Banana Halwa (Indian Dessert)

Banana Halwa

In southern part of India different variety of plantins are cultivated. Smaller ones can be as small as 2-3 inches and largest one can be as big as 12 inches also. The color also varies from golden yellow to purple. It was amazing to see so many varieties of banana. The most common one is golsed yellow ripe banana of whoch medium size will vary between 5-6 inches.

Kerela is famous for the variety of bananas savories and desserts. Banana chips and Banana halwa are my favorite. My daughter-in-law who abhors eating ripe banana, loves it only in two forms “banana Cake and Banana Halwa”. Thus I end up getting delicious banana halwa made by her. In fact I learned how to make this great Kerela (Indian) dessert from her. Traditionally it is made in coconut oil but being a North Indian and raised on Mustard oil and Ghee taste I prefer making this halwa in Ghee. Even my daughter-in-law makes it in Ghee, thus the overpowering flavor of coconut oil is eliminated and the dark brown pieces of this dessert is finished before we say let us keep it in fridge for tomorrow.
Vegan banana halwa can be made by replacing Milk by Soy milk and Ghee by coconut oil/Olive oil.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 1.5 Kg Halwa (Approximately)

Nutritional Value (Approx.) of 1.5 kgHalwa 

Energy: 1500 Cal

Total fat: 16.3gm.

Carbs: 290gm.

Cholesterol: 0

Sodium: 11 mg.

Calcium: 100 mg.

Magnesium: 200mg

Phosphorous: 75mg.

Iron 15mg.

Dietary fibers: 35 gm.

Sugar: 150 gm.

Protein: 13 gm.

Potassium: 5 gm.

Apart from this it has vitamin A, Vitamin C and B but cooking does destroy some of the vitamin contents.

The calorific value and fat content can be reduced by using Olive oil instead of ghee.

Ingredients Required For Making Banana-Halwa:

• 12 Medium Size Ripe bananas (2 kg approximately) Even over ripe will do.
• 100 gm. Organic jaggery (cane/palm)/To taste
• 50 gm. Ghee (clarified butter)
• 10 Green Cardamoms
• 100 ml. Milk (Full fat/skimmed)
• 20-25 Cashews
• 20-25 Almonds

Direction For Making Banana Halwa:

• Cut 10 almonds 10 cashews finely and keep aside for later use.
• Soak 10-15 almonds and peel them once soaked nicely. Slit them to two equal halves. Keep aside for later use.
• Slit the rest of the cashews to half. Keep aside for later use.
• Peel and mash bananas to soft, uniform, gooey mass. The banana mash will weigh roughly 1.250Kg.

Mashed Banans

• In a big bowl take jaggery, Add 100 ml milk and whisk the mixture to dissolve the jaggery and get a thick liquid of jaggery and milk.

Jagger and Milk Mixture

• Peel the cardamoms and crush the seeds to coarse powder.
• In a thick bottom wok (I take anodized/non-stick) take 50 gm. Ghee and add the powder of green cardamom. Heat it on medium flame. Cardamom will heat along with the ghee thus most of the flavor of cardamom will come in ghee.
• Add paste of ripe bananas. Cook on medium flame with constant stirring and scraping from the bottom and sides. After 20-25 minutes the paste will become semi-solid and will leave the bottom and edges of wok.

Banana Mash in Ghee and Cardamom

Just before Jaggery is to be added

• Add jaggery mixture and mix nicely. Cook on medium flame, with constant stirring, till the mixture becomes dark and leaves the edges of wok. It will take approximately 10-15 min.

Jaggery added to cooked Banana Paste

Just before nuts to be added

• Add finely cut cashew and almonds to the banana and jaggery mixture and mix.

Nuts added to Halwa

• Mix nicel and cook for five minutes to bring it to corret consisitency.

Banana halwa ready for shaping.

• Cool till they come to room temperature before storing them in airtight container.

Banana Halwa

• This halwa can be stored up to one month also in fridge. In my house it finishes before I say let us store itJ.

Tips:

• Halwa before cooling and making balls can be put on a plate and flattened on the plate with spatula. Cover with a cling film and allow it to cool. Then this flattened, cooled halwa can be cut to required shape and size after cooling.
• Always taste bananas for sweetness and adjust the amount of jaggery accordingly.
• Taste the halwa before it comes to final stage and if required add jaggery at this stage and cook. Once the halwa is ready more jaggery/sugar cannot be added.
• If you have over ripe bananas then the best way to use them is to make halwa.
• Over ripe bananas will require 70-75 gm of jaggery only.

