Kesari or Semolina Halwa

 Both my husband and daughter love this simple Indian dessert that can be served at weddings or at home.  When it is served at weddings or functions, it is made with ghee and saffron (kesar) - and hence the name Kesari. It is usually made with an orange food colouring but I try to refrain from using food colouring unless it is natural.  So though my kesari looks quite brown, but you can definitely taste the saffron.  It is entirely up to you if you wish to use food colouring and I will include it in the recipe as an option. The beauty about this dessert is that you can make it vegan very easily too.

Instant Ragi Idlis - Finger Millet Steamed Muffins

 Finger Millet (Ragi) is a cereal cultivated widely in India.  I have read that it came to India from Ethiopia, Africa over 2000 years ago.  It is very common in my part of the world - but my interest in it was renewed just recently after finding out it has a low glycaemic index and keeps you fuller for longer - making it the ideal choice for diabetics and people who want to shed a few kilos..

The only finger millet food I remember having from childhood is the porridge and puttu - so today I decided to road test the instant idlis made with ragi.  I call them instant as they have not been fermented.  Before doing the "real" thing I wanted to be sure that I would like the taste and texture of a ragi idli.

The only thing is if you make an instant idli, it is not gluten free.  So I will post a gluten free version another time.  The ragi idlis are denser than normal idlis but they are quite tasty and very filling.  

Finger millet grains look very much like mustard seeds / quinoa. I have a feeling I will be cooking a lot more with them! So watch out for more recipes.

Home made Pizza

The days are getting colder in Melbourne - and a nice warm pizza with gooey melted cheese and spicy jalapenos - conjured up an attractive image.  So I started to google pizza recipes.  As usual, when I couldn't find the 00 flour, I just decided to use plain white flour that I had in the pantry.

COVID was really getting me into the kitchen to try and work on things I had never before attempted.  These pizzas do not look pretty - but they were so flavorsome and it was easy to make them!

Semolina - Upuma

A lot of my local fellow Australians say "ewww" when I mention semolina.  I am not sure why a lot of them seem to hate it so much.  But it is one of the most common breakfast dishes you find down in South India.  It can be served as a sweet dish with an accompaniment of bananas and sugar or it can be savoury with fried eggs and or/ chutneys.  It can even be had with plain yogurt.  The dish itself is very filling and helps with weight loss as it keeps you hunger free for longer.

This dish is very easy to make and it is the first dish I made for a large group of about 25 guests on my sister's wedding day.  The breakfast was just for the family and I had to whip it up quick and on that day it was served with sugar and bananas.