MW Carrot Pulao, MW Aloo Matar Gobi Masala, MW Badam n Pistachio Phirni & Carrot n Coconut Halwa

Wat a long title na!!yea i have prepared everything sterday as i had sudden visits of few of my friends..we met after a long and had a great time before going to start our routine life from next week onwards..yea!! summer vacations almost comes to an end and next week is going to be very hectic.. school going kids and working moms are getting ready, while some french peoples starts their summer vacations in September..Yet to go for an year...coming to this lovely and delicious spread of dishes, i prepared almost everything in microwave as my friends wanted me to sit and chat with them instead of spending more times in cooking..I really realized that cooking in microwave oven doesnt need that much attention and u can really spend lot of time with ur guests since our indian dishes really need to spend more time in ur kitchen... Also cooking through microwave oven all these dishes hardly needs two r three times stirring process and once u set the cooking time, ur dishes turns out very much prefect and delicious as we do in stove top..My guests loved all these delicious dishes and relished each and every spoons of carrot n coconut halwa & badam n pistachio phirni..before starting cooking my menu list went for vegetable pulao, aloo masala and carrot halwa, but once i started cooking in microwave oven, i went on preparing all my dishes really with different ingredients..Vegetable pulao turned simply as carrot pulao and the simple aloo masala went for aloo matar and gobi masala...Also initally i want to prepare just a sweet,but finally one of my french friend asked me to prepare carrot halwa and i prepared it with some fresh grated coconut...And Lata Raja's MW Phirni tempted me and really pulled me to prepare phirni with badam and pistachio nuts coz i was really curious to prepare this phirni as she prepared in microwave oven..Thanks Lata for sharing this microwave version of phirni..

Microwave Carrot Pulao:
2cups Basmati rice
3+1/2cups Water
1tbsp Oil
2nos Carrots (chopped finely)
1nos Onion(chopped finely)
1/2tsp Pepper powder
1/2tsp Cumin powder
1/2tsp Red chilly powder
2nos Green chillies (slit opened)
1/2tsp Garam masala powder
1/2tsp Whole cumin seeds
1tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
Salt
2tbsp Oil

Wash thoroughly the basmati rice, take together the rice, water and oil in a large microwave safe bowl and cook in microwave for 20-25minutes high(stir in between), u will definitely get prefectly cooked basmati rice, keep aside and let them cool..Heat the 2 tbsp of oil and whole cumin seeds together for 2 minutes in high, now add the chopped onion, slit opened green chillies with salt, cook in high for 10 minutes...Add the chopped carrot pieces with pepper powder, red chilly powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder to the already cooked onions and cook again for another 10 minutes in high until the carrot pieces get cooked well (stir in between)..Now add the already cooked rice to carrot masala,add enough salt if needed and toss them gently,cook again in high for 5 minutes..Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot..

Microwave Aloo Matar Gobi Masala:
2nos Potatoes (chopped as cubes)
1/2cup Green peas
10nos Cauliflower florets
1no Onion (chopped)
1no Tomato (chopped)
1tsp Ginger n garlic paste
2nos Whole spices (bayleaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks)
1tsp Red chilly powder
1/4tsp Garam masala powder
5nos Curry leaves
1tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
Salt
Oil

Cook the cauliflower florets with pinch of salt and water in microwave bowl for 5minutes high, strain the excess of water and keep aside, cook the green peas and potato cubes with 1/4tsp salt and water in microwave oven for 5minutes high..drain the water and keep the veggies aside...Take a large microwave bowl and heat the oil with whole spices for 3-4minutes until they turns brown, add immediately the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, ginger n garlic paste, curry leaves and cook in high everything in microwave oven for 15-20minutes (stir twice in between) until the tomatoes turns mushy and raw smell goes away...now add the red chilly powder,garam masala powder, curry leaves and salt, cook for another 5 minutes high and finally add the already cooked cauliflower florets, green peas, potato cubes, give a stir and cook for 15 minutes until the veggies get well cooked or until the oil gets separates, add the chopped coriander leaves and serve hot...

Microwave Badam N Pistachio Phirni:
2cups Whole milk
2tbsp Raw rice
7nos Whole Almonds
10nos Pistachio nuts
1/2cup Sugar
Few saffron strands
1/4tspCardamom powder
1tsp Ghee

Soak together the raw rice, badam and pistachio nuts for half an hour, meanwhile heat the milk in deep microwave bowl in high for 5 minutes (give a stir in between), grind the soaked rice and nuts as fine paste..add this grounded paste, ghee, sugar to the hot milk and cook in high for 10minutes in microwave oven (stir twice or thrice in between)..Add the cardamom powder and saffron strands and cook for 2 minutes in high..Phirni is ready to serve..

Carrot N Coconut Halwa:
1cup Grated carrot
3/4cup Grated coconut
1cup Milk
1/2cup Sweet condensed milk
1tsp Cardamom powder
10nos Cashew nuts
1tbsp Ghee
Almond flakes

Heat 1/2tsp of ghee and roast both the grated coconut and grated carrot together until they shrinks,fry the cashew nuts in remaining ghee and keep aside.. bring boil the milk and condensed milk together, now add the already roasted coconut and carrot mixture to the boiling milk and stir continously until the mixture turns as halwa, finally add the cardamom powder, fried cashnew nuts and garnish with almond flakes..

Enjoy!!!