Rava Ladoo

Ingredients

• 2 cups cream of wheat (rava)
• 2 cups powderd sugar
• ½ tsp powdered cardamom
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ¼ cup cashew pieces
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup warm milk

Directions

1. Roast cream of wheat until light brown in color. Cool and then blend to a fine powder using a coffee grinder or spice mill.
2. Add sugar, cardamom powder and mix well.
3. Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add cashew nuts, stir till lightly browned, and add to rava mix. Repeat with raisins. Mix well.
4. Transfer ¼ cup rava mix to a plate, add warm milk, a little at a time and mixing until all the dry ingredients are barely moistened. Immediately divide the mix into 3-4 parts and then shape each into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mix.

Makes 24 - 30 pieces

Kasutera (Japanese Sponge Cake)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 large eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup bread flour, sifted

Directions

1. Mix honey in warm milk and set aside.
2. Beat eggs in a large bowl, placed on a bigger bowl with warm water.  Gradually add sugar and continue beating until lightly thickened and the color turns to off-white/faint yellow.
3. Add milk-honey mixture and stir well.
4. Add the flour and stir gently until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
5. Transfer the mixture to a large loaf pan lined with lightly greased parchment paper.
6. Bake at 350 deg for 10 minutes and then turn down the temperature to 275 deg and bake for an additional 30-40 min.
7. Transfer to a cooling rack and gently remove the parchment paper.

Serves 4-5

Cucumber-Apple Raita

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 green apple, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, finely shopped
• ¼ cup yogurt, whisked
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours

Serves 2-3

Tomato-Onion Raita

Ingredients

• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp finely chopped green chili
• 2 cups yogurt
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 6-8 curry leaves
• 2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Mix onions, tomatoes, green chili, yogurt and salt.
2. Heat oil in a sauce pan, add mustard seeds and cover the pan.  When the seeds have popped, add curry leaves, stir for 15 sec, and then pour into the yogurt mix.
3. Garnish with cilantro

Serves 4-6

Maple-Pecan Muffin

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• a pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup yogurt, whisked
• 6 tbsp maple syrup plus 3-4 tsp extra for glazing
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil
• 12 pecan halves

Directions

1. Lightly beat the eggs, and then beat in yogurt, 6 tbsp maple syrup and the oil.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients except pecan halves. Make a well in the center and pour in the liquid mix.  Stir gently until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
3. Pour into a greased muffin pan or a pan lined with paper muffin cups. Top each muffin with a pecan half.
4. Bake at 400 deg for 20 min, until muffins turn golden brown and are firm to the touch.
5. Allow muffins to cool for 5 min and then glaze the top of each muffin with the remaining maple syrup.

Makes 12