This would not have been possible without the support of the Almighty, my HD and all you kind ladies out there (and if there are any gents, no offence, please! :) ). Believe me, I never thought I could go this far. When my HD read this, he just couldn't stop smiling, because I have mentioned so much about him. I should say that his support mattered. I showed him my blog almost a month after I started it, and he started laughing. He told me, "I know you cook well now, but is it big enough for blogging?" and gave me a big smile. I guess that has given me the feeling of having to do whatever it takes to make my cooking improve!!! :) Sometimes, you need that push. And now this interview has come to me as a silver lining, really I want to keep going on and continuing this blog as much as I can... All your lovely comments keep me going and I am so glad for the good friends that I have got through blogging. Some perks!!! :)
I am pleased to inform that I am now a part of the South vs North Challenge - SNC as it is called, that is being hosted by Divya Pramil of You Too Can Cook Indian Food. I used to be really fascinated as how diverse our Indian cooking and this initiative by Divya is running successfully for the past six months. I decided to be a part of it after quite a lot of contemplation, as it is a good way to learn more about Northern cuisine!! This is the first challenge I am taking part and the challenge for this month was Chana Dal Halwa, hosted by Flavors from My Kitchen. I, never in my wildest dream, had thought that this dal could be converted into such a lip-smacking sweet. Here is how I made it.
Chana Dal Halwa
Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
3/4 cup chana dal
4 tbsp ghee
1 cup (200 ml) milk
1/2 cup sugar
A pinch cardamom powder
2 tbsp nuts, chopped (I used almonds)
2 strands saffron (optional)
Method:
Soak the chana dal for 30 minutes. Wash and drain. Fill water till its level in a pressure cooker and cook for upto 3 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow the pressure to go by itself.
Drain the chana and coarsely grind it in a mixer. Heat a saucepan and add the ghee. Once the ghee melts and heats, add in the grinded chana and cook on medium heat for 12-15 minutest till it gets well cooked. Now, pour half the milk and mix well till it gets well incorporated. Add the remaining milk and mix it well again. Continue cooking till the milk is all soaked up and the chana gets slightly dry.
Add in the sugar and the cardamom and continue cooking for the next five minutes. Finally add the chopped nuts and the saffron and cook for a final 5-10 minutes. Pour the halwa into a greased flat tray to set. I poured it into 4 heart shaped silicon moulds and put the remaining into a bowl. Allow to set and enjoy!!!
I placed it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, unmoulded it on a plate and devoured it. I bet it tasted much better cold than warm!!!
My heartfelt thank you to Divya for this wonderful opportunity. I definitely cannot wait for the next month's challenge. :)
Method:
Soak the chana dal for 30 minutes. Wash and drain. Fill water till its level in a pressure cooker and cook for upto 3 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow the pressure to go by itself.
Drain the chana and coarsely grind it in a mixer. Heat a saucepan and add the ghee. Once the ghee melts and heats, add in the grinded chana and cook on medium heat for 12-15 minutest till it gets well cooked. Now, pour half the milk and mix well till it gets well incorporated. Add the remaining milk and mix it well again. Continue cooking till the milk is all soaked up and the chana gets slightly dry.
Add in the sugar and the cardamom and continue cooking for the next five minutes. Finally add the chopped nuts and the saffron and cook for a final 5-10 minutes. Pour the halwa into a greased flat tray to set. I poured it into 4 heart shaped silicon moulds and put the remaining into a bowl. Allow to set and enjoy!!!
I placed it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, unmoulded it on a plate and devoured it. I bet it tasted much better cold than warm!!!
My heartfelt thank you to Divya for this wonderful opportunity. I definitely cannot wait for the next month's challenge. :)