Pumpkin Halwa

We celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi for 11 days. The first question that comes to my mind in the morning is what shall I prepare for Prasad. Every year I try to include at least some new recipes for Prasad. 

This year Pumpkin Halwa was one of them.

Its very simple , very healthy and yet very delicious :)

Ingredients:

Grated Pumpkin - 2 cups
Jaggery - half cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cardamom Powder - half tsp
Cinnamon Powder - half tsp
Crushed Cashewnuts - for garnish
Raisins - for garnish
Milk - 1 cup

Procedure:
1. Take a pan. Add ghee and add in the grated pumpkin and fry for a couple of mins. Once half cooked, add in the milk and let it boil.
2. Once the milk is boiling, add the jaggery and cook it till the ghee oozes out.
3. Switch off the gas and add the Cardamom powder and Cinnamon powder and mix well.
6. Finally garnish with Raisins and crushed Almonds.

The delicious Pumpkin Halwa is ready to serve.
Serve it hot.

Rajgira Thalipeeth

 The month of Shravan is the month of festivities. We usually observe fasts on Mondays during the month of Shravan. 

After having Sabudana Kichchdi on every monday farals, I was kinda bored of that food which I usually fall for.

For Haritalika Vrat (celebrated one day before Ganesh Chaturthi), I was in no mood of having the same, so I tried something new. 

I tried preparing the Thalipeeth with Rajgira flour and it tasted really yummy. Fast turned into a Feast :)

Ingriedients:
Rajgira flour- 2 cups
1 Potato - boiled and mashed
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies - 2 
Cumin seeds - half tsp
Cumin powder - half tsp
Coriander powder - half tsp
Sesame seeds - half tsp
Water - preferably warm
Ghee
Rock Salt (Sendha namak)

Procedure:
1. In a mixing bowl, add the Rajgira flour, mashed potatoes, chilli powder, green chillies, cumin seeds, cumin powder, coriander powder, sesame seeds and rock salt.
2. Next add sufficient water to prepare the dough and keep it aside for half an hour.
4. To prepare thalipeeth, make four balls of the dough.
5. Next take a pan and add 1 teaspoon ghee. Place one ball on the pan and pat it to form a round thin roti like structure. Apply little water to your hands while patting to avoid sticking.
6. Make a small hole at the centre and pour little ghee in it. Also add ghee from all sides.
7. Fry on a median flame without covering the pan. After 5 mins, turn the thalipeeth other way round, still maintaining the medium flame. Fry for another 3 minutes. 

Thalipeeth is ready to be served. Put one teaspoon ghee over the Thalipeeth while serving.

Serve the delicious Upasacha Thalipeet loaded with ghee along with some curd.