PEAR HALWA

    As sceptical as ever, my daughter lifted her brow when I handed her a bowl of Halwa. Though I didn't mention what it was, she was damn sure that it was experimental. It looked like Kasi Halwa(Poosanikai Halwa) she was trying to find what the base ingredient was. She said some fruit, maybe apple and I said, it was Pear Halwa. She is biased when it comes to experimental recipes like this though she loved the texture of the Halwa, especially the texture of crunchy nuts in it. My next victim was my husband, who ate it with no comment. Then asked for an extra serving, I knew it was good. Have made this Pear Halwa three times in a row, just with the idea of finishing a whole lot of Pear.

    Why Pear Halwa? When you end up with having a few Pears just bland, eating it as such was not working & I was wondering what I could make out of it. And there I went with my whims & fancies & tried to recreate a version of Halwa with Pears. I was totally convinced with the results, perfected the measurements in my second attempt & here you go with the recipe. Trust me you can surely give a try & it is not going to disappoint you at all. 

    I followed the same method as for Kasi Halwa(Poosanikkai Halwa). Pear Halwa is prepared with Pears, Sugar, Ghee and Cardamom Powder and garnished with an extra bit of slivered Almonds & Cashew nuts fried in ghee which gives a whole lot of crunchy texture in every bite. I have not added Milk in this recipe. You have no strict rules while making this Halwa. Pears with its unique taste & the roasted slivered Nuts add texture to this Pear Halwa. And above all, this is an easy recipe & can be incorporated within minutes. 

    Just one thing to remember - Use the grated Pears immediately.  Otherwise, it tends to get oxidized & the colour of the Halwa may turn dark. No need of squeezing out any extra water in it. Add the grated Pears into the Ghee and cook it on a low flame until it turns soft &tender. Let the mixture be dry before adding sugar & flavourings into it. And when it comes to Sugar, I have added 1/4 Cup of Sugar for 2 Cups of Pear. The Pear I used was not sweet. If you are using a sweet variety, I suggest you to adjust it accordingly.

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 Cuisine - Indian

 Recipe Type - Sweet

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 2-3

 Author - SM  

 Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes.

 Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes.

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HOW TO COOK PEAR HALWA 

PEAR HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

For Pear Halwa:

Ghee - 3-4 Tbspns

Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos.

Almonds - 10 Nos. 

Pear - 2 Cups

Sugar - 1/4 Cup

Cardamom - 2-3 Pods

Saffron - few Strands

Yellow Food Colouring - few Drops(Optional)

 Salt - a Pinch

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Grind Cardamoms along with few teaspoons of sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of warm water.
• Sliver the Nuts and keep them aside. 
• Wash, peel & cut the Pears into halves.
• Remove the Seeds.
• Grate the Pears using a grater.
• Use the grated Pears immediately. 

For Pear Halwa:

• Heat 3 Tbspn of Ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, roast the slivered, Almonds & Cashew Nuts.
• Add the grated Pears and cook on a medium-low flame for a few minutes.
• Cook the Pears until it turns soft & tender.
• Cook until the Pears turn dry and there is no water.
• Now add the sugar along with Saffron soaked Water, Cardamom Powder and give a quick stir.
• Add a few drops of yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for about 5-7 Minutes.
• At this stage, Pear Halwa starts to bubble up.
• Now add a Tablespoon of Ghee and give a quick stir.
• Cook this on a low flame for another 5-7 Minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt and the remaining Ghee to the Halwa and mix well.
• When the Ghee starts to separate & the Pear Halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan, switch off the fire. 
• Serve Pear Halwa hot or at room temperature.
• Can keep it refrigerated.  
• Lasts up to a week when refrigerated. 
• The texture of the Halwa remains the same when refrigerated.

PEAR HALWA

NOTES:

• Grate the Pears evenly, which would facilitate even cooking.
• Once the Pears are grated, use it immediately.
• Otherwise, the Pears may tend to get oxidized.
• There is no need to squeeze the extra water out of the Pear.
• It helps the Pears to get cooked well.
• Saute the grated Pears and cook it along with the water until it turns soft, cooked and there is no more water content, before adding the sugar. 
• Some recipes call for adding Milk in the recipe.
• Can use 1/4 Cup of Milk and cook for an extra bit of time until the mixture turns dry before adding the sugar.
• Perfectly cooked Pears gives a perfect texture to the Halwa.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• I have flavoured the Halwa with Cardamom Powder.
• Adding a bit of extra Ghee will give a rich texture to the Pear Halwa.
• Adding Saffron is purely optional.
• Adding artificial food colouring is purely optional.
• I have added a few drops of yellow food colouring to the Pear Halwa. Can use orange/green food colouring too.
• Adding a pinch of salt to the Halwa is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of the dessert.

