With Eid on Saturday and Raksha Bandhan around the corner, festivities are in full swing. Food is one thing that every household will be devouring, with a special focus on sweet delicacies. While it's not easy to step out to buy sweets to pass around among friends, family and siblings, Chef Manish Mehrotra shares some easy to make at home treats.

Almond and Rose Kheer

Ingredients Quantity

� Full fat milk 2ltr

� Gobindo bhog rice 120 gm (Or any other rice available)

� Grain sugar 40 gm

� Rose water 3-4 drops

� Dried rose petals 10 gm

� Almonds 100 gm

� Almond Slivers 25 gms

Method

� Soak the rice in water for about 20 mins.

� Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan, after a boil, reduce the heat and simmer till milk is reduced to half the original volume.

� Add the soaked rice, after draining the water and cook on low heat till rice is cooked well and the mix thickens.

� Add chopped almonds and cook for further 15 mins on low heat till the kheer is thick and creamy, add sugar.

� Set aside to cool. Once cool add rose water and mix. Refrigerate till serving

� Roast some almond slivers in an oven for 180 deg for 5 mins, until golden brown. Garnish with slivers and dried rose petals before serving.

Nutritional Analysis

� Calories 1152 Protein 28.1 gm

� Total fat 88.4 gm Saturated Fats 13.1 gm

� Monounsaturated Fats 36.9 gm Polyunsaturated Fats 13.4 gm

� Carbohydrates 76.6 gm Fiber 12.4 gm

� Cholesterol 30 mg Sodium 452.6 mg

� Calcium 816 mg Magnesium 375.4 mg

� Potassium 1138 mg Vitamin E 51.8 mg

Almond and Carrot Halwa Crumble

Ingredients Quantity

� For Carrot

� Carrot � kg

� Full cream milk � litre

� Sugar � cup

� Cardamom (powdered) 4 nos.

� Ghee 2 tbsp

� Almonds (blanched) � cup

� For crumble

� All- Purpose flour � cup

� Butter (unsalted) � cup

� Sugar � cup

� Ground almonds � cup

Method

� In a pan, add milk and carrots together and keep on cooking till the milk reduces to 3/4th.

� Add cardamom powder, ghee, and sugar to it. Mix it well.

� Add the sliced, blanched almonds and mix well.

� For the crumble, rub the flour, butter, sugar and ground almonds together, till it resembles breadcrumbs.

� Bake the crumble at 180�C till the colour turns golden brown.

� Serve the gajar halwa with crumble and roasted almonds.

Nutritional Analysis

� Calories 3705 Protein 65.5 gm

� Total fat 216.2 gm Saturated Fats 77.6 gm

� Monounsaturated Fats 63.9 gm Polyunsaturated Fats 22.6 gm

� Carbohydrates 373.9 gm Fiber 43.2 gm

� Cholesterol 306 mg Sodium 359.4 mg

� Calcium 1141.8 mg Magnesium 633.9 mg

� Potassium 3329.5 mg Vitamin E 39.7 mg

Almond & Seviyan Muzaffar

Ingredients Quantity

� Blanched Almonds � cup

� Seviyan (Vermicelli) 2 cups

� Ghee 3 tbsp

� Water 1 cup

� Sugar syrup 1 cup

� Cardamom powder � tsp

� Saffron a pinch

� Khoya � cup

� Roasted almond slivers 3 tbsp

Method

� Remove the skin of the blanched almonds and slice them finely.

� Heat ghee in a pan; roast the seviyan in ghee till it gets a golden hue.

� Remove the seviyan from the pan and remove the ghee as well. Pour the water in the pan and bring it to a boil.

� Add sugar syrup to the water.

� Add the roasted seviyan to the water and cook till they become soft. Add the cardamom powder and saffron at this stage.

� Grate the khoya and add it to the pan. And keep on stirring it.

� When the water is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the seviyan to a serving dish.

� Garnish with roasted almond slivers.

Nutritional Analysis

� Calories 3220 Protein g 40.9

� Total fat g 131.7 Saturated g 44.2

� Monounsaturated g 61.8 Polyunsaturated g 20

� Carbohydrates g 456.1 Fiber g 21.1

� Cholesterol mg 121.7 Sodium mg 690.5

� Calcium mg 912.2 Magnesium mg 700.2

� Potassium mg 2363.9 Vitamin E IU 38.3

Almond Pumpkin Kabab

Ingredients

Quantity

� Pumpkin 500 gm

� Green chilies, chopped 1 1/2 tsp

� Garlic and ginger, chopped 2 tbsp

� Cumin seeds 1 tsp

� Cracked coriander 1 tsp

� Red chili powder 1 tbsp

� Nutmeg powder 1/8 tsp

� Chat masala 1 tbsp

� Dry mango powder 1 tbsp

� Desi Ghee 40 gm

� Almond, slivered 20 gms

� Almonds chopped 40 gms

Method

� Peel, deseed and grate the pumpkin.

� Heat desi ghee in a thick bottom casserole pan and saut� ginger and garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds and all the spices

� Add the pumpkin. Cook for 15-20 minutes till the pumpkin is cooked and the water has dried out.

� Add the chopped almonds and cook for another 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool down. Cut them into rough, thin patties of 30 gms each. Coat them with slivered almonds

� Heat Desi Ghee in a pan and place the patties in medium hot oil. Cook till the bottom caramelizes and then carefully turn the patties. Cook them till they are crisp from outside.

Nutritional Analysis

� Calories 974.01 Protein g 19.57

� Total fat g 74.67 Saturated g 27.58

� Monounsaturated g 20.57 Polyunsaturated g 6.7

� Carbohydrates g 73.57 Fiber g 16.42

� Cholesterol mg 108.44 Sodium mg 884.52

� Calcium mg 188.08 Magnesium mg 201.35

� Potassium mg 2267.88 Vitamin E IU 24.97

Source - IANS