Ellu mittai /Sesame Seeds Chikki, a delicious and crunchy candy made from sesame seeds and jaggery. It makes a great after meal snack to satisfy your sugar cravings. 

Here in this recipe, i have used white sesame seeds.However, this chikki can be made with both black and white sesame seeds. 

The key to make any candy successfully is the sugar syrup consistency. For this mittai/chikki, the sugar consistency should be hard ball stage. Once you get the sugar syrup consistency perfectly, everything else is such a breeze.

Sesame Seeds 

As i said earlier, you can use either black or white sesame seeds or even a mix of both sesame seeds in this mittai. Make sure that the sesame seeds are well roasted so that the mittai don't have the raw smell of the sesame seeds. 

Jaggery 

For this recipe, i have used "achu vellam"/ cone shaped jaggery available in the market. But round jaggery/ powder jaggery also works fine for this recipe. The color of this mittai  purely depends on the color of the jaggery. So if you want dark colored chikki use the dark color jaggery.

Tips to make the perfect chikki /mittai

• Once the sugar syrup reaches the hard ball stage, keep the flame in the lowest possible temperature and do the remaining task as quickly as possible. 
• Make sure to cut deep enough in the chikki while it's hot. Otherwise it would be hard to make neat pieces. I didn't make deep cuts in my chikki so it was difficult to make neat edges. I had to break it, which you can see it in the pictures :-) 
• Butter paper helps to roll the chikki smoothly without sticking. If you don't have butter paper then grease your rolling pin generously with ghee and then roll.

Now let's check out how to make these delicious ellu mittai/ sesame seeds chikki.

Ellu Mittai| Sesame Seeds Chikki

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Yields : 12 
Recipe Category: Candy | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Ellu Mittai, White sesame seeds candy, Sesame Seeds Chikki,Indian Candy Ellu mittai /Sesame Seeds Chikki, a delicious and crunchy candy made from the sesame seed and jaggery.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

White Sesame - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1/2 cup

Water - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

First heat a pan , add the sesame seeds and roast till they are aromatic & transfer into a another plate.

In the same pan, add the jaggery and water. Let the jaggery melts completely.

Then boil the jaggery syrup in medium flame until it reaches the hard ball stages( if you add a little bit of jaggery syrup in a cold water, it should form hard ball . That's the correct stage of jaggery syrup). Then immediately switch off the flame and add the cardamom powder.

Next add the roasted sesame seeds to the jaggery syrup and mix it well quickly and transfer on to the parchment sheet.

Place an another parchment sheet on the sesame chikki mixture and roll it with a rolling pin. Then cut into a desired shapes. It sets instantly so make the marks with knifve immediately so that later you can break into pieces.

That's it, Delicious Sesame Chikki is ready. Store it in a airtight container once it's completely cooled.

Notes:

• It stays well for a month at room temperature.
• Store it in air tight container to keep it crunchy for longer time.

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Aval/ Mixture / Chivda, a delicious savoury snack made from the mix of flattened rice, nuts and flavored with some Indian spices. It's such an easy snack to make at home in no time !

If you love the traditional mixture recipe then i'm sure that you would love this aval mixture too. In contrast to traditional mixture, this aval mixture can be made in under 20 mins. So do give it a try when you're craving for something crunchy and delicious.

Aval / Poha / Flattened Rice 

In the market, you can find two types of aval/poha such as thick and thin. For this recipe, you need the thick variety of aval. While frying the aval/poha, the thick aval nicely puff up whereas the thin aval don't puff up well. 

In general , chivda is made from the white aval. But in my house we prefer red aval more than white aval because of its flavor. Hence i have used the same red rice aval in this recipe instead of buying white aval especially for this recipe and it tastes awesome. So you can use either white or red aval/poha for white aval/poha

Other Ingredients

For the nuts, I have used the skinless peanuts and cashews for this chivda. Skinned peanuts also work fine for this recipe. 

In addition to the nuts, i have used the raisins because i love the sweetness from the raisins while munching the mixture. You can use black or golden raisins in this recipe. But if you don't like the sweet in your mixture then skip it.

