DRIED APRICOT DELIGHT(KHUBANI KA MEETA)

Khubani ka meeta is a very famous, expensive, easy to make and nutritious dessert in south India.It is considered to be a lavish wedding feast if khubani ka meeta was one among the many dishes.
That being said, the nutritious side of dried apricots is that they are highly rich in Iron,dietary fiber and Calcium.I had a very interesting season with khubani ka meeta during my pregnancy.My mother,in her frantic efforts to pep up my iron levels in my pregnancy, prepared this everyday for me.I cant help but put a smile on my face.This dessert is just sensual,cant get enough of it.

Ingredients

1 packet of dried apricots(with seeds). (For first time trials, begin with a small packet of dried apricots available in most Indian grocery stores
2-3 tbsp of sugar (optional.
Ice cream or a little custard for garnishing.

Procedure

Soak the dried apricots (they should contain their seed in it) in water overnight. In the morning put the apricots with water in the pressure cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles.

After cooling down, the apricots become very soft.Strain the water and keep aside.Just crush the softened apricots with hand to a smooth pulp while removing the seeds.(Keep aside the seeds, do not throw them away.) Then add the water and mix into the pulp.
Remove the nuts from the seeds and add them into the pulp.

Add the sugar if needed otherwise sugarless dessert is the best. While serving, put some 3-4 tablespoons in a dish and top it off with a scoop of ice cream in the center.

Believe me it is a bowl-licking dish. Yum yum.

Low-fat Carrot Halwa

I have fond memories of Gajar Halwa which my mom used to make when I was a kid. Gajar is not the regular carrot we get to see these days. Gajar is reddish in color compared to carrots and ofcourse much more sweeter. I havent seen Gajar available here in the US.

Anyway, I now have to be content with using carrot for making this halwa. And it tastes pretty good too. Now for the recipe.

Ingredients

5 medium sized carrots

1/4 cup low-fat (1% milk fat) organic milk

3/4 cup sugar (adjust quantity to taste)

10 strands of saffron

1/2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Cashews

Raisins

Procedure

Wash, peel and grate the carrots. Add milk to the carrots and let it simmer. The carrots will leave lot of water. This simmering process takes a little time, maybe 45 minutes till all the moisture is absorbed by the carrots. Then add the sugar and adjust the quantity to the sweetness you want. Keep stirring the halwa till it starts leaving the sides of the pan. In the end add the saffron strands. In another pan heat the ghee and brown the cashews and plump up the raisins. Add this to the halwa. The halwa tastes extremely good for a low-fat recipe and the saffron adds a subtle aromatic taste in the background.

Source: Self

References: My Mom