Happy's Cook

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Caramilk Snowballs Recipe | Caramilk Balls | No Bake Caramilk Balls | Christmas Special

December is here and it is the most wonderful time of the year. To celebrate this holiday season, I am planning to post some yummy treats. To begin with I am sharing a no-bake caramilk balls. We can make these balls with just a few ingredients and it keeps well in the refrigerator for a week. You can easily modify this recipe as per your sweet and flavour preference.
Read More »

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Bread Halwa Recipe | Diwali Special Sweet

Wishing all my dear readers and family a great Diwali. May this festival of joy brings more happiness in your life. Today I am presenting a delicious sweet which you can make in a jiffy without much planning. Every year during Eid, my Muslim friend here in Sydney gives us delicious Biryani and Sweet. Two years back, she gave me this bread halwa and I tasted it for the first time. It tasted so yummy and I was planning to make it at home since then. Also, she told me that this sweet is very common in Muslim Wedding Menu along with biryani. When I was planning to make some Diwali sweet, this came to my mind and I got the recipe from her. I tried it yesterday with few changes and it came out so well. Traditionally, the bread pieces are deep-fried in ghee and I have followed the same. You can also deep fry it in any oil or shallow fry it with little ghee. Please read the notes section for other options. Do check out my diwali special collection too.

Ingredients:
Bread Slices - 6 (250 grams)
Full Cream Milk - 1 Cup(250 ml) 
Water - 1 Cup(250 ml) 
Milkmaid(condensed milk) - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 1/4 Cup(more or less as per need)
Ghee - 1/2 Cup
Cardamom - 1 tsp(crushed)
Nut & Seeds - as required 
(I used cashews & sunflower seeds) 

Method:

1. Measure and keep the ingredients ready. Chop the bread slices into small pieces. Reserve two tablespoons of ghee for later use and heat the rest of the ghee for deep frying the bread pieces. You can also deep fry it in oil or shallow fry the bread with little ghee. 
2. Fry the bread pieces until crispy and golden brown. Remove it and keep it aside.
3. Now, in a pan heat the milk, water, condensed milk and sugar. Stir it well until the sugar and condensed milk dissolves. Bring it to a rolling boil and add the crushed cardamom pods.
4. Add the fried bread pieces at this stage. The bread pieces will observe the liquid and becomes soft. Reduce the flame and cook until the bread pieces are soft and mushy. When everything starts to come together, add a tablespoon of ghee and mix it all together.
5. In a tablespoon of ghee, fry the cashew nuts and pour it over the halwa. Mix and cook until the ghee starts oozing out. Switch of the flame and the yummy halwa is ready to be served.
Like carrot halwa, the bread halwa also goes well with vanilla icecream. Serve it warm or cold based on your preference.

Points to remember:
  • Instead of deep-frying the bread pieces completely in ghee, you can use half oil and half ghee or you can fry completely in oil. 
  • If you want to use less ghee, you can toast the bread pieces in little ghee and add a few teaspoons of ghee at the later stage.
  • Bread pieces will drink lots of ghee/oil. Few days old stale bread slices left in room temperature is ideal for this recipe. You can sundry or fan dry the bread pieces for a few minutes before deep frying. You can also stale the bread in the oven.
  • Since we are adding ghee and milkmaid the halwa will be very rich and hence I have added only one cup of full cream milk. If using light milk, you can go up to 2 cups(500 ml) of milk and skip the water.
  • Adjust the sugar based on your preference and you can increase it up to 1/2 cup. 
  • I have used big sized wheat bread slices along with the sides. I have mentioned the bread quantity in grams as well and following this will give you a better idea to adjust the sugar quantity.
  • White bread can also be used for this recipe. I prefer wheat bread for the dark colour halwa.
  • If you need really smooth halwa, you can ignore the sides of the bread slices. Powdered rusk can also be used for this recipe.
  • Compromising the ghee quantity will surely give a difference in the texture of the halwa.
  • Almonds, Raisins, Tutti Frutti and any melon seeds can be used as toppings.
Warm Regards,
Happy's Cook - Divya
Read More »

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Keerai Kootu Recipe | keerai Molagootal | Spinach Dal Kootu

I try to include spinach in our diet at least once or twice a week. I make thoran/poriyal, if I get thandu keerai or murungai keerai and these kinds of spinach is very rarely available in Sydney markets. However, English Spinach(similar to Indian Palak Keerai) is commonly available and I make kuzhambu or kootu with that. Today I am sharing the recipe of keerai kootu with dal and ground coconut paste. I used the English spinach to make this kootu and it could be made using any kind of available greens. I have linked some of the already posted spinach recipes below for your reference:
Read More »

