• 200 gms Dried Figs
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 10 gms China grass/ agar agar soaked in 4 tbsp water 
• 1 liter Milk
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Condensed Milk
• 2 tbsp Cream (optional)
• Phyllo sheets
• Ghee/ Butter
• Pistachios, ground 
• White chocolate, melted 

1. In a deep bowl, add in your dried figs and pour in the hot water and cover and allow to soak at least for half an hour.
   
   
   
2. At the same time, soak the China grass in water and set aside.
3. Now grind the figs with little bit water used for soaking. 
4. In a deep saucepan, pour the milk and allow to bring to a boil. 
5. Now at the same time, melt the China grass that has been soaking. 
6. Remove milk from stove. Now, to the boiled milk, add sugar, condensed milk, melted China grass, and beaten cream (optional).
7. Finally add in the fig paste and combine well using a whisk.
   
   
   
8. Now pour into individual moulds or a dessert tray. 
9. Allow to set in the refrigerator (3-4 hours or overnight).
10. For assembling, brush ghee or butter onto phyllo sheets and bake them for 2-3 minutes at 180 deg C, this step is optional, adds an extra crunchy texture.
    
    
    
11. Now smash and crumble the baked phyllo sheets and sprinkle as required over the pudding and decorate with melted white chocolate and ground pistachios. 
12. Serve immediately! 

Ingredients:

Soaking milk:

Cheesecake layer:

Instructions:

• 1 pack Italian Lady finger biscuits
• 1/3 cup White Sugar
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 Can Condensed Milk
• 1 cup Milk
• 7-8 Kiri Cheese Cubes/ Cream Cheese
• 1 1/4 cup whipping cream 
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence 
• Cocoa powder

1. In a non stick pan, allow the sugar to caramelize. 
2. Add the butter, one tbsp at a time and stir gently. 
3. Finally pour milk, little at a time and mix well. 
4. Allow to simmer on low heat for 3-4 until slightly thick. Instant Dulce de Leche is ready!
5. In a bowl, pour the milk and Dulce de Leche (or blend them). 
6. Dip the lady finger biscuits in the milk and arrange on a tray.
7. Beat the whipping cream and set aside 1/4 of the cream for piping as decoration.
8. In a bowl, cream or mix the Kiri Cheese cubes along with sugar and vanilla essence and add the remaining Dulce de Leche and combine well.
9. Finally, fold the whipped cream with the cream cheese mix and layer over the arranged biscuits and spread evenly.
10. Dust with cocoa powder.
11. Pipe the whipped cream into a crescent shape by making a guideline using the back of a spoon and pipe accordingly. 
12. Finally pipe the Dulce de Leche for a pop of caramel color and set in the refrigerator overnight or at least 3-4 hours. (For better results keep overnight)

• 1 cup Ari/ pathiri podi * (rice powder)
• Salt, as required
• Water, as required
• 1/4 Cup Split Chana dal (soaked at least for 4-5 hours)
• 2 medium plantains/ Kerala banana, slit and chopped
• 1 cup White granulated Sugar
• Salt,a pinch
• 1 box Shredded coconut
• 1+ 1 1/2 cups warm Water
• 3 Cardamom pods
• 3 tbsp Pachari/ white rice (soaked in water at least for 1/2 hr) 

1. In a bowl, add the ari podi/ rice flour and add in the salt, add enough water and make into a dough (not too loose not too tight)
   
   
   
2. In a clean banana leaf/ aluminum foil, make thin dumplings by applying oil over your hands, and taking a small ball of the dough on one palm and rolling with the help of the other hand's index finger, into a small and thin cylinder shape. Heap them all together and steam the ari pidi/ rice dumplings for 20- 25 minurtes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, cook the soaked split Chana dal in water with little salt and cook until soft and not mushy.
4. Once the ari pidi has steamed, sprinkle water over the steamed dumplings, this step helps the pidi from not sticking to each other.
5. Extract the thick milk from the shredded coconut , by adding the shredded coconut to a mixer grinder, add in the warm water, and cardamom pods. Sieve, squeeze and extract the thick milk and set aside.
   
   
   
6. To the same ground and squeezed coconut add it into the mixer, and pour the 1 1/2 cups warm water and repeat the process of extracting again, this is the thin coconut milk/ second
   
   
   coconut milk.
7. In a large pot, add in your slit and chopped plantains, sugar and the extracted thin coconut milk and a pinch of salt, allow to cook until the plantains are tender.
8. Meanwhile, make a paste by grinding teh soaked white rice with very little water.
9. Into the pot, add the steamed and cooled ari pidi, cooked Chana dal and bring it to a boil. Check if sugar or salt is required. 
10. Next add the ground pachari paste and mix simultaneously and allow to thicken.
    
