Almond Kheer

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 Lt milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp Milkmaid (Condensed milk sweetened)
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg (better use this just one pinch, has a very strong flavour)
1/4 tsp Saffron

Method:

• Soak Almonds overnight in water, peel off its skin and grind it into a fine paste.
• Heat milk, then add other ingredients and heat on low flame so all comes together and thickens to desired consistency.

Optional: You could also add rice or bambino spaghetti to it if you like.

Bebinca

Ingredients:

  Plain Flour (Maida) 200 gms.
  Egg Yolks 10 nos.
  Sugar 500 gms.
  Thick Coconut Milk of one large coconut
  Nutmeg(Jaiphal), powdered 2 gms
  Ghee 200 gms

Method:

 1. Extract coconut milk from the coconut by grating it and grinding it with water. Mix the maida, sugar and egg yolks with coconut milk and stir thoroughly till sugar has dissolved. In case you want layers of slightly different colours caramelize a little sugar and add to one half of the batter and use them alternately.
  2. Now add the nutmeg powder and keep aside.
  3. In an aluminium vessel, heat little ghee in a pan and pour in one cup of batter.
  4. Bake this layer on low heat till it turns light brown in colour.
  5. Then add another spoonful of ghee and another cup of batter.
  6. Once the bottom layer is done the heat has to be supplied from the top.
  7. Continue to bake till all the batter is used up.
  8. Once done, turn the tin upside down, remove the bebinca and cool before serving 

Kesar Doodh Peda

Ingredients:
200gm Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 litre milk
¼ tsp citric acid
1 tsp corn flour
½ tsp Cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee/oil
A few drops yellow food colour (optional)

Sweetened condensed milk Substitute:

-In a electric blender, pour 2 cups of powdered milk, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 - 1 cup of boiling water, 2 oz/60 gm of butter and few drops of vanilla essence into blender.

-Blend until sugar is melted and mixture is smooth.

-Pour into warm sterile jars .Seal and store in refrigerator.

Method:
-Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Add milk, sweetened condensed milk and citric acid (dissolved in a little water).
-Continue heating and allow the milk to curdle.
-Make a paste of corn flour with 2 tbsp of water.
-Add this to the milk after it has curdled.
-Continue the heating on slow fire till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
-Add the food colour and mix well.
-When cooled a little, shape in to pedas and decorate with cardamom powder/nuts.

Rice Kheer

Ingredients:
400 gm Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 tin of Milkmaid)
100 gm Rice (preferably Basumathi rice)
1 litre Milk
Chopped nuts
Elaichi Powder
Saffron strands

Sweetened condensed milk Substitute:

-In a electric blender, pour 2 cups of powdered milk, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 - 1 cup of boiling water, 2 oz/60 gm of butter and few drops of vanilla essence into blender.

-Blend until sugar is melted and mixture is smooth.

-Pour into warm sterile jars .Seal and store in refrigerator.

 Method:
-Wash rice and pressure cook in milk for 10 min (or cook on slow fire, till rice is soft).
-Add condensed milk and cook for another 5 to 7 min, stirring constantly, until the kheer reaches the desired consistency.
-Remove from fire.
-Serve garnished with nuts / elaichi powder / saffron.

Ladoo

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg bengal gram flour
• Enough milk to make a thick batter (use full cream milk)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 kg sugar
• 1 1/2 tsps cardamom powder (made from green cardamoms)
• 10 strands saffron (optional but highly recommended)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped dried fruits - cashews, almonds, pistachios
• 6 tbsps milk
• Ghee (recipe below) for deep frying (you could use vegetable/ canola/ sunflower oil but ghee gives tastier results)
• Special equipment: A very fine metal sieve

Preparation:

