Zarda

Zarda is a traditional dish of Pakistan and is a favorite of many. It is made with rice cooked in sugar syrup and garnished with assorted nuts and dry fruits. My mom used to make the best zarda (may her soul rest in peace), although I never stood next to her and learned the art of making zarda but my mind captures the images of ingredients she used to add in zarda such as orange juice, a bit of yogurt, sliced and dried orange peel… cloves while boiling the water for rice and only added almonds, pistachios and raisins as dry fruits and nuts. Ami always used basmati rice but I have used sela rice instead (you can’t go wrong with sella).  Good thing is after many trials and errors I am finally able to make zarda as good as ami used to make…. So here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

500 gm rice (best to use good quality sella rice)

¼ tsp yellow color

Orange peel (thinly sliced)

5-6 cloves

3-5 small cardamoms

¼ cup ghee

1/2 cup orange juice

350-400 gm sugar

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp yogurt

A few drops of kewra essence

½ cup assorted dry fruits and nuts (raisins, almonds, pistachios, sliced coconuts, dried dates)

Petha methai  (150 gm)

Method:

1) Soak sella rice for 4-5 hours.  Soak almonds, dried dates and coconut slices in warm water for a few hours, then remove the skin from almonds, cut the dried dates in to thin slices and set aside.

2) Boil water with yellow color and cloves and 2-3 cardamoms. Once the water starts to boil add in the rice and cook till fully done, drain and set aside for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil and add in 2-3 cardamoms and orange peel, and stir it for a 2 minutes then add in the sugar and salt, add half cup orange juice along with 2 tbsp of yogurt in it.  Mix it well till sugar dissolves (just 2-3 minutes).

3) Add in the boiled rice in it and cook on high flame. When water starts to dry up put then pan on tawa, sprinkle all the dry fruits, nuts and kewra essence on top of zarda, put the lid on and lower the flame and put on dum for 15- 20 minutes.

4) Uncover the pan, add in the petha methai (chopped in to bite size pieces) , mix everything up nicely, zarda is ready to be served. 

Doodhi Halwa

I saw this halwa recipe on a cooking show and was much inspired by how easy it was to make. This recipe is not much known by many people in Pakistan as this halwa is delicacy made in only a few cities of Pakistan and that too of Punjab province.   I am totally in love with this halwa, please do try it, I am sure it will become a keeper recipe for you too….

Ingredients:

3 kg Milk

2-3 tsp tatri/citric acid (you can also use 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar)

250gm -300 gm Sugar 

100 gm Walnuts 

  50 gm sesame seeds

100 gm almonds 

¼ tsp cardamom powder

3 -4 tbsp ghee 

Method:

1) Add milk in a heavy based pan and bring it to boil. Once the milk starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium and add in tatri a tsp at a time (or start by 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar) until the milk curdles in to lumps and separates form whey, stir very slowly and with a light hand.

2) Now add in about 2 cups of water and let it cook on very low flame for about 3-4 hours, till all the water evaporates and the colour get light brown.

3) When the water dries up add in 3-4 tbsp of ghee, turn the flame to medium high and start frying the mixture, make sure to be very gentle while stirring, because we don’t want to break the  curdled milk lumps. At this stage if you want to change the pan and transfer the mixture in to a karahi or wok you can do so.  

4) Fry the mixture for 3-4 minutes and add in the sugar, remember to stir gently, once the water from sugar dries up, add in the almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, and cardamom powder.

5) Once the oil separates turn off the flame, take out the halwa on a greased trey and let it cool down 6-7 hours, cut in to desired shape and enjoy!!!

Burfi

 Burfi is sweet delicacy of pakistan, it is served all year round but especially during the holiday season, wedding ceremonies and the religious festivals of Eid-ul- fitar and Eid-ul-adha .  I have used Homemade Khoya to make nurfi, but you can also buy ready made khoya easily available from sweet shops around Pakistan…

Ingredients:

½ kg Khoya

250 gm Sugar  

 

¼ tsp Cardamom powder  

           

1-2 tbsp Ghee     

A few drops of vanilla essence (optional)

Method:

1)  Put Khoya and sugar and 1 tbsp of ghee in a wok and cook on a low flame, mixing continuously with a wooden spoon.