Suggested Variations:

• Olive oil is a good replacement to coconut oil or ghee. The halwa becomes more nutritive and less fatty.
• 1/2Teaspoon of cinnamon powder can be added to oil along with the cardamom powder, it lifts the banana halwa to just another level.
• Jaggery can be replaced with organic brown sugar, but I always prefer palm sugar as it is very nutritive and  imparts lovely color and flavor to the halwa.
• Vegan Banana halwa can be made using water/soy milk instead of milk and ghee can be replaced by Olive oil.

Sewai Ki Kheer (Vermicelli and Milk Dessert)

Sewai Kheer(Vermicelli Dessert)

Sewai (Vermicelli) is made of refined flour/rice flour/ Semolina and refined flour mixture. The savories or sweets made from vermicelli are extremely tasty and delicious. Sewai upama with minimum amount of oil and lots of vegetables are best for breakfast and snacks. Whereas sweets made from it are perfect for dessert. Vermicelli made from the mixture of whole wheat flour and semolina is healthiest. No Id festival would be complete without mouthwatering preparations of sewai. I still remember the taste of the Sewai kheer we used to eat at my friends Serfuddin’s uncles place while I was doing my PhD. Being a hostelite we not only used to enjoy the feast but a sumptuous packet used to be handed over for next day. Each Id I remember the wonderful uncle and aunty of his for their hospitality despite of all constraints.

Preparation Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 40-45 min

Servings: 4 Large servings

Ingredients Required For Making Sewai Ki Kheer (Vermicelli and Milk Dessert):

• 100 gm. Sewai (Vermicelli)/1 Teacup Sewai

• 2 Lt. whole Cream Milk

• 100 gm. Sugar

• 10-15 Almonds

• 10-15 Cashew nuts

• 10-15 Raisins

• 4-5 Green cardamom

• 10 ml. (2 Teaspoons) Clarified Butter (Ghee)4-5 Strings of Kesar (Optional)

Directions For Making Sewai Ki Kheer (Vermicelli and Milk dessert):

• If the Vermicelli is in long strings then break them to 3-4 inches pieces.

• Boil the milk and let in simmer for thickening till you make Sewai (vermicelli) ready for Kheer.

• Heat ghee in a thick bottom wok and when the ghee is hot lower the flame and put sewai in hot ghee.

• Cook the vermicelli in hot ghee on low flame till it becomes golden brown in color.

Sewai being Cooked in Ghee on Low Flame

• Add the milk which is simmering on gas into the golden brown sewai and stir quickly to avoid lump formation.

Milk Added to Sewai

• Cook the sewai in milk on low flame till the quantity of milk in the wok reduces to half. 

Sewai Cooking in Milk On Low Flame

• The milk will be absorbed by sewai and during cooking it will thicken also.

• Add sugar and mix nicely.

• Cook with gentle stirring on high flame for just 2-3 minutes after adding sugar.

Being Cooked On High Flame After Adding Sugar

• Remove from gas  and add

• Remove the stalk from raisins.

• Add
• Raisins

• Cardamom powder

• Saffron strings

• Mix gently and cover.

• Allow the Kheer to cool.

• Cut Almonds and cashew to the size of your choice.

• Add

• Almonds

• Cashew  to the cooked Kheer.

Nuts Added to Sewai Kheer

• Give a gentle stir. Decorate the kheer with raisins, halves of soaked almonds, cherry. 

• If your preference is for hot kheer then while warming make sure you are warming it in a thick bottom vessel or warm in micro wave.

• If you like chilled kheer then keep the serving bowl in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

Sewai Kheer (Vermicelli dessert)

Tips:

• Always be gentle while stirring, after all you would not like the sewai to become pulp in the milk.

• Always cook the sewai to golden brown color before adding milk if without sauteing them milk is added then the kheer will have taste of raw flour and also will tend to become pulpy.

• If you want to avoid even this little amount of ghee then roast then on low flame till golden brown. Taste will be compromised.

• Even if you get roasted sewai from market yet it needs to be cooked in little ghee.

• Continuous stirring and turning the sewai upside down is very important for uniform cooking.

• If the milk is thickened to half of the amount taken before adding to the sewai then cooking time reduces. I normally keep milk for simmering while I do rest of the cooking so that after 30 min. the milk is thick enough to be added to sewai without any problem.

• If milk is kept for simmering the make sure it is on minimum heat and is occasionally stirred.

