Rava Pongal| Khara Pongal With Semolina

Are you looking for something special to make on the occasion of Pongal? Here’s presenting Rava Pongal or Khara Pongal made using semolina.

Pongal Oh Pongal!

The first major festival of the new year is here! It is time for the harvest festival to be celebrated in different parts of India, time to pray for a bountiful harvest this year and to say thanks to the Universe for last year’s. The festival might be known by different names – Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan in Gujarat, Pongal in Karnataka and Tamilnadu, Magh Bihu in Assam or Lohri in Punjab – but the spirit of gratitude, hope and celebration remains the same.

Huge stalks of sugarcane being sold in the markets of Bangalore, for the Pongal celebrations

Pongal is a major festival in Tamilnadu, one that is celebrated for 2-3 days. Sweet and savoury dishes using rice and lentils – also called Pongal – are prepared on the occasion. Sakkarai Pongal (sweet pongal) and Ven Pongal (savoury pongal) are prepared in earthen pots, and allowed to overflow, signifying abundance and prosperity. Chants of Pongal Oh Pongal! rent the air.

Apart from the classic versions, there are quite a few more modern varieties of both the sweet and savoury pongal – Proso Millet Sakkarai Pongal, Banana Sweet Pongal and Broken Wheat Sweet Pongal With Coconut Milk, for example. This Rava Pongal is one such modern take on the classic savoury pongal recipe.

Ezhu Thaan Kootu, Vadai and Payasam are some other dishes that are commonly prepared to celebrate the Pongal festival.

More about Rava Pongal

Like I was saying earlier, Rava Pongal is a modern twist on the classic savoury pongal or Ven Pongal. The rice in Ven Pongal is substituted with rava, also called sooji or semolina. Taste-wise, both dishes are almost the same. Rava Pongal, therefore, is a good thing to make for the festival when you are considering avoiding rice.

Rava is a refined form of wheat, and hence not gluten-free. I am not sure of the nutritive benefits of rava, if any. Like many Indian festival offerings, this Rava Pongal is a no-onion, no-garlic preparation, which makes it Sattvik or Jain as well.

This Rava Pongal recipe is completely vegetarian. The ghee used in the tempering is of crucial importance, but you could definitely substitute it with vegan butter in case you are thinking of making a vegan version. Personally, though, I would definitely suggest using the ghee.

Rava Pongal recipe

Now, let’s get to the recipe for Rava Pongal, the way it is made in our family. It’s a rather simple thing to make, taking bare minutes to put together.

I share this recipe with the Foodie Monday Blog Hop. This Monday, the group is sharing #SankrantiSpecials, showcasing harvest festival foods from across India. I chose to share our Rava Pongal recipe for the theme, and hope you like it! Here it goes.

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

1. 3/4 cup Bansi rava
2. 1/4 cup moong dal
3. 3-1/2 cup + 1 cup of water
4. 2 tablespoons ghee
5. 1 teaspoon cumin
6. 2 pinches of asafoetida
7. 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
8. 2 dry red chillies
9. 2-3 green chillies
10. Salt to taste
11. 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns

Method:

1. Coarsely crush the black peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or in a small mixer jar. Keep aside.

2. Slit the green chillies length-wise. Keep aside.

3. Wash the moong dal well under running water. Drain out all the excess water. Transfer the washed and drained moong dal to a wide vessel. Measure out the Bansi rava and add to the same vessel.

4. Add 3-1/2 cups water to the vessel. Mix well using your hands, to ensure there are no lumps.

5. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 5 whistles on high flame or till the rava and moong dal are well cooked and mushy. Let the pressure release naturally.

6. When the pressure from the cooker goes down fully, remove the cooked rava and moong dal mixture. Mash it well, using a potato masher. Keep aside.

7. Heat the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the cumin, curry leaves, asafoetida, dry red chillies and slit green chillies. Let the ingredients stay in for a couple of seconds.

8. Now, turn the flame down to medium. Add the cooked rava and moong dal mixture to the pan, along with salt to taste, about 1 cup of water and the coarsely crushed black peppercorns. Mix well.

9. Cook on medium flame till the mixture starts thickening, 2-3 minutes. Stir intermittently, to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. Break down lumps, if any, using your ladle. Switch off gas when the mixture is still quite runny, as it thickens further upon cooling. Your Rava Pongal is ready – serve it hot with a simple coconut chutney or raita of your choice.