2)  Cook till the khoya and sugar mixture liquidize keep cooking  and cook until the mixture begins to boil.

3) Turn of the flame, add in the cardmom powder and stir the mixture vigorously with back of a spoon for 3-4 minutes (use ghotna if you have one), you will see the mixture starts to get thick, it’s perfectly fine.

4) Grease a tray 8x8 and spread the prepared mixture on top. And allow setting for atleast 10-12 hours in room temperature. (it will take longer time to set if you are making it in summer

Cut into squares and serve.

Note: you can make the above recipe is for plain burfi, if you like you can garnish the burfi with pistachios /almonds, or you can add in chopped pistachios and almonds, I have added in some ashrafian (candied fruit) and currants ( that you will do at the end when the mixture is ready to be poured on a greased tray) 

Peanut Chikki /Peanut Brittle

A famous munching sweet snack… call it chikki…brittle… or gachak, different names of same thing.  It’s usually made and enjoy during the winter season, but you can always make it in summer too.  I always wanted to make chikki at home so it was my first time making it at home but the final results you are seeing are after a few trial and errors. In this particular recipe I have used peanuts, you can also use almonds, cashew nuts, or even make it with a mixture nuts.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

 1 cup peanuts

¼ tsp green cardamom powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp water

Method:

1) Grease a baking tray or a plate with ghee and keep it aside.

2) If you are using roasted and peeled off store bought peanuts then there is no need of roasting and peeling it off again. You can use it directly. If not then roast peanuts in a heavy based pan on medium flame for 5 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning (if using peanuts with skin remember to remove the skin). You can even break the peanuts in to smaller pieces if you don’t want them whole.

3) Take a heavy bottomed pan or a frying pan, melt in the ghee/butter, then add in the sugar and salt along with 2 tbsp of water on medium-high flame. Keep stirring till the sugar changes color and turns light golden brown , takes about 6-7 minutes turn off the heat as soon as it turn light golden brown, add in the peanuts along with cardamom powder and mix it well.

4) Then spread it in the tray or cookie sheet. Use greased ladle or greased rolling pin and gently press them on the surface to spread them evenly.  Make horizontal and vertical cuts with knife while the mixture is still hot, when cooled break in to pieces and enjoy. Store it in a air tight container.

5) I have made the peanut brittle with sugar and the plain one with jaggery as a friend asked for the plain gachak recipe.  If you want to make chikki/brittle with jaggray then follow the method given below:

Add grated or chopped jaggry in a pan and stir continuously on medium-high flame until it dissolves, takes about 8 minutes, to check the consistency of jaggrey by dropping a small drop in a bowl/glass filled with water, wait for a few seconds if it becomes hard then it’s done, if it’s still soft and sticky then cook for some more time and check for doneness.

Note: I would advise you to make the plain chikki first without adding nuts, just to get an idea of the color and crunch you want.

Gur walay Chawal

Traditional Pakistani Punjabi sweet rice made with gur and ghee as main ingredients of this dish. Nuts are added to enhance the taste of rice. In olden days gur walay chawal were served in wedding held in villages as a desserts. You might feel this rice a bit on the brown side, not to worry as the color of rice will depend on the color of jaggery!!!

 Ingredients: 

½ kg rice

500-700gm jaggery (crushed, grated, or just put it water for some time to let it dissolve)

2-3 cloves

4-5 green cardamom

1 tbsp fennel seeds

Coconut, almonds, raisins 1 cup

½ cup ghee/clarified butter

Method: 

1) Soak rice for 30 minutes, then boil them till they are almost fully done, drain and keep aside.

