Kheer/Payesh/Payasam is so typically Indian. Other cultures may have these, but I am not sure. In my young days, payasam was prepared on special occasions like festivals, birthdays, special occasions, etc. The idea of a cake or any other sweet dish was unheard of. I remember all my birthdays till I was 16 (I left…
Category: Desserts
Gujia
Gujia is a sweet dumpling made especially for the festival of colours, Holi. Normally, these are made with all purpose flour (maida), deep fried and then dunked into sugar syrup. So, you can guess how healthy the dumpling is. Plus, it is stuffed with thickened or dried milk and other ingredients. Therefore, the traditional gujia…
Paruppu Kanji (Mung Bean Sweet Congee)
As promised, here is the recipe for the paruppu kanji that accompanies the sweet dosa. As this is normally fasting food, no rich ingredients such as cashews or cardamoms are added. As this dish (as well as the sweet dosa) contain no salt, they are ideal to break the fast on Vaikunta Ekadashi. This congee…
Vella Dosai (Sweet Crepe)
This is a sweet crepe that is made with jaggery. But this version has no refined ingredients. This dish is normally made on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadashi – a festival that falls towards end-December/early-January. People who observe a fast on this day and finally break the fast with no-salt food are believed to go…
Vanilla Cake
I normally bake only one cake a year – for Christmas. But this year, everyone in my home were excited about baking cakes. And specifically asked me for the recipe of a cake with frosting. So, I picked a recipe from the website of The Jaroudi Family. By no means is this my original recipe….
Banana Chocolate Cake
We baked a banana chocolate cake for Christmas this year. Boy! It tasted wonderful. I was afraid that it may be dense as I was using no all-purpose flour. To my utter surprise, it turned out soft and moist. I had posted pictures of this cake on my Facebook timeline as well as in a…
Nonbu Sweet Adai (Cakes Using Rice And Dates)
Karadaiyan Nonbu is a festival celebrated mainly in Thamizhanadu. As offering to the Gods, sweet and savoury cakes are prepared. They are often paired with butter – but nowadays, one can substitute this with vegan butter. I love both the varieties of the adais and look forward to the rice cakes. This is true for…
Gluten-free Gujiya (Dumpling)
Holi is a major festival that was celebrated mainly in India and Nepal. However, it is now celebrated across most parts of the world. It symbolizes good over evil and the arrival of spring. It normally falls on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna (roughly mid-March to mid-April of the Gregorian calendar)….
Upside Down Apple Cake
I normally bake a WFPB cake around Christmas every year. And, I must admit, it has always turned out extremely well. The credit must go to Hari, who always gets it perfect the first time. This year, I wanted to bake a plum cake – except that I had no plums at home! And they…
Nei Appam
Kartik Purnima, the preceding and succeeding days are celebrated as Karthigai Deepam by South Indians. A version of Raksha Bandhan. Sisters light diyas (much akin to Diwali) for the well-being of their brothers. Goodies include ladoos made of puffed rice, adai (dal crepes) with a generous dose of black pepper and the very delicious ‘nei…
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