August 23, 2007

CARIB CREAM AND MICROWAVED LAUKI HALWA!

I am making a delicious and refreshing cold non-alcoholic cocktail called Carib Cream for Meeta from "What's for lunch honey" blog's Monthly Mingle with the theme of "Liquid Dreams" this month. Thanks for choosing a much needed Summer theme Meeta! We are burning up in the heat wave here in NC!:)

I have an old Cocktail book ,the only one I own,which I bought in England. It has many many cocktails with Alcohol and at the end of the book, thankfully they have spared few pages for Non-alcoholic cocktails too. Of all the recipes they have ,I chose the easiest and tastiest. Kids loved it, so here it is!!

Carib Cream:



How to make Carib Cream:

You need: 2 small bananas, chopped,1 small measure lemon juice, 2 large measures 2% milk or half and Half or cream,1 small measure Orange juice, 1 tsp Vanilla essense.
For garnish:1 tsp finely chopped walnuts.
Walnuts are optional. This cocktail is best served immediately to avoid the bananas from turning darker even with the addition of lemon juice.



And;
1. Add the chopped bananas, lemon juice , Orange juice , Vanilla and milk in a blender with some crushed ice and blend until you get smooth liquid.
Pour into a cocktail or any tall glass and sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top just before serving. Photo of Oranges from WIKI



Note:
1. Bananas usually turn dark after a while no matter how much lemon juice you add to prevent the browning. Blend this cocktail just before serving.
2. If Carib Cream is too thick for your liking,(depends on the size of the Banana fruit),add a little more fat-free milk to thin it out.
3. If you don't like to chew on Walnut pieces, powder it or throw them in the blender when blending the cocktail.Sprinkling Walnuts on top is just for garnish.
4. That cocktail measure you see up there is 2 tbsp each for smaller side and larger measure is 3 tbsp of any liquid.Adjust the Lemon and Orange Juice to your taste, no hard and fast rules there!

Enjoy!!:))


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Lauki Halwa cooked in the Microwave is my entry for a new event "Easy cooking with Microwave" which is just launched by Srivalli for "Cooking 4 all seasons" with a theme of "Desserts" this month. Thanks for a great idea and for hosting too Sri!:))


Microwaving the Halwa!:))
Cooking has become so much simpler with the invention of the microwave,specially in summer when you don't have to slog before the hot stove most of the time! When I saw my gourds which are growing in lightening speed in this heat,I thought of making this dessert and in a Microwave too! It was so easy, even I wondered why did I cooked this on the stove top all the years!;D
We in Karnataka, also call this dessert as "Dumrote", and usually Lauki/Doodhi Halwa in rest of India, a very tasty and quick dessert to make in the Microwave. I used a whole Bottle Gourd peeled and after cleaning the insides, I got about 4 cups of grated pulp and after it is cooked ,you get about 1 1/2 cups of delicious Halwa!! Enjoy!:)

Lauki Halwa or Dumrote:
Dumrote,a typical Karnataka dessert, is usually made from Ash Gourd (Boodukumbala kai in Kannada),which gives this dessert a glass like appearance.I used to Bottle Gourd with the Dumrote recipe with pinch of Saffron for color! Enjoy!:)



Here are the ingredients you need to make Halwa:

Add all these to a big bowl 3 times bigger than the contents; 3-4 cups of grated Lauki,1/3 cup or more brown Sugar,(I don't like any dessert too sweet, so add more sugar if you like),2 tbsp Almonds peeled and sliced,1/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tsp butter,pinch of Saffron,1/2 tsp powdered Cardamom, 1/4 tsp Ginger powder, 1/8 tsp Clove pd, pinch of salt to bring out flavor.
To Make it:
1. Mix all the above, microwave it for 10 mins on full power ie on HIGH, stir once and microwave it for another 5-7 mins on HIGH, stir again.
2. Once the liquid evaporates, be careful not to burn the Halwa and Microwave for shorter periods like every 2-3 mins and keep stirring in between.
3. Taste and adjust the sugar and any flavors before microwaving. When the Halwa looks shiny with butter on top and semi solid, it's ready to eat warm or chilled.
4. Total time it took for me is about 23 mins to make this.I have 50% power in my Microwave, I used that for the last few mins to prevent burning.Please use your judgment and enjoy the beautiful looking and tasting dessert!:)

My out of control Bottle/Bird House gourd plant growing on my deck!!