2) In a pan put together jaggery, 1&1/4 cups of water and 1 tbsp fennel seeds boil, sieve the liquid  and keep aside.

3) Heat ½ cup of ghee in a pan and add green cardamom along with cloves, once they start to crackle add in the jaggery water and let it come to a boil.

4) Add in the boiled rice and raisins, almonds and coconut slices. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes so excess liquid is absorbed, when little liquid remains cover the pan with a tight lid and put  on dum for 30 minutes. 

Chawal Ki Kheer

Rich, creamy and velvety "Chawal ki Kheer" is a traditional  dessert of Pakistan, its similar to rice pudding flavored with fragrant cardamom pods, kewra essence and garnished with almonds and pistachios. The recipe I am sharing with you is a hit every time i make, so if you want to give a sweet treat to your family, friends or the guests you have invited over for dinner do give it a try... 

Ingredients:

2 liters Fresh milk 
1/2 cup Rice  (soaked in water for 2-3 hours)
4-5 Green cardamoms
2-3 drops of kewra essence 

1/4 tsp Salt 

Sweetened condensed milk (3/4 can of 380 gm can)
1/2 cup Pistachio and blanched almonds ( used half in kheer (optional) while cooking and half used for garnishing)

Method:

1) Take a heavy bottom pan, add milk and let it come to a boil, once the milk starts to boil turn down the flame to medium-low and let it simmer.

2) Drain the water from rice and crush the rice  with your hands, this will break one grain of rice in to 3-4 pieces, now add the rice to the milk and stir for a few minutes, also add the cardamom pods and let it cook on low flame till milk reduces to almost half  and rice grains gets soft and mushy (Don’t forget to stir). 

3) Once the Milk has reduced to half add ¼ tsp of salt and ¾ can of sweetened condensed milk and cook till you feel that the kheer has started to get thick and starts to bubble, but don't make it too thick as the kheer tends to thicken a bit while it cools down.

4) Turn off the flame and add 3 drops of kewra essence and nuts (although I personally don’t add nut). Allow it to cool down at room temperature, pure it in to a serving dish, Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios. Its best to let it chill in fridge for 3-4 hours before serving.

Note: please adjust sweetness according to your own taste, if you prefer it to be more sweet add the whole can. 

Doodh Seviyan/Sheer Khurma

A traditional festive breakfast served on the morning of Eid day in the family before the Eid prayer as breakfast, and throughout the day to all the visiting guests. Sheer khurma is a vermicelli pudding where the word sheer stands for milk and khurma means dried dates. Well to be on the honest side I like to call it doodh seviyan, that’s how we know it in our family.

Eid always brings so many childhood memories with it, the excitement of putting henna on hands on chand raat, the happiness of wearing the best and new clothes, new shoes and bangles on eid, and the best part was getting eidee from abu (my father) and all the other elder relatives of family. I remember how mom used to wake up early in the morning and started with the kitchen chores after offering Fajar. She always prepared doodh seviyan early in the morning which was served to my father and bothers before leaving for eid paryer…. So many beautiful memories to cherish!!! If you are also interested in making doodh seviyan here’s what you do.

Ingredients:

1 & ½ liter milk

100 gm roasted vermicelli

4-5 dried dates (optional)

½ cup sugar (or more if you like)

¼ tsp salt (optional)

3-4 green cardamoms

7-8 almonds (blanched and slivered)

10-12 pistachios (coarsely chopped)

2 tbsp dried coconut slices (cut in ½ inch slices)

10-15 golden raisins

2 tbsp ghee

Method:

1) Soak the dried dates in warm water for 20 minutes, pit the dates and cut them length wise. (it is important to mention here that I normally don’t use dates when I make doodh seviyan)

2) This step is also optional, as a lot of people like to fry the vermicelli first, how ever I normally don’t as the vermicelli we use for doodh seviyan is already roasted. For those of you who want to fry it, heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan and fry vermicelli for 4-5 minutes. Take out the vermicelli and keep aside.

