Brown Rice Grits Steamed Kolakatte (Kozhukatte) / Brown Rice Grits Steamed Dumplings Recipe

Brown Rice Grits Steamed Kolakatte (Kozhukatte) / Brown Rice Grits Steamed Dumplings

Kozhukatte is an authentic Tamil Nadu recipe, adopted in Karnataka as an evening snack or a breakfast dish in many Brahmin household like ours, who did a lot of touring and staying in different parts of South India.
My grandmother prepared this dish very often with a coconut chutney and Idli powder/pudi as a side. I have altered the authentic recipe that uses regular white rice grits to brown rice grits.

Ingredients

1 cup Brown Rice Grits
1/4 cup grated fresh coconut
2 cups water
1 cup boiling water (optional)
2 tbsp extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil
3/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal, washed and split black gram lentil
1 tsp channa dal, washed and split bengal gram lentil
1/8 tsp hing, Asafetida
4 curry leaves (optional)
4 dreied chillies broken into 1 inch pieces (optional)
Salt to taste


Method

1. Dry roast the brown rice grits in a frying pan for a couple of minutes (this step is optional, I would like to dry roast it as my brown rice grits were a little old and not freshly brought from store).

2. Place the frying pan in a medium heat with 2 tbsp of coconut and once it is hot (not smoking hot), add the mustard seeds and let it sputter. Then, cumin seeds, black gram and bengal gram lentils and fry until golden brown and add red chiles until they roast a little and then hing.

3. Soon after the hing is added mix in the coconut shreds and water along with the salt, to taste. Curry leaves could be torn and added at this time (although optional as it might get in the way while eating the dumplings, some might not like to chew the fibrous leaf).

4. Once the water reaches the boiling point add the brown rice grits and combine throughly and making sure no lumps are formed. Add boiling water incase your grits dough is too dry. It should look like Uppit / Upma consistency.

5. Mix and combine the dough and keep it to cool completely.

6. Make golf sized balls / elongated balls from the dough and keep aside the dumplings.

7. Heat a steamer/pressure cooker without the weight or an Idli cooker with some water at the bottom and place all the dumplings and steam cook for 15 minutes.

8. Serve hot brown rice grits steamed dumplings with a dollop of ghee along with a chutney of your choice/idli powder in sesame oil on the side. Enjoy as a breakfast or as an evening snack.

Kadalekalu Hittu Payasa Recipe / Kala Channa Besan Payasa Recipe

Kadalekalu Hittu Payasa / Kala Channa Besan Payasa

Kadalekalu hittu / Kala Channa Besan Payasa is a new and easy sweet recipe that could be prepared on festivals and other special occasions in a jiffy. I experimented this recipe with Kaladale Kalu hittu instead of regular kadale hittu / Chickpea flour that was published in a South Indian cooking video blog. It came out perfect and tasty everytime I made it. My family loves this payasa recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Kadale Kalu Hittu / Kala Channa Besan Flour
4 Tbsp Ghee / Clarified Butter
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1 cup Milk (boiled)
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
2 Tbsp Mixed Nuts
2 tsp Dried Golden Raisins

Method

1. Place a thick bottom pan on a medium heat and add the flour and 3 Tbsp of ghee and fry untill the flour gives out a wonderful aroma and raw smell is gone.

2. Add Almond flour and fry along with the Kadale kalu flour for 5 more minutes.

3. Now mix the milk into the flour mixture and combine well to make sure no lumps are formed. Add more milk if you want a watery consistency.

4.  Add in sugar to the pan and mix well till all the sugar crystals are dissolved.

5. In a separate frying pan add the remaining 1 tbsp ghee and fry the mixed nuts on a medium heat untill they turn golden brown, than add in the raisins till they puff up a little bit.

6. Pour this nuts and raisins along with the ghee into the payasa pan and mix. Add the cardamom powder at this point and wait for the payasa to boil for a minute. Now hot payasa is ready to serve along with a dab of ghee on top. Cold payasa also tastes delicious.

Coconut rice - Easy Lunch box meal

Coconut Rice

Easy lunch or weeknight dinner recipe that could be made in a jiffy. Coconut rice is also made on festivals and other occasions served on plantain leaf as a side dish, mostly in South India. This makes a great lunch box meal along with urad dal happala (pappad) for kids too.

