Pineapple Rava Kesari | Pineapple Kesari Bath

For want of a better reason, I settled down to say that I wanted to share this Pineapple Kesari for starting with a sweet this new year. I hardly ever give in for such sentiments, however I thought it's never too late to begin now. 

As I said in my recap, I am never too keen on having any resolutions. I have seen myself breaking those resolutions the first chance I get and decided long back never to strain on planning to have anything specific. Still it is always good if we have a definite plans and that I decided would be to cook and experience all those foods that I keep wanting to make and never get around making it myself.

Pineapple Kesari

Coming to one such dish, this Pineapple Kesari would fit the bill so well. I have been wanting to make this for a long time and never had a good chance at making it. Since we ended up getting the whole fruit, and I made that Pineapple Upside down cake, I thought I might as well make this too. So one stroked out of my long to do list.

The kesari came out so well. I followed the same process I do for making the regular Kesari bath. Normally the juice is not added and is made with just water. I added juice and also used milk. The only risk you run when you use milk is, it will cuddle, the moment you add the tart pineapple juice. However if you are fine with the creamy cuddled milk, you are just fine.

 

Pineapplie Rava Kesari

Ingredients Needed:

Semolina / Rava - 1 cup
Milk - 1 & 1/2 cup
Pineapple pieces - 1 cup
Pineapple Juice - 3/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom a pinch
Cashew nuts and Raisins - 5 each
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Yellow food colour a pinch

How to make the Pineapple Kesari

In a non stick pan, heat ghee and roast the cashews, raisins till done. Remove the nuts, add the semolina and roast well. Remove and keep aside one done.

Now to the pan, add the milk and bring to boil. Simmer and add the pineapple juice, pieces along with food colour. Simmer for couple of minutes. Then add the rava and mix well. It will take about 6 - 7 mins for the rava to get cooked.

Then add the sugar and cardamon. Combine everything well.

Simmer and continue cooking for another 5 mins.

Finally add the roasted dry fruits along with ghee, mix everything well and remove

Notes:

As I have mentioned, the milk will tend to cuddle because of the tartness in pineapple. Simply use water if you want to avoid that.

Adjust sugar and ghee as per your paste.

Other Kesari Recipes

Kesari Bhath
Sooji ka Halwa | Suji ka Halwa Recipe in Microwave
Corn Rava Kesari with Palm Sugar
Vermicelli Kesari ~ Semiya Kesari!

Other Halwa Recipes

And the answer is..

Banana Peel!...yep..the halwa was unbelievably made with the peels. I refuse to believe it wasn't a mystery at all!..for the first person to comment was Ambika and she said bang Banana Peel. Now Ambika has to tell us know if it was purely a guess and she came home..:)

Thanks to everybody who played along. It was a total surprise for me when Athamma asked me what the halwa was made of. And none of my colleagues who tasted it was able to guess it right. So all you guys truly proved yourself to be the foodies that you all guessed it on the first shot.

Paaka Shaale, Prathiba and Priya guessed it right as Banana Peel. Now you will let me know your secret in guessing it so right.

Hubby dear had got some very fresh bananas and by evening most of them disappeared. I didn't think much about it. But Athamma said instead of food, boys snacked on them. Much later she got us this halwa to eat. She asked us to guess what it was. Well it was beyond me. And it was really very shocking when she said seeing such fresh peels, she wanted to experiment with it. And you have the halwa!

It was so good that Hubby dear, who normally never eats sweets, asked for a second helping. Athamma was even keen on getting my colleagues taste this. So naturally I would want to see if any of them would guess it. Not a single person was able to guess but came back for a second serve. And none could believe that one would actually make a halwa with the peels.

Banana Peel Halwa!

Banana Peels puree - 1 cup
Milk - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Fried Gram dal powder - 1 tsp
Cardamon powder a pinch
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - 1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Take the peels, wash well and remove the stack. Remove all blacken parts. Cut into small pieces and make a puree of it in the mixer. If required add 1 tsp water to get a smooth puree.

