Valentine special...Gajar halwa cheesecake pie/ Indian style carrot pudding cheesecake pie

Last one month has been hectic, like a roller coaster ride with loads of housework, looking after the kids, my voluntary work, social commitments and so on.Sometimes blogging does take a backseat with priorities coming my way.

I am just back from the city of Destiny,Vizag after attending the International Fleet Review where my better half performed for the air show and I sat there in the enthralled audience mesmerised and proud as he and his fly boys roared in the Vizag skies in their fighter jets defying gravity with their heart flipping manoeuvres.

Like many people I also knew what the words duty, loyalty, respect, selfless service, honour, integrity and courage meant.But how often do we see someone living upto those values. In the defence services I see the soldiers living them everyday, every moment and in everything they do whether on duty or off duty.

With the hubby embarked on the aircraft carrier as usual, this Valentines Day is also a lonely one with

the kids to give me company. Well, after eighteen long years I am used to the embarkations and deployments and there's no use cribbing and complaining about something that's not in our hands. Myself and the kids have reconciled to the fact that he is for our country and that's what gives him satisfaction. My heart cries for my kids when they feel sad and miss the father's presence on their birthdays, school annual day, sports day and important days in their lives.

 

On occasions like these I cook his favourite dishes and we miss him a little less.Gajar ka halwa being one of his favourite desserts and with the bright red carrots thronging the veggie market I decided to make a fusion dish with the carrots.After my cheesecake classes I had some cream cheese lying in the refrigerator and the idea of this unique cheesecake struck me.I made them in small tart moulds and  a pie dish to give a different look to the no bake eggless cheesecake.The cheesecake pie turned out to be perfect and mind blowing with the unique flavour of gajar ka halwa ,a perfect fusion of the East and West and a keeper for sure .A little different from the usual chocolates and strawberries dominating the Valentines Day menu and that's what makes it distinct from the rest. 

Ingredients

For the Gajar ka halwa/ Indian style carrot pudding
1/2 kg Fresh Red Carrots,grated
1 lt full fat milk
1/2 tin Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp ghee/ clarified butter
Chopped dry fruits

For the Pie Crust
1 C biscuit crumbs,powdered in the grinder
A little less than
1/3 C melted butter

For the Cheesecake

 3 oz Whipping Cream
4 1/2 oz  Cream cheese
1/2 C Gajar ka halwa
2 tbsp powdered sugar
A pinch cardamom powder
For the garnish
1 tbsp Pistachios,chopped
2 tbsp Gajar ka halwa

Method
For the Gajar ka Halwa

• Cook the grated carrots with the milk  in a wok in medium flame, stirring in between till the milk dries up,takes around 30-40 minutes.
• Add the condensed milk and sugar and cook till it dries up again,for nearly 20 minutes.
• Add the Ghee ,dry fruits and cardamom powder and fry the halwa for 10-15 mins stirring constantly till the colour changes to a bright red colour .Fry till the consistency you want,I like mine a little dry.
• Switch off the flame.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

For the pie crust

• Add the melted butter to the ground biscuits and mix till well combined ,I use digestive
•  biscuits.
• Press into the bottom and sides of a 8 inch pie dish with a removable base uniformly.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes while you prepare the cheesecake.

For the Cheesecake

• Whip the whipping cream in a hand mixer for 3 minutes till it stands in soft peaks.Make sure the whipping cream is cold.
• Add the cream cheese and sugar ( if needed)and mix with the cream with the mixer in low speed till incorporated.
• Add the gajar ka halwa( room temperature)and  cardamom powder and combine all with a spatula in the cut and fold method gently.
• Pour the mixture into the pie dish and garnish with gajar ka halwa and chopped pistachios.
• Return the dish back to the fridge and let it set overnight or for 5-6 hours.
• Unmould from the pie dish and serve cut into slices.

A happy Valentine's Day to all!!
Do take a look in my friend Parinaaz ' s blog A dollop of that!whats cooking for Valentines.She has a beautiful blog with mindblowing pics and mouthwatering recipes .

