TIL LADOO / SESAME LADOO / GUR TIL LADOO / SESAME JAGEERY LADOO

Sesame seed is a super food. It is rich in calcium, copper, magnesium which keeps bones strong, facilitates beautiful hair and skin and is a good source of protein and fiber. Consuming these ladoos in winters help keeps the body warm from inside. Mixing jaggery with it makes it all the more healthy and tasty.  Jaggery is rich in iron which is a better and healthy substitute of sugar.

I feel these ladoos are one of the healthiest ladoos that can be consumed in winters. Mother's specially those who are feeding kids and have problems in knees should consume one of this ladoo everyday.

I have shared two methods by which you can add jaggery. You can use any method according to your convenience.


INGREDIENTS 
1 cup white sesame seeds

1 cup gud or jaggery
2 tbsp ghee
few chopped nuts (I used only cashew-nuts)
1 tsp cardamom powder

METHOD
1. Dry roast sesame seeds till little golden and aromatic. Don't turn it too brown or it's taste will become bitter.

2. Let it cool down completely.

3. In a blender jar, grind it coarsely. I gave it only one pulse.

4. Transfer in a plate. Mix cardamom powder, chopped cashews.

5. One way is, blend the jaggery using same blender till it's smooth. Mix in sesame powder, add 2 tbsp ghee (add 1 tbsp at a time). Bind everything together to make small sized ladoos. If you find the dough too dry add more ghee and bind.

6. Other way, is to melt jaggery on low heat by adding 1 tsp water. Immediately switch off the flame once it's completely melted. Add in sesame powder, cardamom powder and chopped cashews. Add 1-2 tbsp ghee and make small sized ladoos.


Pictorial:

1. Roast till golden in colour. Don't turn it brown.

2. Once it cool down completely, grind to make coarse powder.

3. Either grind jaggery in blender to make fine paste.

5. Like this.

6. Add cardamom powder, chopped cashews and jaggery paste. Mix well and make ladoos.



Or the other way is to:

1. Add chopped jaggery with 1 tbsp water.












2. Cook on low flame till it's completely melted.

3. Add sesame powder.

4. Mix well.

5. Add cardamom powder, chopped nuts and ghee.

6. Mix well and make ladoos.














7. Serve in Makar Sakranti.














8. You can store up to one month.

PUNJABI PINNI / GOND LADOO / EDIBLE GUM LADOO / WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR LADOO

Pinni is a very famous Punjabi sweet served in winters.

I still remember my grandmother (Nani) used to send this in big 10 kg jar which we used to relish whole winters and same tradition is being followed at my home.

My family consume this super healthy ladoos every morning for healthy winters. Not only for kids but for ladies too it's very healthy...it boosts the immunity, good for bones and have many more health benefits. 

There are hardly any recipes which call for ajwain, it may sound little out of the place but you will not even realize that it's added, just roast a bit after adding it, this will help in digesting ladoos and is great for gut health. 

Many people add powdered sugar in ladoos, because of which it doesn't hold the shape well. To get crunchy but soft ladoos it's important to use tagar / bora sugar. You can buy this from any local grocery shop or can make at home in just 10 minutes. Click on Tagar/ Bora Sugar to get the recipe.


Do make this every winters....trust me your family will love it.

 

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups powdered sugar( I used tagar / boora)
1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup gond (edible gum)
1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds) (optional)
1 tsp sonth powder (ginger powder)
1 tbsp melon seeds (magaz)
1 tsp cardamom powder (elachi powder)
1 cup chopped dry fruits (almonds, cashews, pistachio, raisins)

METHOD
1. In deep heavy bottomed pan or kadai add ghee, let it become hot, once it's hot add gond (edible gum), once it doubles in size and become little brown remove from ghee and keep aside.

2. Once it cool down completely, grind to make little coarse or fine powder. I like to make fine powder due to kids. Keep aside.

3. In same ghee add atta and cook on low flame till golden brown, this will take around 20-25 minutes.

4. Once atta is nicely brown and ghee start releasing from sides, add chopped nuts and roast for 5 minutes. Now add gond powder. Mix well.

