Ghevar

Ghevar:

Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour,
1 cup solidified ghee,
3-4 icecubes,
4 cups water, approx.,
1/2 cup milk,
1/4 tsp. yellow food colour,
1 kg. Ghee for deep frying.
For syrup:1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup water.
For topping: (optional)1 tsp. powdered cardamom, 1 tbsp. chopped almonds & pistachios, 1 tbsp. milk in which 1/2 tsp. saffron has been rubbed in, Silver foil.

Method:

1. Prepare sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency.
2. Take solidified ghee in a large wide bowl.
3. Taking one icecube at a time rub the ghee vigourously.
4. Take more icecubes as required, till ghee becomes very white.
5. Add milk, flour and 1 cup water. Mix to make smooth batter.
6. Dissolve colour in some water and add to batter.
7. Add more water as required.
8. Batter should be fairly thin (it should run offeasily when pour from spoon).
9. Take an aluminium or steel cylindrical container (do not use lid).
10. The height should be at least 12. And diameter 5-6.
11. Fill half with ghee. Do Heat.
12. When ghee is smoky hot, take a 50 ml, glassful of batter.
13. Pour in centre of ghee, slowly in one continuous threadlike stream.
14. Allow foam to settle. Pour one more glassful in hole formed in centre.
15. When foam settles again, loosen ghevar with an iron skewer inserted in hole.
16. Lift carefully, at a slant, and place on wire mesh to drain.
17. Keep hot syrup in a wide flatbottomed container to fit in ghevar.
18. Dip ghevar in it, and remove, keep aside on mesh to drain excess syrup .
19. Alternatively. Pour some syrup evenly all over, keeping ghevar in a mesh placed over a container.
20. Cool a little, top with silver foil. Splash a few drops of saffron milk, sprinkle some chopped dryfruit and a few pinches of cardamom powder.
21. One may also top ghevar with rabri prepared in advance.
22. This ghevar will howver not last as Long. It will also be softer.

Badam Ka Sheera:

Badam Ka Sheera:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup almonds (soaked overnight),
3 cups hot milk,
250 gm ghee,
1/2 to 1/3 cup sugar.

Method:

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

Lapsi

Lapsi:

Ingredients:

1 cup Broken wheat
2 1/2 cups Hot water
2 tablespoon Almonds
3/4 cup Sugar
15 nos. Raisins
1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
3/4 cup Ghee

Method:

1. Soak the raisins in 1/2 cup water and keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, add the broken wheat. Saute on a high flame till it turns pinkish brown. Add hot water, partly cover and cook on a medium flame till most of the water has evaporated. Add more water if the wheat is not tender enough.
3. Once all the water has evaporated, add the sugar, ghee and 1/2 cup water. Stir. Place a griddle or tava below the pan and cook on a low flame for 8-10 minutes. The lapsi is ready when the ghee starts oozing out from the sides of the pan.
4. Serve hot garnished with blanched almonds and pistachios.

Kheer:

Kheer:

Ingredients:

1/4th cup Long grain Rice (washed and drained)
4-5 cups Milk
2-3 cardamom seeds (crushed)
2 tbsp. almonds (blanched silvered)
A pinch of saffron threads, soaked in a little hot milk
1 tbsp skinned pistachio nuts (chopped)
1 tbsp raisins (optional)
2-3tbsp. sugar or as desired

Method:

1. Put the rice, milk and cardamom in a pan, bring to boil and simmer gently until the rice is soft and the grains are starting to break up.
2. Add almonds, pistachio, saffron and raisins and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and serve either warm or chilled.

Gajar Ka Halwa

Gajar Ka Halwa:

Ingredients:

1 kg Carrots
1 litre Milk
1 teaspoon Cardamom seeds
3/4 cup Water
3 tablespoons Ghee
2 tablespoons Raisins
2 tablespoons Almonds
2 tablespoons Pistachios
450 grams Sugar

Method:

1. Wash and grate the carrots. Soak the raisins in water for 30 minutes. Blanch and shred the nuts.
2. Put the water to boil, when it starts boiling add the grated carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the milk. Cook on a low flame for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
4. Add sugar, mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed.
5. Add ghee and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the slightly crushed cardamoms and the raisins.
6. Mix well. Remove from heat and arrange in a serving dish. Garnish with almonds and pistachios. Serve cold, hot or at room temperature.