Tips & Tricks

1. For best results, use the coarser Bansi rava and not the very fine Bombay rava.

2. Adjust the quantity of green chillies and black peppercorns you use, as per personal taste preferences.

3. Adjust the amount of water you use, depending upon how thick or runny you want the pongal to be.

4. Do not skimp on the amount of ghee. A generous quantity of ghee gives a fragrant, beautiful pongal.

5. Make sure the rava and moong dal is well cooked, before adding them in to the pan.

6. I did not roast the rava or the moong dal before pressure cooking them, as I wanted a mushy consistency of pongal. However, you may dry roast these ingredients separately, on a medium flame till fragrant. This makes the pongal more fragrant and a bit grainy.

7. Slivers of coconut and finely chopped ginger can be used in the Rava Pongal too. We typically don’t.

What do you think of this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

Hilton Turns 100, Celebrates With A Big Bash

I had the pleasure of being part of a very special birthday bash, last weekend, and am here to tell you all about it!

Hilton Hotels & Resorts has always been known for its hospitality and excellent service. The chain completed 100 years this May, an event that was celebrated with a grand bash last weekend at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, Sarjapur, Bangalore. I thoroughly enjoyed the celebrations, along with some other bloggers from the city.

The in-house restaurant at DoubleTree Suites By Hilton, Sarjapur – Asia Alive – beautifully decked up for the birthday bash

Asia Alive, the restaurant at DoubleTree Suites By Hilton, Sarjapur, was home to a lavish brunch affair on this day. A unique brunch was served to us to commemorate the special occasion, including favourites from Hilton hotels across the globe. Specially curated by Executive Chef Tanmoy Majumder, the brunch spread was quite elaborate – from North Indian curries to maki rolls, various salads and desserts to dimsums and noodles!

Some of the dishes from the extensive brunch buffet at Asia Alive

I loved most of the food I tried out from the brunch buffet, but the Aloo Methi Masala, Waldorf Salad, Ratatouille Stuffed Peppers, Avocado Sesame Rolls, Lauki Ka Kofta, Papdi Chaat and Chocolate Brownies stole my heart. The live music playing at the venue kept us humming throughout the brunch.

Scenes from the dessert counter at the 100th birthday-special brunch buffet by Asia Alive

After the brunch, we were shown a demonstration on the making of the chocolate chip cookies that DoubleTree is known for, the world over. It was a treat to watch the pastry chef take us through the steps in the baking of these sweet treats. The freshly-baked cookies were nothing short of fantabulous, and I now understand why they are so much loved!

Left: DoubleTree’s famed chocolate chip cookies, straight out of the oven; Top right and bottom right: The making of the said cookies

Mr. Subhabrata Roy, General Manager, DoubleTree Suites By Hilton – Bangalore, then went on to deliver a note of welcome. He was joined by Mr. Bhojraj Sharma, F&B Manager, DoubleTree Suites By Hilton – Bangalore.

The Hilton team, addressing the bloggers at the birthday bash. From left to right: Ms. Megha Garg, Assistant Manager – Marketing & Communication; Mr. Subhabrata Roy; Mr. Bhojraj Sharma; Mr. Tanmoy Majumder

The guests present at the brunch and the bloggers then joined the Hilton team in lighting earthen lamps, to commemorate the special occasion.

Check out those pretty diyas in the shape of a 100!

The afternoon ended with the cutting of a magnificent cake that was just as unique as the brunch. Check it out for yourselves!

The grandiose cake that was cut on the occasion of Hilton’s turning 100

Would you like to experience the beautiful brunch that I enjoyed, too? The brunch is open for all at Asia Alive on June 2 and 9, 2019, between 12.30 and 4 PM. The buffet is priced at INR 1299 per head with soft beverages and at INR 1699 per head with alcoholic beverages, plus taxes. This is something you must try out, people!

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I’m sharing this recipe with Fiesta Friday #279. The co-hosts this week are Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons and Jenny @ Apply To Face Blog.

 

 

Experience Flavours From The Streets Of India, Now At Bombay Brasserie

The bustling 12th Main in Indiranagar is home to several restaurants, serving a variety of cuisines. Bombay Brasserie, one of the eateries on this road, has managed to create a loyal clientele for itself, in the two or so years of its inception. The place is almost always packed, especially so on the weekends. There is a Street Food Festival running at Bombay Brasserie now, and I was recently invited over to sample the special festival menu. I ended up having a lovely experience!