Ingredients

2 cups white rice
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup coconut milk, (optional, instead add 1/2 cup water)
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 pinch of cumin seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Channa dal
8-10 dried red chillies
10-15 curry leaves torn into pieces
2 tbsp broken cashew nuts
Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and drain white rice and add water and coconut milk (optional). Pressure cook untill well cooked as per your cooker settings. The dish tastes better when the rice grains are separate.

2. In a frying pan add coconut oil and place it on a medium flame, once hot add mustard seeds. After it sputters, add cumin seeds, urad dal, channa dal and fry until they turn golden brown. Add dried red chillies and fry for a few seconds. Now, to this add the cashew nuts and fry once they turn golden brown add curry leaves and grated coconut and mix well. Fry the mixture for a few minutes.

3. Meanwhile spread the rice on a wide pan or serving bowl and allow it to cool. Mix salt as per taste into the rice.

4. Now add coconut mixture to the rice and combine throughly. Add extra oil incase the rice feels dry. Serve hot with fried happala (pappad) or sandige.

Sihi Huggi / Sihi Pongal / Sweet Pongal - Authentic Madhwa Dessert Recipe

Sihi Huggi / Sihi Pongal / Sweet Lentils Rice / Split Mung Dal Rice

Sihi Huggi is made on Sankranthi festival. It is a classic recipe prepared on other special occasions in all Madhwa community during habba and haridina.

Ingredients

2 cups washed and drained rice
1/2 cup washed and drained Mung dal or split skinned Mung beans
1/2 cup ghee or clarified butter
3 cups of water
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp freshly grated coconut (blended in a mixer) or coconut milk, this ingredient is optional
1 cup powdered jaggery or brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
1 tbsp chopped almonds
1 tbsp golden raisins
1/2 tsp saffron strands soaked in a tbsp of warm milk

Method

1. In a pot over medium heat add 1/4 cup ghee and add the rice and mung dal and fry until they give give out a fine aroma with golden color.

2. Add water and milk into the pot and place it in a pressure cooker and cook until 3 to 4 whistles and well cooked. We don't want the rice and dal to turn mushy. Alter the amount of water depending on your pressure cooker size and quantity.

3. Place the pot over medium heat and add jaggery. If your jaggery is dirty, in a separate pot add 2 tbsp of water and add the jaggery and melt it. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and collect the clean jaggery mixture and add it to the rice and dal pot. Or you could replace it with brown sugar. Mix throughly until the sugar crystals are melted.

4. Add coconut milk (optional) and combine well and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on low flame.

5. In a small frying pan add 2 tbsp of ghee and heat. Combine the nuts and add it to ghee and fry untill golden brown and later add raisins till they puff up a little. Pour this over the huggi pot and mix.

6. Add saffron and remaining ghee and mix throughly and cook 5 mins on a low flame. Now Sihi Huggi is ready to serve with a dollop of ghee on top. It tastes best when served hot.

Hayagreeva - Split Bengal Gram Dal Halwa

Hayagreeva Recipe - One pot meal (dessert)

Hayagreeva (Haya - Horse, Greeva - Halwa made out of Jaggery). Saint Sri Vadiraja Theertha was offering Hayagreeva to Lord Vishnu, who came to take the offering in the form of a Horse.  This is a very authentic and a famous dish made during many festivals and occasions in our Madhwa community. Mainly on occasions and celebrations like Madhwanavami, Madhwa Jayanthi, Vadiraja Theertha Aaradhane, etc.
Hayagreeva is delicious dessert which is high in protein. Children will love this dish when served with lots of ghee, fried nuts and raisins as a topping.

Ingredients

3 cups Channa dal or Split bengal gram dal
1 cup Ghee or clarified butter
1 1/2 cups Jaggery (powdered)
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
3 tbsp poppy seeds (toasted)
1/2 cup assorted nuts
2 tbsp dried raisins

Method

1. Add 1/2 cup ghee into a pot kept on medium flame add channa dal, (throughly wash the channa dal before adding it to the pot, only if dirty) and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

2. Add 3 cups of water to the pot and pressure cook the channa dal for 3 whistles.

3. Once the pressure cooker cools down, remove the excess water from the cooked channa dal and set the pot on a low to medium flame. Pour out the excess water into a bowl and use it to make south Indian style rasam or saaru.

