Ingredients used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Carrot : 1/2 kg ( 6-7 medium sized in number)
(2) Ghee : 2 tea spoons
(3) Almonds (chopped) : 1/2 cup
(4) Raisins : 1/2 cup
(5) Cashew (chopped) : 1/2 cup
(6) Milk : 1 liter
(7) Sugar : 1/2 cup
(8) Saffron : 5-6 strands
(9) Green Cardamon powder : 1/2 tea spoon


Kitchenware and cookwares used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Grater : 1
(2) Pan/Wok/Kadahi with a lid : 1
(3) Spatula : 1
(4) Small Bowl : 1
(5) Large Bowl : 1


Preparation Method used by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Grate all the carrots with the help of grater and keep them in the big bowl.
(2) Heat the pan/wok and add 1 tea spoon of ghee.
(3) when the ghee gets heated then add almonds and cashew and stir for a minute ( or until the cashew and almonds will become light pink) with the help of spatula and then remove the content in the small bowl.
(4) In the same Pan/wok, add another tea spoon of ghee and add the grated carrots and keep stirring for few minutes ( 5-7 mins ) on medium flame until the moisture content of grated carrots becomes somewhat less.
(5) Add sugar and stir for a minute on medium flame and then cover the Pan/Wok with its lid and turn the flame to low.
(6) Leave the wok/Pan covered on low flame for 3-5 minutes and thereafter remove the lid and add milk and keep stirring on medium flame for 30 - 45 minutes ( until the milk solidifies ).
(7) Add almonds and cashews prepared in step (3), raisins, cardamom powder, saffron strands and keep stirring for a minutes pn medium flame and then cover with lid for 2 minutes after turning the flame to low.
(8) When the 2 miutes for which the Pan/wok was covered ( this was done so that carrots absorb the flavor of cardamom and saffron) is over, remove the lid and stir for a minute and turnoff the flame knob.
(9) Carrot/Gajar halwa is ready and you can enjoy eating it hot or chilled as you wish.
If put in refrigerator the carrot halwa will be good for 3-4 days after which the taste may deteriorate.

Tips by www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia

(1) Instead of adding 1 liter of milk and stirring for 30-45 minutes, to save time you can also add 1 cup milk with 1 cup of khoa/mawa or just 1 cup of condensed milk. Please note, the halwa made with khoa/mawa or condensed milk is more fatty ( heavier) compared the one directly made with milk. Also the tastes differ a bit.

(2) To reduce the sugar content, you can add half cup of chopped dates with 1/4 cup( or less) of sugar. This will give halwa slight sweet taste from dates.

Note: Do not just enjoy the Carrot Halwa alone, do share with your friends at www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia and invite them to like the page :)

Lotus Seeds/Makhana/Fox nuts Fry ( snacks ):

Lotus seeds or lotus nuts are the seeds of plants in the genus Nelumbo, particularly the species Nelumbo nucifera. The seeds are of great importance to East Asian cuisine and are used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese desserts. The seeds are most commonly sold in the shelled and dried form. Fresh lotus seeds are relatively uncommon in the market except in areas of lotus root and seed production, where they are sometimes sold as a raw snack. Raw lotus seeds are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and are a good source of protein, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.

In India, the dried seeds are called "Makkhane" in Hindi and they are used to make makkhane ki kheer, a type of milk pudding. In Manipur, theNorth-East Indian state, lotus seeds are locally known as thamchet and are eaten raw.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_seed

Ingredients used by Kitchen-e-India ( www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia):

(1) Makhana/Lotus Seeds ( dried ) : 100 grams

(2) Chopped Almonds : 1/2 cup

(3) Chopped cashews : 1/2 cup

(4) Raisins : 1/2 cup

(5) Common Salt: 1/2 tea spoon

(6) Cumin Powder : 1/2 tea spoon

(7) Red Chili powder : 1/2 tea spoon ( or as required)

(8) Black Pepper powder: 1/4 tea spoon

(9) Dried Mango powder : 1/4 tea spoon

(10) Coriander powder : 1/4 tea spoon

(11) Black salt : 1/2 tea spoon

(12) Curry leaves : 8-10 in number

(13) Green chilies : 1 or 2

(14) Ghee : 2 tea spoon

Kitchen ware and tools used by Kitchen-e-India ( www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia):

(1) Kadahi/Wok/Pan for Frying : 1

(2) Spatula : 1

(3) Knife : 1

(4) Small bowl : 1

Preparation Method by Kitchen-e-India ( www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia)

(1) Check if the Makhana is clean or not, this you can do by cutting each Makhana/Lotus seeds into half with the help of Knife and look inside it. If its clean then you can also use it as a whole.

(2) Heat the Pan/Kadahi and add all the powders including the salts and keep stirring with the help of Spatula for a minute and then remove the roasted powders from Pan into the bowl. Take care that they are not burnt.

(3) Add Ghee to the heated Pan and put curry leaves, green chilies, cashews and almonds into it and stir for a minute.

(4) Immediately after a minute add Makhana and Raisins into the Pan and keep stirring on the medium flame.

