Chocolate Coated Coconut & Almond Truffles

If you love coconut, then this is definitely for you!! I once tried these long back at my Arab friend's house and really liked it. It is really very easy to make, does not require anyyyyyy cooking, tastes delicious and requires very few ingredients. Hope you like these?

Ingredients
2 cups + 1/2 cup  dry desiccated coconut
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
14 oz can condensed milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
150-200g milk chocolate or White chocolate (your preference)
1 tbs butter

1. In a large bowl, add the desiccated coconut, ground almond, vanilla essence and condensed milk.( Pour the condensed milk half cup at a time so that it can form a dough.)
2. Mix this until it forms a firm dough. In case you feel the dough is too wet add a little bit more of the desiccated coconut. If it is too dry add a little bit more of condensed milk.

3. If you are able to shape it into firm balls (LOL!) then you have nailed it.
4. To melt the chocolate, add some water to a  deep bottom pan and let it come to a boil. Then  place another heat proof bowl on top of the pan making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the boiling water.
5. Add the chocolate and butter to the bowl and let it melt.
6.Now take the coconut dough and shape them into small balls.
7. Dip these balls into the chocolate. You can either fully coat the coconut balls with chocolate or coat it half way through. I have done both and used some white chocolate as well on some of the balls.
8. Next take 1/2 cup of the desiccated coconut in a bowl and roll the chocolate coated balls into them. If you have coated the truffles with chocolate half way through then you can sprinkle the coconut on the part with the chocolate.
9. Once you're done coating them, let them chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Enjoy!

Kulfi

So it's summer time and we crave cold stuff. I was extremely bored at home so I thought of making Kulfi for everyone. Anyway, here is the recipe and I hope you guys like it. :D

Goodies:

4 + 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tbs powdered milk

1 can Nestle fresh sterilized cream  (this is normaly used as thickers)

2 slices white bread

1/4 tsp saffron, soaked in 2 tbs milk

1/2 tsp fresh cardamon powder
1/3 cup chopped pistachios (roasted)

1/3 cup chopped almonds (roasted)

1 pinch salt

1/2 tsp cournflour

1. In a deep bottom non stick pan, boil 4 cups of milk on medium high heat. Keep stirring and clean up the build up from the sides of the pan. Once the milk comes to boil reduce the the heat to low and let the milk reduce to half it's quantity. Stir once in a while.

2. Take the bread slices and cut off the crust/edges and cut the bread into little pieces. Put this in the blender along with the cornflour and 1/2 cup of milk. Blend it until it is smooth and add this to the milk in the pan, which is reduced.

3. Keep stirring the milk until you notice that the milk has thickened. Add the sugar, salt, milk powder and fresh sterilized cream and cook it for 5 more minutes on low heat. ( Using sterilized cream reduces the chances of the cream splitting when it is heated)

4. Now add the saffron, cardamon powder, pistachios and almonds and mix it well. Take this off the stove and let it come to room temperature.

5. Once it cools down pour it into molds of your choice or if you don't have a mold pour it into a bowl and cover the bowl with a plastic wrap touching the surface of the Kulfi.

6. Freeze it for 8 to 10 hours. 

And then enjoy!!   

 

Spinach with Chicken (Palak Chicken)

Yes I know it looks green but it is delicious and simple to make. The first time I came across this dish, I was not too eager about it but once I tried it, I really loved it. So I gave it a try at home and it turned out good. Here is the recipe. Try it out.

Goodies you need:
500g English Spinach (palak)
800-900g chicken, skinless
4 tbs Yoghurt
6 tbs Oil
3 Black cardamon
2 Bay Leaves
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 green chilies
1 Large Onion chopped
2 cm ginger piece, peeled
8 whole garlic cloves
3 large tomatoes, cut in quarters
2 tsp coriander powder
1tsp garam masala
1/4th tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup coriander leaves
Salt to taste

1. In a food processor or blender, blend the spinach leaves with coriander leaves,  mint leaves, green chilies and a little bit of water to make a smooth paste.
2. Make another paste in the food processor with tomatoes, garlic, ginger and few tbs water. ( Do not mix this with the spinach paste)
3. Heat the oil on medium heat and fry the cardamons, fennel seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon for about 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Add the onions and fry this for 5 minutes or until the onions begin to turn light brown.
5. Now add the chicken pieces and fry this well with the onions for the next 5 to 6 minutes.
6 Now add the tomato paste, coriander powder, garam masala powder salt and ground pepper and let this simmer for 10-12 minutes, with the lid on. Stir this once in a while.
7. Add in the yogurt and mix it in and let this cook till the sauce thickens and starts to dry out.
8. Add the spinach puree to this and let this cook for another 12 minutes till the puree changes color, thickens and most of the water has evaporated.

When it is done, it should look somewhat like the picture on the left.
Serve this with Rice or Naan.

Try it out and I hope you like it! :D