Tag Archives: indian desserts

Fruit Raita : Fruits in yoghurt sauce

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If you are looking for an out of ordinary yet easy to assemble side dish for your Thanksgiving table dear friends south of border, this is for you!

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Recipe; Serves 4

Ingredients;

Greek yoghurt                                   2 cups

Seasonal fruits                                  1 cup

Salt and sugar                                  to taste

Canola oil                                        1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds                                1 tsp

Curry leaves                                   7-8

Method;

I had guavas and pomegranates. I have cut the guavas in small pieces. Collect the pomegranate seeds.

Whisk the yoghurt, add salt and sugar to taste. Add the fruits.

In a small pan heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, wait to splutter. Add the curry leaves. Wait for another 10 seconds, add this on the yoghurt. Adjust to your taste. Enjoy.

Chandrapuli : Moon cake

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All good things come to an end. The nine days of feasting, fasting, fun and festivities is done for the year.

……..The last day is very special for there is a grand send off planned for the goddess. I see my mum putting on the white sari with red border, arranging a beautiful plate with sweets, flower, betel leaf, bangles and other things which I am not sure of. “Hurry up, or we shall be late” she reminds me.

Not sure what this all meant, but not ready to forgo the fun either I loose no time in putting on my dress. Later I see My mum with her friends touch the sweets to the goddess’s mouth, as if feeding her, then apply Sindur ( red powder, the married women apply on their hair parting ).

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We had so much sweets, then amidst loud uluation and blowing of the conch shell the beautiful goddess and her family were taken away to be immersed in the river.

I must have been sulking the later part of the day, realizing that the fun was over and it would soon be time to get serious with the school work. “Mon kharap lagche?” Are you sad, my mum checks on me. “She ain’t gone anywhere, she is in your heart!” she reassures me. You should have seen my scrunched up face, “What, in my heart?”, as if saying to her, you know nothing, Ma!

………. Today when I think back, I realize how powerful those words were. ‘She is in your heart’. Yes , of course.

Recipe: Made 26 pieces

Ingredients,

Unsweetened fine grated coconut                                         1 cup

Khoa ( milk solids )                                                                1 cup

Patali gur ( Jaggery )                                                             3/4 cup

Granulated sugar                                                                  1/4 cup

Milk                                                                                     1/3 cup

Milk powder                                                                        1/3 cup

Cardamom powder                                                             1/4 tsp

Ghee                                                                                  2 tbsps

Raisins and cashew pieces to garnish

Method,

Mix the grated coconut with the milk and set aside.

Take a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat, add the ghee, wait for it to melt and crank the heat down to medium low. Now add the coconut mixture, khoa, sugar, milk powder, cardamom powder and jaggery. Give it a nice stir. Keep stirring often, to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan, till it forms  dough about 30 minutes.

Turn the gas off. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate , Take about 3/4 th tbsp of this mixture to form about 26 balls.  If you have molds, grease them, put a raisin and some cashew pieces, press the ball into it making sure it is flowing  evenly and carefully remove them. If you do not have the molds you can shape them like half moon with your hand and decorate.

Enjoy!

Pear fudge : Pear Burfi

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As exotic as it may sound, growing up in India, my go to fruits were Mangoes, Jackfruits, Custard apples or Pineapples. Mango fudge, Custard apple pudding or Pineapple chutney were my heros, in the world of desserts. Including pear in a dessert was surely outside my comfort zone. I wanted to give this a try.

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The moment I decided to use pear in the dessert, I knew it had to have some texture. If you know me, you know that I am a bit biased towards texture. ‘Burfi” it is going to be. With a very few ingredients, these can be whipped up in no time.

It is just perfect for that little pick me up around mid afternoon. Can also be stored in air tight container in fridge for about a week.

Give it a try friends. I was quite pleased with the result.

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Recipe Made 25 pieces.

Ingredients;

Grated pear                                      2 cups

Milk                                                  1 cup

Milk powder                                     1/2 cup

Desiccated coconut                       1/3 cup

Sugar                                             1/3 cup

Cardamom powder                        1/4 tsp

Ginger powder                               1/4 tsp

Almond slivers, Rose petals            1 tbsp

Candied ginger, goji berry slices    1 tbsp

Candied ginger                             few slivers

Ghee                                           2 tbsps

Method;

Take the grated pear and one table spoon ghee on a pan on medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the milk and milk powder and keep stirring. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the milk almost dries up. Throw in desiccated coconut, sugar another table spoon of ghee, cardamom and ginger powder. Cook  for another few minutes till the whole mixture comes together. Put the gas off.