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NAMAK PARE

     Namak Pare - though the name is new to me, I had been preparing this recipe in the name of spicy Diamond Cuts since my college days. Though with a slight variation and when I started frequenting with Chaat Items at home I started preparing Papdi, Puri, Boondhi, Sev etc., Long & tiring process, I started converting Papdis into Namak Pare, cutting them into diamond shapes seemed to be an easy task otherwise which needed me to roll out the dough and cut small roundels out it, prick it out with a fork so that it doesn't fluff up etc., & etc.,

    This way just cutting it out into diamond shapes with the cutter was less time consuming for me. So I started making some batches of Namak Pare which can be eaten as a snack and also can be crushed and added into Bhel Puris. 

    Namak Pare is a crispy, tasty and savoury fried snack which is quite popular in North India. There is another counterpart of the same snack, a sweet version called Shakkarpare/ Shankarpali. The process of making this snack is an easy one except for the cutting and frying portion takes a bit of time & patience. The trick to making crunchy Namak Paare is to knead the dough as tightly as you can and fry them on medium-low heat. The amount of ghee added to the flour while kneading makes Namak Pare deliciously crunchy.

    Namak Pare is a good Teatime snack. Serve it along with hot Chai or a cup of Coffee. It is also one snack popular during Diwali & Holi. With the upcoming Diwali season, you can easily sneak in this simple Namak Pare recipe into your Savoury list. These are also great to serve to guests, along with Murukku, South Indian Mixture, Roasted Cashews, Sweet Mixture, Moong Dhal Namkeen,
Oma Podi, Aloo Bhujia etc., & etc.,

For more recipes on SNACKS & SAVOURIES, Click here...

Cuisine - North Indian
Recipe Type - Snacks
Spice Level - Low
Difficulty - Medium
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 25-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30 -45 Minutes
 

HOW TO MAKE NAMAK PARE 

NAMAK PARE

 

Two main factors to remember for crispy Namak Pare

• The dough should be slightly stiffer.
• Fry the Namak Pare on a medium-low flame until it turns into Golden Colour.  

INGREDIENTS:

For Namak Pare: 

All-purpose Flour(Maida) - 2 Cups

Baking Soda - 1/4 Tspn

Salt - To Taste 

Carom Seeds(Ajwain) - 1 Tspn

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tspn(Optional)

Oil/Ghee - 2-3 Tbspn

Water - 1/2 - 3/4 Cup(Approximately)

For Frying:

Oil

METHOD:

For the Dough:

• Sieve the All-purpose Flour (maida) along with baking soda & salt once.
• Add Carom Seeds(ajwain), Cumin Seeds to the sieved flour and give a quick stir.
• Pour in the Oil/Ghee.
• Add little water at a time and knead it into a slightly stiffer dough.
• Add water at intervals. Do not pour in all the water at a time.
• I used approximately a little lesser than 3/4 Cup of Water.
• Amount of water required depends on the quality of the flour.
• The dough should be slightly stiffer.  

For Namak Pare:

• Divide the Dough into 3 Balls and keep them aside.
• Dust the Dough Balls with some All-Purpose Flour and roll it out into a flat, neither too thin nor thick circle.
• Cut the circles into Diamonds/Squares with a Knife/ Spiral Cutter.
• Transfer the Cut Diamonds/Squares to a plate dusted with All-Purpose Flour.
• Follow suit for rest of the dough balls.

For Deep Frying:

• Heat Oil in a Deep Pan or a Wok.
• Once the oil becomes hot, reduce the flame to medium-low.
• Gently drop the Cut Diamonds/Squares into the Oil.
• Fry the Namak Pare on a low- medium flame until it turns into Golden Colour.
• Once done, remove the fried Namak Pare with slotted spoons from the oil.
• Drain them on Paper towels 
• Once cooled down, store them in airtight containers.
• If stored properly, it may last up to a week to 10 days.

Baking Namak Pare In an Oven:

• Follow the steps as above until cutting the Namak Pare into desired shapes.
• Preheat an Oven at 160°C.
• Spray the baking tray with Oil.
• Line it up with the cut diamond-shaped/square shaped Namak Pare.
• Bake it in the preheated Oven at 160°C for about 25 - 30 Minutes.

NAMAK PARE

NOTES:

• Can substitute half the amount of All-purpose Flour with Wheat Flour(Aata).
• Some recipes even call for adding a few teaspoons of Semolina while kneading the dough.
• The dough should be stiff, which is the main factor behind crispy Namak Pare.
• Can use Ghee/Oil for the recipe. Both work equally well.
• Don’t roll it too thin. Roll it as you do it for chapati, but slightly thicker.
• Can use a Knife/Spiral Cutter/Pizza/Pie Cutter for the purpose.
• Cut the flat circles into long rectangular shapes or squares or diamond shape.
• Fry the Namak Pare on a low- medium flame until it turns into Golden Colour.

