Fasting yum

(life) Celebrity chef Manish Mehrotra shares some almond-based nutritious Navratri recipes.

Almond and Makhana Kheer

Serves: 2 – 3 people

Ingredients Quantity

Full cream milk 2 cups

Sugar 4 tbsp

Saffron strands a pinch

Green cardamom powder ½ tsp

Almond slivers ½ cup

Makhana (fox nuts) 1 cup

Ghee 2 tbspMethod

• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, roast makhanas and almond slivers till they are golden.

• Heat milk and saffron strands in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring the milk, so that it does not stick to the bottom.

• Add sugar to the milk and mix well.

• Add the whole makhana to the milk. Add the almond slivers to the mixture.

• Keep cooking the mixture till the makhanas soften and milk thickens a bit.

• Serve the kheer hot or chilled. Top it with roasted almond slivers and chopped roasted makhana.

Almond strawberry cream

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients Quantity

Almonds ½ cup

Strawberry (Fresh) 12-14 pcs

Whipping Cream 1 cup

Holy Basil leaves (Tulsi) 1 tsp

Sugar (powdered) 3 tbsp

Method:

• Toast the almond flakes in the oven at 180°C for 4 minutes.

• Cut the strawberries into 1 cm dices.

• Whip the cream along with sugar. Do not over whip it or the butter will separate.

• Mix the almond flakes and strawberries into the cream along with hand torn holy basil.

• Garnish with almonds and sliced strawberries.

Almond coconut burfi

Ingredients Quantity

Freshly grated coconut 1/2 cup

Blanched almonds 1 cup

Sugar (fine/ breakfast) 1 cup

Desi ghee 1/3 cup

Method

• In a non-stick pan add ghee, coconut and almond mixture on low medium heat. Stir to mix well and keep on stirring to prevent it from sticking to the pan or getting burnt, until it begins to leave the sides of the pan, lumping up as one mass. Add sugar and fold it well.

• Apply ghee onto a baking sheet and keep aside.

• Reduce heat to low and continue stirring for a few more minutes until the residue sticking to the sides of the pan starts to look opaque and dry, which means the consistency is nearing almost right for solidifying.

• Remove onto the greased plate / sheet. Mix the dough with greased hands, pat it flat into a neat square with a greased rolling-pin to 1/4 inch thickness. Smooth out the surface if needed.

• When cooled partially, cut into equal squares with a knife. Once completely cooled (about an hour or so), separate out the burfis with a flat spatula and store in an airtight container

Spiced almond banana jaggery cake

Serves: 3 – 4 person

Ingredients Quantity

Butter, unsalted 1/2 cup

Jaggery powder 1/2 cup

Ground cinnamon 1 ½ tsp

Nutmeg, ground 1/4 tsp

Almonds, sliced 1/2 cup

Sugar 3/4 cup

Eggs, large 3 no

Orange zest 2 tsp

Banana, ripped & mashed 1 1/4 cups

All-purpose flour 3 cups

Baking powder 1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda 1 tsp

Salt 1/2 tsp

Buttermilk 2/3 cup

Method:

• Melt 1/4 cup of the butter. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into an 8-cup pan. Brush the butter over pan sides and bottom. Mix the jaggery, cinnamon, nutmeg and almonds. Sprinkle the pan with half the jaggery mixture. Combine the remaining mixture with the remaining melted butter and set it aside.

• In a large bowl, beat remaining 1/4 cup butter with granulated sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended. Beat in mashed banana.

• Mix all-purpose baking powder, soda and salt. Add these to the banana mixture along with the buttermilk and stir until well blended.

• Pour half the batter into prepared pan. Spoon the remaining jaggery sugar mixture evenly over top. Cover with the remaining batter.

• Bake in a 180° oven until a long wood skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack about 5 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate. Serve the cake warm or cool.

( With inputs from IANS )