Recipe | Dates, Drinks & Desserts [Guest post]

These are recipes by Sunnie with great idea's for Suhoor, Iftaar & even Eid recipes. The post will be updated throughout the year so watch this space!

Stuffed dry dates (kharek)

I kno its kind of early for this .....but still .....whole month is of Ramadan is here ...Traditionally served on the Night of the Eid to break the fast instead of the fresh dates, this is a family recipe
Dry dates( Kharek)- 15/20


Milk- 1 cup


Nido milk powder OR khoya (grated) – ½ cup


Mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachoes, walnuts) – ½ cup
finely grated


Ghee- 1 tsp


Sugar- 4/5 tbs


Saffron- a pinch


Cardamom Powder- a pinch


Wash and soak the dry dates in milk for 5-6 hrs in the
fridge.

Boil them in the same milk till they become soft, remove
from the milk, slit one side and de-seed them.


Keep the dates aside.

In the same milk (will now be about ¼ cup) add the milk
powder or grated khoya, the grated nuts, ghee, saffron and cardamom powder.


Put it over low flame and mix thoroughly and cook until very
thick (like very soft dough).


Add the sugar as required as the milk is already sweetened
by the cooking of the dates.


Remove from flame and allow to it cool.


Fill the cooked dates with the prepared filling and
refrigerate.


Serve chilled

Dates with fillings 

Thats a total random recipe i had in my mind for Ramadan Feast or Iftar Parties ... I implemented the idea and came out superb ... So heres sharing a recipe of this yummilicious treat ^_^

dates wid cashew nuts ...almonds.... pistachio with sugar syrup...and orange peel soaked in sugar syrup

Dates Almond Truffles

2 cups of Dates (pitted + Steamed)
2 cups of Almond flakes (roasted)
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
Bowl of Coconut Flakes

Directions:

Steam the pitted dates for 20 minutes and roast the almonds till golden brown.

In a food processor grind the dates + almonds till a perfect thick paste is form.

Add Honey + Cinnamon powder and mix with your hands.

Create small round truffle like balls and roll in the bowl of coconut flakes.

Serve & Enjoy :)

Electric Lemonade

Equal parts of Seven-Up and Lemonade (made with crushed ice and Lemon Simple Syrup or store bought) add a drop of blue food color. Blend well and Enjoyy 

Cream Almond stuffed dates

-chill the nestle cream
-pit dates
-fix in an almond each
-mix cream with less sugar(too much will make it runny)
-cover with thick layer
- let chill in fridge before serving

Divine!! No matter how much I make all is gone better get a kilo pack :)

Cream Horns/Cream rolls

I have always loved cream rolls from bakery and when I finally tried them today I was overjoyed because they tasted great....

for rolls you can make the pastry dough and pastry cream at home or you can just take a short cut and use ready made puff pastry and fill them with cream....

what you need are:

-cone moulds

-puff pastry

-cream

first of all grease the cones with unsalted butter...

thaw pastry ,cut in long strips and roll around cones overlapping them tightly..press it tightly so that it doesn't open....

put some egg wash mixed with a little milk over it...

sprinkle sugar on top of cones...now freeze for about half an hour....

bake in a preheated oven till golden....

fill them with custard, cream, chocolate, fruits etc...

Pineapple Trifle

Ingredients:

2 packet of pineapple jello,

1 plain cake,

5 tbs vanilla custard powder,

5 cups milk,

2 tbs blanched almonds with skin,

1 small tin of ripe pineapple,

1 cup heavy wipping cream.

some pineapple pieces for decoration use.

Dissolve 2 packet of jello in 4 cups of boiling water.

Pour in a big dish, set till frim.

Place the slices of plain cake in another saucepan boil the 5 cups of milk then dissolve 5 tbs custard powder in 1/2 cup cold milk.

Stir constantly so it dissolves in the boiled milk, make sure there are no lumps. After adding custard it will become thick.

Remove from stove now all some blanched almonds.

Let the custard cool for 1 hour.

After that add riped pineapple (drained) mix it well already did layer of jello & cake slices then add layer of custard mix.put this dish in a cool place for couple hours.

Then do last laying of cream & do some decoration of pineapples.

very yummy recipe.

Figs & Date Laddoo

figs and date ladooooo ... extreally healthy , high in iron and cooked in olive oil

1 1/2cup of figs /anjeer
1 1/2 cups of date ( or date puree )
1/2 cup olive oil for making ladoos or desi ghee for making burfi
1 cup dry fruits + extra chopped for rolling the ladoo's in .

Soak dried figs in two cups of water for three to four hours. 

Drain and make a puree using a little water if required. Alternatively, place dried figs in one cup of hot water for two to three minutes. 

Drain and let cool. 

Make a puree using a little water if required. 

Chop seedless dates and place in half a cup of hot water for fifteen to twenty minutes. 

Make a puree. Alternatively, cook dates in a Microwave oven on microwave HIGH (100%) for thirty seconds and make a puree using a little water if required. 

Chop almonds, cashewnuts and pistachios fine. 

Grease a tray. 

Heat ghee in a pan. 

Add anjeer puree and dates puree. 

Stir well and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for ten to fifteen minutes or till excess moisture dries up. Add almonds, cashewnuts and pistachios. 

Mix well and continue to cook for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring continuously. The mixture will begin to leave the sides of the pan. 

Spread evenly on the greased tray. 

When cool, cut into pieces and serve.

Alternatively add olive oil , inplace of desi ghee and later roll the cooled bater into soft ladoo's and for more shape roll them in finely chopped dry fruit , like I did in the picture above .

both figs and dates are very high in iron , and figs helps in relief from cronic constipation also .

Samosa

For samosas you want to fry, use Filo Pastry and for samosas you want to cook in the oven use Puff Pastry.

Chatpata Filling

Masala(stuffing) ingredients:

500 g potatoes ( boiled and slightly mashed )
1 cup peas ( shelled and boiled )
2 chopped green chillies
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds(zeera)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds(rai)
2-3 curry leaves
1/2 amchur powder ( dry mango powder )
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric(haldi)
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup cilantro(coriander)

Oil for frying


Method for the masala/stuffing:

Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan.

Add mustard seeds.When mustard seeds crackle, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, curry leaves and chopped green chillies.

Add potatoes,peas,salt,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,amchur powder and garam masala. Mix well. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add cilantro (coriander) and mix it properly.

No need to add water.

Qeema (mince meat) Samosa

Qeema samosas

Ingredients

mince meat half a kilo
cabbage 1/4 cup finely chopped
onions 2 finely chopped (u can use less or more according to ur liking)
coriander & mint 1/2 a cup chopped
green chilis 2 finely chopped
salt, red chili flakes to taste
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
whole red chilis 2-3
oil 1-2 tbps
extra 1/2 onion chopped
garlic 2 cloves finely chopped
ginger paste 1 tsp
samosa sheets

Method

heat oil in a pan & saute onions along with red whole chilis, garlice & cumin seeds untill a nice aroma starts coming out,, add in mince & ginger paste fry fry fry,, add n ur spices & fry a bit,,add in cabbage fry fry fry until cabbage is soft,,add in onions fry for few mts & turn off the heat,, add in ur green masala stir & mix well & let it cool.
now fill in the samosa sheets
deep fry the prepared samosas
serve hot with chutneys of ur likings

The samosas in pic were frozen first & then fried.