Sunday, August 02, 2020

Zucchini Thoran Recipe | Courgette Thoran | Zucchini Stir Fry | Zucchini Poriyal

Zucchini is one of the very common vegetables that can be seen in all the Australian supermarkets. English speaking countries call it as Zucchini while the European Countries call it as Courgette. Zucchini is a summer squash and it has a slightly sweet taste. Though it looks similar to cucumber, it is not eaten raw since it is not juicy and refreshing like the cucumbers. The sweetness in zucchini becomes more evident when it is cooked. Cooking also serves to soften zucchini, although it is tender to bite into even raw. I always make thoran or kootu with this vegetable and it tastes delicious when we balance the sweetness of the vegetable with green chilli or red chilli powder. It requires very little cooking time and I don't prefer it when overcooked. 
Read More »

Monday, July 27, 2020

Ragi Sweet Adai Recipe | Finger Millet Sweet Adai | Millet Recipes

Finger Millet(ragi) is a rich source of calcium and iron. It is good to include it in our diet, considering its health benefits. If you have a sweet tooth like me, then you will absolutely love this healthy and delicious adai. It will be a filling after school snack for kids. If you prefer savoury adai then check out my Ragi Adai with drumstick leaves
Read More »

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Palak Poori Recipe | Spinach Poori

Poori is one of the kids friendly food that most of the children love. Those who follow me on Instagram would know that I pack Poori for Happy's lunch box once a week. I pair it with poori masala, channa masala, aamras or any non-veg gravy. Somedays, instead of plain poori, I make masala poori, beetroot poori or spinach poori and pair it with Greek yoghurt. Also, on lazy days I pack poori with Nutella or any chocolate spread. Recently, when I was going through my recipe index, I figured out that I have not shared any other poori recipes here apart from the regular poori and hence thought of including it now. 
Do check out my other paratha/roti recipes below:

Read More »

Recent Videos

Recipes from the Kitchen

Sakkarai Pongal
Poosanikai Halwa (white Pumpkin)/Ash Gourd Halwa
Rava Kesari
Aval Urundai with Jaggery/Poha Balls
Aval Payasam(with Jaggery)/Poha Payasam
Paal Kozhukattai(with Sugar)
Ellu Urundai/ Sesame Seed balls
Vella Kozhukattai / Modhagam (Modak)
Pasi Paruppu Payasam/ Moong Dal Payasam (Kheer)
Unniyappam/Neyyappam
Semiya Payasam/Vermicelli Kheer
Suzhiyam/Susiyan
Motichoor ladoo
Paruppu Poli/ Puran Poli
Corn Flour Halwa
Adhirasam
Carrot Halwa/Gajar Ka Halwa
Mysore Pak(Krishna Sweets style)
Gulab Jamun(with Khoya)
Paal Payasam
Maa Ladoo/Pottukadalai Urundai
Sakkarai Pongal(without milk)/Sweet pongal
Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai
Thengai Poorna Kozhukattai
Chakka Pradhaman
Sarkara Varatti(Sweet Banana Chips)
Ada Pradhaman
Chakka Varatti(Jackfruit Jam)
Rasgulla
Thirattipal(Palkova)
Rasamalai
Vattayeppam
Kalkandu Pongal
Akkaravadisal
Pazham Pori
Banana Dosa(Chef Venkatesh Bhat Recipe)
Rava Ladoo
Ellu Poorna Kozhukattai
Ragi Kozhukattai
Badam Halwa
Aval Kesari
Besan Ladoo
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge
Khajoor Ka Halwa(Chef Venkatesh Bhat Recipe)
Semiya Kesari
Poha Ghee Ladoo(Aval)
Palada Pradhaman
Milk Kesari
Pachaipayaru(Green Gram) Suzhiyam
Pachaipayaru(Green Gram) Ladoo
Malai(Paneer) Ladoo
Boondi Ladoo
Bread Gulab Jamun
Tirunelveli Wheat Halwa
Coconut Burfi
Sweet Bonda(Wheat Flour Unniyappam)
Munthiri Kothu
Achu Murukku(Achhappam)
Sweet Diamond Cuts
Wheat Rava Sweet Pongal
Makkan Peda
Wheat Flour Kesari
Green Gram Poli
Paneer Kheer
Green Gram Sago Payasam
Pineapple Kesari
Vella Seedai
Jackfruit Ela Ada
Therali Kozhukattai
Jackfruit Appam
Kaju Kathli
Vettu Cake(MuttaiKose)
Ashoka Halwa
Samai Sweet pongal
Health Mix Ladoo
Mango Kesari