I have used only 1/4 tsp of chili powder for this recipe. It's very mild and you don't even notice it in the mixture. If you're a spice lover you can add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp of red chili powder for this recipe. 

Finally, you can add more or less of any nuts as per your liking. So keep this recipe as a guide and make the way you like your mixture. 

Now let's check out how to make this super delicious Aval mixture. 

Aval Mixture | Poha Chivda

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 4 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Aval mixture, Chivda, Poha mixtur, Poha chivda Aval/ Mixture / Chivda, a delicious savoury snack made from the mix of flattened rice, nuts and flavored with some Indian spices.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

To deep fry

Aval/Poha - 1 cup

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Pottukadalai/ Roasted gram dal - 1/3 cup

Cashews - 1/4 cup

Raisins - 1/4 cup

For Tempering

Oil - 2 tsp

Sesame seed - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/8 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Procedure

First let's deep fry the ingredients listed under "To deep fry" one by one. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, add the pottukadalai/roasted gram dal in a metal siever and dip the metal siever  in the hot oil. Roast till they are golden brown. Drain it from the oil and put it on a paper towel.

Next roast the peanuts in the same way. 

Next deep the cashews till golden brown and raisins till it's puff up.

Finally deep fry the Aval/poha. Fry the aval/poha in small quantities since it's puff up well and fill the siever the immediately. Place all the deep fried items on the paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Next in a pan, heat the 2 tsp of oil, add the sesame seeds, once the sesame seed starts to crackle, switch off the flame and then add the asafoetida powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder. 

Finally add all the deep fried items and salt. Toss it all well together.

Delicious and crunchy Aval Mixture/ Poha Chivda is ready. Let it cool completely and then store it in an airtight container.

Related: How to make Madras Mixture

Notes:

• It stays well for up to 10 days in room temperature.
• Use dry spoon every time to take it out so that it stays crispy till it lasts.
• Sesame seed is optional so if you don't like it, you can skip it.

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Kalakand , a rich and delectable Indian milk cake made with milk and flavored with cardamom. It's one of the popular milk based sweets from North India. South Indian sweet palkova is something similar to this kalakand.

I came to know about this sweet years ago through blogging. Even though i have been making this sweet for a while now, i was waiting for an occasion to share this sweet recipe on the blog. What would be a better occasion than Diwali for making sweets, right? So here i'm with this yummy sweet recipe !

Milk 

Milk is the prime ingredient in this sweet. So use the full fat whole milk for this recipe for better flavor and taste. Don't use the skimmed milk or non-fat milk in this recipe, it doesn't taste  the same. 

Condensed Milk 

Adding condensed milk enhances the richness of the sweet. However you can use the regular white sugar too in this recipe. In the past, i made this recipe with sugar and it tasted good too.

I have used 3/4 cup of condensed milk for this recipe. It has moderate sweetness. If you like more sweetness in general, you can use up to 1 cup of condensed milk. 

Start with 3/4 cup of condensed milk, once the kalakand reaches thick consistency, do a taste test and if it need more sweetness then add more condensed milk at that time and cook it for a couple of more mins. 

Adding condensed milk at the final stage of the sweet wouldn't affect the taste or texture.

Flavoring Agent

I have used only the cardamom powder in this recipe. Rose water / Rose essence is the other common flavoring agent used in Kalakand. So you can use whatever flavor you like or combination of both too.  

Garnish the Kalakand

I have used only the chopped pistachios for garnishing. Chopped almonds , edible silver leaf are also great options for garnishing the kalakand.

Tips for beginners 

• Stir often while cooking the kalakand so that it doesn't get stuck to the bottom. It it sticks to the bottom, there is a high chance of burning at the bottom. Even the slightest burning would ruin the whole dish.
• Highly recommend using a non-stick or heavy bottom pan for making this sweet.

Now let's check out how to make this delectable kalakand !

Kalakand Recipe | Indian Milk Cake

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Yields : 12 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Kalakand, Paneer Kalakand,Milk Cake, Kalakand , a rich and delectable Indian milk cake made with milk and flavored with cardamom.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Milk - 6 cups

Condensed Milk - 3/4 to 1 cup

Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Chopped pistachio - 1 tbsp

Procedure

First let's make fresh paneer. Heat 4 cups of milk in a sauce and bring it to boil. Once it starts to boil, keep the flame  low and add the lemon juice little by little.