• Add Almonds, Cashew just before serving else they will become soggy. Soft kheer is best with crunchy almonds, cashew, and pistachio. Raisins should be added just after adding cardamom powder a sit needs to soak the liquid to become juicier. 
• To avoid curdling of milk in kheer sugar should not be added in early state of cooking the kheer.

Suggested Variations:

• Green peels of cardamom can be added to milk while it is simmering or being cooked with sewai. Remove the peeling before taking the kheer into serving bowl.

• 4-5 Teaspoons of Sabudana (sago) can be soaked and sauteed in little ghee and added to the sewai along with the milk.

• Toned milk can be taken instead of full cream milk this will reduce the amount of fat and calories in the kheer.

• 100 gm. Jaggery / Dates jaggery can be added instead of sugar. But if you are using jaggery then dissolve it in 100 ml. water and boil for for2-3 minutes then add to the kheer after removing the wok with kheer from heat. Else the milk in kheer will curdle.

• 2-3 Teaspoons of chironji (Buchanania Lanzan) can be added along with almonds and cashew.

Hasinaye Kheer/चावल की खीर ( Kheer sweetened with Date Jaggery)

Hasinaye Kheer

Kheer is a dessert made in Asian continent as well as Middle East. In India Making Kheer varies from east to west and North to South. In Southern part of India Kheer is commonly made with rice/sewai (vermicelli)/Sabudana in milk and coconut milk. In Northern India it is made in milk either with rice or sewai. But almost everywhere sugar is added as sweetener. The Kheer made in West Bengal India is definitely different as the sweetener added is Date Jaggery. Date jaggery gives a wonderful flavor to the kheer. Due to its wonderful looks and delectable taste I call it Hasinaye Kheer. This kheer is special to me as it evokes the childhood memories of Durga puja when we used to get to eat as much gud ki kheer as we wanted in Durga puja fest.

Date jaggery is unrefined sweetener thus all nutrients are intact in it unlike sugar which is refined sweetener. Thus it not only adds flavor but makes the kheer rich in Iron and many micro nutrients.

Preparation Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 90 min

Servings: 8 large helpings

Ingredients Required for Making Kheer with Date Jaggery:

• 50 gm. Rice

• 2-3 lt. Full Cream Milk

• 150 gm. date Jaggery

• 10-15 Almonds

• 10-15 cashew nuts

• 4-5 Strings of Saffron (Kesar)(Optional)

• 3-4 Green Cardamom (Optional)

• 10-12 Pistachios (Optional)

• 10-12 Raisins (Optional)

Directions For Making Hasinaye Kheer:

• Wash and soak the rice in 100 ml of water.

Rice being soaked

• Dissolve the Date jaggery in 150 ml.water at room temperature and then heat the date jaggery and water solution till it boils.

• Cool to room temperature and keep aside.

Khajur gud (Date jaggery) and water solution boiled and cooled

• Cut Cashew nuts, Almonds and Pistachios to small pieces.

• Remove the green peel of green cardamom and grind the seeds to coarse powder.

• Take milk in a thick bottom wok /pan and heat it on high flame till it boils.

 Milk for boiling for Kheer

 Milk boiled and ready for soaked rice to be added

• Add soaked rice with water in the boiling milk.

Rice added to boiled milk

• Cook with regular stirring till the milk starts boiling again.

Rice being cooked in milk

• Reduce the flame and cook on low flame with occasional stirring till the rice gets cooked and mixes with the milk making the consistency of milk rice mixture to pourable thickness. It will take approximately 70-80 min.

Rice and milk mixture getting thickened and becoming homogenous (50 min. cooking on low flame)

Rice and milk mixture after 70 min. of cooking on low flame

• Switch off the gas.

Thick rice and milk mixture ready for Khajur gud (Date jaggery) to be added

• Add the dissolved date jaggery and mix nicely.

• Add Almonds, Cashew nuts and pistachios and mix.

Date jaggery, Nuts and Raisins added to Kheer

•  Add powdered green cardamom and mix.

• Heat it  if you like hot kheer. Do not boil again.

• Take out in a serving bowl and decorate with almonds, pistachios.

Hasinaye Kheer

• If you like chilled kheer then place the serving bowl with kheer in fridge for 2-3 hrs.

• Serve hot or cold as per your liking.

Oh ! so tempting Let us enjoy Hasinaye Kheer

  My favorite combination Ajwain puri with Hasinaye Kheer.

Tips:

• Do not soak the jaggery in hot milk.

• Basmati or broken basmati rice gives the best result.

• The amount of Jaggery can be increased according to individual taste.