Street Food Festival, now on at Bombay Brasserie, Indiranagar

Ambience

I have always loved the charming, rustic decor of Bombay Brasserie and the warm, lively vibes here. Think lots of blue and white wood, good use of glass, ample natural light and greenery, rope-strung lights and cutesy antiques on display. The inside can get a bit noisy, but the outdoor seating is simply lovely, and that is just where I was seated to sample the Street Food Festival Menu.

Check out those swings!

This is just the sort of eatery you can unwind at with your family. This is not a cramped, dull space, but a spacious one, youthful and vibrant, full of chic.

Ain’t that pretty?!

Street Food Festival at Bombay Brasserie

The regular menu at Bombay Brasserie is a good blend of interesting food and drinks from around India, which is something I love. There are classics from across the country, some of which have been retained in their original form while some have been given an unique twist. The Street Food Festival menu is an extension of this – it includes flavours from the streets all over India. There’s Juhu Beach Gola or Bhatiyar Galli (Ahmedabad) Mutton Tikka, for instance, or Benares-style Mattar Stuffed Kulcha & Aloo Rassa, Chinese Bhel and Cochin’s famed Kulukki Sherbet.

What I tried out

Here’s a low-down on the things I sampled at Bombay Brasserie, and those that I loved the best.

From the drinks menu, I had:

Kairi Sherbet – A sweet and sour and salty sherbet made with raw mango, which hit all the right spots. It was delightfully refreshing, especially so on the hot summer’s day when I visited.

Kutchi Beer – This is a ‘beer without beer’, as the folks at Bombay Brasserie put it. It is, in fact, buttermilk mixed with black salt, cumin, green chillies, mint and coriander, served in a beer bottle. The Kutchi Beer I was served was a bit too high on salt, which prevented the other flavours from coming through.

Cochin Kulukki Sherbet – This is a lemon-green chilli-ginger sherbet that is always shaken, never stirred, from the bylanes of Cochin. A potent concoction this is, perfect for hot days. The Bombay Brasserie version was quite different from the sabja seed-laden Kulukki Sherbet of Cochin, but was delish nonetheless.

From left to right: Kairi Sherbet, Kutchi Beer and Cochin Kulukki Sherbet, at Bombay Brasserie

From the appetisers, here’s what I sampled:

Aam Puri Chaat – Staying true to the current mango season everywhere, this is Bombay Brasserie’s version of aam golgappas. Crispy puris are served with a sweet-spicy-tangy mango paani, topped with lots and lots of sev. The abundance of cold paani in the puris was a tad overwhelming for me, but I understand this dish has received rave reviews from most mango lovers.

Crispy Suji Bites – These savoury cakes are made using suji (semolina/rava), crisp on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. They are served topped with coarsely crushed fine peanuts from Bharuch, fried garlic and chilli, along with some in-house dips. Quite an interesting play of flavours and textures this was, and I loved it.

1960 ‘Atho‘ Salad – This is popular street food in Madras, made popular by the Burmese immigrants in Tamil Nadu. It is a cold salad made with noodles, wheat crispies, tamarind, cabbage, onions, chilli and garlic – does that sound like a weird combination? I wouldn’t say I loved this, but I liked it quite a bit.

Top Left: Aam Puri Chaat; Top Right: Crispy Suji Bites; Bottom Right: 1960 ‘Atho‘ Salad; Bottom Left: A close-up of the Aam Puri Chaat

What did we have for main course? Here goes:

Mattar Stuffed Kulcha & Aloo Rassa – This was one exquisite platter, hailing from the streets of Benares, that had me licking my fingers. The Aloo Rassa was beautiful, potatoes cooked to perfection in achaari masala. It made for the perfect complement to the kulcha, supremely soft and stuffed with a delectable green-pea filling. This is a must-try at Bombay Brasserie, according to me.

Tarkari Masaledar – I absolutely loved the Tarkari Masaledar, a melange of vegetables and paneer served in a spicy, slightly sweet, caramelised onion gravy. It was perfectly done, cooked just right. The fragrant spice mix used in the sabzi bowled me over!

