Maalaadu

Makes a quick, easy and delicious sweet for all occasions. I learnt this from my mother-in-law and she's an expert at making this yummy dessert.

Ingredients

Roasted Bengal Gram / Dalia / Pottu kadalai : 2 cups
Sugar : 4 cups
Cardamom : 6-7 nos.
Cashews : 1/3 cup
Ghee : 1/4 cup

Method

1. Powder together roasted bengal gram, sugar and cardamom by blending in a mixie.
2. Heat 2 tsp ghee in a pan and roast the cashews till golden brown. Break them into tiny bits and add to the above mixture and mix well with your hand.
3. Heat ghee in a pan and add a little to the powder to check the heat. If the ghee froths up immediately, then the temperature is perfect. If it doesn't then heat for some more time. You can add a little at a time or all the ghee at the same time to the powder.
4. Shape into balls of desired size making sure that the cashew bits are there in all the sweet balls.
   

Paruppu Payasam

Ingredients

Moong Dal (payatham paruppu) : 1 cup
Coconut Milk : 2 cups
Jaggery : 2 cups
Cashew : 2 tbsp
Ghee : 1 tbsp
Cardamom Powder : 1 tsp

Method

1. Dry roast saute moong dal very well in a kadai till slightly brown. Pressure cook in medium for 3 whistles.
2. Mash the dal and add jaggery and allow to boil till the raw smell goes.
3. Add coconut milk, bring to a boil and turn off heat.
4. In a small pan heat the ghee and roast cashew till golden brown. (If you like you can also roast thinly sliced coconut bits along with cashew). Add to the payasam.
5. Add cardamom powder and give it a good mix. Serve hot.

Quick Banana Halwa

Ingredients

Overripe Banana : 1
Jaggery : 1/4 cup
Maida : 2 tsp
Cardamom powder : 1 tsp
Ghee : 1tsp

Method

1. Heat ghee and saute maida in it till it mixes well with the ghee.
2. In a blender, mix banana, cardamom powder and jaggery.
3. Add to the maida and mix well.
4. Put this mixture in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 2 min.