• If your container is not big enough for 2-3 Lt. milk then take as much milk initially according the size of your container and keep on adding once the liquid content reduce creating space in the wok.

• More the milk taken tastier the Kheer will be.

Suggested Variations:

• Rice can be replaced with 50 gm. Tal Makhana. Then the kheer can also be taken during fasting when cereals are not taken.

• Raisins can be added along with other nuts. 
• Incase Date jaggery is not available then sugar cane jaggery (Gud) can be taken, though the flavor of kheer will not be same as with Khajoor gud, but gud as sweetening agent is certainly different, tastier and healthier than sugar.

TalMakhane ki kheer/ तालमखाने की खीर{Astercantha (Hygrophila) Dessert}

Talmakhana Kheer { Astercantha (Hygrophila) dessert}

Tal makhana is the fruit of lotus which is white in color with a tint of brown. It is very light and does not a strong flavor of its own. Fried Tal Makhana is taken as snack during fasting and the kheer of Tal makhana is offered as Prasad in Janam ashtami and Shiva ratri. It is a dessert for people who are fasting and do not partake any cereal or pulses during fasting. Thus in great demand not only during Janam ashtami and Shiva ratri but also during Navratri time also. A north Indian dessert made up of milk andTtal makhana is a delight to the taste buds.

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 60 min

Servings: 10 medium serving

Ingredients required for making Tal Makhana Kheer:

• 50 gm. Tal Makhana

Tal Makhana

• 2.5 - 3 Lt. Full Cream Milk

• 100 gm. Sugar or to taste

• 5 ml. ghee (clarified butter)

• 25 Almonds

Almond

• 15-20 cashew nuts

Cashew Nuts

• 15-20 raisins

• 5-6 strings of Kesar (saffron)

Directions For Making Tal Makhana Kheer:

• Clean the Tal Makhana for any hard brown cover on them.

• Cut them to half.

Cleaned Tal Makhana broken to half

• Cut Almonds and cashew.

Cut Cashew nuts

Cut Almonds

• Soak Kesar in 2 ml. milk.

• Soak 6-7 Almonds in water.

Almonds soaked in water

• Take ghee in a thick bottom wok / pan and heat.

Ghee being heated in a wok

• When the ghee is hot lower the flame add in it cleaned and cut Tal Makhana and fry them to light brown color.

Tal Makhana being fried in ghee

fried Tal Makhana ready for milk to be added

• Add milk and bring the flame to high and cook with continuous stirring till the milk comes to boil.

Milk added to Tal Makhana

Tal Makhana and milk mixture coming to boil 

•  Lower the flame and cook with occasional stirring (to make sure the Makhana is nit settling at the bottom and getting burnt) for 30-40 min.

Tal Makhana cooking in milk on low flame after

• The Makhana will start getting softened up and will start getting mixed in the milk, thus thickening the consistency of the mixture.

• After of almost 40 min. cooking the contents of the wok will reduce to less than half and the mixture will become of thick soup consistency and the color of the mixture gains pink tint.

Stage when sugar and dry fruits are to be added

• Add sugar to the cooked milk and makhana mixture and mix nicely.

• Cook for another 5 min. and switch off the gas.

• Add finely cut Almonds, Cashew nuts and raisins.

• Mix nicely.

• Add Kesar and milk mixture and stir nicely.

• Remove the peel from soaked almonds and break them to two parts.

• Take out in a serving bowl and decorate with soaked halves of Almonds, cashew and raisins.

Talmakhana Kheer {Astercantha (Hygrophila) dessert}

• Serve hot or chill the kheer and serve cold.

Tips:

• Make sure that if there is any hard brown color cover on Tal Makhana, then it should be removed.

• Tal makhana should be fried in low flame else they will become black and burnt.

• Stirring of kheer during cooking is very important as it will prevent settling at the bottom and getting burnt.

• If you want to serve the kheer cold then keep the consistency of kheer thinner than you would like to serve ,because on cooling it will become thick.

Suggested Variations:

• Tal Makhana can be roasted in wok or in oven before adding to the milk, this will help avoiding the ghee in kheer.

• Toned milk can be taken instead of whole cream milk, but this reduces the creamy texture of kheer.

• Powder cardamom can be added to the kheer before serving.

• Kesar (saffron) dissolved in milk can be sprinkled on the to of the kheer .

• To make kheer quickly cook fried Tal Makahana in 1lt. milk and then add 200 gm milk made Concentrated milk available in market) and mix nicely. Cook for 2 min, add nuts and kesar.