Red velvet trifles

And Sweta's blog  Oriyarasoi- a cosmopolitan Odiyas kitchen has lip smacking  recipes of different cuisines from around the world but she specialises in authentic Odiya recipes.Do have a peep what's special for her Valentine.
No bake strawberry delight

Spiced Pumpkin and sweet potato soup with toasted Almonds.

Its just raining Pumpkins everywhere in blogosphere.And the pumpkin bug has bit me too...though we Indians don't celebrate the American Thanksgiving .But here it's become kind of cool to celebrate Halloween,better known as the day of Dead.Every hotel and restaurant is throwing a Halloween themed party and even the shops have started stocking up on Halloween gear.

In fact my elder one had a Halloween themed birthday party ....well now everyone is thinking and going global.In the U.S. pumpkins go hand in hand with the fall holidays of thanksgiving and
Halloween.This time I also experimented  with lots of pumpkin recipes from around the world and
every single recipe is a keeper for sure.

From savoury soups to sweet treats the humble pumpkin is so versatile it reaches new heights with these ultimate ,mouthwatering recipes.

My soup is a traditional thanksgiving soup made of pumpkins,sweet potato,carrots and apple.This sweet,vibrant ,orange coloured soup is flavoured with spices and vanilla which goes very well with the creamy texture of potatoes and pumpkins.

3-4 servings
You Require

200 gms Pumpkin Peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
1 large carrot,chopped
1 medium apple,peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
3-4 pods Garlic,chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon,powdered
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp dry ginger powdered
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 C vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
15 gms butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Cream and toasted almonds to garnish

Method

• Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Add the sliced onion and garlic and fry till transparent.
• Add the cinnamon,ginger and all spice and fry until fragrant.
• Add the pumpkin,sweet potatoes,carrots and apples,fry for a few minutes and add the vanilla.
• Add the Veg stock and cover and let it cook for 15-20 mins.
• After the veggies are soft and mushy add the salt ,pepper and butter.
• Let it cool for a few minutes and then blitz with a hand blender or whisk it to a silky smooth consistency in a food processor .
• Add more water or stock if you want a thin consistency and check the seasonings.
• Warm and serve with cream swirled on it and a sprinkling of toasted almonds.

A perfect soup to keep you warm during the long winter nights!

Carrot Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting

I have been baking cakes since my college days and those days vanilla cakes were a hit and that too in a basic round electric oven which was ubiquitous to every baking household .I stuck to vanilla and chocolate till I got married and all the time thinking of myself as a baking queen. When I entered into the baking arena with a hand mixer and OTG and few sophisticated foreign author cake books I discovered that there was a world of cakes that I had never ventured into.Since then I haven't looked back,baked cakes after cakes  and have carved a place for myself as an expert baker baking from simple pound cakes to towering layer cakes.My passion for baking has made me bake at 1 in the night too and savouring a warm ,fluffy piece before retiring to bed.There is nothing like the taste of a cake you make in your own kitchen.Measure your ingredients properly, mix it with lots of love and bake it with utmost care ...that's my secret to a perfect cake.Here is my favourite Carrot Cake recipe with a hint of walnuts and cinnamon and a tangy cream cheese frosting.Simple,Sweet,Moist and Flavourful...adapted from Joy of baking.

You Require:-

For the Cake
1 C All purpose flour
1 1/4 C grated raw carrots
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 C fine sugar
1/2 C refine oil( vegetable,canola or safflower)
1/2 C coarsely crushed walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

For the frosting
2 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1 C icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 deg C
• Line a round 9 inch pan with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour baking powder,baking soda,cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl with a electric mixer whisk eggs till frothy and then add sugar gradually  till the batter is pale and thick and then beat in the vanilla.
• Add the flour mix to the batter and mix till incorporated.
• 
  
• Add the grated carrots and walnuts and fold in with a spatula.
• Bake for 25-30 mins or till a toothpick in the centre comes out clean.
• For the frosting beat the butter with cream cheese with electric beater just until blended.
• Gradually add sifted icing sugar to the mix and beat on low speed until smooth.
• Lastly add the vanilla and lemon zest and beat.
• Spread the frosting on the cool cake and decorate with walnuts and refrigerate the leftovers.

P.S. Always ensure to sift your flour before measuring.


I am sending my entry to Bake of the week held by Helen of Casa Costello.