Deserts

GULAB JAMUN

2006-12-14T03:20:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

500 gms. khoya
125 gms. plain flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. cardomom powder
1 pinch saffron strands
250 gms. sugar
Ghee to deep fry
Pic Shown May not be actual one

Method

Crumble the khoya. Sieve in the flour and soda together.
Mix in the cardomom powder and crushed saffron.
Mix well to form a soft dough. Use as much milk as required for kneading.
Make balls of even size. Makes about 25-30.
Heat the ghee very well. Take off fire and cool a little. Let in some of the jamoons.
When they rise up put back on fire and fry till medium brown.
Remove from ghee and put in the syrup. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a glass bowl.
Repeat for all the balls. When done pour the remaining syrup over the jamoons.
Microwave lightly or warn over boiling water before serving.

To make the syrup

Take the sugar in a heavy pan and add water to just cover the sugar.
Boil and add a tbsp. of milk to separate the dirt. Strain and boil again.
The syrup is done when , while dropping from a spoon it falls in a thin single thread.
Serves: 25-30 helpings
Time required: 1 hr.
Shelf life :2-3 days, (1 week refrigerated)

BADAM SHEERA

2006-12-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup almonds soaked overnight
3 cups hot milk
250 gm ghee
1/2 to 1/3 cup sugar
Pic Shown May not be actual one

Method

Peel the almonds, wash and grind to fine paste.
Heat ghee in a heavy pan.
Add paste and cook on first high then slow flame, stirring continuosly.
After a while it should turn a light brown and aromatic.
Carefully pour hot milk and stir.
Use a long-handled spatula as the mixture tends to splatter.
When thickens, add the sugar and cook, stirring continously and gently till ghee begins to separate. Decorate with chopped nuts and serve hot.

SWEET PONGAL

2006-11-30T02:33:00.000-08:00

Ingredients (for two people)

Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.
Rice - 1/2 cup.
Milk - 1 cup
Coconut - As per taste
Cashew - As per taste
Jaggery - As per taste
Raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)
Cardamom - As per taste
Ghee - As per taste
Pic Shown May not be actual one

Method

Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it will start smelling).
Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.
Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is ok) and cook it seperately (in two different containers).
Meanwhile cut coconut in very small pieces and fry in ghee.
Fry cashew and raisins also separately.
Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. (This is done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup strain it through tea strainer).
Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed.
Add jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while.
Add fried coconut, cashews and raisins.
Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.

CARROT HALWA (Gajar Ka Halwa)

2006-11-23T04:24:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 kg juicy orange carrots
1 1/2 litre milk
400-500 gm sugar
Elaichi powder (cardomon)
Saffron few flakes
Few drops orange colour (optional)

Method

Peel and grate carrots
Put milk and carrots in a heavy saucepan.
Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously.
Add sugar and cook further till thickens.
Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour.
Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the ghee oozes out.
Serve hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.

COCONUT BURFI

2006-11-08T22:53:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 cups coconut scrapped
1 cup coconut coarsely shredded
1 -1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder

Method

Mix both types of coconut in a large heavy pan.

Add milk and cook till bubbes appear.

Continue cooking, stirring continuously, for 10-12 minutes.

Simultaneously, boil sugar in 1/2 cup water to make 2-1/2 thread syrup. (refer sugar syrup)

Pour into coconut, stirring gently and continuously.

Add butter, and continue stirring, till a soft lump is formed.
(If you want to decorate seperate some part of it and add some color essense)

Empty (without essense) into greased large plate, pat even very lightly.

(If you have added color essense to the other part empty that on top of this.)

Cool and cut into squares.

Cool and set completely before transferring to container.

Store in airtight containers.

Note: Never use the brown skin of the coconut while grating, or scrapping. Use
the whitest possible. Otherwise the burfi will get discoloured, though taste will not
differ much.

ROSSOGOLLA

2006-10-29T01:59:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 litre milk
1/2 tsp. citric acid
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups water
2-3 drops rose essence

Method

Heat the milk and bring to boil.

Cool the milk for a couple of hours. Remove the cream layer.

Reheat the milk and bring to a boil.

Add the citric acid dissolved in some water.

Stir slowly till the milk is fully curdled.

Keep as it is for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the sugar and water in a wide sauce pan. Bring to a boil.

Strain the milk through a muslin cloth. Wash the chenna in the cloth under cold running water.

Press out the excess water and remove in a wide plate.

Gently knead into a soft dough by passing between fingers.

Make twelve equal sized balls of the dough.

Let them into the boiling water. Cover with a perforated lid. Boil for 13 to 15 minutes.

Take off from heat and cool them to room temperature.

Add essence and chill for at least 4 to 5 hours.

LYCHEE KHEER

2006-10-29T01:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 cup chopped lychee
2 tbsp rice
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
Few drops of kewra essence
1 litre milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 pistachios crushed coarsely
10 almonds crushed coarsely

Method

Coarsely grind the rice

Wash and soak for 30 minutes

Heat milk, bring to a boil

Add rice, stirring continuously, till boiling resumes

Simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep rice from sticking to bottom

Allow rice to cook fully

Add lychee and stir for 5 mins.

Add sugar, cardamom, essence, almonds and pistachios

Stir, simmer for 2 minutes

Serve chilled