Double Ka Meetha

Especially today's recipe is quite old made new, history scrubbed of loads of nostalgia. Ask any Hyderabadi about their favorite dessert and guaranteed most of them will say - Double Ka Meetha. Such is its legacy and a gastronomic delight devoured by all, forgetting about counting calories for a moment.  Even today, no Hyderabadi dawat is complete without a generous serving of meetha at the very end.

Ingredients:

10-12 slices of bread (white or milk bread works best) 
1 cup of ghee or vanaspati for frying 
1 cup of water 
3-4 green cardamom seeds, crushed 
2 cups of full fat milk 
1/2 cup of sugar (adjust to taste) 
A few almonds or cashew nuts or a mix of both 
A few raisins (optional) 

preparation:

1. Cut the bread slices into halves diagonally creating triangular pieces.

2. Heat the ghee or vanaspati and fry the bread pieces until golden brown. Set aside in a wide bowl that will hold all the bread pieces comfortably
Once done with frying the bread, fry the nuts and raisins until golden and set aside separately.

3. Meanwhile. bring the water to boil and add the sugar and crushed cardamom seeds. Let it simmer for about 4-5 mins. There's no need to check for thread consistency, etc.

4. Pour this over the prepared bread slices evenly, taking care not to allow the cardamom pieces to fall through. It's ok if you like biting into them but if not, pass the sugar syrup through a sieve. Let this mixture soak for about 5-10 mins.

5. In the meantime, bring the milk to boil in the same pan and while still hot, pour over the soaking bread slices.

6. Add the nuts and raisins on the soaking bread pieces and let it sit until you need to serve.

           Double ka meetha is usually served hot but so many people  love chilled one. Go with what your heart says.....

Semiya payasam / vermicelli kheer:

Semiya payasam /vermicelli kheer recipe is a part of most Indian festival recipes. Not just festivals it is included in most celebration meals. It is a traditional indian sweet dish or dessert. It is easy to make, doesn't take a long time to cook. 

Ingredients to serve 2-3 members:

Semiya / sevai / vermicelli - 1/2 cup

Milk - 2 cups

Almonds - 6-10

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (4 - 5 cardamoms)

Ghee - 1 tsp

Raisins - 8 -10

Sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp, more or less according to taste.
Saffron - few strands

Procedure:

1. In a deep thick bottomed pan, bring milk to boil. Keep stirring once in a while.

2. In another frying pan, add ghee, heat on medium heat. Reduce flame to low.

3. Add chopped cashew nut pieces. Fry till golden. Remove onto a plate.

4. Add raisins to the same ghee and fry till almonds are plump. Remove onto a plate.

5. Add broken sevai to the same ghee and keep stirring and frying till they are lightly golden pink. Take care not to brown or burn. Stirring continuously is important.

6. When the sevai roasting is done, add them to the boiling milk. Continue stirring and do not let the lumps form.

7. Sevai will get cooked in 4 - 5 minutes.

8. Add sugar. Keep stirring till sugar melts. Add the cashew nut pieces, raisins,             cardamom powder, saffron strands.

9. Take off fire.

As the kheer cools, it thickens.

You may serve this semiya kheer hot, warm, at room temperature or chilled. It is your choice.

You may serve this as a sweet dish accompanying a festive meal or a party dish.

Serve it as a dessert or a snack. I really like having it at all times.

Simple recipes

Gajar ka Halwa

Gajar ka Halwa is a classic winter dessert and with Milkmaid it's so much easier to make! No wonder it takes the honour of being our first 'Winter Warmer' recipe

Preparation time: 15-20mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Serves: 10 

Ingredients :

MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk - ½ tin (200g)
Milk - 1 litre
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Carrots, grated - 1 kg
Cashew nuts - 25g, chopped

Preparation :

1. Mix carrots and milk in a pan, bring to a boil. Cook on low flame, stirring occasionally, till milk dries up.
2. Add the MILKMAID and continue cooking on low flame, stirring occasionally, till it dries up.
3. Add the ghee and cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Garnish with nuts and  serve hot.




Besan Ladoo 

Ingredients :

2 cups gram flour (besan)

11/2 cup sugar (grinded)

1 cup ghee

1 tsp each almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts (chopped)

Preparation :

In a kadhai mix gram flour and ghee over a low heat. 

  

Keep constantly stirring to avoid lumps.  

When it releases an appetizing smell, it is ready. 

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. 

   

Add suger and nuts to the gram flour and mix thoroughly.

 Now from ping-pong size balls of the mixture. 

 Besan ladoo are ready to be served.  

Black Forest Cake

The crumb - light and moist, the filling - luxurious and the flavors outstanding! On this ‘Cool Cakes’ we present to you this super delicious Black Forest Cake. Enjoy!

Ingredients : 

MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 tin (400g)
Classic Milk Chocolate 1 (50g)
Butter 100g
Maida 175g (1¾ cup)
Cocoa 3-4 heaped tbsp (25g)
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Soda Bicarbonate 1 tsp
Vanilla Essence 1 tsp
Aerated soda 1-1/3 cups (200ml)
Tinned Cherries 1 small tin
Cream 200g
Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar 2 tsp 

Preparation :

1. Grease an 8” diameter baking tin and dust it with flour. Pre heat the oven to 180 C. Sieve together maida, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda bicarbonate. Soften butter (DO NOT MELT), add MILKMAID and beat well. Add the vanilla essence.

2. Add maida mixture and aerated soda alternately to the batter till all the maida and soda are used up. Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool for a while. Loosen sides of cake, using a knife if necessary. Turnout over a wire rack or plate and cool slightly before cutting horizontally into 2.

3. Drain & destone cherries, soak both cake halves with cherry syrup. Whip cream and sugar till light and fluffy, Sandwich the two layers of cake with whipped cream and chopped cherries. Top with whipped cream and cherries, sprinkle generously with grated chocolate. Chill and serve.

   

       

Eggless Date Cake

A delicious and quick to prepare dessert, the Eggless Date Cake is an absolute treat! We bring to you this scrumptious dessert on this 'Winter Warmer'

Ingredients : 

MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk - ½ tin(200g)
Milk - ½ cup (75 ml)
Fresh ‘n’ Natural Dahi - ½ pack (100g)
Dates, chopped - 10-12 (100g)
Oil - ½ cup (75ml)
Maida - 1 cup (80g) 
Baking Soda - 1 tsp 
Walnuts, chopped - 2 tbsp,(25g) 

Preparation :

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease a 4x6 inch cake tin and dust with flour and keep aside. Boil the Milk in a sauce pan, remove from heat and add the dates and cool.

2. Puree the dates in a blender, add the oil into the blender and process again until all the oil is incorporated and mixture becomes thick. Add the MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk and Dahi and blend well. Transfer the mixture into a bowl. 

3. Sieve maida and baking soda well, fold the maida into the date mixture and sprinkle the chopped walnuts and mix well. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in preheated oven for 25 –30 minutes or till toothpick inserted will come out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, remove the cake onto a serving dish. Slice and serve.