• Heat your oven for 10 minutes at 150 C/ 300 F/ Gas Mark 2 and then turn off. Keep the oven shut to contain heat.
• While the oven is heating, put the 4 cups of water and the sugar in a deep pan and boil. As it boils scum will rise to the top. Skim this off with a metal sieve. The sugar syrup must be boiled till it reaches a one-thread consistency. To see how this is done, take a look at Making Sugar Syrup For Indian Desserts.
• Once the syrup has reached the one-thread consistency, remove from the fire immediately, add the cardamom powder, stir and place the pan in the previously heated oven to keep the syrup warm.
• Now put the bengal gram flour and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well.
• Add a little milk at a time till you get a thick batter. Whisk to ensure all lumps are removed and the batter is very smooth.
• Now heat the ghee on a medium flame till hot. Reduce flame a little.
• Hold the sieve about 4 inches above the hot ghee and fill a ladle with the batter. Pour the batter into the sieve. Now use another spoon to gently press the batter through the sieve and into the ghee. It will fall like tiny drops/ beads - Boondi - into the oil! This is what gives the Laddoos their name! Press through all the batter you had put into the sieve like this.
• Now fry the Boondi till they are a very pale golden colour. When done, drain, remove and put into a separate bowl. The fried Boondi should be cooked but not crispy.
• Repeat till all the batter is used up.
• Once all your Boondi is ready, coarsely crush about 1/4 of it with a fork. Add the finely chopped dried fruits, pour the warm syrup over all the Boondi and keep aside for 10 minutes. The Boondi will soak up the sugar syrup and soften.
• While this is happening warm the 6 tbsps of milk very slightly and then soak the saffron strands in it.
• After the Boondi has sat in the syrup for 10 minutes, pour this saffron milk (remove strands before pouring) over it. Mix well.
• Now grease your hands lightly with some ghee and start forming the syrup-soaked Boondi into walnut-sized (or slightly larger) balls (Laddoo in Hindi). Press gently but firmly to bind the Laddoos together. Arrange as you go, on a lightly greased platter .
• Allow the Laddoos to cool to room temperature before serving.
• Boondi Laddoos can be made ahead of time and stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for about a week.

Mysore Pak

Ingredients:

1 cup bengal gram flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups ghee
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cardomom powder (optional)

Note: Be very careful while preparing this dish, it is cooked in a matter of minutes and needs your complete focus, a slight distraction and your dish will get burnt and charred.

Method: 

 

-Sieve the bengal gram flour (besan).

-Roast it on a hot griddle/ tava for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Set aside.

-Heat half the ghee (clarified butter) (1 1/4 cup) in a pan.

-Put the sugar in another pan and add 1 cup of water to it. Cook till it becomes sticky syrup. It should not become stringy.

-Add the roasted flour to the sugar syrup stirring constantly. Take off the flame for a second while you get the melted ghee ready.

-Pour the ghee in a steady stream into the flour and sugar mixture while stirring. You need an extra hand here.

-Add the rest of the ghee and stir in. Cook till the mixture turns light brown and becomes porous and spongy like bread.

-Sprinkle the cardamom powder over the mixture and turn out immediately into a 9" shallow cake pan or a thali.

-The mixture sets within a minute.

-With a sharp knife cut into 1 1/2 inch squares at immediately.

Jalebi

Ingredients: Refined flour (maida) : 1 1/2 cups Soda bicarbonate : 1 teaspoon Sugar : 2 1/2 cups Green cardamom powder : 1/2 teaspoon Saffron (kesar) : few strands/a pinch Oil/Ghee : to deep fry Method: -Mix refined flour and soda bicarbonate. Add two cups of water and make a smooth batter. Make sure that there are no lumps. Leave it overnight to ferment (7-8 hrs).  -Make a syrup with sugar and two and a half cups of water. (That is to make sugar syrup boil sugar and water in 1:1 ratio)  -Add green cardamom powder and saffron.  -Take a squeeze bottle and fill it up with the batter. -Heat sufficient ghee/oil in a flat pan.  -Pour the batter into the hot ghee in spiral shapes. Turn and fry till both sides are golden. Drain and soak in the syrup for at least fifteen minutes. Garam Garam Jalebies ready! Variations: -Some would prefer to make instant Jalebies by adding to the above two spoonful of curd and letting it sit aside for 2 hours and then to make them. -If you want it in a different color like yellow then add the appropriate food color to the mix before putting it into the squeezer.