3) In the same pan add milk along with 3-4 green cardamoms. Let it come to a boil then simmer on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes

4) Now add in the sugar along with the vermicelli, sliced dates, coconut, salt and let it cook for 10 minutes or until the mixtures reaches a slightly thick consistency. It should be of pouring consistency. Remember to stir every now and then. Adjust the sugar.

5) Add in 2-3 drops of kewra essence, add in the pistachios, raisins, almond, mix it nicely and turn of the flame, and let it rest for 20 minutes at least.  It can be served warm or cold.

Gulab Jamun

A few months back I posted a recipe of Gulab Jamun made with khoya, although nothing can beat the taste of those gulab jamuns, but there are many other ways in which you can make gulab jamuns in case you don’t have access to khoya. Here’s an easier version of making Gulab jamun at home, you can serve them warm, cold or at room temperature..

  

Ingredients:

For the sugar syrup:

1 & ½ cups sugar

2 cups water

¼ tsp cardamom powder or 4 green Cardamom pods

1/34 tsp yellow or orange food color

2-3 drops rose water/essence

Method:

Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cardamom pods, rose essence and food color and let it simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the flame, make sure it's warm or at room temperature before soaking the jamuns in syrup. 

For Jamuns:

 1 cup full Cream Powdered milk (8 tbsp heaped)

1 tbsp leveled all Purpose flour (Maida)

1 tsp leveled baking powder

1 tbsp melted ghee/oil

1 medium/small sized eggs (at room temperature)

Method:

1)  Take a big mixing bowl makes sure it's dry; there should be no trace of water in it.

2) Add in the milk powder, baking powder, all purpose flour and combine it all with a spoon

3 Now add in the egg and the ghee, and mix every thing together with the tips of your fingers.

4) Kneed the dough well by dragging the palm of your hand hard on the dough. Keep scooping it back to together and knead more until you have a smooth ball and a slight gloss appears. 

5) Divide the dough in 12 equal parts and make round or oval shaped balls. To make the balls apply some pressure at first and then release when forming the balls.

6) Heat the oil on medium flame. Fry the jamuns till golden brown over low flame, keeping oil temperature uniform.

7) While frying keep rolling the jamuns around so they are evenly browned. Once they get uniformly brown on all the sides, remove them from the oil with the help of slotted spoon. Leave them on kitchen paper for a few minutes before adding them to the sugar syrup.

8) Fry 3-4 jamuns together depending on the size. But make sure not to crowd them since it would bring down the temperature of the oil/ghee and the result would not be that good and the jamuns won’t be cooked inside and might end up being soggy. Drop all the fried jamuns in the syrup and let it soak for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Sooji Ki Kheer

A simple and quick dessert made from Sooji/Semolina, you can have it warm in winter and serve it cold in summers.  it hardly takes 20 minutes to get ready. This is also good for toddlers who are being introduced to new food as it's easy to digest, in that case keep it simple without the additions of almonds, pistachios and kewra water. 

Ingredients:

1/3-1/2 cup sooji/semolina 

4  cups m ilk 

1/2 can condensed milk (or use 4-5 tbsp  sugar/you can adjust sugar according to your taste)

3 cardamom pods

2-3 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter

8-10  slivered pistachios (optional)

4-5 slivered Almonds (optional)

2-3 drops kewra water/ essence 

Method:

1) Heat a heavy based pan and add clarified butter and cardamom pods then add semolina and fry till semolina turns slightly brown and fragrant. 

2) Take the pan off the stove and add milk (start by adding a little milk at a time and mixing it well with semolina to avoid any lumps). 

3) Put the pan back on stove on medium flame, add in  sugar or condensed milk and cook on medium flame until you get the desired consistency. Don't make it too thick because the kheer tends to thicken a bit while it cools down. (semolina tends to absorb milk)

4) Just before turning off the flame add kewra water/essence. Sooji Ki Kheer is ready. Let it cool down then refrigerate. Garnish with almond and pistachio slices.

