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Sweet Pongal
Ingredients (for two people) :-
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup. Rice - 1/2 cup. Milk Coconut cashew jaggery raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes) cardamom ghee.
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 o.k)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.
Shankarpala
Ingredients
1 cup water 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup ghee 1 1/2 cup maida (plain flour) ghee to deep fry
Method
1.Warm the water, sugar and ghee together till sugar dissolves. 2.Add maida and knead into a soft pliable dough. 3.Divide
dough into 4 parts. 4.Roll into chappatis 1/3" thick. 5.Cut with a cookie cutter or knife into small diamond shapes.
6.Lift with spatula and loosen. Keep aside on a dry cloth for 1 hour. 7.Deep fry in hot ghee over slow flame till light golden
brown. 8.Drain well and keep aside till cool. 9.Store in clean, dry containers.
Making time: 45 minutes. Makes: 2 1/2 cups.
Sweet Kachori
Ingredients:
For filling:
200 gms. khoya 50 gms milk powder 1/2 tsp.nutmeg-cardomom-cinnamon powder
For cover:
250 gms. plain flour
1 tbsp. cornflour
30 gms. ghee
For syrup:
250 gms. sugar 1 cup water 1 big pinch saffron
Ghee for deep frying 31
Method
1.Mix ingredients for filling. The mixture should be soft and crumbly.
2.Mix ingredients for cover. Using water knead to a pliable dough.
3.Cover with a wet cloth. Keep aside
4.Boil sugar and water adding a tbsp. of milk to clear the syrup.
5.Boil till the syrup is slightly sticky between the fingers.
6.Strain. Crush and add the saffron. Keep aside.
7.Make 15 to 16 flattish balls of the mixture.
8.Divide dough also into 15 to 16 parts.
9.Roll one part into a puri, place one mixture ball in the centre.
10.Pull up all the sides to seal the mixture and press in centre.
11.Make 5 to 6 such kachoris, heat ghee and fry on low flame till light brown, turning once.
12.Repeat for remaining kachoris.
13.When slightly cool, make a hole in the centre of each (approx. 2cm. diameter).
14.Pour about half tbsp. of syrup and roll kachori around to let the syrup spread.
15.Allow to stand for half hour before serving. Note: The unsweetened kachoris may be stored without refrigeration for
one week and sweetened as required .
Serves:15 helpings .
Time required:2 hr.
Shelf life: 10 days .
Gulab Jamoon
Ingredients
500 gms. khoya 125 gms. plain flour
30
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
Method
1.Crumble the khoya. Sieve in the flour and soda together. 2.Mix in the cardomom powder and crushed saffron. 3.Mix well
to form a soft dough. Use as much milk as required for kneading. 4.Make balls of even size. Makes about 25-30. 5.Heat the
ghee very well. Take off fire and cool a little. Let in some of the jamoons. 6.When they rise up put back on fire and fry
till medium brown. 7.Remove from ghee and put in the syrup. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a glass bowl. 8.Repeat
for all the balls. When done pour the remaining syrup over the jamoons. 9.Microwave lightly or warn over boiling water before
serving.
To make the syrup:
1.Take the sugar in a heavy pan and add water to just cover the sugar.
2.Boil and add a tbsp. of milk to separate the dirt. Strain and boil again.
3.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)
Pedhas
INGREDIENTS
500 gms. khoya (mawa)
300 gms. sugar
3 drops colour as required
8 to 10 pistas sliced
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
cookie mould
Method:
Grate khoya . Powder sugar . Mix together in a skillet . Heat on low flame , stiring continously . Cook till mixture thickens
. It should form a very soft lump . Cool for 10 minutes . Add cardamom powder & colour . Mix well . Take a small fistful
of mixture . Form a ball . Press into the cookie mould . Turn out carefully . Press 2-3 slices of pista on the centre . Repeat
for remaining mixture .
Note on khoya. Khoya is available in most Indian sweetmeat stores anywhere. Making at home consumes time but isn't that
difficult. Boil milk on high flame in a large heavy saucepan till water evaporates , leaving a soft lump. Stir frequently
while cooking. OR Substitute with 1 tin (400 gms.) condensed milk and 1 cup milk. Lessen sugar by 1/2. Boil till a soft lump
is formed. Stir continuously while cooking.