4. Add a tablespoon of ghee and powdered jaggery into the pot and mix well. Cook until all the jaggery is melted. If the jaggery is dirty. In a separate pot add the jaggery and a tablespoon of water and melt the jaggery and then filter it through a sieve and remove the dirt.

5. Add the toasted poppy seeds into the pot and mix well.

6. In a small frying pan add the rest of the ghee and place it on a medium flame. Once the ghee is hot add the mixed nuts and fry until they turn pinkish brown and add the raisins. Fry until the raisins puff up a little. Pour this onto the Hayagreeva pot and mix well.

7. Once combined throughly, Hayagreeva is ready to serve. Serve it hot as a dessert on a festival or eat it alone as a morning breakfast or as an evening high protein snack with a dollop of ghee on top. You could also enjoy with extra fried nuts and raisins as garnish.

Huggi / Khara Pongal / Spicy Lentil Rice / Spicy Split Mung Dal Rice

Huggi (Pronounced as "Hoo-Ggi") / Khara Pongal / Spicy Lentils Rice / Spicy Split Mung Dal Rice Recipe

Huggi (a kannada word meaning - fun and celebration time) is a very special dish prepared very commonly in most of the Brahmin households in South India. This is a staple main dish during Sankranthi, a festival of harvest celebrated every year on January 14th throughout South India. Also celebrated in other parts of India (with different names for the festival).
Huggi is prepared with freshly harvested rice, lentils and other spices grown by our farmers. Its a very special time in all the villages in India.

I make this one pot meal, which is a healthy and filling main course for weeknight dinner. Huggi could also be a great lunch box meal.

Ingredients

2 cups white rice, washed and soaked for 5-10 mins
1/2 cup split mung beans, washed and soaked for 5 mins (optionally replaced by whole mung beans when you don't find the split mung beans)
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8-10 whole black peppercorns, (optional)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies (optional)
1 tbsp finely chopped curry leaves
1 tsp salt or to taste
4 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
1 tbsp cashew nuts, chopped
a pinch of mustard seeds
a pinch of hing or asafoetida

Method

1. In a rice cooker pot wash and soak the rice for 5-10 minutes.

2. Into the pot add the washed split mung beans, grated coconut, ground black pepper, black peppercorns, turmeric, cumin seeds, hing, grated ginger, chopped green chillies, curry leaves and 2 tbsp ghee.

3. Mix everything throughly and cook the rice on the white rice setting on your rice cooker.

4. Once the rice cooker indicates your rice is done. Bring the pot outside and give the rice a good mix, gently.

5. In case you are using a pressure cooker, mix everything and place the pot into the pressure cooker and wait for 5-8 whistles on the cooker (depends of your pressure cooker size/quantity),

6. Once the pressure is down open the pressure cooker and bring the pot outside and gently give the rice a good mix.

7. After the rice is ready. Heat a pan on and add 2 tbsp ghee and once ghee is hot add the cashew nut pieces. Fry until it turns pinkish brown. Now add a pinch of mustard seeds (wait for it to splutter) and then add hing.

8. Pour the above seasoning on top of the Huggi / Spicy Split Mung Dal Rice and mix gently. Serve the dish hot with a dollop of ghee and a side dish of sweet and sour gravy (called "Gojju" in Kannada) or with coconut chutney or as desired.

Spinach Curry / Palak Palya / Soppina Palya / Madhwa Recipe

Spinach Curry / Palak Palya Recipe

A tasty and spicy curry, a vegan / vegetarian side dish to go along with rice or any Indian flatbread. Enjoy the delicious curry for lunch / dinner.

This is a very authentic curry commonly made with Amaranth leaves in almost every Madhwa Brahmin household. Due to the unavailability of fresh Amaranth leaves in the nearby groceries. I regularly make it with the spinach leaves which is easier to find in almost all the grocers near my place.