Note: if you feel the kheer gets too thick once it cools down, you can always add in more milk to bring it to desired consistency.

Methi Seviyan

Seviyan is a sweet dish that is made from vermicelli, it is a very is very popular dessert in Pakistan. Traditionally, vermicelli was made at home, but now a variety of vermicelli is easily available in markets all over the world. This is the easiest recipe of seviyan, the method is pretty much the same as “Sooj Ka Halwa”..

Ingredients:

200 gm seviyan/vermicelli (use slightly thicker vermicelli)

1 cup sugar (or add more if needed)

2 cups water

3 tbsp ghee or butter

6 cardamom pods

A few drops of kewra 

1/4 cup almonds (skinless & slivered)

1/4 cup raisin (washed)

1/4 cup coconut (sliced)

A few slivered almonds and pistachios for garnishing

Method:

1) Prepare the sugar syrup by taking 2 cups of water in a sauce pan & adding 1 cup sugar boil till sugar dissolves in the water.

2) Heat a wide pan on medium heat and add ghee, cardamom pods and allow the aroma to infuse the oil for about 2 minutes.

3) Add in the vermicelli, stir well and fry for about 5 minutes.

4) Next add in the water and sugar syrup and keep stirring (turn the heat to low while adding sugar syrup or you can also take the pan off the stove while adding water), next add in the almonds, raisins, sliced coconut, a few drops of kewra water and mix well, lower the flame cover the pan and let it cook until all the water dries up for 10-15 minutes.

5) Once the water has dried  and the saviyan are done, give it a good stir and turn off the heat, put it in a serving dish, garnish with pistachios and almonds before serving. 

Ras Malai

A treat for your sweet tooth, the name Ras Malai comes from two parts "Ras" meaning "juice/juicy" and "Malai", meaning "cream". The authentic Ras Malai consists of round balls made of fine milk curd, which are then cooked in syrup to create a unique texture. The balls  are then soaked in thickened cardamom flavoured milk and finished with a sprinkle of chopped pistachio nuts. Light, refreshing and truly delicious. How ever there is also an easier way of making Ras Malai at home,  powdered milk, all purpose flour, baking powder and oil are kneaded to form a dough, moulded into balls and dropped into simmering milk. The end result tastes almost like the authentic version. 

Ingredients:

1 cup full Cream Powdered milk (8 tbsp heaped)

1 litre fresh  milk

3-5 cardamoms

5-6 tbsp sugar

1 can of evaporated milk  

1 tbsp levelled all Purpose flour(Maida)

1 tsp levelled baking powder

1 tbsp melted ghee/oil (at room temperature)

1 medium/small sized eggs (at room temperature)


Method:

1) Take a pan  (a non-stick pan preferably) large enough to accommodate the ras malai as they will expand to about double in the volume while cooking in milk

2) Add milk, evaporated milk,  sugar and cardamom pods in the pot and bring it to a boil, let it simmer on medium heat. Remember to stir it every now and then.

3) Meanwhile take a big mixing bowl make sure it's dry, There should be no trace of water in it. 

4) Add in the milk powder, baking powder, all purpose flour and combine it all with a spoon

5) Now add in the egg and the ghee, and mix every thing together with the tips of your fingers. 

6) Kneed the dough well by dragging the palm of your hand hard on the dough. Keep scooping it back to together and knead more until you have a smooth ball and a slight gloss appears.  

7) Divide the dough in 12 equal parts and make round or oval shaped balls. To make the balls apply some pressure at first and then release when forming the balls, lightly press to make about 3/4 inch. 

8) Drop the balls in milk one at a time,  partially cover the Pan with a lid and let the balls cook on medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Make sure to swirl the pan around once or twice. Do not use a spoon to stir as it can cause the balls to break.  

Dish them out with the help of a tbsp one by one, then pour over the milk, let cool in a refrigerator. Garnish with almonds and pistachios, serve chilled. 

