Jackfruit Kesari

Jackfruit is a seasonal fruit and is better to use them in their season to get its health benefits.
Jackfruit Kesari baath/Sheera is a sweet dish prepared using Jackfruits which I got from my sister.

It is an easy dish and yummy to have it

I have used jackfruits, jaggery (Joni bella), cardamom pods, ghee and saffron.

Jackfruits are loaded with healthy properties. In olden days people and animals used to visit the vast forest and look for jackfruit trees to fill their stomach. No wonder there is a proverb saying Eat jackfruit in an empty stomach and eat mango fruits after food. Eating jackfruits fills your stomach and you will have no worries of any indigestion. And eating mango fruit helps to digest the food you had. People have shown the way to live a healthy life by saying proverbs which are good steps to our healthy life.
Jackfruit trees not only provide fruits as food, the roots of the tree holds water which pour down during the rainy season. It is so sad that the forest is cut down and made bare land for the greedy man. The rain has reduced due to cut down of trees and deforestation  and rain  water is simply runs through the land and gets into seas.
Jackfruits are good source of potassium and have low cholesterol levels.
Let us see The Recipe Now :

Things needed :

Jackfruits : 10 to 15
Rava/Semolina : Medium size : 1 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup
Ghee 3/4 Cup
Cardamom Pods : 5 to 6
Boiling Water : 3 Cups
Cashew Nuts and Raisins : 1 Handful
saffron flakes : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Put 2 to 3 Tbs of ghee in a big frying pan and keep it on the fire. Let it melt.
2. Add cashews and raisins and fry. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.

3. Add rava and fry till the raw smell disappear. Cut jackfruits in to small pieces.

4. Add jackfruits and fry for a minute. Add  boiling water and mix it slowly. Let it cook on low flame.

5. Once it is thicken add jaggery and stir continuously and slowly.

6. Add saffron flakes and remained ghee. Mix it well and cook on low flame. Add cardamom powder.

7. Shift the ready Jackfruit Kesari to a serving dish and serve.

Note: 

Cut jackfruit into small pieces. Rava/Semolina should be fried nicely till the raw smell disappear to get good Kesari texture. Adding more ghee is optional. Adding food colour instead of saffron is optional. I have added Joni Jaggery. (Liquid jaggery). You can use store bought jaggery , then powder it and use it. Powdering jaggery helps the jaggery to melt easily and quickly.
Time : 30 to 35 Minutes. 

Oats & Finger Millet Laddu 2

Oats and Finger Millet Laddu is a sweet dish and is one of the healthy laddu that helps you to keep strong and energetic for the whole day. You can have this as Laddu/Unde whenever you feel hungry OR crave for some sweets or to skip some carbs.

I do try and varieties of laddu/laadu/unde and though it looks same it has different ingredients and is mostly available at your home store.
Here in this laddu I have used Oats with its husk and Ragi flour. Dates and jaggery , handful of raisins and cashews.

Let us see some benefits of eating Dates in our diet.

Dates helps in boost energy and increasing iron in our body. They help in digestion. They are rich in fiber and contain various nutrients. They are loaded with antioxidants. They have good amount of anti inflammatory properties. Dates help in balancing blood sugar level. They help in reducing blood pressure. They are said to good brain booster. They contain minerals like, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. They do have vitamins like, folate,  thiamin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin A and Vitamin K.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Oats : 500 Grams
Ragi/Finger Millet : 3 Cups
Ghee : 1 Small Cup
Dates : 20 to 30 or 250 grams or little more
Raisins and Cashews : 1 Handful
Jaggery : 250 Grams : 1 Cup (Powdered).

Method :

1. Dry roast Oats and keep it aside.

2. Dry roast ragi flour till the raw flavour disappear.

3. Dry grind Oats and keep it aside.

4. Remove the seeds from dates and cut or smash it nicely.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put 1/2 cup of water. Add jaggery and let it melt nicely.

6. Sieve jaggery mixture and Put cleaned jaggery to a pan.

7. Boil liquid jaggery till it get one string consistency.
8. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Add powdered Oats and Ragi/finger millet flour to it.

9. Mix it nicely and take out from the fire. Add ghee

10. Add cut dates and mix it nicely and handful of cashews and raisins. Mix it thoroughly.

11. Dry Grind this mixture including dates, cashews and raisins. ( Do not grind for a long time. Just churn twice or thrice).
12. Put the ground mixture to a big bowl. Mix it nicely and prepare laddus.

