Kashi Halwa

Ingredients

ash gourd/ white pumpkin- 2 cups, shredded and squeezed

granulated sugar- 1 cup

saffron - a pinch

cardamon- 1

cashews/almonds- 1 tbsp

ghee- 2-3 tbsp

Method:

• Peel the skin and remove the seeds of the white pumpkin. 
• Shred them in a grater. 
• Place the shredded pumpkin in a muslin cloth and gently squeeze the excess water. Save this squeezed water to cook the pumpkin
• Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add the cashews and almonds and fry them until golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
• Add the shredded squeezed pumpkin with 1/4 cup of squeezed water and cook covered until soft on medium flame. Saute and mash the pumpkin regularly to ensure even cooking. 
• Once the pumpkin is well cooked, add 1 cup of sugar and a pinch of saffron.
• After the sugar is added the mixture would leave out water. 
• Cook on a low flame until the halwa thickens and separates from the pan.
• Add the remaining ghee and crushed cardamom and cook the halwa until it leaves the sides.
• Garnish with the roasted cashews and serve hot.

Curry Udon noodles

Ingredients
uncooked udon noodles- 6oz
Grapeseed oil- 3 tbsp
carrots- 1,  large
cabbage shredded- 1cup
purple cabbage shredded- 1/2 cup
green beans- 1/2 cup chopped
coconut milk- 1 can
turmeric- 1/4 tsp
corriander powder- 2 tsp
cumin powder- 1 tsp
curry powder- 3 tsp
soy sauce- 1 tbsp
coconut sugar- 1 tbsp
black pepper- 1/4 tsp
hot sauce- 1/4 tsp optional
corn starch/ tapioca starch- 1 tbsp
water/ vegetable broth- 5 cups
salt to taste
cilantro leaves to garnish

Method

• Cook the noodles as per instructions on the package and set aside.
• Heat grape seed oil in a stock pot. Add  turmeric, shredded white cabbage, purple cabbage, chopped carrots, chopped green and saute it for 2 mins. 
• Add the spice powders such as coriander, cumin and curry powder and black pepper and saute it for a minute. 
• Pour in water or vegetable broth. Add salt, soy sauce, coconut sugar and coconut milk and allow it to boil and then simmer.
• Dissolve tapioca starch in 1/8 cup of water. Add it slowly stirring the boiling curry sauce so that no lumps are formed.
• Allow it to cook for 3 minutes and then turn the stove off.
• Place the cooked noodles in serving bowl and pour the the required curry sauce over it. 

Suggestions

• Tofu or tempeh or broccolli can be used for added protein. 

Eggless Chocolate Sugar Cookies aka Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients
unbleached all purpose flour- 1 cups
unsalted butter, room temperature- 1/2 cup
powdered sugar- 1/2 cup
cocoa powder- 1/4
salt- 1/8 tsp
vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp
milk- 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

• Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and sugar separately. 
• Beat the softened butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.
• Blend in the flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt and milk and make it into a dough consistency. Wrap the cookie dough in a parchment paper and chill the dough for 30 mins.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F for 10 minutes
• Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator.
• Roll the dough on a parchment sheet and cut them out into desired shapes using a cookie cutter.
• Line them on a cookie sheet and bake them for 10-12 mins until the edges become firm. If you like it crispy you could bake it for 15 mins. Allow them to cool for 10 mins.
• Coat the cookies with powdered sugar or  butter cream icing if desired.

Panagam

This is Lord NarasimhaDev's favourite, The Panagam at our place has a little twist. We add chia seeds to it.

Ingredients

Jaggery - 11/2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Dry ginger - 1 tsp
Cardamom - 3 pods
Pepper - 4 
Salt - a very small pinch
Lemon - 1
Chia seeds - 3 tsps

Method

Soak the chia seeds in one cup of water overnight or atleast 2 to 3 hours before making panagam.

In a another vessel soak the jaggery in the remaining two cups of water. 
To the jaggery water mix add the dry ginger, salt and juice of lemon.
Break the pepper and cardamom coarsely with a hand grinder and add it to the jaggery mix.
Mix everything well and make sure all jaggery is melted. Strain the panagam.
Add the soaked chia seeds to the panagam. Serve chilled.