Heat a thick bottom pan. Melt the sugar with milk and once it is melted, add the peel puree. Keep stirring.

Half way through it, add the fried gram dal, mix well. Continue cooking till the halwa reaches a thick consistency.

Finally add the ghee once you feel the consistency is good. You can know by feeling the texture, it would have turned grainy.

Notes: All the fresh parts is used for this peel. About 5 big banana peels were used to get about 1 cup of puree.

If you want to make it more rich, you can add cashew nut powder or add more ghee.

Once again thank you all for playing along!

I am planning on Deepavali Special Dishes. Let me know what you have in mind.

Microwave Mixed Fruits Halwa | Indian Microwave Recipes | Step By Step Recipes

With the quarterly exams going on for Konda, it's only talks of what questions were asked and not that is currently hot at home. Add to that fact with the boys also having their exams, you can imagine the scene. Please don't assume that they are seriously sitting down to study, far from it, they quote that very conveniently when required. Rest of the time is either spent playing or watching TV. This also mean that they get back home much early.

Most times the boys play together well but you never know which triggers the fight and they end up fighting. It will take a sumo wrestler to separate them on those times, really! Those times gets me blow my top and yell at the top of my voice, asking what the matter was. This is when Konda will play the ace card and teach my own lesson to me. That is handling kids with soft voice and utter sweetness. This is what I tell her when she yells at them. So she remembers those lectures very well and immediately applies on me.

 Microwave Mixed Fruit Halwa

She will pull both of them aside, with the voice that can't be much more sweeter, asking them who did what. One will say the other pulled his hair, while other claims he was pinched. Well it will continue for few more minutes with Konda saying they should promptly reach the next elder around (in this case herself) and tell the problem, rather than handling it themselves. By then the boys would've got vexed with the whole drama and being silent for 5 mins, they retreat back to their games. Within minutes, they both will be thick pals hatching new games. Sundays are spent mostly this way.

Yesterday was no different, hubby dear says we will soon become Panchayat Presidents with the number of cases these kids bring as disputes for us to solve. Breakfast was the usual affair, while lunch was to be a non veg one. Which was good because I was able to re-shoot one menu, which is very classic Rayalaseema special. Ragi Sangati with Andhra Mutton Pulusu and Mutton Roast. This is the updated picture. Check the post for details.

Knowing that days are running and I don't have any entry for MEC: Fruits, I knew I had to make that Mixed fruits Halwa that was shared by the MW Chef. The recipe was an approximation with 1 fruit each, I knew it was going to end up more. So eyeballed and added it.

But the fact that it came out very well and hubby dear liked it, made me think I should have made more.


Microwave Mixed Fruit Halwa ~ Step by Step

Take all the fruits you have on hand, cut them into small bits.

Make a puree of them together, mostly without water. Since I used very small quantity, I had to add 1/2 glass of water, which proved very expensive!

In a microwave safe bowl, take the puree, add 1 tsp of ghee/ clarified butter. Micro for 5 mins.

This is the condensed milk I used

After 5 mins, remove and stir well.

Ok stirring happens for 2 mins!

Then add 2 tsp of sugar, 2 tsp of Condensed milk.

Micro again for 5 mins.

Since I added water, it took about another 5 mins to get solidified like this. But if you don't add water, it should only take you about 7 mins. Add another tsp of ghee

If it requires micro for another 2 mins to get all the moisture off.

The recipe calls for 1 of each fruit, but I added only half or handful of them.

Ingredients Needed:

Apple - 1/2
Guava - 1/2
Pomegranate - 2 -3 tbsp
Banana - 1/2
Sapota / Chikoo - 1
Sugar - 2 tsp
Condensed Milk - 2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp

Method to prepare:

Wash, cut and puree all fruits together in a mixer.
In a microwave safe bowl, add the puree with 1 tsp ghee for 5 mins.
Then remove and stir well. Add sugar, condensed milk, mix well and again micro for 5 mins.