Stir the milk continuously. Once all the milk curdles, switch off the flame. Place a cheese cloth on to the strainer and pour the curdled milk. Rinse the paneer in the running water well so that the lemon tartness will be removed. 

Squeeze the water from the paneer well and keep it aside.In a non-stick / thick bottomed pan, add the remaining 2 cups of milk and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, add the condensed milk(I used only 3/4 cup of condensed milk and it has mild sweetness, for sweeter version, use 1 cup of condensed milk)

And the prepared paneer. Mix it all well together.

Stir the milk mixture now and then. Cook the mixture till it thickens and is able to scoop it on the ladle(it takes approximately 15-20 mins in medium flame). Then add the ghee and cardamom powder.

Mix it all well together and when the mixture starts to leave the pan, switch off the flame. (The last pic in the below collage in for your reference on how the mixture looks on the day light)

Pour the mixture on to the ghee greased pan and level the top with a ghee coated spoon/any small bowl. Finally garnish the top with chopped pistachios and let it cool for 2-3 hrs. Then slice and enjoy!

                        My little one is helping me with garnishing :-)

Delicious Kalakand is ready ! 

Related: How to make Kaju Katli 

Notes:

• Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for longer life
• It stays well for upto 7 days in the refrigerator.
• Tastes great when it's fresh.

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Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku, a delicious and crunchy murukku made with cooked tapioca roots. This murukku has a unique taste from the tapioca and makes it more addictive. 

If you have followed me on IG, you might already know that how much we like maravalli kizhangu. I often make them as a snack for evening time. Steamed maravalli kizhangu with salt and freshly grated coconut is absolutely delicious. 

Last year, around diwali time, i came to know about this murukku through social media(now can't remember where it is from ) and tried it in a very small quantity for the first time and it turned out super delicious. Ever since it's been added to my snack list and i have already made it 3-4 times and every time we loved it. 

So if you're looking for a unique murukku recipe to try for this Diwali, then definitely give this a try. I'm sure that you would be amazed by its taste and texture.

Maravalli Kizhangu / Tapioca Roots

Usually, here in Canada, i buy maravalli kizhangu/tapioca roots from Walmart as well as Indian Stores. Both are the same and taste similar. If you're not using maravalli kizhangu much in your cooking, then check out this post when i shared how to peel and use the maravalli kizhangu. 

Maravalli kizhangu has a lot of starch like potatoes so adding maravalli Kizhangu to the rice flour makes the dough more pliable and the dough doesn't break often when you make murukku.  That's one thing that i really love about adding the maravalli kizhangu to the murukku dough.

Cooking the maravalli kizhangu

For this recipe, cook the maravalli kizhangu in a steamer plate instead of boiling it in the water. Because when boiling it in the water, maravalli kizhangu tends to absorb a lot of moisture so later while frying murukku, it seems to absorb a lot of oil. 

So to avoid the excess absorption of  oil in the murukku, i highly recommend to steam cook the maravalli kizhangu. You can steam it in an idli plate or any steamer plate without touching the water.

Now let's check out how to make this yummy maravalli kizhangu murukku.

Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku | Tapioca Murukku

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Yields : 32-35  
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku, Tapioca Murukku, Diwali Murukku Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku, a delicious and crunchy murukku made with cooked tapioca roots.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Rice Flour - 1 cup

Cooked and Mashed Tapioca Roots - 1/4 cup

Butter(melted) - 1 tbsp

White Sesame Seed - 2 tsp

Water - as needed

Salt - to taste

Procedure

First peel the tapioca steam and cut into small pieces(remove the center small stem if you have). Steam cook it for 5 mins or until it's soft. Let it cool completely and put it in the mixie jar and pulse it a couple of times or until it's completely mushy.

In a bowl, add the rice flour, mashed tapioca, butter, sesame seed and salt. 

Mix it all together with your finger and then add water little by little to make a soft dough.