Tips: 

1) Be precise about the measurements.

2) Do not over cook the ras malai, other wise the balls will get hard from centre.  

3) Make the balls out of the dough as soon as it gets ready after kneading, don't leave it to rest. 

4) If you Can't find a small egg, whisk a large egg and use half of it.

5) if the mixtures gets too dry you can add a bit more egg in it, and if its too soft you can add a bit more plain flour in it, until it you get a smooth ball. 

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamuns are spongy milky balls deep fried and soaked in rose scented syrup. This delicious sweet is liked by almost all Pakistani and Indian people. You can either serve them warm or cold depending on your own preference, Although I used khoya to make the jamuns, but no worries if you are unable to make khoya at home, you can also make them with powdered milk….

For the sugar syrup:

Sugar 1&1/2 cups

Water 2 cups

Green Cardamom pods 4 (or 1/4 tsp cardamom powder)

Yellow or orange food color 1/4 tsp

Rose water/essence 2-3 drops

Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cardamom pods, rose essence and food color and let it simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the flame, Make sure it is warm or at room temperature.

Method 

Khoya 1 cup (you can use homemade or store bought)

Maids (plain flour) 1/2 cup

Baking Soda 1/8 tsp (a pinch)

Baking powder ¼ tsp

Mix the homemade Khoya, plain flour (maida) baking soda, and baking powder. Knead it well; you might need a few tsp of water to form smooth dough. Add one tsp at a time until you reach the correct dough consistency. Make small lemon sized balls of this dough, this is important since they will become large while deep frying and larger when soaked in syrup.

Frying the Jamuns:

Heat the oil on medium flame. Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low flame, keeping oil temperature uniform. While frying keep rolling the jamuns around so they are evenly browned. Once they get uniformly brown on all the sides, remove them from the oil with the help of slotted spoon. Leave them on kitchen paper for a few minutes before adding them to the sugar syrup

fry 3-4 jamuns together depending on the size. But make sure not to crowd them since it would bring down the temperature of the oil/ghee and the result would not be that good and the jamuns won’t be cooked inside and might end up being soggy. Drop all the fried jamuns in the syrup and let it soak for at least 30 minutes to an hour. 

Shahi Tukray

This is another traditional sweet dish of Pakistan, it’s a rich bread pudding topped with thickened cardamom flavored milk and lots of pistachios and almonds.

 Ingredients:

4-6 slices of white bread cut into triangles

1 liter milk

2-3 cardamom pods split open

4-5 tbsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

Kewra essence (2 drops)

A couple of tablespoons of oil or Ghee (Clarified Butter) for frying

Slivered pistachios & almonds for garnish

Method:

Fry the bread triangles in oil/ghee till both sides are golden brown. Once the bread is fried, arrange it in a dish any way that you like. Place the milk, cardamom, sugar and salt in a heavy-based pan. Mix well and simmer on medium-low heat, stirring every now and then, till the sugar has dissolved and the milk mixture have reduced to half, while stirring at intervals. Remove from heat, add the kewra essence and spoon the hot milk all over the bread triangles; making sure all of them are covered. Garnish with slivered pistachios and almonds before serving. 

Gajar Ka Halwa

Gajar ka halwa is a “must have” in our family during winters, and believe me I end up making it 3-4 times during the winter season. It is unbelievable how the combination of carrots, milk, sugar can end up tasting so divine, khoya is added to give and extra luscious flavor to this halwa, I usually use 5 kilos of carrots every time I make it, but for your convenience I have reduced the quantity of carrots to 2 kilos…

Ingredients:

2 kg carrots, peeled and shredded
2 liters milk
1/2 to 1 kg sugar

250 gm khoya
5-6 cardamom pods
3/4 cup ghee


Method:

In a pan add milk and shredded carrots and let it cook on medium low heat till the water dries, keep stirring once in a while. Once the water from carrots dries up and milk get thick add in sugar and cardamoms and keep stirring, when the sugar syrup starts to get dry add in the ghee and khoya. Continue cooking on medium-high heat till the ghee separates from the halwa (around 15-20 minutes). Garnish it with nuts and serve hot.