(5) After 2-3 minutes add the roasted mixture of powders/salts prepared in step 2 and keep stirring for 3-5 minutes on the medium flame until you can feel that the Makhana has turned little crispy pink from the yellowish white color.

(6) Remove from Flame and serve hot.

(7) Once it cools down you can also pack it in a air tight container and use as evening snacks with tea/coffee.

This can be stored for a month if packed in Air tight container.

Tips by Kitchen-e-India ( www.facebook.com/kitcheneindia):

(1) Cutting Makhana into half will also help it to absorb more fragrance from powders/masala. 

(2) As we have added chopped cashews/almonds so there are chances that they get burnt while the end of preparation so stir well throughout the process of preparation.

(3) You can heat Makhana for 1-2 minutes just before eating if stored for long time. As it tastes awesome when hot compared to cold.

Bhindi Fry ( Ladies' fingers Fry / Okra Fry )

Okra (US /ˈoʊkrə/ or UK /ˈɒkrə/; Abelmoschus esculentus Moench), known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers, bhindi, bamia, ochro or gumbo, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of West African, Ethiopian, and South Asian origins. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra

Serves : 2

Kitchenware and Ingredients used by Kitchen-e-India:

Sr no.	Kitchenware and Tools	Quantity
1	Kadahi/Wok	1
2	Metal Plate/Lid	1
3	Knife/Cutter	1
4	Spatula	1
Sr no.	Ingredients	Quantity
1	Ladies' fingers / Okra	250gms
2	Mustard Oil	50 ml
3	Common Salt	½ tea spoon
4	Turmeric powder	½ tea spoon
5	Cumin	½ tea spoon
6	Green chillies	2-3 in number ( or as per taste )

Preparation Method used by Kitchen-e-India:

(1) Chop Ladies' Fingers/Okra with the help of Cutter/Knife to 1/2 inch size per piece.

(2) Heat oil in Kadadi/Wok and add cumin and wait until it pops up.

(3) Cut green chillies into half and add it to the oil.

(4) Add chopped Ladies' Fingers/Bhindi/Okra to the oil in Kadahi and stirr for a min on medium flame.

(5) Add salt and turmeric powder to the chopped bhindi and stirr it again for a min.

(6) Cover the Kadahi/Wok with metal plate/lid for 5 mins and then remove the lid and stirr it again with the help of spatula.

(7) Keep stirring at some interval (2 mins) for a min until you see that bhindi has a shade of golden brown. The flame should be at medium in the whole process.

(8) Switch off your stove and take the metal plate/lid and put it in a slant manner over the kadahi/wok so that extra oil is drained in the kadahi with bhindi on top ( see picture ).

(9) Your bhindi fry is ready,  serve hot with parathas, rotis, phulkas, pooris, kachoris, rice, pulav etc.

Kheer Or Payasam ( Rice Pudding )

Kheer is a South Asian rice pudding made by boiling rice, broken wheat, tapioca, or vermicelli with milk and sugar; it is flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashew nuts,pistachios or almonds. It is typically served during a meal or as a dessert.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kheer

Serves : 4-5 

Kitchenwares  and Ingredients used by Kitchen-e-India:

Sr no.	Kitchenware	Quantity
1	Kadahi/Wok/Pan ( should contain milk around 1.5 litres or more)	1
2	Spatula	1
3	Small Bowl	2
Sr no.	Ingredients	Quantity
1	Basmati Rice ( long grained rice)	½ cup ( washed  )
2	Milk	1 litre
3	Sugar	4 tea spoons
4	Cardamom powder	½ tea spoon
5	Saffron	3-4 threads or a pinch
6	Raisins	2 tea spoons
7	Almonds	1 tea spoon (chopped)
8	Cashew nuts	1 tea spoon (chopped)
9	Pistachios	1 tea spoon (chopped)

10

Ghee

½ tea spoon

Preparation Method used by Kitchen-e-India:

(1) Take ghee into Pan/wok/Kadahi and heat it for 2 mins. Add almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios into it and stir with the help of spatula for 1 min on low flame and then take all of them out in a small bowl.

(2) Put milk in the same Pan/Kadahi and let it boil on medium flame. Once the milk boils turn the knob of the stove to low and take out half cup of milk in the other small bowl, leave the remaining milk in the Pan/kadahi without turning off the knob.

(3) Soak saffron in the milk which is taken out in small bowl and leave it there .

(4) Add rice and sugar to the Pan/Kadahi with milk and keep stirring it with the help of spatula in an interval of 5 mins on medium flame. You need to keep on stirring until the milk is thickened little bit ( milk turns to half ) and the rice becomes soft. 

(5) Once the milk has thickened and the rice has become soft turn off the knob.

Add the following in the Pan/kadahi with milk, rice and sugar:

the roasted dry fruits which we kept in small bowl ( cashew nuts, almonds and pistachios), raisins, milk with soaked saffron kept in another small bowl and cardamom powder. Mix everything with the help of spatula.

(6) Serve hot or cold and enjoy eating.