Serves: 36 pieces Time required: 1/2 hr. Shelf Life: 15 days (refrigerated)
Beetroot Halwa
Ingredients
1 kg beetroot 1 1/2 litre milk 400-500 gm sugar elaichi powder (cardomon) saffron few flakes 1 tbsp ghee
Method
Peel and grate beetroot Put milk and dudhi 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.
Shrikhand
Ingredients
1/2 kg. curds 300 gms. sugar 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder few strands saffron 1/2 tbsp. pista & almond crushed
Method
Tie curd in a clean muslin cloth overnight. (6-7 hours). Take into a bowl, add sugar and mix. Keep aside for 25-30 minutes
to allow sugar to dissolve. Rub saffron into 1 tbsp. milk till well broken and dissolved. Keep aside. Beat well till sugar
has fully dissolved into curd. Pass through a big holed strong strainer, pressing with hand or spatula. Mix in cardamom powder
and dissolved saffron and half nuts. Empty into a glass serving bowl, top with remaining nut crush. Chill for 1-2 hours before
serving.
Making time: 20 minutes (excluding tieing and keeping time) Makes: 6-7 servings Shelflife: 3-4 days refrigerated
Variations: To make fruit flavoured shrikhand eg. mango, add pulp at the stage of adding cardamom and saffron.
Khajur Burfi or Rolls
Ingrediants
1 tin condensed milk 1 kg khajur deseeded (dates) 250 gm mixed dryfruits (badam, cashew, pista) 1/2 cup dessicated dry
coconut
Method
Break up khajur coarsely Add milkmaid and dryfruit all in a heavy, non-stick pan. Cook on slow flame, stirring continuously.
Do not allow to stick to bottom. It takes a while to cook Stir gently till a soft lump forms. Spread some of the coconut on
a butter paper sheet. Grease hands and take a chunk of the mixture and roll into a thick roll, on the sheet, all the coconut
to cover it. Chill the rolls in the fridge Cut into slices Or set in a tray and cut into squares.
Coconut Burfi
Ingredients
250 gms. finely grated coconut 250 gms. sugar 150 ml. water ghee for greasing plate
Method
1.Prepare syrup with sugar and water to 2 1/2 thread consistency.
Use method as shown in introduction.
2.Warm coconut in heavy saucepan, pour in the syrup.
3.Stir well and cook till soft lump forms.
4.Spread in a greased plate. Cool.
5.Sprinkle cardamom powder (optional). 6.Cut into squares, store in airtight container.
Making time: 30 minutes Makes: 20-25 pieces Shelflife: 2 weeks
Puranpoli
Ingredients
300gms. channa (yellowgram) dal 300 gms. jaggery (molasses) 1 tsp. cardamom powder 150 gms. plain flour 1 tbsp. ghee warm
water to knead dough ghee to serve
Method
Boil dal in plenty of water till soft but not broken. Drain in a colander for 10-15 minutes. Pass through an almond grater
little by little till all dal is grated. Mash jaggery till lumps break. Mix well into dal. Put mixture in a heavy saucepan
and cook till a soft lump is formed Take care to stir continuously, so as not to charr. Keep aside. Mix ghee, flour, add enough
water to make a soft pliable dough. Take a morsel sized ball of dough, roll into a 4" round. Place same sized ball of
filling in centre, life all round and seal. Reroll carefully to a 6" diameter round. Roast on warm griddle till golden
brown. Repeat other side. Take on serving plate. Apply a tsp. of ghee all over top. OR Shallow fry on griddle like a paratha
for a better flavour. But this method will consume more ghee and therefore calories. Serve hot with dal or amti.
Note: The water drained from boiling dal is used to make the amti. ( a thin curry made using black masala, garam masala
and some mashed dal.)
Making time: 45 minutes Makes: 7-8 puranpolis Shelflife: Best fresh (puran {filling} may be stored in the refrigerator
for a week.
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