Top: Mattar Stuffed Kulcha & Aloo Rassa; Bottom: Tarkari Masaledar

I ended the meal with two sweet treats:

Juhu Beach Gola – This was one soul-satisfying affair! The kala khatta ice gola was simply perfect, a lovely blend of sweet and sour. It instantly transported me back to my childhood when I would patiently wait for my final exams to get over, so I could get my hands on an ice gola off the streets. This gola, though, was prepared in a highly hygienic manner! Served in a cutting chai glass, this was a delight to eat and photograph. I would highly recommend you to try this out!

Bombay Falooda – This was another beautiful dessert by Bombay Brasserie! The falooda was perfectly made, everything in it just right – from the sevai and the toasted nuts to the rose milk. It brought back fond memories of summer holidays spent sipping on cool, fragrant, home-made rose milk. Don’t miss this, I say!

Left: Juhu Beach Gola; Right: Bombay Falooda

I hope you guys had fun on this gastronomical journey with me!

Do check out the Street Food Festival at Bombay Brasserie, Indiranagar, too. There’s a range of interesting dishes up for grabs. The festival is on till May 31, 2019.

Valet parking is available.

Cost for two: Rs. 2000-2500

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I’m sharing this post with Fiesta Friday #275. The co-hosts this week are Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Laurena @ Life Diet Health.

Aamlicious: Rajdhani’s Mango Festival You Simply Must Not Miss

The moment summer sets in, most of us begin to dream of mangoes. The love of mangoes is what gets most Indians through the intense heat of summer. And who can blame us? Eating a mango is an unparalleled experience – be it the sweet and juicy, yellow-orange flesh of the ripe fruit or the lip-puckeringly sour raw mango. Using raw and ripe mangoes in various culinary confections is de rigueur in India in the months of summer. That’s what the Aamlicious festival at Rajdhani, Bangalore, is all about – the play of mangoes in various forms, dishes, textures, ingredients and flavours.

Aamlicious is a hugely anticipated affair at Rajdhani every year, and why not? The kitchen team comes up with a huge variety of dishes made with the mango, the ‘king of fruits’, each one surpassing the other. I had the pleasure of experiencing the Aamlicious feast at Rajdhani’s Indiranagar outlet a few days back, along with a few other foodies from the city, and ended up utterly awed by all of it.

The mango-licious thali we were served at Rajdhani’s Aamlicious festival. Isn’t that simply magnificent?

There is no better way to describe the mango-laden thali we were served, other than calling it ‘a veritable feast’. The Rajdhani team has come up with an astounding array of over 30 dishes with mango, mostly from the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Aam Ki Launji, Kairi Ka Panna, Aam Palak Patta Chaat, Raw Mango Muthia, Kairi Samose Ki Sabzi, Mango Pulao, Kesar Aam Thandai, Aam Jalebi, Aam Ras and Aam Basundi are just some examples of the stuff that is on offer. There’s a mind-boggling variety of mango-based appetisers, curries, daal, kadhi, drinks and desserts – what’s to not love?

Some of the appetisers we were served as part of the Aamlicious festival at Rajdhani. Check them out!

Mr. Sugata Sengupta, Corporate Chef – Rajdhani, spoke to us food bloggers about the sheer hard work that has gone into creating the thali for the Aamlicious festival this season. This feast has been designed after over a month of research, trials and testing, and the hard work surely shows!

A glimpse of the main course dishes that are part of the Aamlicious festival this year. Top Left: Kairi Samose Ki Sabzi, a unique offering; Top Right: Aam Ki Launji; Bottom Row (from left to right): Gol Amboliya, Rajashthani Kaju Aur Aam Ki Sabzi, Ker Sangri Amboliya, Gujarati Fajeto

I loved most of the ‘aam‘ creations on offer at Aamlicious, but I will share my top picks here.

Among the drinks, the Kesar Aam Thandai (a delicious mango twist added to the regular thandai) and Kairi Panna (a traditional Indian-spiced raw mango cooler) were brilliantly done. From the appetisers, the Kaccha Aam Na Muthiya (Gujarati steamed wheat-flour dumplings made with raw mango) tantalized my taste buds.

The Aam Ras (ripe mango pureed with milk and sugar) was delectable too, bringing back fond memories of hot summer afternoons spent lunching on it with pooris, back in Ahmedabad. The utterly delectable Kairi Samose Ki Sabzi (raw mango samosas cooked in a spicy-tangy gravy, based on a traditional Rajasthani recipe) was something very new to me. I also adored the Aam Ki Launji and Ker Sangri Amboliya too, both Rajasthani dishes made using raw mangoes.