13. Serve or munch when ever you crave for some sweets.

14. Store in a glass jar or  air tight boxes.

Note :

No coconut is used in this Oats and finger millet Laddu recipe. Adding cardamom is optional.
If the mixture turns dry, please do add some melted ghee or drops of hot milk. It helps to prepare laddu easily. Ghee used laddu shelf life is more and the taste does not change.
If laddu turns more moisture stir the laddu mixture little more.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 50 Laddu can be made.
Use of more jaggery is optional.
Use of less/more ghee is optional.

Quick Sweet Guli Appa

Sweet Guli Appa is any time munching food. I do prepare this Sweet Guli Appa very often and was not able to click a pic. We just love to munch Sweet Guli appa at any time of the day.

This sweet guli appa can be prepared quickly and  is a treat to sweet lovers in a healthy way.
I have used jaggery, chiroti rava/thin variety of rava, coconut and little Eno fruit salt.
It has mild sweet and good for all age group.
These Sweet Rava Guli Appa was prepared to give it one of our relative. Felt like taking something while visiting them. The lady of the house fractured her leg and was admitted to hospital for treatment and was discharged. She was in recovering and kids and her hubby used to manage the house hold chores.  So I prepared these Guli Appas. We had been to their house and gave the guli appa I prepared, talked to her and came back.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Well Ripen Banana : 2
Medium size Rava /Semolina : 2 Cups
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Grated fresh coconut : 1 Cup
Curd : 1/2 Cup
Salt : A little
Eno fruit salt : 1/2 Teaspoon
Oil : 3 to 4 Tbs

Method :

1. Take a big bowl and put banana, curd and jaggery. (Powdered).
2. Smash banana and mix all the ingredients nicely. Add salt.
3. Add rava/semolina, add required water and prepare dough.
4. Leave it for 5 minutes. Add eno salt and mix it well.

5. Keep a Guli Appa pan and heat. Put oil to each mould.
6. Put Rava guli appa mixture and put some oil.

7. Cook on low and medium flame. Turn the other side and cook.

8. Sweet Guli Appa is ready to serve.

9. Serve with your choice of side dish.

Note:

Banana, curd, jaggery should be mixed well. I have used fresh jaggery which is clean and organic.
Adding the quantity of jaggery is optional. More or less. Mix all the ingredients and then use required water. The dough should be like idli dough consistency.
Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 People. 

I have used curd to prepare this guli appa.(Use of milk is optional). Just check the recipe in blog.

Rose Petals Laddu.

Preparing Laadu in a healthy way is always my pleasure. I do use lots of dry fruits, jaggery, and other ingredients. It not only provides energy, it also fills the stomach and good for all age group.
Healthy laddu provide energy, vitamins and minerals to our body.

Rose petals are used here to add natural flavour of rose. The roses are from our pot plants. The roses are slightly pink and good for health.
This time I have used Oats, lion dates, wheat flour and some dry fruits like raisins, cashews.  Use little jaggery to add little more sweet. Rose petals adds to the natural flavour of Roses.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Oats : 250 Grams
Wheat flour : 2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup (Powdered).
Poppy seeds : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Lion Dates : 500 Grams
Raisins : 1 Cup
Cashews : 10 to 12 (Cut into small pieces.
Rose Petals : 4 to 5 Rose flowers.

Method :

1. Wash and dry rose petals.

2. Dry roast oats and dry grind it. Remove the seeds from dates and smash dates and make it soft.

3. Dry roast wheat flour till the raw smell goes off.
4. Add poppy seeds to dry roasted wheat flour and put of the fire. Put dry roasted ingredients, soft dates to a  a big bowl. Mix it well.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery and 1/4 cup or little less water. Let the jaggery melt.
6. Keep stirring till it turn one string consistency.

7. Add rose petals and stir for 5 to 6 minutes.

8. Pour this jaggery on the top of dry ground oats and wheat flour.

9. Keep a small pan on the fire and and put 2 to 3 tbs of ghee. Add raisins and let it bubble up.
Add cashews and fry.  Pour this cashew - raisins to powdered ingredients.

10. Now mix all the ingredients nicely and make laadu/Unde.

11. Have a Oats - wheat - Dates laadu as evening snack. It is one of the best snack for kids. So while preparing snack box add this unde.

12. Serve or eat whenever you like it.

Note :

If you find the ingredients are dry and if you are not able to prepare laddu, use 1/4 glass of hot milk or 2 to 3 tbs of melted ghee. So that you can nicely prepare laddu. Remember, milk added laddu get might get spoiled, so it is better to keep them in the fridge.
Time : 40 Minutes.

50 Small Laadu can be prepared. (According to  size).