Remove and stir it again. If it is still watery, micro for another 2 mins after adding the remaining ghee. Else you can just remove and serve.

Sending this to Nivedita who is hosting the Microwave Easy Cooking Event, themed on Fruits,

Carrot Halwa ~ A First Love | How to make Carrot Halwa in Microwave | Indian Sweets

You may have already read about how I make Carrot halwa on a stove top or in a Rice cooker. Carrot Halwa was one of the latest posts as it gets done at home quite frequently. Especially in the Rice cooker, where the taste and the texture is a class apart. I had to resort to the stove top after the rice cooker was packed and stored in the loft.

To be honest, I had quite forgotten that. Since I promised Nive that I will send two more halwas, I decided I was going to make the Carrot Halwa again, this time in Microwave. Then it struck me that I should not pass out the chance of an entry for Chalks and Chopsticks. It is an event conceived by Aqua and hosted by Sra this month!

Reading the round ups, I end up thinking why I wasn't even trying. This month I was determined I will get a story of something. So Carrot Halwa kindled good old memory!

Disclaimer: This story is purely a work of fiction, doesn't bear resemblance to actual facts.

Since I had a 4 page story written, requested Sra for an opinion. She suggested I could remove the melodrama out of it (of course not in those terms..:)) The original version can be found in my other blog. I somehow always felt pathos brings out more drama!

Do read that version too and let me know which was more appealing!

Much thanks to Sra, for spending time on this, amidst her hectic socializing..:)

Please don't skip the story for the juicy carrot halwa, but if you must, please hit the scroll down indeterminate times!

Carrot Halwa in Microwave

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With the cool breeze flowing into the car, Maya looked at her Dad telling her something. She didn't hear him; her thoughts were on something else. Taking a deep breath, she sat back. She was so eager to start her new college and form new friendships.

They were moving into a new apartment, new neighbourhood, and a colony very similar to the one they were leaving. Daddy asked her to help him pack things they can't trust the workers with and had an early start to avoid the traffic. As the car was slowing down, Maya saw a bed of yellow flowers on the road path. Somehow those beautiful flowers on the floor were more inviting than anything else.

Maya got down helping Daddy; she was all of 17, and a looker. Heads always turned when she walked past. Though with a head full of dreams and ambitions beyond her vision, she hardly ever noticed. Yet she was always piqued that she never had steady girl friends. While boys flocked to her sides, girls kept their distance. And because she was such a tomboy, boys ended up being her best friends.

Days passed into months, they slowly settled in the new place. Maya was enjoying her college and her friends. Best of all, Maya was enjoying the wonders of Mills & Boons.  She was so engrossed in that world, every corner turned Maya used to think a TDH hero would come pouncing forward.

Her new friends played tennis and convinced her to join them. One fine evening when she walked into the court, she felt conspicuous of many eyes eying her in varying expressions. The game wasn't new to her, but she felt very out of place.

When the game began, her eyes were drawn to the opponent who was smashing every other shot at her. End of the game she was fuming and determined to get the better of him. Introduced or not, she wasn't bothered. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind; little did she know she would barter her heart too.

Being a tomboy, she never cared a dime on what a guy thinks. But at that moment, she was speechless. She wondered if she was day dreaming, and was literally gaping at the person from books in front of her, who was actually grinning at her.

She was finally introduced to Dev, the chocolate boy of the gang. Maya didn't remember anything beyond that. But come rain or cyclone, Maya was seen on the court very promptly.

This was really funny because, for all she existed she was invisible to Dev. Just as she was clueless on why she had so many admirers, she was clueless as to why he never bothered to look. Maya was determined to change the situation.

At the yearly Tennis club cultural event, it was decided to have a potluck dinner. Each player was asked to bring along something. They had fun deciding the menu, when it came to the desserts, one wanted Ice creams, and some said payasam was easy, while somebody was insisting on Carrot Halwa. Most agreed making Carrot Halwa for huge crowd was tough.