Here are few Microwave tips:
1. Always use a dish twice as big as the food you are cooking to avoid spillage.
2. Do not use gold or silver edged dishes or dishes which are not meant for using in MWs.Always use the lowest cooking time specified in your recipe. It is easy to dry out food in your microwave.
3. Arrange even sized food in a circle on the turning plate for more even cooking.
4. Thicker foods should be place toward outer edges for faster cooking. Food cooks better if cut in uniform sizes.
5. Always stir at least once or twice during the cooking cycle.
6. Cooking time varies than recipe given because of the different power in Watts your MW has, so your judgment when cooking!
7. Clean the MW immediately after each dish is done. Let a bowl of water heat inside for 3 mins without the lid, take it out and clean with a dish towel to loosen the dry, hard splatters inside the walls of the MW if any.
Here is a site about lessons 101 on how to use Microwaves.

Have fun this week!

68 comments:

Coffee said...

SLURP!!!! Carib cream it is this weekend! Your gourds are looking very cute! :)

Okay aunty.... I will not call you aunty okay!! And I will wait to pick u up at singapore airport.... send me the flight details!! ;P

Laavanya said...

That Carib Cream is very interesting and sounds delicious. Love the dhoodhi halwa.. i was checking out the recipe on jugalbandi last week but then decided ot make something savoury with the gourd. Yours looks yummy and easy too :)

bha said...

MW Lauk Halwa.....I wud have never tried anything like this in a MW. Your recipe seems perfect. I have a record of charring things in the MW

TBC said...

I like the sound of MW'd halwa.... have never used the MW for such things.:-)

Arts said...

Lauki Halwa made easy.. i am planning to try gajar halwa same way now :) Now that i have ur recipe, who's gonna waste hrs continuously stirring the halwa :D

Carib cream is yummmy... perfect drink for a perfectly hot summer!!

Suganya said...

That is a cool drink.....Nice picture.. Lauki halwa rocks...Great entry...

FH said...

LOL!! Coffee, do you still DARE pick me up from the airport?
HeHe!! Enjoy the the drink.Bananas turn dark,so make it just before you serve!:)

Laavanya, try the Carib cream. Lauki and Doodhi are they the same.I am confused.But they taste great, didn't know Bee had that too.I think I missed that post!I saw it today and thought "oh, no!!" :D

FH said...

Bha, after 10-15 mins on high, you have to cook at 50% or 2-3 mins at a time.It is easy to burn.You check every 2 mins and stir.It will be perfect.Try it, takes a lot less butter too!:)

Tbc, it's really easy.Once the water evaporates,then you have to be careful.Hope you make it.Gajar halwa is great this way too:)

Sia said...

eeeks... bananas in drink... i have been having love hate relationship with banana. before it was Appa who tried all samrt things in this planet to make me eat those ba-na-nah n now it looks like krish is also on some mission.
love love n absolutely love the pics of sorekai growing in ur garden... i knew u will post sorekai halwa when i saw ur wednesday FH post:D

FH said...

Arts, Gajar Halwa comes out perfect too.I had too many gourds to finish,so I chose this. Enjoy:))

Thank you Sukanya!:))
Give them a try.Don't miss the RCI K'taka at FH:)

Unknown said...

That halwa in the microwave is truly easy and dudhi halwa is my fav coz its so mildly sweet-surely trying it out for one of the festivals! I love the shape of these gourds- looks like there'll be many more gourd recipes coming from your end as you try to use up the bounty!

KRISHNA said...

Carib cream and halwa looks great,
By the way I thought dumroot is make from boodukumbalakai, but anyway I like sorekai much,
Thanks for the recipe

Sharmi said...

both the recipes sound easy and yummy. In hurry first I read it as crab cream:)) and thought not to comment hehehehe...
but this one seems so different and delicious.

Padma said...

Gourds have grown out so well, how did you feeling like peeling and grating them!...kidding...da is one delicious sweet out of m/w...I loved you carib cream too...beautiful snaps, so how was the vacation?

Aruna said...

Asha Love ur halwa... also the drink looks great!!!

themistressofspices.wordpress.com

FH said...

