Earlier last week, I stumbled upon Rachna’s blog and found a an interesting recipe for preparing laddus using peanut butter.  It’s such an easy recipe, with no cooking at all.  Surprisingly I had all the ingredients at home and moreover it was my friend’s daughter’s birthday, so I went ahead and made it immediately. 

First I tried it with peanut butter.  One thing I forgot to notice was, the peanut butter had sodium in it, so the laddus were both sweet and salty.  But we did like the taste. 

Later I remembered about the almond butter which was lying in my pantry after using it for the almond butter bread.  Immediately I checked the nutrition label and I saw 0gm Sodium.  So I made the ladoos again with almond butter and it was absolutely delicious.

For my laddoos I used 1/2 a cup of almond butter, 1/4 a cup of regular icing sugar, 1/4 cup of khoya and a pinch of cardamom powder.  Simply combine all the ingredients and shape it into balls.  I got 13 small ladoos for this measurement.

This is my entry for Nupur’s Less is More MBP event.  MBP was originally started by Coffee to give credit to fellow food blogger’s efforts.

For this month’s Open Sesame 2 Contest I chose box no.1 and got the following riddle:

“A moniker in my name for a city
A phrase with me will make you cherished
I am so good for you in my utter simplicity
In Medical dictionary the fact so furnished

I am so famous in the world of bytes
Known for many aspects of usage
I am fat and rotound and make crunchy bites
My fame known from many religious traditions – right from the old age

Am, I forbidden? Or mystical ?
or the eternal giver of Youth
I consists of five internal carpels
Am good for good health of your mouth

I am as basic a fruit as you can think of
Or as hard if you dont try enough
If You eat me on a day to day basis
Then you dont have worry about anything – be it cold or dry cough”

At first I thought that it was difficult because Siri had mentioned that this month’s clue will be difficult than the previous month.  The mind was playing it’s trick telling me that it was difficult even before I could read the riddle completely.  But once I gave it a thorough reading, I was able to guess the answer right away.  That’s a brilliant riddle DK!

I was wondering what I can cook using apples apart from the famous pie and milkshake.  I was searching Food network’s site for some interesting recipes.  Then I saw an announcement for another event “Sweet Series”, this month’s theme being puran poli.  All of a sudden I got the idea of making an apple poli.  I thought of making apple halwa, like carrot halwa and then stuffing it inside the all purpose flour dough to make polis.  To my surprise it turned out very very tasty.  The halwa was so delicious by itself and so was the poli too.  Thanks once again DK and Siri, I would have not come up with this recipe if it was not for your  contest.

As it was my test recipe, I tried it with small quantities only.  But the next time I make this poli I’m going to double the measurements.

For the dough:
All purpose flour (maida) – 1 cup
Salt – pinch
Ghee – 1 tablespoon

For the stuffing:
Apple, small, grated – 1 (be sure to check that it’s sweet)
Milk Khoa (Khova, Mawa) grated or crumbled – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Sugar – 2 tablespoons (or as per taste)
Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Ghee – 2 teaspoons
Powdered dhalia – optional

 
Procedure:
1.  Combine all purpose flour, salt and water to form a ball of dough, just like chapathi dough.  Then add the ghee and knead it thoroughly.  Cover the dough and let it sit for atleast one hour.

2.  Cut the top and bottom of the apple. 

 3.  Slice the apple.

4.  Peel the skin. 

5.  Grate the apple slices. 

 Grated apple, grated khoa and sugar.

6.  For the halwa/puran, add the ghee in a microwave safe bowl and the grated apples, cook it for 2 minutes. 

7.  Then add the sugar and khoa to the cooked apples.  

8.  Cook it for another 3 minutes or until you don’t smell raw apples.  Alternatively you can prepare this on stove top also.  Add 2 teaspoons of ghee in a frying pan and sautee the grated apples, until they are cooked well.  Then add the sugar, let it dissolve and then add the khoya and combine it toghether.  If this mixture is a bit watery add some more khoya or the powdered dhalia, so that the stuffing will hold together properly.

 Apple puran and all purpose flour dough.

9.  Now divide the dough into 4 equal size balls.  Also take 4 equal portions of the stuffing.  Make the stuffing smaller in size than the dough.  Eat the rest of the halwa just like that.  Everybody will ask for more.

10.  Roll the dough into a small circle.

 11.  Place one portion of the stuffing on the the rolled out dough.

 12.  Cover the stuffing using the dough.

13.  Press the tip of the dough and flatten it into a disc. 

 14.  Roll out the stuffed dough into a circle, like roti.

 15.  Meanwhile pre heat the tava (griddle).  Place the poli on the hot tava, cook it on both sides, applying little ghee.

The taste was unbelievable!  I was really proud of my creation.  My mother and my son loved it very much.

This also goes to Mythreyee’s Sweet Series Event – Puran Poli, Sweet Chapathis/Rotis.