Maya was surprised to see Dev cheering so much for Carrot Halwa. He said special occasion called for special dishes and even offered to help grate the lot if the need be. Maya was surprised to find her offering to make it.

Was it a disdain that she saw in Dev's expression? She really didn't care any longer. She was determined she was going to make Carrot halwa no matter what the end result was going to be.

Then the reality sank in. How was she going to tell Mom that she offered to make Carrot Halwa? Grate about 7 - 8 kilos of Carrot? Trying to impress somebody is good, but being stupid is not one of it.

With the trepidation setting in, Maya walked back home. But Mom was all excited about Carrot Halwa.  On the D day, Maya went shopping with Mom to buy the carrots. Mom makes Carrot Halwa often, but this is the first time Maya ever give it a thought.

She was determined to make the best ever Carrot Halwa

She was so engrossed in grating that she gave a start on hearing the door bell. With bits of carrots all over her, she jumped out to open the door, only to get the shock of her life. Standing on the door step was Dev along with few friends. They came to help grate the carrots, and even got the graters!

Mom was really impressed with her friends. Events blurred in her memory, finally it was time for Dev and the rest to leave. They left saying they look forward to eating the Halwa for dinner.

Maya helped Mom in making the halwa, most of the time standing next to the stove, making sure the milk wont’ spill over. If grating was a tough nut, getting that carrot cooked in milk was tougher. But she knew the result was a sweetest of all!

Finally with the halwa all packed in a container, Maya got dressed for the party. It was a gala evening with lot of fun events. But Maya was in a trance. When it was time for dinner, Maya had butterflies. She didn't know what was going to happen, but knew something will.

It was a fun evening, with the excellent food and company. When somebody asked Dev why wasn’t eating much, Maya was worried about what was wrong with him. He replied he was saving himself for the dessert!

When they moved on to the desserts, she saw Dev filling his plate with big scoops of Carrot Halwa. A friend next to him asked how without tasting he was helping himself to double dose. Dev turned to say "When it was made with so much love, it is bound to be delicious" with that he looked at Maya with a twinkle in his eyes.

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Even though grating the carrots are still a laborious process, cooking this in microwave made this dish a breeze!

I thought showing this in step by step was much more easier

Wash and grate the outer skin. Then grate the carrots after trimming the ends.

Take the grated carrot in a microwave safe bowl.

Micro 1 cup of milk for 2 mins. Pour the hot milk on the grated carrot, cover it with a lid and allow it to rest for 5 mins.

 

Remove the lid, using a ladle, mash and mix the carrot with the milk well.

Set the timing for 20 mins and Micro the carrot again.

After 7 mins, remove and add the remaining milk. Stir well and put it back.

Check again after 7 mins or so, add the sugar, mash well. The sugar will get almost dissolved by the heat.

 Put the bowl back for the remaining time. The carrot will be done by 20 mins.

 If you feel you need to put it back for couple of minutes more, you can do at this stage. But see that browned patch? That was what happened, a small piece of it was burnt. But it tasted great!

Micro ghee along with cashew for 2 mins. Cashew will turn really crisp.

 Pour this over the halwa and you are done.

Stir the halwa with the cashew well.

 See the way it looks!

It took me about 30 mins for the entire halwa to be made. This includes the grating part. Since I used fresh baby carrots, the job was done quickly.

Though this should take about 20 - 30 mins to get fully done, make sure you check in between to prevent it from getting burnt.

Carrot Halwa in Microwave ~ Gajar Ka Halwa

Ingredients Needed

Carrots, grated - 1 & 1/2 cup
Milk - 2 & 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Roasted cashews - handful
Ghee - 2 tsp

Method to prepare:

Wash and grate the outer skin. Then grate the carrots after trimming the ends. Take the grated carrot in a microwave safe bowl.

Micro 1 cup of milk for 2 mins. Pour the hot milk on the grated carrot, cover it with a lid and allow it to rest for 5 mins.

Remove the lid, using a ladle, mash and mix the carrot with the milk well.