Collect the mixture on a greased plate.  Use a spatula to make the surface even. Cut in squares. Garnish with nuts, rose petals, candied ginger slivers and berries.  Let it cool completely and put it in the fridge for a few hours.

Enjoy!

Chhena poda: Roast cheese cake

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Would you be surprised if I tell you that I have never tasted this dessert before. True. The fact that it comes from the province of Orissa, famous for the temple of Lord Jagannath, have always made me curious. I checked a few recipes and gave it a try.

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Traditionally milk is curdled to make the cheese ( chhena), which is then used to make the sweet. I tried it out with Ricotta cheese which is very close to chhena ( chena), in its consistency.

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The fact that the cheese is already available ready made makes this dessert very easy in terms of the time needed. Just assemble all the ingredients and throw it in the oven.

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The result is nothing less than spectacular. Give it a try friends, you may be hooked!

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Recipe: Followed recipe from Saltspicemore.com with some changes

Ingredients;

Ricotta cheese                                           2 cups

Sugar                                                         1 cup

Semolina                                                    4 Tbsp

Ghee                                                         2  Tbsp

Baking powder                                          1/2 tsp

Cardamom powder                                      1/4 tsp

Raisins                                                       1 tbsp

Pistachio slivers                                        1 tbsp

Almond slices                                           1 tbsp

Cashew pieces                                        1 tbsp

Water                                                       2 Tbsp

Method;

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F

In a bowl mix the Cheese, Semolina, Sugar, baking powder, raisins, nuts, ghee nicely. Add a few tbps water bring it to a cake batter consistency. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Grease the inside of a cake pan and line with a parchment paper. Pour the batter. Bake at 350 degree F preheated oven for 50 minutes, crank up the temperature to 360 degrees for the last twenty minutes..
A tooth pick inserted should come out clean.

Put the oven off.

Take the cake out of the oven then out of the pan. Divide in pieces and enjoy.

Atte ke malpua: wholewheat flour pancakes, two ways.

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There was a knock on the door. , Renu with her neatly tied plait of hair was standing with a plate in her hand. ‘Here are some sweets for Holi for you”, she smiled, showing her very white set of teeth. ‘Aww, Thank you, you didn’t have to you know.” We didn’t mean the last part though, in fact we used to wait in anticipation for this time.IMG_0981

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As soon as we close the door behind her, we siblings attack the plate. Under the lace cover were the coveted ‘Malpuas”. Every year for holi our neighbour Sinha aunty made Malpuas., without fail. This was a speciality of rural Bihar, the place where we spent our childhood. Gifting sweets to friends and families on festive occasions was a tradition that was followed with great enthusiasm. The weather changing to warmer days and spring flowers already blooming, it was such a beautiful time.

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Malpuas are Indian pancakes, comes in a variety of different forms, made of all purpose flour or a healthier version using whole wheat flour, sugar or jaggery, crispy or moist dunked in sugar syrup. The recipe I have here today is both, for the crispy version and soaked in syrup ones..

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Fast forward a couple decades, snow showers in forecast with temperatures twenty below celsius. No, that is not going to dampen our spirit. The Malpuas are ready. We are going to throw colours on our friends and usher spring, be it just for fun.

Wish you all a very happy Holi.

Recipe; Made 10 small ones.

Ingredients;

Whole wheat flour                                     1 cup

Sugar                                                        1/2 cup

Fennel seeds                                             1/2 tsp

Cardamom powder                                     1/4 tsp

Orange food colour                                       couple drops

Ghee                                                           1 Tbsp

Pistachio slivers                                            for garnish

For sugar syrup to soak;

Sugar                                                           1 cup

Water                                                            1 cup

Method;

Take the sugar in a bowl, pour hot water. wait for the sugar to dissolve and the mixture to cool.

Add the flour little by little, mix thoroughly to avoid any lumps. Add the ghee, cover and let it rest for about three hours.

Add the cardamom powder, fennel seeds, orange colour, add a couple more spoons of water if needed. The consistency should be that of any pancake batter.

Take a non stick pan with canola oil on medium heat. Take a tablespoon of batter and carefully pour on the oil. I had put a couple or even three at a time. Wait for a few minutes and flip them over. A light brown colour is what we are looking for

Drain the oil and collect on kitchen towel. Garnish with pistachio slivers.These are ready to be enjoyed as is.

Alternatively a thin sugar syrup can be made  by boiling a cup of water and sugar and the pancakes can be dipped in it for a few minutes.Take your pick.