LOL! Sia, you don't like Bananas too ? Trisha doesn't like it either but Tushar eats them a lot!
I love Banana split Ice Cream though,great with Vanilla IC, your loss! Haha!
I cooked at least 3 dishes yesterday with Sorekai,innoo eradu ideyamma! Sigh..wish I could send you some!:)

Nandita,it's a true bounty this year.I could sell them for some change!:D
You are right.I don't like very sweet desserts either,this is really mild tasting and juicy too.Fresh veggies rock!Try it:)

FH said...

Mamatha, Boodukumbalakai in Dumrote is right! Halwa with it looks like glass,isn't it? I will add a sentence about that there too.
I don't get Ash gourd here at all, so I use the same recipe with any gourd I get!Tastes the same but looks different!:D

Sharmi, crab cream? Ewww..!!:D
Carib is short for Caribbean with their tropical fruit mix. Try it. It tastes great if you like Bananas:)

FH said...

Padma, when I came back I was shocked to see 6 of them swollen like balloons at the same time!! Couldn't even ask the kids to peel bcos it's not easy like peeling Potatoes.So I did it all alone for atleast 3-4 hrs!! Phew!! But I love this veggie,so glad I have them.Little work but good to eat!:)

Thank you Aruna.I am glad I manage to enter all these events going on these days somehow and more are coming!! Ahh!!!!:D

Richa said...

dumrote! dumrote! quite like the sound of that :) i like the way u used brown sugar, yummy!
that carib cream is so good, i guess mixing orange juice & milk when chilled won't split it, right? wuid like to try it.

FH said...

LOL! Richa, Dumrote is a great dessert to make with Ash Gourd,same recipe.Try it.
When blended with Ice, acidity doesn't react with the milk. Don't worry.
I did have a recipe for cocktail with raw Egg added!! Didn't want to do that even though chilled is okay with egg too.Have fun:)

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Asha,

Your out of control Lauki Garden looks awesome. I think there is a separate pleasure in eating home grown produce.

Kanchana

J said...

Carib cream looks great. But won't the lemon and orange juice spoil the milk? I tried MW doodhi halwa and kept cooking it (about 2 cups grated halwa)for around 40 minutes. Finally I was fed up and put it on the stove top on high to stop the liquid from oozing, but it still tasted raw!!!! Any idea why? Doodhi halwa - never again!!! Will stick to the lovely carrots :)

KellytheCulinarian said...

Looks like a great, refreshing item. Thanks for the microwaving tips, I'll be cooking exclusively in the microwave soon enough.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
Carib cream is new to me but looks delicious. I am drooling over dudhi dumrot, i love love the ash gourd one. never thought of making it with bottle gourd. thanks for the recipe.

Saju said...

Yummmmmmmm. I love the look of the halwa, looks so good, I bought a dudhi / lauki today......
The Carib Cream looks great, I was also wondering about mixing lemon with milk.

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

now, you made me crave for some halwa!! Never tried adding saffron to lauki halwa..nice touch!

bee said...

your laukis are the cutest i have ever seen. and your halwa looks gorgeous.

Seena said...

Everything looks great! never used microwave for making halwa..will follow the recipe..

FH said...

Absolutely a pleasure Kanchana! So juicy and tasty even though they are smaller than store bought ones!Summer is almost ending,so I better enjoy!:))

J, if it's cold when blending with added Ice in the Carib cream,lemon juice doesn't react with the milk.It happens only when you are cooking,the hot milk splits with lemon juice.
With my fresh gourd here,it was so tender,it was hard for me grate it actually.I cooked this Halwa within 17 mins.I didn't add too much cream either,just enough to make it wet.It evaporated within the first 12 mins of cooking and then you have to cook every 2 mins stirring often until it's shiny on top.
I think Doodhi you used was probably little mature, added more milk than necessary.Try this way with a small amount and see how it goes.Good luck:)

FH said...

Kelly, you will get many MWed recipes this month around blogosphere! You could easily live on those goodies!:D

Madhu, thanks. I don't get the Ash gourd here but grew plenty of bottle gourds.You will see many many dishes with those everywhere from now on!;D
Enjoy both.Bottle gourd halwa really taste so good,hope you try.

FH said...

Saju, make the halwa, it's easy and tasty.
Hot milk and lemon juice don't go well together,splits. Cold milk and lemon juice is quite fine,keep all the liquids like milk chilled.Enjoy:))

Roopa, a touch of saffron gives a nice color and subtle flavor, don't have to use it but you know me! I LOVE colorful food!:D

FH said...