Kesar Kaju Barfi

Kesar Kaju Barfi:

Ingredients:

500 gms Kaju (cashewnuts)
300 gms sugar
1/2 tsp kesar(saffron)
1/4 tsp orange color
2 chandi (silver) warak

Method:

1. Soak the cashewnuts in water for 3 hours.Drain the water and ground the cashewnuts,finely.
2. In a pan mix sugar and cashewnuts,and roast on low heat,stiring constantly.
3. Mix saffron and orange color in it.roast till done.
4. On the rolling board place a butter paper and pour the mixture on it.
5. Now place another butter paper ,sandwhiching the mixture between the two paper. Roll it with rolling pin.
6. Remove the butter paper from top and place silver warak,and cut the burfi pieces

Doodh Pak:

Doodh Pak:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Almonds
1 litre Milk
250 grams Sugar
1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
1 teaspoon Saffron
1 tablespoon Pistachios
11/2 tablespoon Raisins

Method:

1. Soak the almonds in warm water for 1 hour. Peel and grind to a fine paste. Dissolve the saffron in 1 tablespoon of warm milk and keep aside.
2. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan, stirring constantly. Add the almond paste and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Add the saffron, sugar, pista and raisins. Cook on a very low flame till thick. Sprinkle cardamom powder.
4. Serve hot or chilled.

Tip: You can use 1/2 cup rice instead of almonds. If using rice, soak it in warm water for 45 minutes and grind to a fine paste.

Gujiya (Karanji)

Gujiya (Karanji):

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat flour
3 tablespoons Ghee
1 pinch Salt
1/2 litre Oil (for frying)
1 cup Grated coconut
3 1/4 cups Sugar
1 1/2 cups Milk
Few Almonds
Few Raisins
1/2 teaspoons Cardamom powder
1 tablespoon Poppy seeds

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the salt, flour and ghee. Rub in well. Gradually add water and knead to form a firm dough. Cover with wet cloth and set aside.
2. For the stuffing: Cook the coconut (use fresh or dried) sugar, milk, chopped almonds and raisins, cardamom powder, and poppy seeds(optional) till the milk evaorates.
3. Divide the dough into 20-25 sections, roll them out into flat round pancakes. Place a spoon of stuffing at the centre and fold the pancake in half. Use a cutter to create the fluted crescent border and cut off excess dough. You can seal the edges by applying a little milk and pressing down hard.
4. After all the karanjis are stuffed, fry them in very hot oil for 2-3 minutes or till golden brown, remove onto paper towels and allow to cool.

Rawa Ladoo

Rawa Ladoo:

Ingredients:

2 cups semolina (rawa)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ghee
1 tbsp broken cashew nuts
1 tbsp raisins fried
1 tsp fried cardamom powder

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp. ghee in a pan and dry roast the rawa till pink.
2. Grind the fried rawa and powdered sugar in a mixer to a fine powder.
3. Heat the remaining ghee and add the powdered rawa, cashew nuts, raisins and cardamom powder.
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. While still warm, make into small lemon-sized balls.
6. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Rasmalai

Rasmalai:

Ingredients:

2 lbs Cows Milk or Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sugar
32 oz half & half milk
A pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp crushed green pistachios

Method:

• Mix the cheese with sugar and little cardamom powder and spread out on a baking tray.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until it sets. It should not get brown.
• Remove from oven, cool at room temperature and cut into 2 squares. Place them in a dessert bowl.
• Mix the other ingredients, except the pistachios well in a separate dish and pour over the squares.
• Decorate with pistachios, chill for 2-3 hours and then serve.