Use the star shaped disc for your murukku press and fill it with the murukku maavu/dough. Then make a small murukku on the parchment paper/ small ladle.

Heat the oil for frying and then add a few murukku at a time and cook till the "shh" sound stops completely. Drain the murukku from the oil and place it on tissue paper.

Tasty and crunchy murukku is ready ! Cool it completely and store it in airtight container. 

Related:How to make Coconut Milk Murukku

Notes:

• Instead of white sesame seeds, you can also use black sesame seeds.
• You can use any murukku press disc to make this murukku.

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Badam Halwa Using Almond flour | Easy Badam Halwa

Badam Halwa, a rich and delicious sweet made with almond, milk, ghee and sugar. Even today, it's consider as one of the  luxurious sweets because of its richness and heavenly taste.   

Traditionally, Badam Halwa is made from the whole almonds and the whole process is taking a very long time because it involves soaking the almonds, peeling them and then ground them into fine paste. Now, thanks to the readily available almond flour so that you can skip all those steps and make the badam halwa under 30 mins. 

Almond Flour 

In the market, if you're looking for 'grounded almond', you can find almond flour and almond meal. This recipe requires almond flour not the almond meal. Almond flour is basically made from the blanched almonds .So make sure to get the almond flour which has more fine texture compared to almond meal.

Also, in some places, almond meal is made with whole skinned almonds, so the color of the almond meal would be little darker compared to almond flour.

Flavoring Agents

Here in this recipe, i have used both saffron and cardamom for the flavors. I never thought of making Badam Halwa without saffron. But one of my friends told me that she liked it without any flavoring because that's how badam halwa is made by her family for years. 

So it's more of a personal choice or how you like it than what recipe calls for, right?. Hence you can use any one of this flavoring agents or you can skip the both . Still it would be delicious.

 

Milk

Whole or full fat milk is the best for this halwa. For this badam halwa recipe, I have used 1.5 cups of liquid out of which 1 cup is milk. You can make this recipe with 1/2 cup of milk too. But the richness and the creaminess wouldn't be the same. 

Adding more milk would increase the cooking time but however it gives the rich flavor so i highly recommend to use the given quantity of milk for better tasting halwa.

Now let's see how to make this delicious and rich badam halwa!

Badam Halwa Using Almond flour

Preparation Time : 0 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 4 
Recipe Category: Sweets | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Badam Halwa with Almond flour, Almond flour halwa Badam Halwa, a rich and delicious sweet made with almond, milk, ghee and sugar.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Almond flour/ meal - 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Saffron - a few strands 

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Procedure

First soak the saffron in 2 tbsp of warm milk for 30 mins. Heat a non-stick pan, add the 2 tbsp of ghee, let it melt completely and then add the almond flour.

Keep the heat in medium and roast the almond flour in the ghee for 3-4 mins. Make sure that the almond flour doesn't change color. Next keep the heat  low and add the water.

Cook till all the water is absorbed by the almond flour. Next add the remaining milk after using i2 tbsp for soaking saffron and mix it continuously so that it doesn't form any lump and smooth. Now increase the heat to medium.

Cook the mixture till the milk quantity is reduced to 1/2(Make sure that the heat is medium and stir it frequently otherwise the bottom would be burnt). Now add the sugar. When the sugar melts, the mixture again loosen a bit. 

Cook the mixture till it become thick. It would take approximately 18-20 mins after adding the milk to the mixture with medium heat. When the mixture starts to thicken, it splatter a bit, so be careful.   At this stage add the saffron milk. Mix it well and the mixture turns pale yellow.

Finally add the remaining ghee and cardamom powder. Cook it for another 3-4 mins and switch off the flame.

Delicious Badam Halwa is ready.

Related : How to make Bombay Karachi Halwa

You can serve this halwa in a bowl or you can pack a spoonful of halwa in a butter paper and serve it like in marriage function. Store the remaining in the refrigerator.

Related: How to make Almond Flour Cookies

Notes:

• This Halwa tends to thicken when it's cool down completely. So remove from the heat when it's a bit runny.
• Added a few pistachios for garnishing on the top. But this halwa doesn't need any nuts.

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