The same curry could be made with any type of fresh green leaves available to you like, fresh dill, mountain spinach leaves, fenugreek leaves, linseed leaves, drumstick leaves etc.

Ingredients

4 cups throughly washed and chopped spinach

3/4 cup toor dal or pigeon peas spilt dal (soaked for 15 mins and pressure cooked)

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut

5 dry red chillies

2 green chillies

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar

1/4 cup water

salt to taste

For seasoning,

1 tbsp vegetable oil or coconut oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal

1/2 tsp channa dal (split chickpeas)

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds or Methi seeds

1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida

Method

1. Heat a pan over a medium flame and add oil. Once the oil is hot (not fuming hot) add mustard seeds and after it sputters add cumin seeds, urad dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds and hing. Make sure the seasoning doesn't burn.

2. Add the curry leaves, green and red chilies into the seasoning and fry for a a minute. Mix in the chopped spinach into the pan and sauté. 

3. Sprinkle water over the spinach and cover it 3/4 with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. 

4. Once spinach is wilted and cooked well add toor dal into the pan and mix well.

5. Add the jaggery and freshly grated coconut into the pan and combine well.

6. Now add salt to taste. Mix it throughly. Spinach curry or Palak palya is ready to serve. Tastes best with hot rice or Indian flatbreads like roti, phulka or chapati with a dollop of ghee on top of the curry or as desired.

Akki Rotti / Akki Roti / Rice Flour Savory Flatbread / Mung Bean Akki Rotti

Akki Rotti Recipe / Rice Flour Savory Flatbread Recipe / Spicy Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe / Mung Bean Rice Flour Roti / Avarekayi Rotti

This a very common dish made is almost every household in Karnataka, South India. There are several varieties of this flatbread made with different grains, spices and vegetables. Avarekayi / Avarekalu or European Flat-beans Rotti is a very popular rotti along with regular plain akki rotti.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup green mung beans (or flat-beans, Indian name Surti Papdi Lilva)
1 cup water
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup grated cucumber
1/4 cup grated bell pepper (any color bell pepper will do)
1/2 cup coconut oil or any vegetable oil of your preference
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp finely chopped curry leaves, optional (found in most Indian stores)
2 tbsp finely chopped green chilies (Thai or Indian chili), optional
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the 1/2 cup mung beans in a cup water for 4-5 hours or refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans and reserve the soaking water (you could water the plants). This step is completely optional, in case you are allergic to mung beans or don't like the taste or didn't find the ingredient. 

2 In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, mung beans, cumin seeds, green chili, asafoetida, cilantro, curry leaves (optional, but gives a great flavor to the dish), shredded fresh coconut, shredded carrot, grated cucumber, grated bell pepper and salt. Gradually add the water, mixing well with your hands to form a soft workable dough. Use only as much water needed.

3. Shape the dough into balls about the size of a tennis ball. Set aside. 

4. Grease a cool pan/griddle with 1 tbsp (more or less depending on your calorie intake) oil and place the dough ball and start to flatten the dough with your fingers on the griddle and spread evenly, distributing the dough all around the pan/griddle into a thin flatbread. Grease your hands with oil incase the dough is sticking to your fingers. 

5. Turn on the heat and cook the rotti by covering 3/4 of the pan/ griddle and let the steam out (drizzle some oil if your rotti turns out dry on the top).

6. Flip the rotti onto the other side when the rotti turns golden brown on the bottom, takes about 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.

7. Repeat with the remaining dough, adding a tbsp of oil to the griddle for each rotti. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee or clarified butter or chutney of your choice or with pickles.

Notes - When cooking the rotti, allow the griddle to cool down slightly before cooking the next one. You can also use two skillets, alternating between the two.

Chandrahara / Chandrahaara Recipe

Chandrahara recipe / Popular Karnataka Dessert Recipe

This is a famous dessert delicacy usually made during weddings, house warming, upnayana etc. in Karnataka.