Bee, thank you!:)
I saw the a similar dish in your post today.You have made the Doodhi Halwa too,again I said "Daaangg!!":D
We seem to think alike,it's scary.Don't post what I am planning next!!!!

Seena, thanks. Microwaving is the easiest and quickest way to make Halwa. Give it a try:)

Tee said...

Loved the Carib Cream! Looks rich and creamy :)
Microwave halwa looks good too. The saffron has given it a wonderful color.

FH said...

Thank you Tee! I have Spanish Saffron which is not as great as Kashmiri Saffron.But it looks good!:)

Jyothi said...

Hi Ashaji! Carib cream looks beautiful and might be delicious.
Never heard about halwa with lauki. New for me. Great entry for lovely event by srivalli.

FH said...

Jyoti, thanks.Try the Lauki Halwa,you will love it!:))
Hope you saw RCI Karnataka info at FH:)

Viji said...

Wowww looks very nice asha.I never had a lauki halwa.should try it once.And a very nice refreshing entry for the event.good photos asusal.

Neelam said...

Carib cream looks thick and yummy! Very doable! Lauki halwa looks good too, though I am not very fond of gourds!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back ....how was ur trip ? hey asha my memories of dumrote are that of a very time consuming dessert....this one is quick n easy ....thanks for sharing

Anh said...

Your coctail looks wonderful! Lovely!

Sig said...

Did u say lucky there were non-alocoholic cocktails? :D Carib cream looks great, I'm sure a weeny bit rum would've gone great in it :D and the M/w halwa is great too...

Manasi said...

Carib cream looks perfect for this weather!
As for the halwa!! yum! i wish I could have both!!!

J said...

Ah, maybe the doodhi was really mature! Infact the doodhis, pumkins, radish we get here are sickeningly mature! Thanks for the help Asha!

Srivalli said...

wow..both are excellent entries Asha....they are looking so tempting...

and nice tips on m/w cooking, really appreciate them.

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Ooohhh Asha! the carib cream looks really like a dream! I've become a poet - see that what your recipe has done. Thanks for the entry!

FH said...

Thanks Viji. Lauki has delicate flavor , don't need too much sugar either.Try it:)

Neelam, Carib Cream is for you then, skip the Halwa!:D
Gourds are too much work I must say.All tat peeling ,chopping and grating. Phew!:)

FH said...

Rahin, it's true, Dumrote or Halwa is hard work if you make it the traditional way.Stirring for hrs until the liquid evaporates! Thank God for MW!!:D

Thank you Anh, enjoy. Great mix of juices for Summer!:))

LOL! Sig, I DID!!:P
I wanted to write you could add some Rum or Vodka in there but recipe didn't say that!:D
I might give you some cocktail recipes from that book.I have a REAL cocktail post too at FH, did you know that?
Rum will be perfect for Carib Cream,enjoy:)

FH said...

Manasi, you are such a sweet girl. Every time I make a dessert I think of you these days, honestly!!:)
You love them so much,I bet your mum loves making them for you.Halwa is easy in the MW, try it. Hugs.

J, store bought veggies are always like that.Here I buy Bhindis sometimes,half of them I have to throw them out! Glad I could grow some fresh in Summer. But I think it's ending,I don't see any flowers any more.Oh well.. back to store!:D

FH said...

You are welcome Sri. Great theme too for MW cooking, easiest of all dishes I think. I have no clue about MW cakes though!:D

LOL! You are welcome Meeta.
It's a great drink for kids in Summer. As Sig said, for adults a little bit of Rum will do wonders!;D

Unknown said...

Oh gosh, al the time i was engrossed in foodies hope, just cudnt imagine what was happening here!! Awesome pics and dishes:) mmm sitting in this hotel room, without any proper things to cook, the only thing I can do here is "Sluuuurp" :)) Take Care and have a great weekend!

curryegg said...

Wow... this post is interestig! Lovely receipes you've here. Thank for sharing....
;)

curryegg

FH said...

HeHe!! Rv, I have got too much time on my hand! Oh!! Hope you soon come home with hubby.It is tough live outside for 3 weeks. Well.. you can surf here and spend some time!:)
Have a good weekend too, hugs.

