Baklava

Baklava is a popular and very tasty sweet pastry in Middle Eastern,Persian and Arab cuisines.

Ingredients:

Almonds - 1 cup fine chopped
Walnuts - 1 cup fine chopped
Phyllo dough package- 1 (16 ounce)
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1 cup
Sugar- 2 tbsp

For the Syrup:


Water - 1cup
Sugar - 1cup
Honey - 1/2 cup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Vanilla Essence or Rose water - 1 tbsp

Preparation Method:


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C).
2. Mix almonds, walnuts,  cinnamon powder and sugar. set aside.
3. Melt butter  for brushing the filo sheets.
4. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish.
5. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
6. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9*13 inch baking pan.
7. For the first layer,Place one sheet of dough in pan,brush with butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets  layered .  Fold it over if necessary to fit in the pan.
8. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top.
9. put 2 sheets on top of this mixture,brush with butter  and sprinkle the mixture.Repeat this process until all the mix is used ending with 8 sheets for the top layer.
10. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan.Bake for 40  to 50 minutes or until the baklava gets crisp and golden.
11. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
12. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let it cool completely before serving. No need to refridgerate.Can be stored for 10 days.

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:

Beetroot, grated - 3 cups

Milk or half and half - 1 1/2 cups

Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Cashew nuts broken - 10-15

Raisins - 10

Salt - pinch

1/2 tsp cardamom powder



Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan over medium high heat. Add the grated beetroot and fry until the raw smell goes away.

2. Now, add the milk, salt and sugar. Lower the heat to medium and allow it to cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Stir occasionally. This may take around 15-20 minutes, As the mixture thickens, add 1 tbsp of ghee .

3. Turn  off of the pan. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the raisins and cashews until the cashews are golden and the raisins plump up. Add to the halwa with cardamom powder. Stir well and serve hot!