Kali Gajar ka Barfi / Black Carrot Barfi

Last year I had made Kanji of Beetroot and Orange Carrot and I had loved the taste of the Kanji, I was very curious to taste Black carrot Kanji.. which is only available in the North.. so I recently had got a chance to drink Black Carrot Kanji..  that was from a restaurant, but haven’t see the whole black carrot as it’s not available in most parts of  India.. it’s apparently cultivated in Punjab and is found only in some states of North India. .. 

The carrot tasted earthy and sweetish in taste .. yesterday I had got some black gajar. 

It’s said it has - Vitamin B, C, E, it has high anthocyanin content, it fight diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, inflammation and oxidative stress, it boost immunity, improves vision and digestion. 

I had shared a picture of the black beauties.. I was thrilled to get good responses from my foodie friends.. I thank them for sharing some information about the black carrot. 

Apart from the healthy probiotic drink Kanji which is the most popular recipe, dishes like Halwa is made, it’s sold in few shops in Lucknow. Other than that it’s also use for making juice, salad, pickle and murabba. And then of course you can create your own recipes from black carrot like cake, bread, cookies etc.. the idea and innovation is endless.. 

Here I tried out 3 dishes with black carrot.. 

I have used jaggery powder and sugar to make the Barfi sweet since I had very little jaggery left in my pantry.. jaggery is a healthy version or otherwise can be made using sugar. 

I made a small batch of Kanji, used in making salad and made Barfi out of the rest of the carrots.. 

Here is the recipe of the Black Carrot Barfi -

Ingredients 

2 Cups of Grated Black Carrot 

3 tbsps + 1/2 tsp Unsweetened Khoya 

3/4 tsp Desiccated Coconut 

3/4 cup Milk 

3  to 4 tbsps  as per sweetness required Jaggery powder 

1 tbsp Organic Sugar ( I had no jaggery left at home )

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder 

A big pinch of Salt

Some Almond flakes 

2 tbsps Ghee

Method 

Take a pan, add ghee, once the ghee melts, add the grated carrots, stir fry for at least 5 minutes on low flame. 

The whole cooking will be done on low flame.. 

Now gradually add half cup milk, stir occasionally and cook the carrots until the milk has almost evaporated, add the remaining milk and 3 tbsp of Khoya, mix and stir the ingredients so that no lumps remains in the pan. Continue to cook until the milk has evaporated, now add the jaggery powder, cardamom powder, pinch of salt and little almond flakes, stir occasionally and cook until the mixer starts to separate from the pan and starts to form a lump… to check take a small portion and roll the portion, it will form into a ball. Switch off the flame. Pour the mixture into a tray, flatten and spread the mixture evenly. Add the remaining Khoya into the desiccated coconut and mix the khoya with the coconut. Sprinkle the Khoya - coconut mixture and remaining Almond flakes over the Barfi. Let the Barfi set for few hours before cutting. Enjoy the Barfi any time of the day. 

Kasundi Chicken Kosha Tarkari Diya...

This dish taste scrumptious with hot steaming rice. I have used home made Kasundi ( Mustard Sauce ) to marinate the chicken along with the other ingredients. You can use ready made Kasundi available in the market. I have added mushrooms and carrot to the dish. You can add potatoes too. I love little sweetness of the carrot with Kasundi. This is an experiment in my kitchen. Do try it out... I am sure you will enjoy it. 

To Marinate the Chicken

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Chicken Legs

2 tbsp of Kasundi (Mustard Sauce) 

1 tsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Panch phoran powder

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Curd 

Method

Mix all the above ingredients together and let it marinate for an hour. 

To make the Chicken 

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken

1 big Carrot cut into medium size strips

2 Onions sliced

6 to 8 whole Garlic cloves 

8 to 10 small size whole Mushrooms 

1 Green Chilli slit 

1/2 tsp Panch Phoran 

2 to 3 tbsp Mustard oil

Method 

Take a fry pan, add oil. Let it come to a smoking point.  Lower the flame and reduce the heat. Add the Panch phoran. Let it crackle. Add the green chilli and sauté for few seconds. Add the garlic and sauté for few more seconds. Add the onions and carrots, sauté till the onions are light pink in colour. Add the marinated chicken, stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, let it cook for 10 minutes more. Add the mushrooms, stir and cook till the mushrooms have cooked and the water has reduced. Serve it hot.. 