Top: Kacchi Kairi Khichiya Masala Papad, a special type of rice-flour papad popular in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Bottom (from left to right): Marwari Kacchi Kairi Ki Biryani (biryani cooked with raw mangoes); Aam Pista Pulao (pulao made with pistachios and mango); the three drinks on offer – Aam Ras, Kesar Aam Thandai and Kairi Panna.

Both the mango-special desserts served to us bowled me over. Mango Jalebi Rabdi (jalebi stuffed with ripe mango and served with creamy rabdi) and Gulkand Paan Malpua Mango Rabdi (malpua made with ripe mango, served with rose jam and pureed betel leaves on top) were extremely well-done, supremely decadent and lip-smackingly delicious.

Top Left: Mango Jalebi Rabdi; Bottom Left: The king of fruits, crowned, and justly so!; Right: Gulkand Paan Malpua Mango Rabdi; all part of the Aamlicious festival at Rajdhani

This is one festival you don’t want to miss. Do check it out – it’s on till May 31 at all Rajdhani outlets in Bangalore! Please do note that the dishes are served on a rotational basis, so it is best to call them and check in case you are interested in a particular dish.

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I’m sharing this recipe with Fiesta Friday #273. The co-host this week is Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau.

 

Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding| Steamed Fruit Cake

It’s almost Christmas! I absolutely have to share this Christmas-sy recipe with you – one for an Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding!

Bangalore is extremely beautiful right now. There’s a nip in the air, the weather just gorgeous, the diffused light perfect for photographs. Big Christmas trees, Santa Claus cut-outs, reindeer, red and green bobbles, lanterns, silver snowflakes and golden stars are everywhere. Plum cakes and other Christmas treats have started making an appearance in the bakeries of the city. There are Christmas tree lighting ceremonies and Christmas-special menus galore. Little and big shops, homes, and shopping malls (and food bloggers too!) are getting ready to usher in Christmas.

Our humble little Christmas tree is all set up, but we are yet to decorate it. That will be an afternoon project for the bub and me, one of these days. Did I tell you that the bub’s year-end holidays have started? She is already running amok in the house, wreaking havoc. 😛 This Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding was prepared with her in tow, over the weekend, to keep her from getting into too much trouble. 😀 Well, I can’t say the pudding served its intended purpose, but I did have loads of fun making it! Also, it did turn out absolutely delicious, a sweet treat just perfect for the holiday season! You can make a sauce to go with this pudding if you want, but you don’t really need one – just dust it with powdered sugar, and it turns into one stunner of a looker!

What do I say about this pudding? The name says it all. It is an eggless dessert, a steamed one made in a pressure cooker. It contains loads of fruit and nuts, cinnamon and cloves, like a Christmas fruit cake. Texture-wise, this is less dense than a fruit cake, a bit softer. Taste-wise, this is an almost-fruit cake.

If you are looking for something different, yet awesome to make for the Christmas season, do try this Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding out. The process is a bit time-consuming, but I wouldn’t call it laborious. Put the pudding in the cooker to steam, turn the flame to low, and you don’t need to hover around the stove-top. Not really. The end result is totally, totally worth it, I can assure you of that.

Now, without further ado, let’s check out the recipe for this Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Lite Bite

Ingredients (makes 1 medium-sized pudding, serves 8-10):

1. 2-1/2 cups of mixed fruits and nuts
2. Juice of 2 oranges
3. 1-1/4 cup demerera sugar
4. 1 cup maida
5. 1 cup bread crumbs
6. 4 cloves
7. A 1/2-inch piece of cinnamon
8. A small piece of nutmeg
9. A pinch of salt
10. 1 tablespoon oil
11. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
12. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
13. 1 teaspoon baking powder
14. A little butter, to grease the pudding mould

Method:

1. Chop all the nuts (like cashews, almonds) you are using into small bits. Similarly, chop the candied fruit (like oranges, ginger, kiwi, pineapple) into small pieces. If you are using fresh apples, grate them medium-fine. Take all the prepared fruit and nuts in a bowl.

2. Squeeze the juice out of the 2 oranges. Pour this over the prepared fruit and nuts in the bowl. Cover and let the fruit and nuts soak for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.

3. Pound the cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg using a mortar and pestle. Powder them together in a small mixer. Keep aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, place the maida, bread crumbs, salt, the cinnamon-cloves-nutmeg powder, the baking powder and baking soda. Mix together. Keep aside – these are the dry ingredients for the pudding.