Jalebi

Jalebi:

Ingredients:

2 cups All purpose flour (maida)
11/2 tbsp. fine grained semolina or rice flour
1/4th tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp curd (plain yogurt)
11/4th cups warm water
1/2 tsp. saffron threads, slowly dry-roasted and powdered
3 cups sugar
2 2/3rd cups water
1/2 tsp green cardamom seeds powder
11/2 tbsp. kewra water or rose water
Ghee or vegetable oil for frying

Method:

• Mix the flour, semolina or rice flour, baking powder, curd and 3/4th cup of the water in a bowl (preferably a ceramic bowl). Mix well with a whisk.
• Mix well and then add remaining water and 1/8th tsp. of saffron powder, and whisk until smooth.
• Set aside for about 2 hours to ferment.
• Whisk thoroughly before use.
• Prepare one string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water. Just before the syrup is ready add saffron and cardamom powder.
• Heat oil in a kadhai. Pour the batter in a steady stream ( or coconut shell with a hole) into the kadhai to form coils. Make a few at a time.
• Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown.
• Remove from the kadhai and drain on kitchen paper and immerse in the syrup.
• Leave for at least 4-5 minutes so that they soak the syrup.
• Take them out of syrup and serve hot.

Besan Ladoo:

Besan Ladoo:

Ingredients:

4 cups Gram Flour
1 cup Pure Ghee
2 cups sugar
1 tsp Powdered Cardamom
1/2 cup chopped Almonds and Raisins

Method:

1. Heat the ghee in a pan.
2. Add the gram flour and fry it on a low flame stirring continuously till brown.
3. Once it is browned, let it cool.
4. Add powdered cardamom and sugar. Mix well.
5. Add chopped almonds and raisins.
6. Shape into ladoos and serve.

Peda

Peda

Ingredients:

1/2 kg. Soft white khoya
2 1/2 cups (approx.300gms) sugar powdered
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tsp. cardamom seeds semi crushed
1 tbsp. slivered or crushed pistachios

Method:

1. Grate khoya with a steel (not iron) grater.Add powdered sugar and mix well.
2. Put mixture in a large heavy or nonstick pan. Heat first on high for few minutes.The on slow till done.
3. Make sure to stir continuously, while on heat. When mixture thick and gooey, add cardamom.
4. Mix well, and take off fire. Allow to cool, gently turning occasionall
5. Use cookie moulds, or shape pedas with palms into patty rounds.
6. Mix pistachios and cardamom seeds and press a bit on top of each.
7. If using moulds, first sprinkle some at bottom. Take some mixture and press into mould. When set well, invert and carefully, unmould.

Tip:Above is the basic recipe. Any colour ( yellow, orange, green, cochineal), essence (pineapple, orange, pista, chocolate), topping (almonds, walnuts, cashews), can be added. To above recipe add any of following for varied flavours: cashew powder 1/2 cup, cocoa 2 tbsp.(then increase sugar by 1/2 cup), walnuts powdered 1/2 cup, etc. Add when the mixture is half cooked.

One may also prepare pinnis similarly from gram dal, urad dal, or wheatflour or gram flour,etc. If using flour, make sure it has been roasted in ghee on low fire, till golden, then and add some khoya which has been roasted to a dry light brown in same pan, after flour has been roasted and removed.

Gulab Jamun:

Gulab Jamun:

Ingredients:

1 cup Carnation Milk Powder
1/2 cup Bisquick Pancake mix (Instead of Bisquick Pancake mix, use 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda)
2 tablespoons butter -melted
Whole milk just enough to make the dough
2 cups Sugar
1 cup water
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Bisquick, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
2. Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, but do not try to move them. Instead, gently shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.
3. If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
4. The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.
5. The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and a few strands of �Kesar�. Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar.
6. Transfer this hot syrup into a Corning serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamuns in syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Badam Phirni:

Badam Phirni:

Ingredients:

12 nos. Almonds
4 tablespoons Rice flour
21/2 cups Milk
5 tablespoons Sugar
8 strands Saffron
1 teaspoon Cardamom powder

Method:

1. Blanch and grind the almonds to a fine paste with 1/2 cup milk. Mix together the ground almond paste and rice flour and keep aside.
2. Bring the milk to a boil. Add the sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves. Keep aside a tablespoon of hot milk and dissolve the saffron in it. Add the almond-rice mixture into the boiling milk along with the saffron.
3. Stir continuously for a few mintues till the milk thickens and attains a custard-like consistency. Sprinkle in the cardamom powder. Take off fire and cool to room temperature.
4. Pour into individual bowls, garnish with almonds and pistachios and refrigerate.