Carrot and Beetroot Bread....

This bread is an experiment in my kitchen. I have used whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and semolina to make this bread. This bread is good for making sandwiches or you can just eat it with cheese spread. It has a mild flavour of garlic and rosemary. It is soft in texture. It Is good for children as it has veggies too.  Please do give it a try. 

Ingredients 

350 grams Whole Wheat Flour 

250 grams All Purpose Flour 

100 grams Semolina 

1 small Carrot grated 

1 small Beetroot grated 

Few Fresh Rose Mary leaves 

2 Garlic Clove grated 

2 1/4 tsp Dry Yeast 

2 tbsp Sugar 

1 tbsp Rock Salt 

1/2 tsp Chilli flakes 

150 Ml Lukewarm Water 

250 Ml Water 

2 1/2 tbsp Olive oil 

Method 

Take lukewarm water in a cup and add sugar and yeast. Stir and leave it to rise. Take whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and semolina in a mixing bowl. Add salt and chilli flakes. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the carrot, beetroot,  garlic and rosemary. Mix it together. Add the yeast water, water and 1 tbsp olive oil in the mixing bowl. Mix it and start kneading the dough. Knead it for 5 minutes. Add a tbsp of oil and continue kneading it for 10 minutes more. Take a portion of the dough and try stretching it. If it stretches, then the kneading is done. Transfer it into a greased bowl, cover and let it rise double in size. Punch the dough and knead it for a minute. Apply oil on your palms while handling the dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Take 2 greased medium size bread loaf tins. Take a protion and shape up the dough to fit it into one bread loaf tin. Repeat the same process for the other dough. Cover and let it rise double in size. Spray the dough with water. Bake it in a pre heated oven at 190 degrees celcius for 30 - 35 minutes. In between while baking, spray the bread with water.  Remove it from the oven, brush the top with butter. Let it cool a bit. Remove the bread from the mould. Cool it completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

Spinach, Carrot and Cheese Roulade

Spinach, Carrot and Cheese Roulade
For the Filling
Ingredients
1/4 cup Cream Cheese
1 cup Cottage cheese
2tbsp  Yogurt / Curd
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup Carrot shredded

Method
In the blender add all the above ingredients except carrots and blend it till smooth. Keep it aside.

For the Spinach Roulade
Ingredients
4 cups Spinach chopped, blanched and water squeezed out

4 Garlic cloves Minced 
3 Eggs separated
2 cups Mozzarella shredded
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
2 tbsp melted Butter

Method
Take a mixing bowl, add spinach, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, egg yolk, garlic, salt to taste and pepper powder. Mix it. Take the egg whites and beat it till stiff. Add the egg whites in the spinach and fold it gently. Take a baking tin. Line a the tin with greaseproof paper and it brush with butter. Pour the batter in the tin. Bake at 180 degrees celcius  degrees for 10 minutes in a preheated oven. Take the tin out and spread the remaining cheese and bake it again for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and turn this over on a greaseproof paper to cool slightly. Peel the top layer of paper and roll up gently with the bottom greaseproof paper in the roll and leave to cool.

To Assemble
Open up the roll. Spread the filling and sprinkle the carrots on top. Roll it back. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Cut into roundles and serve.

Tiranga Barfi (Green Pea,Carrot Mava Barfi)

Happy Republic Day to all.....
Tiranga Barfi (Green Pea,Carrot Mava Barfi)
Ingredients
750 grams Mawa
750 grams Cottage cheese  (Paneer )
11/2 cups Condensed milk
2 cup Green Peas puree
2 cup Carrot puree
3/4 tsp Cardomom powder
3 Pinches of Salt
Sprinkle of  Pistachio powder and few Almond flakes for garnishing
Ghee for greasing