5. Add melon seeds, ajwain and sonth powder. Cook this for another 3-4 minutes.

6. Turn off the gas and transfer this in wide pan to cool it down.

7. Once it cool down, it should be just warm when you take it in your hand. Add tagar / bora. Make sure it's not hot or completely cool.

8. Start making balls according to desired size.

9. Have this every morning with a warm glass of milk and do feed your kids one pinni everyday for healthy winters.


Pictorial:

1. Heat ghee in deep heavy bottomed pan.

2. Add gond.

3. Fry till doubles in size and become brown.

4. Like this. Remove and keep aside to cool down

5. In same ghee, add flour.

6. Roast.

7. Roast till atta becomes brown and start releasing ghee.

8. Once it turns brown add chopped nuts.

9. Add gond powder.

10. Magaz.

11. Ajwain and sonth powder.

12. After adding carom seeds roast for 3-4 minutes.Turn off the flame and transfer in wide pan to cool down.

13. Once it's warm (when you take it in your palm it should be bearable) add tagar / bora.

14. Make ladoo according to desired size.

15. Yummy Pinni is ready!

16. Closer look!

17. You can store this in airtight jar for 30 days.

DATES AND FIG CAKE / EGG-LESS DATES CAKE / EGG FREE DATES AND FIG CAKE / DATES LOAF / WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR DATES CAKE / KHAJOOR ANJEER CAKE

This dates recipe is super healthy and super yum....As the name suggests it's not only have dates but also loaded with nuts. anjeer which is super healthy and due to dates the ratio of sugar also reduces which makes it sugar free.
Do try this super recipe this winter and let your kids enjoy healthy cake.



INGREDIENTS 
18-20 dates / Khajoor
10 figs / Anjeer (optional)
10-12 raisins (optional) 
1+1/4 cup water for boiling dates
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup melted and cooled butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup warm milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans or almonds

METHOD
1. Sift together whole-wheat flour, baking powder and cinnamon powder. Keep aside.

2. De-seed dates and slit them into half.

3. In a saucepan, add water and dates, bring it to boil till dates becomes soft. Turn off the flame and add baking soda, you will see the foam and change in colour. Let it cool down at a bit. In blender jar, pulse to make fine paste.

4. In whisking bowl or deep bowl, whisk together melted butter, dates puree and sugar. Add sifted flour mix.

5. Add milk and mix well. The batter will be thick and little stick and not of dropping consistency.

6. Add chopped fig, some raisins and toasted walnuts and pecans.

7. Transfer in greased or lined baking tray or loaf.

8. Bake in pre-heated oven at 160�C for 35-40 minutes. It took me exact 37 minutes to get perfectly baked cake.

9. Let it cool down completely. Slice and serve with hot milk or pack in kids school lunch box.


Pictorial:

1. Cook dates in hot boiling water till soft.











2. Turn off the flame and baking soda.

3. Mix, you will get this frothy mix.












4. Keep aside to cool completely.

5. Once cool down completely pulse to make fine puree.

6. Using a whisk or stand mixer combine well dates puree, melted butter and sugar.

7. Whisk it till well combined.

8. Add flour mix.

9. Add milk.

10. Add nuts, anjeer and raisins.

11. Transfer the batter in greased or lined sheet tin.

12. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 160�C. Check after 35 minutes.

13. Slice and serve.

14. Absolutely yummy!

GULAB JAMUN / MILK POWDER GULAB JAMUN

Gulab Jamun is kids all time favorite sweet dish.  But many of us fear trying this delicacy. The main reason being khoya, as it takes lot of time to make it and secondly, many of you like me must be avoiding market made khoya fearing adulteration.


So here is very quick and super easy way of making gulab Jamuns. 

I made instant khoya using milk powder and made gulab Jamuns out of it.

I know many people struggling to get soft and juicy gulab Jamuns. This no-fail recipe will give you super soft and juicy gulab jamuns.

To get the sugar syrup deep inside the gulab Jamuns make sure you don't keep jamuns outside after deep frying instead transfer in sugar syrup immediately, for that make sure your sugar syrup is ready before deep frying the balls. 