Ingredients for chandrahaara (dumpling)

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour or maida
1/4 cup fine semolina or chiroti rave
3 tbsp clarified butter or ghee
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
15 cloves to fold the chandrahaara (or as much needed)
1-2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Ingredients for syrup

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup milk solids or khova or mava
1 tsp cardamom powder
8-10 strands of saffron
1/4 cup chopped assorted nuts, for garnishing

Method to prepare syrup

1. In a pan over medium heat pour the sugar and add enough water to immerse the sugar and gradually stir them for 10-15 mins until all the sugar crystals dissolve and syrup starts to boil.
2. Let it boil for 5 more mins and turn off the heat. Add cardamom powder and saffron strands and combine well.
3. Once the syrup cools down add the milk solids an stir well to remove the khova lumps. Add milk and mix throughly. Add half the quantity of nuts to the syrup and mix.

Method to prepare chandrahaara (dumpling)

1. In a mixing bowl add the flour and fine semolina along with salt and baking soda and throughly combine.
2. Add ghee to the mixture and mix well.
3. Make a dough out of the mixture by adding little water at a time. Make sure the dough is neither too hard or too soft. Knead well.
4. Smear ghee to the dough and rest it for an hour by covering it with a damp kitchen towel (paper towel).
5. After an hour's time make small size balls (golf ball) out of the dough. Smear all purpose flour on the board and roll it out using a rolling pin like a chapati/roti.
6. Using a knife cut the rolled out dough into quarters and fold each of them separately into a purse shaped dumplings and poke a clove to hold the foldings.
7. Heat enough frying oil in a pan and add the dumplings for frying. Make sure you have enough space between each dumpling to puff up. Fry on both sides to get a beautiful golden brown color and place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil from them.
8. Place the chandrahaara in a big bowl and pour the syrup on top and garnish with the rest of the chopped assorted nuts before serving. It tastes best when served hot. During hot months the syrup could be kept in the refrigerator before serving, or as desired.

Besan Burfi

Besan Burfi
A quick and easy dessert that could be made with a very few ingredients found in your pantry. This burfi is a simple dish that ca be prepared on any occasion like for festivals, at a pot luck (party dessert), a quick dessert to entertain over night guests, or occasions when you crave for sweets.


Ingredients
1 cup Besan or chickpea flour
2 cups clarified butter or ghee ( or vegan butter)
3 cups milk, reduced fat or whole milk (coconut milk for vegans)
3 cups of sugar, increase or decrease to taste
1/2 cup blanched almond flour (or cashew/ any nut powder)



Method

1. Combine all the above mentioned ingredients in a pan and mix them throughly until well combined.
2. Turn on the heat to a medium flame ad continuously stir the mixture for about 15- 20 minutes.
3. By then you can observe the ghee separating from the mixture and all the contents form into one lump.
4. Continue to stir well for another 5 minutes or as much desired (to get a thick burfi consistency).
5. Pour the mixture onto a ghee greased plate and spread the burfi evenly using a cup or a flat spatula.
6. Allow the burfi to cool down for about 25 minutes and cut them into pieces. Besan Burfi is ready to be served and devoured.

Raisin Sweet Flatbread / Raisin Holige / Drakshi Holige - Habba Adige Madhwa Brahmin Dessert

Raisin Holige Recipe /  Drakshi Holige - Habba Adige Madhwa Brahmin Sweet/ Raisin Sweet Flatbread Recipe

Authentic holige is a dessert made in Karnataka, South India during festivals and special occasions. This delicacy is traditionally made with a dough filled with either bele hoorna (dal stuffing) or kobbari hoorna (coconut stuffing). I tried and tested this raisin/drakshi hoorna holige recipe and was a big hit during a recent festival celebration at home.

Ingredients for Kanaka

3/4 cup whole wheat flour or all purpose flour
1 cup fine semolina (chiroti Rave)
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp vegetable oil
water, as required

Ingredients for Raisin/Drakshi Hoorna

3/4 cup raisins
5 pitted dates
1/2 cup sugar (if in a crystal form, use powdered sugar)
1 tbsp poppy seeds, dry roasted
2 tbsp mixed nuts, toasted (cashew, almonds or walnuts)
1/2 cup dry coconut shredded or powder or desiccated coconut
1/4 tsp fresh cardamom powder, if you like stronger flavor add more
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (optional)

Ingredients to make Holige

1/4 cup ghee/clarified butter (optional)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour or all purpose flour (optional)


Method to prepare Kanaka

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the whole wheat flour, semolina, salt, turmeric and mix well.

