Nariyal Laddoo

Ingredients:

Condensed milk                -1/2 tin
Grated/desiccated coconut     -2 cups + 1/2 cup for rolling
Ghee                                -For greasing your palm for rolling Laddoo
Milk powder                          -2 tblsp

Method:
Add condensed milk in a non-stick pan, 2 cups grated coconut and milk powder.
Heat over medium flame and stir for 4 – 5 minutes or until the mixture turns non sticky and becomes a mass.

Make sure your keep the flame always in medium flame. Switch off the flame and let it go to warm temperature.
In a plate the remaining 1/2 cup grated coconut.
Now make equal sized laddoos out of the warm mixture and roll these ladoos over the grated coconut.

Grease your hands with ghee each time while rolling laddoos.
Your Nariyal/Coconut Laddoos are ready to serve.
I normally refrigerate the ladoos but because of coconut they are consumed within couple of days.

Shahi Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

For Gulab Jamun:
Khoya / Mawa               -1 cup (unsweetened)
Maida                              -3 tblspoon (All Purpose Flour)
Sodium bicarbonate       -1/8 tsp (cooking soda)
Milk                                 -As required to make dough
Powdered Mix Nuts        -2 tblspoon (Almond, Cashew, Pistachio)
Elachi powder                 -2 pinch
Oil                                    -As required for deep frying

For Syrup:
Sugar                              -1 & 1/2 cups
Water                              -1 & 1/2 cups
Saffron                          -Few strands (optional)
Rose essence                   -2 drops  (optional)



Method:

Take Khoya in a bowl and crumble it. If you have kept it in fridge bring khoya to room temperature.
Crumble it with your hands and measure it in a measuring cup.
Put Khoya, Maida, Powdered nuts and cooking soda in a mixing bowl. Mix well.

Slowly add milk with tablespoon as we won't require large amount of it, and make a smooth dough.
No need to knead very hard, just gather with your hands so that it forms a smooth dough without lumps.

Keep the dough aside for 5 mins and after 5 minutes make equal sized balls. you can use ghee to grease your palm.
If you have cracks in the balls when you are making, sprinkle more milk and make a smooth dough.
I made 20 out of it as I made it small. The balls should be smooth outside.

Please do not roll so tightly applying pressure. Just roll them softly until they smooth out.
Meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup with water, sugar, powdered elachi and saffron, bring to boil and boil for 8-10 minutes in medium flame.

After 10 minutes switch off the flame and add the rose essence. While the sugar syrup is boiling lets fry the rolled Jamuns.
Heat the oil in deep heavy bottom Karahi to deep fry the Jamuns.
Let the oil be hot but not smoking hot, just hot enough to fry the Jamuns and let them increase size while getting fried.

If oil is too hot, then Jamuns will get brun and won't cook from inside. So make sure you cook in low or medium flame.
Also if the oil is not hot enough Jamuns will start to crack and will soak a lot of oil.
Keep in low flame and add the jamuns and keep rolling the jamuns very gently in the oil with the use of the ladle so that they cook evenly.
Let them fry till they are golden brown in colour. Fry only 3-4 at a time, don't put many of them at a time in the oil.

Drain the Jamuns in kitchen towel and immediately add it to hot syrup. Let them get soaked well.

Let the Gulab Jamuns get soaked well in the syrup for at-least an hour and enjoy the juicy sweet Gulab Jamuns.

Nan Khatai (Indian Butter Biscuits)

Ingredients:

Wheat flour/ Atta         -3/4 cup
Maida/ All purpose flour -1/4 cup
Sugar                         -1/2 cup
Ghee /Butter, melted  -1/2 cup (may not need all)
Cardamom                 -1
Baking powder          -1 pinch
Pistachios                   -10, for decoration

Method:

In a mixer, place sugar along with elachi and powder it. Transfer it to a mixing bowl.
In the same mixer, coarsely powder pistachios, keep aside.
Preheat the oven at 190 deg C or 375 F.
Add atta, maida to the powdered sugar along with baking powder. Mix well.
Add ghee little by little rubbing as you add. You may not need all, may be 1 tblsp you can reserve.
You should use ghee to form a dough. No water.
In a baking tray, line with cookie sheet or grease with ghee, dust with a tspoon of flour. Make equal sized balls (11-12) out of the dough. Flatten slightly, not too much, as you can see in picture.

Cut with a knife to make a criss-cross pattern in the top middle of the cookie.
Add a pinch of powdered pistachios over each cut.
Bake it for 12 to 15 minutes at 190 deg. C/ 375 F.
The cookie should not change in colour to very dark brown. When it just starts golden in colour in the sides, that is enough.
Cool on wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

My Kids do not like them very white, so I let them turn a bit golden on top.

Note:
Add ghee gradually, do not end up in adding more than needed. The dough should hold its shape, if not, ghee is more.
The ghee amount may vary depending on the flour quality, so handle accordingly.
This cookie will be sweet, if you want, reduce 1 or 2 tblspoon of sugar.
Aren't they perfect for gifting your friends and relatives this Diwali 2014? Easy for you to bake too!