Second important tip is to press the jamuns in the syrup till the time they don't stop floating on top. If you don't do so, the syrup will not go deep inside and you will have dry hard gulab jamuns.  

The last but not the least, don't touch the balls while frying instead using spoon or spatula roll the ghee, this will rotate the jamuns and they will not break.  Make sure the temperature of ghee in not at all high.

I don't like the flavour of oil in jamuns so I prefer ghee, you can use oil if wish so.

Yields: 12-14 medium sized Gulab Jamuns
INGREDIENTS 
For Mawa/Khoya
1 1/2 cup milk powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup ghee

For Sugar Syrup:
3 cups sugar
1.5 cup water
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
few strands of saffron (kesar)

For Dough:
Mawa
2-3 tbsp water


4 tbsp Maida (all-purpose flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder

For Frying
Ghee / clarified butter

METHOD
For Mawa:
Mix all the ingredients mentioned under it and cook on low to medium flame stirring continuously. Once it combine together like a dough turn off the flame. Don't over cook once it combine like a dough else it will become hard. Keep this aside to cool down completely.

For Sugar syrup:
By the time mawa is getting cool down make sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water. Once sugar is completely dissolved add 1/4 cup milk and remove scum if any in sugar.
In clean sugar syrup add cardamom powder and kesar strands.

Turn off the flame and keep it aside.

For Dough:
Take cool mawa, add maida and baking powder in it. Mix well to combine all the ingredients, after adding maida dough will dry but soft. This is what we want, now to make the dough moist add water little by little in the dough I started adding 1/2 tsp at a time and kneaded the dough again. I used total 2 tbsp water to get soft and moist dough.

Now keep the dough aside for 5 minutes.

Take small sized balls and roll it round.

Keep ghee on low flame to make it warm. Make sure it's not hot.

Drop the balls and fry them on low flame only. Don't fry on medium or hot flame.

Move the ghee in circular motion with the help of spoon, don't touch the balls, else it will break, moving ghee with spoon will automatically move the balls and help them in turning too. Once it turns brown immediately transfer the hot balls in ready sugar syrup.

Now here the below step is very important.

Once you transfer them in sugar syrup with the help of spoon press the balls in sugar syrup till the time they stop floating up and settle down in syrup. This is very important step else your jamuns will remain dry from inside and will not absorb syrup later.

Repeat the process with other jamuns.

If you find ghee has become too hot turn off the flame for 2-3 minutes and then start frying again.

Keep jamuns in sugar syrup for minimum 4-5 hours and serve hot!

Pictorial:


1. Mix together milk powder, milk and ghee












2. Whisk well to get lump-free batter.












3. Transfer in non-stick pan and cook while stirring continuously
.

4. Turn off the flame at this stage (when it combines together as dough). Keep aside to cool down completely.

 







5. Mix together sugar and water.

 







6. Bring it boil, add little milk to remove scum if any.










7. Transfer in serving bowl, add kesar, cardamom powder and keep aside.

8. Take mawa and add maida and baking powder.  Mix well.

9. Make a dough.

10. You will see the dough is soft but dry.










11. Before starting to knead,  grease the pan  or working area with ghee else dough will stick around.

12. Start adding water little by little.

13. I added 1/4 tsp of water at a time and kneaded the dough

14. Knead till you get soft and smooth dough.

15. Prepare lemon sized or desired size balls.

16. Drop ball in warm ghee.

17. Don't touch the balls just roll the ghee with the help of spoon, balls will start turning itself.

18. Fry on low flame only.










19. Just keeping rolling the ghee till balls turn golden brown in color.

20. It has doubled in size.

21. Immediately put in sugar syrup.

22. Immediately press the balls with the help of spoon inside the syrup, so that syrup is soaked inside.

23. Once sugar syrup is soaked balls will stop floating and sink inside.

24. Like this.

25. All done. Due to change in camera settings, pics above are not bright.

26. Serve with some chopped pistachio.

 27. Slice and enjoy.

28. You can see the sugar syrup is gone deep inside.

29. Do try these melt in mouth juicy Gulab Jamuns today and share your happiness.


Some Valuable feedback: