KESAR HALWA - Basant Panchami Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Rawa

Sugar to taste

2 1/2 cup water

5 Almonds

10 Cashews

10-12 Raisins

1/4 tbsp Cardomom Powder

1/4 tbsp Nutmeg (Jaiphal) Powder

2 pinches Saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk

few drops Yellow Colour

3 tbsp Ghee

How to cook Kesar sooji ka halwa:

1. Heat ghee in a large heavy Pan, add rava.

2. Stir and Roast on low for 7-8 minutes or till aroma exudes.

3. Side by side, put water to boil, add sugar and bring to a boil.

4. Add boiling water to rava, little at a time stir continuously.

5. Take care to protect hands from spluttering.

6. When well mixed, check rava grains between fingers and taste for sweetness.

7. Adjust sweetness, and add more boiling water if grain is hard.

8. Add the remainng ingredients, cover & simmer till ghee separates.

9. Save a small amounts of Almonds and Cashews for garnishing.

10. Add colour and mix well.

11. Halwa is ready.

Few tips for Serving:

1. Grase a Katori or steel cup.

2. Press hot halwa inside it and unmould onto a plate.

3. Garnish with few Almonds and Cashews.

4. Serve hot.

MEETHA CHAWAL / SWEET RICE RECEIPE - Vasant Panchami Recipes

Ingredients
Basmati rice 500 gm

Almonds 20 pieces

Pista 20 gm
Kaju 20 gm
Kismis 20 gm

Khoya 250 gm
Lavang 10 pieces

Elaichi 10 pieces
Saffron ¼ teaspoon

Kewra 400 gm

Sugar 100 gm
Ghee 100 gm
Water 7 glasses
How to cook Meetha Chawal

Soak the rice, badam and kaju. Put the saffron in the 7 glasses of water and boil. Put the soaked rice in the boiling water and also some lavang and elaichi pieces. When the rice is done sieve it to drain excess water.
In a heavy bottomed pan put some ghee and add some more elaichi and lavang and fry for 2 minutes. In a pressure cooker put half of the cooked rice and then half of the sugar and then the remaining rice.
Cook over a low flame. Add the remaining ghee to the rice, occasionally stirring it. Cook for 25 minutes.
Now add all the dry fruits and the mixture should be well steamed. Add 3 teaspoons of kewra and cover the vessel.
After the water has dried up add the khoya and cook for 15 minutes and take the vessel off the fire and put a silver foil over it. Totally it would take around 45 minutes to 1 hour for this preparation.