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KOLLU/HORSE GRAM SUNDAL

   Sundal is a typical South Indian delicacy & one of the easiest recipes which can be cooked within minutes. Cooked dry Beans, Lentils/Pulses with a note of mild tempering made with Mustard Seeds, Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves, Dry Red Chillies, grated Coconut and a pinch of Asafoetida is a delicacy on its own. Sundal Recipe serves the purpose as a Side Dish for lunch, as a healthy Evening Snack. Some recipes even call for adding Sundal Podi a specific Spice Powder used while making Sundal.

    Sundal is one dish served as a Naivedhyam/Prasadham during Navratri Festival/Vinayaga Chathurthi/Krishna Jayanthi. I still devour the days we go to temple during festivals to get the Sarkkarai Pongal & Sundals. They have a unique taste synonymous to Temples. The smell of fresh flowers, Vibuthi and Camphor all linger into the Prasadhams, making it divine.

    Navratri has begun and one Sundal recipe to commemorate the same. Kollu/Horse Gram Sundal is a nutritious stir fry which can be easily prepared and served during Navratri. Sundal is prepared with White Chick Peas, Green Gram Dhal, Moong Dhal, Peanuts, Green Peas, White Cow Peas, Red Beans, Kidney Bean/Rajma, Bengal Gram Dhal, Kollu/Horse gram etc., Though the basic recipe serves the same, only the soaking & cooking time varies with each bean, lentil & pulse.

    This Sundal Recipe is cooked with Kollu/Horse Gram. I usually soak the Kollu/Horse Gram overnight. Drain the water and then cook the Kollu/Horse Gram in a Pressure cooker until the Kollu/Horse Gram turns soft. The excess water used for cooking Horse Gram can be used to make Kollu Rasam. If you are serving the Sundal recipe as a Naivedhyam/Prasadham, avoid adding Onions.

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 Course - Side Dish

 Spice Level - Moderate

 Difficulty - Easy

 Serve - 3-4

 Author - SM

 Preparation Time - 5 -10 Minutes

 Soaking Time - 8-10 Hours/Overnight

 Cooking Time - 25 - 30 Minutes

For SUNDAL PODI RECIPE, Click here...

HOW TO COOK KOLLU/HORSE GRAM SUNDAL

KOLLU/HORSE GRAM SUNDAL

INGREDIENTS:

To Soak & Cook:

Kollu/Horse Gram - 1/2 Cup

Water - 2 Cups

For detailed recipe on HOW TO COOK BEANS, LENTILS & PULSES, click here...

For Tempering:

Oil - 2 Tbpsn

Mustard Seeds - 1 Tspn

Black Gram Dhal/Urad Dhal - 1 Tspn

Dry Red Chillies - 2 Nos.

Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs

Asafoetida - a Pinch

Grated Coconut - 2-3 Tbpsn

METHOD:

To Soak & Cook Kollu/Horse Gram:

• Clean, Wash and Soak Kollu/Horse Gram Overnight or for at least 8-10 hours.
• Alternatively can soak the Kollu/Horse Gram in Boiling Water for 3-5 Hours.
• Once soaked, drain the water,
• Add 2 Cups of Water to the Kollu/Horse Gram & Pressure cook.
• Pressure cook on high flame for 2 whistles, reduce the flame & cook for another 4-5 whistles.
• Adjust the cooking time to suit your cooking preference.
• Once cooked drain any excess water from the cooked Kollu/Horse Gram.
• The excess water (used for cooking Horse Gram) can be used while making Kollu Rasam. 

For Kollu/Horse Gram Sundal:

• Heat oil in a Pan.
• Splutter Mustard Seeds, Black Gram Dhal, Dry Red Chillies & Curry Leaves in it.
• Add Asafoetida Powder to the above and give a quick stir.
• Immediately add grated Coconut and fry for a while.
• Add cooked Kollu/Horse Gram along with a dash of salt.
• Cook this on a very low flame for few minutes until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Serve Kollu/Horse Gram Sundal hot or cold.
• Can be served as a side dish, evening snack or can be served as a Naivedhyam/Prasadham.

NOTES:

• Do not add salt while cooking the Kollu/Horse Gram.
• Can prepare the same recipe with White Chick Peas, Green Gram Dhal, Moong Dhal, Peanuts, Green Peas, White Cow Peas, Red Beans, Kidney Bean/Rajma, Bengal Gram Dhal, Kollu/Horse gram etc.,
• You can even sprout Chick Peas, Green Gram, Horse Gram, Red Bean, Cow Peas, Peanuts and convert the humble Sundal into a nutritious version.
• Though the basic recipe serves the same, only the soaking & cooking time varies with each bean, lentil & pulse.

 
 
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