    
    
11. Finally add in the thick coconut milk and increase flame, one bubbles starts to form at the edges, switch off the flame. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
    
    
    

Kulfi Mahalabia/ Muhallebi

Ingredients: (Makes 5 servings) 

Gajar Ka Halwa is one of my favorite Indian desserts.. (after Gulab jamun🙈). This is a dessert that I have been preparing since a very young age, whenever I felt like having desserts. So experimenting a dessert with my favorite gajar ka Halwa toh Banta hai! 😝

Well, lotus spread and their biscuit are now my biggest obsession.. I try adding them in everything knowingly and unknowingly.. If I say that I am going to make some dessert the hubster keeps pestering me asking if I weren't adding lotus biscuits in it! Haha
So now you know! How much I love them. Contradictory to my liking of these yum lotus biscoff, I do not like to have them plain. I specifically like to have them in dessert. Not even with tea or coffee.

Now coming back to the invention of the trifle, like I said I had been craving carrot halwa since a while, so I made it and it's been quite a while now that this recipe has been sitting in my drafts! It was high time I put to some use for our Eid dessert ideas. I am that person who lovesss cooking and experimenting, but if you ask me what are you making for Eid or any other special occasion I just go blank as if I haven't cooked my entire life. Is it just me? Or is some one able to relate? Let me know in the comments below.
So, coming back to the recipe, I wanted my dessert to be nutty (meaning with nuts and tastes like it). For that I added 1/2 tsp of Almond extract, you may add vanilla extract or completely omit the step.

This trifle is basically layers of rich carrot halwa and luscious Lotus biscoff cream piped in and the chopped almonds in the carrot halwa plays with the textures making it even more scrumptious. This recipe is so easy and so versatile. Well, one thing I can assure you is that gajar ka Halwa and biscoff flavors go hand in hand.

Basically this is a dessert that I prepared when cravinga were at its highest. And that feeling of satisfaction is heavenly. This is dedicated to all lotus biscoff lovers. Advance Eid Mubarak wishes to everyone who is reading this. May Allah accept all our Qiyaam, Siyaam, our duaas and all our good deeds. May Allah make us amongst those who witness the next holy month of Ramadan. Taqqabal Allahu minna wa minkum. 🌹🎀🌹

Ingredients :

• 500 gms Indian Young carrots*, grated
• 2 tbsp pure ghee
• 2 cups milk (or 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup condensed milk)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 4 tbsp chopped almonds
• 1 tbsp ghee (optional)

• 1 Sachet dream whip (whipped according to package instructions)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla/ almond extract (optional)
• 3 tbsp lotus biscoff spread
• 3 tbsp thick cream or fresh cream

1. In a heavy bottom pan bring the milk to a boil. Keep stirring in between, be careful not to burn it.
2. In a large skillet add 2 tbsp ghee and sautee the carrots until the color changes and water is evaporated .
3. Next pour half the milk and cook slowly, mixing in between and add rest and aloow to combine while mixing.
4. Now add 1/2 cup sugar and mix well and add condensed milk if adding.*
5. Finally when little moisture is left, add your cardamom powder and garnish with chopped almonds and your gajar ka halwa is ready. 
6. If your halwa doesn't come off your pan or you want that extra richness finish off by adding 1 tbsp ghee.
7. Now to prepare the lotus biscoff layer, whip the dream whip sachet according to package instructions and vanilla or almond essence (optional)
8. Add to it add melted and cooled lotus biscoff spread and add in your thick/fresh cream.
9. Fold everything gently.
10. Your lotus biscoff cream layer is ready!
11. Now time to aseemble. Add a few spoons of carrot halwa at the bottom of the desset glass/jar.
12. Next pipe the prepared lotus cream. Repeat the process until done.
13. Garnish with almonds and/ leftover gajar ka Halwa. 
    

• I could not get Indian carrots, but using Indian carrots is the best.
• You may use 2 cups whole fat milk or 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup condensed milk.
• You may sautee your almonds in ghee and add.
• If you do not like whipped cream, you may use 200 ml thick cream/fresh cream and add 3 tbsp powdered sugar and fold in the melted lotus spread.