Hello Curry egg,that's good name to have!! I like it. Thank you and enjoy.Visit my other main blog too when you have time. Got more to shock ya!:))

Kribha said...

Oh Asha, Just left a comment on foodie's hope and checked mine. I saw that you had just been there.
Carib cream....what a treat? Is lauki halwa the same as sorrakai halwa? Both the dishes look too good.Keep posting more sweet dishes.

FH said...

Kribha, the girl with sweet tooth is back!!YAY!:D
Yes, it is the Sorekai but in US, it's called Birdhouse gourd.Tastes just like bottle gourd/Sorekai. I got too many this year from my plant,so I'm cooking with it a lot these days!:D
Enjoy.You can't believe how many events are going on these days!:)

Roopa said...

yum! banana drink looks very awesome. it looks so creamy and rich i would love it :) halwa estu chenagi color bandide absolutely love it too! have a great weekend Asha bye :)

Anonymous said...

hi Asha,

carib cream looks mmmmmmmmmmmmm...
though the name is wierd, will try it tomorrow for breakfast. happy onam to u and ur family and all ur friends and readers :)

sam

FH said...

Thank you Roopa. Sorekai halwa tumba ruchiyagittu,sakkare kadime hikidru kooda! Try it.Have a great Sunday:)

Thank you Sam.Have a great Onam festivities with your family too!:)
Carib is short for Caribbean with typical Caribbean fruits added with little cream.You know, breakfast with this is a great idea, never thought of that! Enjoy:))

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha, first halwa I have seen with the veggies noticable after cooking, not all shredded small. Looks so inviting! With this, I now have two recipes for bottlegourd I am wanting to try. Think you could spare me one or two fruits? ;)

BTW carib cream sounds delish too! :)

Priyanka said...

Asha, wow it seems like ages since i have been on your blog. you have cooked up quite some dishes. The savory hashbrowns are a great idea. Will try it out sometime. THe carib cream is perfect heaven- a-non-alcoholic drink and so easy to make. I would have never thought lauki halwa could be made in microwave- fast and easy- i always have lauki at home so will try it out too... oh i have so many dishes to try out and very less time bcoz of school:(

FH said...

Linda, I could spare many Gourds for you buddy! Wait until Wednesday post at FH,you will be shocked!:D
Tender gourd makes the best halwa with lot less sweet as fruit itself is sweeter.Hope you plant one Birdhouse gourd next year, you will get a bounty! Enjoy these meanwhile:)

Hi Priyanka,take it easy with cooking.Busy school work and all, tough to manage.My kids will be in school too on Tuesday,been a busy week for me too!:)
Make sure to use tender gourd for Halwa. With Microwaving ,it's a breeze for students like you. Enjoy.Hugs.

Anonymous said...

Dumroot Halwa!!! :D - I just finished a draft of Dumroot Halwa made in Microwave which I made last night. Seems like the both of us are sending in the same recipe for Srivalli's Microwave Easy Cooking :D lol - and you thought my amma was "kinda" like you??!!!

Anonymous said...

btw, i used pooshinikkai (tamil), boodikumbalakai (kannada) also called white pumpkin around here - :D, so technically these are two different dishes lol :D

FH said...

Lakshmi, you are right! Ash Gourd halwa is real Dumrote and this is Lauki Halwa out of Bottle gourd,totally different but with same usual recipe!You are like me!;D
Hope you sending Dumrote for RCI too, authentic Kannada recipe!:))

Latha Narasimhan said...

Asha, leave some recipes for others also! Lakshmi is sending you damroot for RCI! And she has made it for the first time!

FH said...

I just saw that too Latha. Looks great!I don't get Ash Gourd here,so I used Bottle Gourd!:D

Reeta Skeeter said...

Oh Gourd! Lauki here too!

Anonymous said...

I love bottlegourd! When I can't get it, I use courgette (zucchini) to make the halwa instead. It tastes very good, and is even delicious frozen to make a sort of ice cream! You can see some pictures here on my blog, if interested: http://mangosoup.blogspot.com/2009/08/courgette-halwa-ice-cream.html

FH said...

HeHe! thanks Skeeter!

Jenni, I must try this recipe with Zucchini, sounds like a great idea! I bet pulpy Zucchinis work very well in Halwa, thanks for the suggestion! :)