INDIAN SWEETS (7)

lets have some sweets....what do you say?

GAJAR KA HALWA:
(carrot halwa)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg juicy orange carrots
• 1 1/2 litre milk
• 400-500 gms sugar
• elaichi powder (cardomom)
• few saffron
• 1 tbsp ghee

METHOD:

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

ROSSOGOLLA:

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 couple of hours.
• remove the creamy layer.
• Reheat the milk and bring to boil.
• Add the citric acid disssolved 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 saucepan.
• Bring to boil.
• Strain the milk through the 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 12 equal sized balls of the dough
• Let them into the boiling water.
• Cover with a perforated lid.
• Boil for 13-15 minutes.
• Take out from heat and cool them to room temperature.
• Add essence and chill it for at least 4-5 hours.
  

COCONUT BARFI :


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups coconut scrapped
• 1 cup coconut coarsely shredded
• 1 -1/2 cups
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp
• 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 sugar syrup.
• Pour into coconut, stirring gently and continuously.
• Add butter, and continue stirring, till a soft lump is formed.
• Empty into greased large plate, pat even very lightly.
• 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.

BADAM KHEER:

INGREDIENTS:

• 25-30 almonds (badam)

1 litre milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. cardamom powder

10-15 strands saffron, crushed, soaked in 1 tsp. warm milk

1 tsp rose water

5 pistachios crushed coarsely

METHOD:

• Soak almonds for 30 mins in hot water
• Peel the skin of almonds
• Grind the almonds into paste with 1/2 cup water
• Bring the milk to boil in heavy pan
• Add almond paste
• Keep stirring occasionally till semi-solid
• Add sugar, cardamom powder, rose water and saffron
• Cook for 2 minutes
• Garnish with pistachios
• Serve chilled or hot

PAL PAYASAM:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 litre milk
• 1 cup brown broken rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 15-20 raisins

METHOD:

• Cook the rice.
• Add milk, condensed milk and sugar to rice.
• Mix well.
• let it boil till payasam thickens.
• Add cardamom powder and raisins.
• Stir the payasam.
• Serve hot or cold.
  

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.

BADAM HALWA:

INGREDIENTS:

• 100 gms almonds
• 10 almonds , sliced, for garnishing
• 100 gms pure ghee
• 75 gms sugar
• 1 tsp saffron
• 1/2 cup milk

METHOD:

• Soak almonds overnight.
• Peel and dry grind.
• Heat ghee in a pan.
• Stir in the almond powder.
• Mix saffron with milk and add to the ghee-almond mixture.
• Let it cook over a low flame till the ghee starts leaving the sides.
• Add sugar and stir continously for 10 mins or till the mixture starts smelling nice and turns a very light brown in colour.
• Garnish with sliced almonds and serve hot.

TIP:

• To ensure that halwa doesn't stick to the pan, add a piece of beetle leaf to the mixture while cooking.
• Just like badam halwa you can even make halwa with cashewnuts and walnuts using the same recipe