2. Add 2 tbsp oil to this mixture and throughly blend the oil in the flour mixture.

3. Now add water and form a soft dough. Smear the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the dough and cover the dough with a damp cloth or paper towel and rest it for 2 -3 hours.

4. Make tiny balls (roughly 3/4-1 inch) out of the Kanaka dough and keep them aside.


Method to prepare Raisin/Drakshi Hoorna

1. In a food processor or a high powered blender add raisins and dates to form into a dough like consistency. Transfer it into a mixing bowl and keep it aside. If your food processor/blender accommodates all the ingredients let the raisin and date dough stay and add in rest of the ingredients and blend well making sure the stuffing is very finely blended.

2. Transfer the contents from your blender combine everything and mix well. By now the stuffing should be in a solid form. Make small (golf sized) balls out of the mixture.

Method to prepare Holige

1. Take a tiny ball of Kanaka and spread it wide with your fingers or roll it out using a rolling pin on a floured surface (use whole wheat flour or all purpose flour) to accommodate the stuffing.

2. Now keep a raisin hoorna ball at the center and cover the stuffing with the kanaka with your fingers.

3. Place the stuffed dough again on the floured surface and roll it out (like a flat bread or a chapati/roti).

4. On a preheated griddle/pan smear some ghee cook the rolled holige on one side with a tsp of ghee until small brown spots form on the holige.

5. Flip the holige onto the other side and drizzle 1 tsp ghee to cook until brown spots appear.

6. Now the holige is ready to be served with a dollop of ghee on top. Also, it tastes heavenly with a side of almond flavored milk (Badam milk).

Damrot - Wintermelon Halwa / Kumbalakayi Halwa / Kashi Halwa

Wintermelon Halwa / Ash Gourd Halwa / Damrot / Kumbalakayi Halwa / Kashi Halwa
Damrot is a very common delicacy in kannada madhwa brahmin homes esp. during marriages, bramhopadesha or special occasions. This also called as "Kashi halwa" in Karnataka. The taste lingers even after years. I remember eating Damrot at many such occasions and at home, my mother prepares this dish very often on special days and taught me this fantastic delicacy.



3 cups Grated wintermelon/ash gourd/white gourd (tightly packed shreds without its water)
1 3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Milk powder
1 cup Almond flour
1/2 cup Ghee/clarified butter
1tbsp Milk
5 strands Saffron
1 tbsp Ghee/clarified butter to fry the mixed nuts
3 tbsp Mixed nuts of your choice (almonds, cashew, pistachios or walnuts)
1 tbsp Raisin (Optional)
1/2 tsp Ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground

Method

1. Peel the rind of the wintermelon [found in asian grocery store] and deseed, discard the skin and use the seeds (toast them in the oven and add seasonings of your choice for an evening snack) that has a lot of health benefits. Grate the melon [In case of large quantities you may use a blender to shred the melon] and squeeze out all the water. Use the excess water as a vegetable stock to prepare soups/stews.

2. In a thick bottomed pan heat 1/4 cup ghee and add grated melon and fry until all its moisture is lost for about 15 mins on the stove in medium heat setting.

3. Add the almond flour and fry for another 5 minutes. Now, add sugar in the pan and mix well. Stir continuously until the moisture from the sugar is evaporated.

4. Meanwhile, in a bowl warm the milk and add the saffron strands and mix well.

5. When the sugar is completely dissolved add saffron milk mixture to the pan and stir for a while, then add 1/4 cup ghee and stir for about 15-20 mins until the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and ghee separates out. Now the halva is cooked. Add 1/2 tsp ground cardamom and combine well. Remove pan from heat and transfer the contents into your favorite dish.

6. In another small pan heat 1 tbsp ghee, fry the mixed nuts of your choice until light golden brown/pink and lastly add raisins and fry for about 15-20 seconds and switch off the flame just before the raisins start to puff up. Taking care not to burn the almond and cashew.

7. Garnish the halva with the fried mixed nuts and raisins.

8. You may serve it hot/warm on a cold day. Also you may serve with whipped cream on top and enjoy the delicious wintermelon halwa cold or as desired.