5. Place the demerera sugar in a pan, and place it on high heat. When the pan gets hot, reduce the flame to low. Wait till the sugar is dissolved, and switch off the flame – don’t cook the sugar for too long, otherwise it will turn hard. Immediately, pour 1/2 cup of room-temperature water into the sugar and mix well. You should get a dark brown caramel syrup.

6. Pour the caramel syrup into the fruit and nuts, once they are done soaking. Add the oil and the vanilla essence to it, and mix well – these are the wet ingredients for the pudding.

7. Add the wet ingredients little by little to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix well, ensuring that all the wet and dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated together. The batter should be thick, and not very runny.

8. Grease a medium-sized vessel or pudding mould with a little butter. Pour the batter you prepared (in the step above) into the greased mould/vessel. Cover the mould/vessel with aluminium foil, and secure it with a piece of string. Keep ready.

9. Take 10 cups of water in a pressure cooker bottom. Place it on high heat and allow the water to come to a boil. Place the covered pudding mould/vessel with the batter (which we prepared in the step above) into the water. Cover the pressure cooker with the lid, and turn the flame down to low-medium.

10. Let the pudding cook on low-medium heat for 2 hours. It is ready when a knife or toothpick inserted into the centre of the pudding comes out clean. You can serve this Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding warm or at room temperature, dusted with some powdered sugar.

Notes:

1. The mixed fruits and nuts should come to roughly 500 grams. I used one apple (grated), 50 grams of broken cashewnuts, 50 grams of black currants, 100 grams of raisins, 100 grams of candied oranges, 100 grams of candied pineapple and a few chunks of candied ginger.

2. You can use any odourless oil to make this Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding. I used refined sunflower oil.

3. You can use ordinary white sugar to make the caramel here, instead of the demerera sugar. However, demerera sugar adds a lovely dark brown colour and a beautiful flavour to the pudding, so I would suggest you use that instead.

4. Make sure you don’t burn the sugar while making the caramel. Keep the pan on low heat, and switch off the gas as soon as the sugar dissolves. Add water immediately. If these steps are not done correctly, the sugar might become too hard, making it difficult to prepare the caramel.

5. Stand away while pouring water over the dissolved sugar. It sputters.

6. You can use any permutations and combinations of fruits and nuts, while making this Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding. However, I would suggest you not miss out on the candied orange and ginger, grated apple, cashewnuts and black currants, for it is these ingredients that add a lovely touch to the pudding. Bananas, candied mixed fruit peel, cranberries, dates, cherries, candied kiwi, slivered almonds, etc. are some other things you might use.

7. Ensure that you place adequate water (10 cups) in the bottom of the pressure cooker while steaming the pudding. Keep checking at intervals, and refreshing the water in case you find it has come down.

8. The time that this pudding needs to get completely steamed would differ, depending upon the make of the cooker and ingredients used. Keep checking after 1-1/2 hours (by inserting a toothpick in the centre of the pudding – it should come out clean), and steam till fully done. Mine took exactly 2 hours to get done entirely.

9. Cover the pudding mould securely with a sheet of aluminium foil, and tie a piece of string around it. This will prevent any water from getting into the pudding.

10. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can use any large vessel or pan with a lid to steam the pudding.

11. Allow some space for the pudding to rise, in the mould that you use. I didn’t have a pudding mould, so I used an ordinary steel vessel for the steaming.

12. I have not tried making this Eggless Steamed Christmas Pudding with whole wheat flour yet, but I think it should be doable.

13. I have used store-bought bread crumbs here. You may make the bread crumbs at home, instead, too – just pulse 6-8 slices of day-old bread in the mixer till you get crumbs.

14. Make sure you steam the pudding on a low flame, to ensure even cooking.

15. You can soak the fruits and nuts in the orange juice a day in advance, before you make this pudding. In that case, take the fruits and nuts in a bowl, pour the orange juice over them, and allow them to soak in the refrigerator, covered. I just allowed the fruits and nuts to soak for about 30 minutes, before I started making the pudding.

16. Once the pudding is completely steamed and ready, set it aside for 20-30 minutes before unmoulding and slicing it.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

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This post is for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop. The theme for the week is ‘#ChristmasSpecial Recipes’.

I’m sending this recipe for Fiesta Friday #254. The co-hosts this week are Antonia @ Zoale.com and Kat @ Kat’s 9 Lives.