Set the timing for 20 mins and Micro the carrot again. After 7 mins, remove and add the remaining milk. Stir well and put it back.

Check again after 7 mins or so, add the sugar, mash well. The sugar will get almost dissolved by the heat.

Give it back for the remaining time. The carrot will be done by 20 mins.

Micro ghee along with cashew for 2 mins. Cashew will turn really crisp. Pour this over the halwa and you are done.

It took me about 30 mins for the entire halwa to be made. This includes the grating part. Since I used fresh baby carrots, the job was done quickly.

Though this should take about 20 - 30 mins to get fully done, make sure you check in between to prevent it from getting burnt. You can store this in fridge for a week. Before you eat, you warm it in Microwave and enjoy. Else you can even add more milk, micro for a min.

If it gets cooked more, the halwa turns crystallized and it goes so well with Vanilla Ice-cream. This was the combination I served for my guest and I was indulging for 3 days.

Now I remembered why I don't make Carrot halwa!

I missed taking a picture of this bright orange looking Carrot halwa with Vanilla Ice cream. Will click it again surely!

Sending this to Nivedita's Celebrate Sweets - Halwa event!

To PJ who is hosting my MEC event this month themed on our Favorites!
And finally to Suma who is hosting Healing Foods - Carrot, an event started by Siri

Sooji ka Halwa | Suji ka Halwa Recipe in Microwave | Step By Step Recipes | Microwave Recipes

The way the day went by today was quite an adventure. I almost cooked our breakfast and few more dishes in Microwave. True to the 365 days of Microwave Cooking, I want to make as many dishes entirely in the Microwave as possible. I made my point clear that I am going to get a list of dishes enough to fill 365 days.

I have a Microwave Convectional Oven and I will be posting recipes for both too.

I promised Nive that I would send some more halwas her way. She was worried that she may not get that many entries to make it a success. So my small contribution to make her happy! I have two more to go, hopefully will post it within this month.

If you have been a regular here, you would know my attachment to Halwas. You can check out the Halwa Recipes that I have. I have already posted Kesari Bath, this version is almost the same, just the proportions little different. And it is entirely done in Microwave.

Update: In Microwave Cooking, when you cook in Micro mode it is always Power Mode High. So normal cooking is always Micro Power High. Only for certain cooking you will have to change the Temperature Mode. This is a pre-defined setting you need not change this, at least in my Oven I don't have to change. Please check your Oven Setting before doing this.

In a microwave bowl, add 1 tsp of ghee and chopped cashew nuts.

Micro for 1 minute.

Remove the cashew nuts, in the ghee add 1 cup of semolina.

Micro for 1 minute. It turns well roasted.

Remove from the bowl, add 1 & 1/2 cup Milk, 1/2 cup water, cardamon and 1 cup sugar. Micro for 2 minutes

Then remove, add the semolina

Add kesari food colour. Stir well.

Micro for 5 minutes.

Finally add the roasted cashew nuts, 1 tsp ghee. mix well. Micro for 1 minute

Sooji ka Halwa | Suji ka Halwa Recipe in Microwave

Ingredients Needed:

Semolina - 1 cup
Milk - 1 & 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom a pinch
Cashew nuts - 5 whole
Ghee - 2 tsp

Microwave Safe Bowl

Total time to cook in Microwave - 10 minutes

Method to prepare:

In a microwave safe bowl, heat ghee with cashew nuts for 1 min. Remove the nuts, add the semolina. Stir well and micro for 1 minute.

Remove the semolina, add the milk along with sugar and cardamon. Micro for 2 mins.

Add the kesari food colour, stir well, then add the roasted rava. Mix well.

Micro for 5 minutes.

Remove, add the roasted nuts and ghee. Mix well and micro for 1 min.
 
Enjoy your Sooji Ka halwa.

Sending this to Nivedita's Celebrate Sweets - Halwa event!

Since this is one of my favorite dish prepared entirely in Microwave, sending this to PJ who is hosting my MEC event this month themed on our Favorites! Thanks for hosting the events guys!.