Method
Take a plate and make crumbs of mawa and paneer. Divide the mava, paneer, condensed milk, cardomom powder and salt into 3 parts.  Take a heavy bottom pan add  the green pea puree, stirring occasionally reduce the water content in the puree, Add  mawa and paneer and stirring it  continuously cook it for 10 minutes till the liquid in it dries up a bit. Add the condensed milk, salt and cardomom powder, stir and cook on low flame till the mixture forms almost like a dough. Take it out and spread the mixture on a greased plate while it is hot. Take the another  pan, add only the mava and paneer, salt, condensed milk and cardomom powder, repeat the process. After the middle layer is done, take a pan and repeat the same with carrot puree. Take it out and spread the mixture on the white mixture.  Sprinkle with pistachios powder and almond flakes. Let it sit in the fridge for 6 hours till it sets. Cut into pieces and serve.

Carrot Ladoos

Carrot  Ladoos

Ingredients

6 cups Carrots shredded

1/4 tin Condensed Milk

1 cup Milk Powder 

3 tbsp Sugar 

1/4 tsp Salt 

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

1/2 tbsp Almonds flakes

1/2 tbsp Pistachio flakes 

1/2 tbsp Mask Melon seeds / Magaz seeds 

1  tbsp Ghee

 Method

Heat ghee in a  heavy bottomed pan, add the shredded carrots and salt. Saute the carrots for 10 minutes. Add the milk powder and sugar. Stir it. Add the condensed milk and let the carrots cook, stir it continuously.  Add cardamom powder and stir it until it combines well. Once the condensed milk and the carrot has incoperated well, and the mixture has started to leave the sides, switch off the flame and mix in the almonds, pistachio and magaz seeds... Let the mixture cool. Grease the  palms with ghee and roll out small lemon size balls out of the mixture. Garnish with magaz seeds, almond and pistachio..

P.S. The mixture has to get dry and bit sticky... until then please keep stirring on low flame ... Otherwise the ladoos will not hold.. to test, once the mixture has come to the right consistency.. Try rolling a small portion... if it forms a ball, then it is done.

Carrot and Cinnamon Sponge Cake with Cinnamon and Walnut Frosting

A healthy homemade cake recipe with the goodness of carrots.

Love this cake that I have been making... hope that you will enjoy it too. 

Ingredients for the Cake

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour(Maida)

3/4 cup  Caster Sugar

1  tsp Baking powder

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Beaten Curd + 1/2 Milk = Butter Milk 

1 tsp Vanilla essence

1/2 cup Grated Carrot 

3/4 cup Butter 

Method

Grease 8 inch square tin with butter. Whisk the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the essence and carrot into the batter and stir the ingredients together. In a bowl sieve flour, baking powder, soda bicarbonate, salt and cinnamon. Sieve all the dry ingredients together. Add little of the flour and buttermilk into the batter and whisk it, continue to add little of buttermilk and flour until the batter is of thick dropping consistency.  Pour this batter into the prepared tin and bake the cake in a  preheated oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 35-40 mins. The baking time varies from oven to oven, hence keep an eye after 30 mins. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake to check. If the toothpick comes out clean then the cake is done. Remove the tin from the oven and let it sit for 10 mins on the cooking rack.  Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake and gently turn it upside down onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Cinnamon and Walnut  Frosting 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups hung Curd

1/2 cup Cream Cheese 

 1/2 cup to 1 cup Icing  sugar as per the sweetness required 

1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

 2 tbsp Walnut powder 

Method 

Beat the Icing sugar, cinnamon powder, curd and cream cheese  together. Cut the cake horizontally from the centre. Apply the frosting. Sprinkle some walnut powder. Place the top part of the cake on the frosting. Spread the frosting on top of the cake. Sprinkle walnut powder on top of the frosting. Take 3 tbsp of the frosting, add orange colour and mix it. Take a small piping bag and put the frosting in it to make the carrot. Now take another 1 tbsp of the frosting, add green colour and mix it. Put it in a small piping bag to make carrot leaves. First use the green frosting and make leaves for the carrots. Then make the carrot with the help of orange piping bag. Shape and texture it with the help of the blunt knife. Cut the cake into rectangle pieces and enjoy.