Friday, February 10, 2006

SHF #16: Anjeer Halwa (Dried Figs Dessert)

Well the count down to the most romantic day on earth - Valentine’s has begun and the theme for this week'sSugar High Friday #16 is "Recipe for Love"…tempting desserts that double as aphrodisiacs.What is an Aphrodisiac? "An aphrodisiac is an edible food or drink that imparts amorous qualities and eating or drinking these foods stimulates you and gets you in the mood for love."Some of the aphrodisiac foods that have been written since ancient times are apples,artichokes,aspagarus,almonds,figs,bananas,strawberries,honey,ginger,saffron,spples, apricots,cherries, coconut,dates, grapes, mangoes, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranates and raspberries and of course chocolate.

I will not go into the scientific proof of these aphrodisiac foods but right now in today’s fast paced world,the best aphrodisiac is to keep the mobiles and PC’s turned off ,plan a delectable rendezvous,create intimacy with some candles and soft music,just be there for each other and get captivated by the fragrance of love.Enjoy this Valentine’s Day celebration with the joy of eating,drinking,enjoying each other’s appetites by conjuring up a delicious meal that tantilizes your taste buds and capture the essence of love.There’s nothing more aphrodisiac than that...:)

Fortunately or unfortunately neither myself nor my beloved have too much of a sweet tooth except for an occasional gulab jamun , bobattu (puran poli) or cake which are prepared as part of our festivities or special occassions. Today I conjured up a dessert with some aphrodisiac ingredients and figs (Anjeer) which are considered to be one of the most popular aphrodisiac foods is the main element here and combine it with two other powerful aphrodisiacs like almonds and saffron ,you have yourself a tantilizing healthy dessert!
Almonds are considered an international symbol of fertility and help sustain stamina while Saffron, a rare and exotic herb, has been used through ages in rituals of beauty and love.Halwa is soft,creamy and has a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, and before you know it, your sweetheart will devour it with utmost relish. Anjeer Halwa is a blend of condensed milk and dried figs, dense in texture and has a minimal flavour of sweetness.So some healthy fun cooking and good nutrition can all go together this Valentine's with this sensuous healthy dessert.

Anjeer Halwa (Dried Figs Dessert)
Ingredients:

1/4 lt boiled warm milk
1 small cup of dried figs (Anjeer) chopped into pieces

1 big tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup of sweetened Condensed Milk (Milkmaid)
5-6 almonds blanched and chopped length wise
few saffron strands

Soak the chopped figs in warm milk for an hour and then grind to a fine paste along with the milk.
Heat ghee in a vessel and add the condensed milk and fig paste and cook on medium heat stirring continously till it leaves the sides of the vessel.
Serve hot garnished with chopped almonds and saffron strands.
Note: Halwa can also be eaten cold.


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10 comments:

KA said...

Sailu,
This halwa looks yummy. I don't have the sweet tooth but I do indulge in chocolates or home made sweets every now and then. I will give this halwa a try.

Anonymous said...

sailu, quite interesting to read about aphrodisiac foods, a perfect valentine treat :) your fig halwa is added in the list to try .

Anonymous said...

wow - what a unique combination of flavors! can i substitute the figs with other dried fruits?

Anonymous said...

Yum - I love both fresh and dried figs so I'm sure I would like this! Great post!

sailu said...

Krishnaarjuna,this halwa is mildly sweet and am sure you will like the flavor.

Tin,imagine eating dried figs dipped in creamy sweetened condensed milk..what do you think it would taste like..:)

Lera,do try it.You will enjoy this halwa.

Kat,you can substitute figs with dates.I have tried it and tastes great.

Thanks,Rorie..:)

Christine said...

Cool! I need to learn more about Indian Cooking. Now I need to get some figs...

Ashwini said...

Wow. you know Sailu I dont like figs much but my hubby does. so at least now i can make something for him. I really liked how you put the idea of switching off mobiles etc. We are so wired everyday right....

sailu said...

Thanks for dropping by,Christine.

Yes,Ashwini,dont you think it would be great to turn off the mobiles on that special occassion?..:)

Sury said...

Never tasted figs, but you just tempted me to! That looks delish, what with the almonds topping it. I must add this to my must-try list. Thanks for sharing :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sailu

Looks very yummy. I have a packet of dried figs sitting in my pantry waiting for me to use it. Finally, found a perfect recipe to use it up. Thank u.

Puspha