Pasta Kheer

Pasta is known as Italian food. Different shapes of Pasta available in the market. Pastas are cooked with different ways with  different vegetables and cheese. Here I have tried Kheer out of Pasta. We Indians try to adopt and cook things using our own ingredients and to set it according to our life style and our taste. Preparing Kheer, using Pasta is not new. I have heard and even read recipes about it. But most of them had sugar in it.

We South Canara people prepare Paradi Payasa. (Kheer is called as Paayasa in Kannada language). But this is done with rice flour or Maida flour. Even in Kerala Adai Payasam or Adha Prathamam is famous. Adah is nothing but rice flakes. I have prepared Adha Payasa many times. We do prepare Payasa with Semiya also. Semiya is also a thin variety of Pasta. Seeing Pasta pack invited me to try this Payasa. Definitely the taste was really yemmy and finger licking. I used fresh coconut milk, jaggery and a cup of fresh milk.   

Here is a recipe of "Pasta Kheer"(Pasta Payasa) and it will surely liked by all  I am sure. 

Things Needed : 

Pasta : 1 Bowl (Small)
Coconut milk  : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Dates : 6 to 8
Cardamom : 8 to 10 pods

Method :

1. Grate coconut and grind with little water and squeeze out milk. (Thick milk) Keep it aside separately.
2. Again put some more water and grind the same coconut and remove milk from it. Keep it aside. Keep it separately.

3. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.

4. Remove the seeds from dates and cut into small and keep it aside.

5. Now keep 3 to 4 cups of water for boiling and  put Pasta and cook.

6. When the pasta turn soft drain the extra water and keep pasta aside.

7. Now keep a big bowl and put the thinner coconut milk, boiled pasta and jaggery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Let jaggery melt and start boiling. Now mix thick coconut milk. Let it boil for 2 minutes. (Do not boil for a long time).

9. Add cardamom and pour the Kheer to a serving bowl.

  10. Add fresh boiled milk just before serving.

Notes : 

You can use sugar instead of jaggery. You can use tinned coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk. You can add ghee fried nuts to the Kheer.
Adding more or less jaggery is optional. Use of any type of Pasta is optional.
Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 6  (Small Servings) 
 

Cashew - Almond Laddu.

Cashew - Almond Laddu is very nutritious and healthy laddu. We can have them any time of the day and good for all age group and specially for kids. You can pack them in their Lunch box,. Not much of ingredients are needed to prepare laddu and it does not take much of your time and you can keep them for long time in air tight box.
Ingredients : 
Almond (Badam) : 1 Cup
Cashew nuts: 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/4 Cup
Water : 2 Table spoons.
Ghee: 1 Table spoon

Ready  to serve Almond +Cashew Laddus.

Method :
1.Dry grind almond(with skin) and keep it aside. Roast cashew till brown and keep it aside.
2. Put ground almonds and roasted cashew nuts in a big bowl.
3. Now keep a pan on the fire. Put jaggery and two table spoons of water. Let it melt nicely. Stir in between..
4. Jaggery melts and starts to bubble. Let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour this jaggery content in the almond+cashew mixture bowl.
5. Add a table spoon of fresh ghee and mix the mixture nicely. Take a handful of the mixture and prepare laddu.
6. Do the same with the remaining mixture.
7. Almond - Cashew Laddus are ready to serve now.  Keep these laddus when it is cool in a box.
Note : No need to roast the almonds. Roast cashew on low flame. You can use 1 tea spoon of ghee to fry cashew nuts. The jaggery should be boiled for at least 1 minutes. Over boiled jaggery mixture may turn the laddu  hard.
10 to 12 Laddus can be prepared.
Time : 10 to 15 minutes.

Coconut - Nuts and Dates Ball.

Coconut - Nuts and Dates Ball is a sweet dish and you can munch them any time of the day. It is an healthy laddu since it contain no sugar.

Lets see some benefits of having Dates in our diet. 
Eating dates everyday is a healthy habit especially for women. It is full of minerals, vitamin and fiber.
Lets see some benefits of having dates every day.
Dates helps in anemia, intestinal disorder, diarrhea and constipation. They are good for gaining weight. They contain calcium, sulfur, iron and potassium, manganese, copper, phosphorous and magnesium. These minerals are necessary for balanced and healthy diet.

I have used some dates, figs, cashews, almonds, poppy seeds and a little copra. (Dry coconut). 

Lets see the recipe now:

Things Needed 

Dates : 500 Grams (Fresh and soft )

Figs : 4 to 5 

Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons

Cashews :  1/2 Cup or 4 to 5 Tablespoons. (Cut it into small pieces).

Almonds : 10 to 15

Dry coconut : 1 Cup (Grated)

 Method :

1. Cut cashews, figs in to small pieces. 

2. Dry grind almonds into powder form.

3. Dry grind coconut and keep it aside. 

4. Remove seeds from dates and smash it nicely. (Use fresh dates).

5. Now take a big bowl. Put dates, cashews figs and kneed it. Add coconut powder and powdered almonds.

6. Kneed it slowly and let it form a dough. Now divide the dough in to small portions.

7. Take a small portion of the dates mixture and form a round shape like a small ball.

8. Keep poppy seeds in a tray. Roll the dates ball on poppy seeds and arrange in a tray or plate.

9. Repeat the same and do the rest of date and Nuts ball.

10. Arrange them on a tray and serve/eat any time of the day

Note : 

Use fresh dates to prepare laddu. It helps to hold the ingredients tightly. You can also use some jaggery if you like more sweets in the laddu. (Grate or powder jaggery and then add it). Adding any nuts is optional. It is a healthy laddu which can be sent school kids with their lunch/snack box. Diabetic people also can have them since no sugar is added in this laddu. Adding some glucose biscuits is optional. ( I have not added). You need to kneed the ingredients well. You can fry cashews in ghee if you want to. (optional).

Time : 30 Minutes

20 Laddus can be prepared. (Depending on the size).