Makhana ki Kheer

Ingredients:

Phool Makhanas- 1 Cup

Milk- 500 ml

Sugar as per taste

Kesar – a few strands (optional)

Dry fruits and raisins (vertically cut almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts)

Ghee – 2 tsp (optional)

Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method:

Boil the milk on medium flame and let it reduce to half or two third the quantity- as desired.  You must keep stirring milk as it should not get burnt. As the milk is boiling, clean the makhanas (remove if there are any black shells- brown spots are fine).  Cut them half.  You can either fry them in a tsp ghee or simply roast them in a microwave or a saucepan.

Once they cool down they will become crisp.  Take half of the makahanas and grind them coarsely in a food processor.  Now add the powdered Makhanas and the whole ones to the milk and stir.  After about ten minutes, add sugar, cardamom powder, dry fruits and kesar.  Let the Kheer cook for another 10-15 minutes then take it off from the heat.

If you wish to- fry the makahanas and dry fruits in a couple of teaspoon ghee and then add them to the boiling milk.

Garnish with some dry fruits and serve chilled or warm as desiredI

Shahi Sheer Khurma (traditional dish on Eid Day)

Ingredients:

• 500 ml milk, approx 3 cups full fat organic milk
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 to 1.5 tbsp sugar or as required ( the dates and raisins add a lot of sweetness to the milk, so add sugar accordingly.)
• ½ cup broken seviyan/whole wheat vermicelli
• 7-8 cashews, chopped
• 8-9 almonds, sliced
• 8-9 unsalted pistachios, sliced
• 8-9 dates seedless, chopped
• 4 cardamoms, crushed to a powder in a mortar-pestle.
• 1 tbsp golden raisins
• ½ to 1 tsp rose water.

Method

Heat the milk, sugar, saffron and cardamom powder in a heavy bottomed pan; stir the mixture well until all the sugar dissolves completely.

Add in the roasted vermicelli and simmer the mixture in the milk until the vermicelli is cooked. Once the vermicelli is cooked stir in the dates, pistachios and raisins and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes.

If the sheer korma is too thick, stir in a little water or milk and adjust the sugar levels according to your taste.

Turn off the heat and serve hot or cold as a dessert for the festival of Id or a party with friends.

Rasogulla

Rasogulla

Ingredients

1 liter Milk

3 tbsps. Vinegar

1 cup Sugar

1 tsp. All Purpose Flour

Directions
Prepare paneer by boiling milk and adding vinegar/lime juice. (See method to make paneer in Miscellanous section)
Once the paneer separates from the whey, strain and Tie the paneer in a muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess water.
Now knead the paneer and add 1 tsp. maida to it, mix very well untill paneer get softer.
Divide the paneer dough into 10 small balls and keep aside.
Make a syrup with the sugar(1 cup) and water(4 cup) in a sauce pan, while the syrup is boiling, add the paneer balls.
Cover with a tight lid and bring it to rolling boil. Cook the balls for about 10 minutes on high heat.
Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook it for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat let it cool.
Rasogulla tastes best when refrigerated for a while.

Basundi

Basundi

Ingredients:

1 litre full fat milk1/2 cup sugar3 pods cardamom5 almonds blanched3 pistachios skinned10-15 threads saffron

Method:

Soak saffron in 2 tsp. hot milk, keep aside.
Chop finely or crush coarsely, the almonds and pistachios.
Peel and powder cardamom seeds with a mallet.
Add to chopped dryfruit.
Run saffron with base of a mallet, in cup, till dissolved in milk.
Put milk to boil in a large deep pan, stirring occasionally.
When it starts boiling, reduce heat and boil.
Stir frequently, till milk is 2/3 in volume.
Add all other ingredients to boiling milk.
Boil further for 3-4 minutes.
Take off fire. Cool a little.
Pour into a large decorative serving bowl.
Allow to cool completely, chill in refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
To avoid a layer forming on the surface, stir frequently while cooling.
Serve chilled in individual cups with rose petal to decorate on top, if desired.

kala jamun

KALA JAMUM

FOR MAKING kala jamun you need the following items: Khoya - 1kg, maida - 200 gms, ilaichi powder - 10 gms, chenna - 100 gms, sugar - 3 kgs, saffron - 1 gms, Dalda - 2 kgs, cashewnut for stuffing.

Method:

Take sugar and a litre of water in a kadai. Boil and make sugar syrup. Take khoya mash it, add chenna, maida, ilaichi powder, and saffron and mix well. Make a ball and stuff the cashewnut in the centre as stuffing. Heat dalda lightly. Add the balls and cook in a slow fire till balls get dark brown in colour and floats on top. Add this to the syrup.

kheer

Kheer (rice pudding)

INGREDIENTS:
2 litres full-cream milk
1 can (400 gms) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup Basmati rice
50 gms almonds blanched and slivered
50 gms raisins
A few strands of saffron
Rose petals to garnish (optional)
PREPARATION:
Wash the rice well and soak for half an hour in enough water to cover it fully.
Put the milk, condensed milk and sugar in a deep, thick-bottomed pan and boil. When the milk comes to a boil, add the rice and simmer. Cook till the milk thickens and reduces to half its original volume.
Add the almonds, raisins and cardamom and cook for 5 more minutes.
Turn off the fire and add the saffron. Stir well.
Allow the kheer to cool, then chill.
Serve cold garnished with rose petals.