Rava Kesari

Ingredients:

1 cup Rava/Sooji

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1/2 cup Ghee

10 Cashews (broken)

1/2tsp Cardamom extract

1 Pinch food color

1 pinch Saffron (optional)

2 1/2 cups Water

1 pinch Salt

How to:

• Heat the ghee in a skillet, add the cashews and roast'em in low flame. (Don't be stringent on ghee)

• When it starts browning, add the rava slowly and roast'em until you get nice aroma and it gets cooked.

• Now add the sugar, mix well and roast for 2 mins.

• Then pour the water and make sure no lumps form. (You can also replace water with milk)

• Now, add the salt and food color, mix well and cook in medium flame. (Adding salt enhances the sweetness.)

• When the mixture starts to thicken, add the cardamom extract, saffron and cook till the perfect consistency.

• Reduce the flame, close the lid and cook for 3 more mins.

Serve the dessert hot or cold.

Mint - Cilantro Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

1/2 cup Mint leaves

1/2 cup Cilantro

1/2 Yellow onion (Thinly sliced)

4 green chilli (small)

1tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1tsp Cumin seeds

2 Cloves

1 inch Cinnamon stick

1 Bay leaf

1 Anistar whole (optional)

1 1/4 cup Water

Salt

3tbsp Oil

How to:

• Soak the rice for 20 mins, drain'em and keep aside.
• Puree the mint, cilantro and green chilli in a blender along with 1/4 cup water and keep it aside.

• Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add cumin seeds through anistar and saute for a min.
• Then add onions, saute until tender and add ginger-garlic paste and cook until raw smell disappears.

• Now add the rice, fry for a min and pour the puree along with the remaining water and salt.

• Close the lid and pressure cook the rice until the first whistle and switch off.

Serve hot with onion raita.