Note:

If you don’t have khoya increase the amount of milk to you add in to around 4 liters , the milk when dries up will eventually turn in to khoya or you can also use evaporated milk.

Gajar ki Kheer/Gajrela

Gajar ki kheer also known as Gajrela is yet another popular sweet dish made in Pakistan. I am sharing with you the exact way how my mother used to make it except the fact that she never added condensed milk, so why not give your taste buds a sweet treat by making this simple, easy yet full of flavors recipe of  Gajar ki kheer.

Ingredients:

Fresh milk 2 liters
Rice 1/2 cup (soaked in water for 2-3 hours)

Carrots ½ kg (peeled and grated)
Green cardamoms 4-5
kewra essence 2-3 drops (optional)

Salt ¼ tsp

Sweetened condensed milk (3/4 can of 380 gm can)
Almonds 1/2 cup blanched and slivered (optional,to be used  in kheer while cooking)

Pistachios (to be used for garnishing)

Method:

Take a heavy bottom pan, add milk and let it come to a boil, once the milk starts to boil turn down the flame to medium-low and let it simmer. Drain the water from rice and crush the rice with your hands, this will break one grain of rice in to 3-4 pieces, now add the rice and grated carrots to the milk and stir for a few minutes, also add the cardamom pods and let it cook on low flame till milk reduces to almost half  and rice grains gets soft and mushy (Don’t forget to stir). Once the Milk has reduced to half add ¼ tsp of salt, almonds and ¾ can of sweetened condensed milk and cook till you feel that the kheer has started to get thick and starts to bubble, but don't make it too thick as the kheer tends to thicken a bit while it cools down. Turn off the flame and add 3 drops of kewra essence and nuts (although I personally don’t add nut). Allow it to cool down at room temperature, pure it in to a serving dish, Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios. Its best to let it chill in fridge for 3-4 hours before serving.

Note: please adjust sweetness according to your own taste, if you prefer it to be more sweet add the whole can.  

Sooji Ka Halwa

Sooji ka halwa is a Pakistani breakfast delicacy and is usually served at breakfast with puries. If we talk about festivals like Shab-e-barat, Sooji ka hawla is the most famous dessert made and distributed among neighbors to celebrate this noble night.

Ingredients

1 cup semolina/sooji

1-1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2cup ghee

4-5 green cardamoms

2 cloves

3 cups water

2-3 drops of kewra water (optional)

1/4 cup almonds (skinless & slivered)

1/4 cup raisin (washed)
1/4 cup coconut ( sliced)

for garnish:

A few slivered almonds and pistachios

Pumpkin Halwa

I have been eating this Halwa as a child, and always loved the one my mother used to cook for us, she always used to make it without adding milk or sometimes she also made it by adding semolina/soji  in it.  here comes my way of making it.

Ingredients:

2 kg pumpkin, peeled and shredded (halwa kadu)

2 liters milk

1-1.5 kg sugar

5 cardamom pods

50 gm, pistachios, almonds (optional, we like it plain)

1/2 cup ghee

Method:

1) In a pan add milk and shredded pumpkin and let it cook on medium low heat till the water dries, keep stirring once in a while. 

2) Once the water from pumpkin dries up and milk get thick add in sugar and cardamoms  and keep stirring, when the sugar syrup starts to get dry add in the ghee (if you want to add the pistachios and almonds add those in at this stage).

3) Continue cooking on medium-high heat till the ghee separates from the halwa (around 15-20minutes).the more it is cooked (fried) the testier the end result. Garnish it with nuts and serve hot.

Note: 

If you don’t want to add the milk even then it will come out as perfect, just let the pumpkin cook in its own water, and cover the pan with a lid till the pumpkin gets done, rest of the procedure will be the same.