Carrot Halwa/Gajar ka Halwa

I do not remember when I made this favorite dessert of ours last. I only know that each time I prepared it, I hoped that it would last for as long as possible given the fact that I had spent hours grating the carrots by hand and then having sore arms for a day or two.  But it never was meant to be. I would increase the quantity of carrots by the kilo and yet, every time this halwa would find a place into my family's tummies as often as possible. 

With my new Bosch Mum I decided to give it a try and was I amazed with how fast and easy it turned out.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo carrots, washed, peeled and grated
• 400 gm milkmaid or sweetened condensed milk
• 5-6 tablespoons ghee
• 150 gm sugar *
• raisins to garnish
• 1and a half tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. In a thick bottomed vessel heat the ghee.
2. Add the grated carrot and fry till completely dry(approximately 20 minutes).
3. Add the sugar and mix well, stirring continuously.
4. Add the milkmaid and continue cooking on a low flame till completely dry(approx 15 to 20 minutes), all the while stirring in between so that it does not burn. When the carrot halwa does not stick to the sides of the vessel, its an indication that the sweet is ready.
5. Add the cardamom powder and raisins, mix well. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or refrigerate it and have it cold according to your taste.

* The amount of sugar can be increased or decreased accordingly. Keep in mind that you are using sweetened condensed milk.

Blueberry pancakes with cinnamon butter and syrup

Source: BBC GoodFood India
Serves 4-5
Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
The pancakes:

• self raising flour 300g
• bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
• eggs 2
• buttermilk 275ml
• milk 4tbsp
• melted butter 75g
• 225 gm fresh blueberries(the original recipe called for 2 apples and 50g dried cranberries)
• butter or sunflower oil for frying
• maple syrup to serve

The cinnamon butter:

• softened butter 75g
• cinnamon powder 1tsp
• caster sugar 2tsp

Method:

1. To make the cinnamon butter, mix all the ingredients together, wrap in cling film, shape into a log and chill. You can make this up to 3 days ahead.
2. Mix the flour, bicarbonate and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then gradually whisk in the eggs, followed by the buttermilk, milk and melted butter. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the blueberries.
3. Melt a little more butter in a non stick pan or smear with sunflower oil. When hot, add 1-3 small  ladles of batter to the pan to make 1-3 small pancakes(its dependent on the size of your pan).
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear and the underside of the pancake is set and golden. Flip and cook for a few minutes more. 
5. Transfer pancakes to a plate, cover with baking parchment and keep warm in an oven. Cook the remaining pancakes.
6. To serve, stack pancakes on plates, top with a big knob of cinnamon butter and drizzle with maple syrup.
7. ENJOY!!