Diwali with a Millet Twist - Bajra Ki Halwa

 Happy Diwali from my family to yours!

Holidays/ festivals are better with family and friends. This year is the first time in a while that I was home with my parents on Diwali. We ate pheni, drew rangoli, lit diyas, made sweets, and did fireworks. We're continuing the celebration into the weekend when my sister and husband join us too. Check out the 'sweet' recipe we made today. Hope you enjoy it! 

Bajra ki Halwa (Pearl Millet Flour Halwa) - Gluten Free

Pearl Millets are rich in fiber, protein, and essential minerals; above all, they are gluten-free. 

Ingredients

• ½ cup (80 g) Bajra flour
• 2 Tbsp less ½ cup (80 g) sugar
• 5 Tbsp Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 and 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp coconut powder (desiccated)
• 10 to 12 cardamom pods, seeded and powdered
• 8 Roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
• 1/8 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

1) Heat ghee in a small skillet and add bajra flour and stir constantly until the ghee is mixed in. Roast the flour in ghee until a nutty aroma is felt (3-5 minutes), stirring all the time to avoid over roasting or browning. 

2) Add water and sugar and keep mixing until the water is absorbed (2-4 minutes) and the flour thickens into halwa. Continue on low heat and mixing as the halwa thickens further and forms a silky smooth lump without sticking to the walls of the skillet. 

3) Mix in coconut and cardamom powder and ¾ of almonds and cashews and stir for another 1 to 2 minutes and transfer the halwa into a bowl or a plate to cut into pieces. After transferring into a plate, using a spatula press the halwa flat and evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cashews and almonds and slightly press them in. 

4) Allow it to cool for 30 minutes and cut them into the desired shape of squares or diamonds.  

Alternately transfer into a serving bowl and garnish the halwa with the remaining cashews and almonds. Enjoy the warm halwa in the cold winter; it boosts your strength with nutrition. 

Pumpkin Halwa

A great way to use pumpkins in Indian cooking is when making curries and/or sambhars. These dishes are usually served with rice but they can also be enjoyed as it is. The first time I ate pumpkin was on Thanksgiving at my uncle's house many years ago. We had just moved to the States and celebrated our first American holiday. My aunt served me a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream. It was delicious but a bit too sweet for me at that time. Since then, I've adjusted to the taste and enjoy it every year.

These days, pumpkins are being incorporated into a lot more recipes than just pies. It's about time don't you think! We're adding our recipe into that pot...just in time for Diwali, the Festival of Lights which falls on Nov. 2.

Check out our recipe for Pumpkin Halwa below:

Pumpkin Halwa

Ingredients:

- 500 grams Pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 0.5" cubes

- 3.5 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk

- 1/8 cup Instant Dry Milk powder

- 2 pinches Cinnamon powder

- 2 pods Cardamom, seeded and powdered

- 1/8 cup dry coconut powder

- 2 tbsp Butter

- 5 to 6 Almonds or Cashews, sliced (for decoration) and toasted

Procedure:

In a thick non-stick sauce pan, heat butter and the pumpkin cubes. Stir fry for a minute and cook the pumpkin until soft under closed lid for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Mix intermittently. When the pumpkin is cooked, using a thick wooden spoon or potato masher, mash the pieces well into paste. Now add sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon powder, instant dry milk powder, and coconut powder and mix well. Cook the mixture by mixing regularly to avoid sticking until it moves from the walls of the container. Add the cardamom powder into the halwa mixture. Transfer it into a greased plate and top it with the toasted almonds or cashews.

Click on the headline to read more about How pumpkin moved beyond the pie, and into curries, cereal bars, and M&Ms… from Food Navigator-Usa.com.

A Sweet Surprise in my Puri!

I have many loves in life. One specific love is for Indian sweets (or desserts). There is so much variety of sweets all over India and in every region. Long time ago, I think people got bored of making the same sweet all the time and decided to create their own. They went on to share with everyone they knew and then those recipes spread like wild fire all over the nation...but that's just my theory.
One of the sweets that became popular in South India, which is unique to the region is Halwa Puri. I Googled it  to see if I can find more information about it but didn't find anything conclusive. The only results I found were Puri served with Halwa, which isn't the same thing.

So what is Halwa puri? Halwa Puri is a sweet that is prepared on Ugadi (South Indian New Year). It is puri (a kind of Indian flatbread) stuffed with halwa. There are many ways to make Halwa and it's popular in various countries. For this particular recipe, we make it with semolina, sugar, milk, butter, and water. Simple enough so far, right? 

I love the crunchy texture of the puri combined with the sweetness of the halwa, you taste in every bite. It's so hard to eat just one. I'll stop here so you can continue reading on how to make the rest of this dessert.

Ingredients for Stuffing:

Sooji (semolina) Halwa - Prepare halwa without nuts and set aside to cool. Once it cools, roll into small balls. 

Ingredients for Dough:

- 2½ cups Maida*

- 1/8th cup Vegetable Oil (for mixing into dough)

- 2 cups Vegetable Oil (for frying)

- Handful of Sooji (Semolina)

- A pinch of Salt

Procedure:
1) Sift together maida, sooji and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Heat the 1/8th cup of oil and add it into the dry ingredients. Slowly add water to the ingredients until you form a soft but not firm dough ball. Put the dough aside and wait for at least 30 minutes to an hour for it to become malleable.

2) Take a walnut size dough piece and spread it on your palm. Place a small ball of halwa in the center of the flattened dough and wrap it with the dough by pulling from all sides. (Please watch video for demo) 

 Prepare all dough balls as described in Step 2

3) Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat until you feel the heat when you place the over the pan. On a 6x6" paraffin paper, spread the halwa stuffed dough ball into thin puri by pressing with your fingers (as shown in video below). Hint: Apply a little oil on your fingers to avoid sticking.

4) Remove each flattened out puri from the paraffin paper and slide it into the hot oil. Fry until it's golden brown on both sides. Place it on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. 

***Quick Tips: If maida isn't readily available, try the recipe with All-Purpose flour. Note that the taste may vary due to the use of different flour. 

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