Kaju Katli / Kaju Barfi

Ingredients:

Cashewnuts (kaju)           -2 cups
Sugar                               -1 1/2 cup
water                               -3/4 cup
saffron (optional)            -About 10 strings

Method:

Grind the cashewnuts to powder. Grind small portion at a time, do not grind for too long. Dry grinder works well or if you have coffee grinder it will be best.
Take a heavy bottom pan roast the cashew nut powder for about 4 minutes or until powder just get warm. Do not heat for any longer otherwise powder will start getting oily and burn easily.
Boil the sugar and water together in a saucepan on medium heat until syrup is 1 thread.
Now add the saffron to the syrup and mix it well. Saffron is optional. Turn off the heat.
Add the cashewnut powder to the syrup and mix it well, making sure that there are no lumps.
To check the right consistency take a little mix in a spoon, you should be able to roll this into softball.
Next spread the mix quick to the greased plate. Spread before the mix cools off.
Allow burfi to cool down and then cut them in the diamond shapes or whichever shape you like.  I cut them into diamond shapes as this is the traditional shape of Kaju katli. You can cut them or maybe roll them into your desire shapes.
You can store barfi for a week in the refrigerator.

Baklava

This recipe will make 18-20 pieces of Baklavas.

Ingredients:
Phyllo pastry                     -6 sheets
Clarified butter                  -1/2 cup
Almond                             -1/2 cup Very Thinly flaked
Walnuts                             -1/2 cup Very Thinly flaked
Pistachio                            -1/2 cup Very Thinly flaked
Cashewnuts                       -1/2 cup Very Thinly flaked
coconut powder                 -1/4 cup
cardamom powder             -1/2 teaspoon
Sugar                                  -1/3 cup

Syrup:
Sugar                             -3/4 cup
Water                             -1/2 cup
Lemon juice                  -1 teaspoon
sliced pistachios            -1 tablespoon for garnish


Method:

For baking I am using 6×6 baking tray.

Preparing Filling:

Combine all the dry ingredients, ground almonds, walnuts, pistachio, coconut, sugar, and cardamom.
Preheat the oven 350 degree F.

Making the Baklava Roll:

Prepare a clean and dry work surface to use the phyllo pastry. Open the phyllo pastry and take 1 sheet out spread over the working surface and fold it making it double in length wise. Lightly brush the butter covering the whole sheet.You will be working with the short side.
Leave about 1/2 inch of sheet across the short side and put 2 tablespoons of the filling from edge to edge evenly. Roll it twice and brush lightly with butter, only on the rolled part.
Put 1 tablespoons of the filling again from edge to edge evenly. Roll it up carefully, after every roll brush it with butter, and place seam side down in the baking tray.
Repeat the process until you finish rolling all the sheets or until you filling finishes.
The pieces should fit snugly, but avoid to not squash them together.
Take a very sharp knife, cut each roll into 3 equal pieces in length or the size you desire. That will make 18-20 pieces. Lightly brush the butter over each piece.
Bake the baklava for about 25 to 30 minutes until they are light golden brown in color.

Making Syrup:

Boil the sugar and water together until its ½ thread. Add the lemon juice and cardamom powder and turn off the heat. Lemon juice will not let the syrup crystallize.
Carefully pour the hot (but not boiling) syrup evenly over all the baklava pieces. Sprinkle few pieces of the grated/sliced pistachios over baklava for garnishing.
Allow the baklava to cool before serving. Enjoy!

Kaddu Ki Kheer / Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:

Red Pumpkin                            – 1 Cup diced/cubed
Boiled Milk                              – 2 Cups
Sugar                                        – 1 Cups
Mawa/Milk Powder                 - 1/2 cup
Cashewnuts                               - 10 Finely chopped
Almonds                                    – 10 Finely Chopped
Raisins                                      – 10-15
Pistachio                                   - 5 Finely chopped as flakes
Cardamom powder                   – 1 teaspoon
Ghee                                         – 1 tbsp


Method:

Cook Pumpkin cubes in 1/4 cup of water in pressure cooker up-to 2 whistle.
Take out the boiled pumpkin and do not throw the water. Mash the Pumpkin cubes in the water and make puree. Please do not blend or grind using any gadget. Mash it with spoon or fork.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom Pan.
Add Cashews, Almonds, Raisins in the ghee. Roast them for a min and add pumpkin puree to it.
Add milk, Mawa, cardamom powder & sugar.
Mix all ingredients well & cook the kheer for 15 mins or until the milk starts to thicken up a bit.
Garnish the Kheer with pistachio flakes. Pumpkin Kheer is ready to serve hot. This can be a fasting time dessert or can be used as a regular dessert for your dinner or lunch parties.

Balushahi

Ingredients

Maida                                           - 2 cups (all purpose flour)
Baking powder                             - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda                                  - 1/4 tsp
Sugar                                            - 1 tsp
Curd                                             - 2 tbsps
Ghee                                             - 1/4 cup, melted
Oil                                                - 1 tbsp
Water                                           - as required for making dough
Pistachio flakes                           - for garnishing

For sugar syrup:
Sugar                                           - 1 1/2 cups
Water                                          - 1 1/2 cups
Lemon juice                                - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder                     - pinch (elaichi)

Method:

In a wide bowl, sift maida, baking powder and baking soda. Add sugar and mix well. Make a well in the center, add curd and ghee and mix with the maida. It should resemble to bread crumbs.











Add a little more curd if required. Now slowly add little water and make a soft and pliable dough. Leave aside covered for at least an hour.













In a heavy stainless steel vessel, add sugar and water and allow the sugar to dissolve on medium flame. Reduce flame to low, allow the sugar syrup to thicken lightly. The syrup should be sticky on touch and it should reach one string consistency. Add lemon juice and elachi powder and turn off flame.

After the dough has rested, do not knead. To prepare badusha, pinch off lemon sized dough and roll into balls. Flatten the balls lightly and make a depression in the center using your thumb. Making the depression is crucial, so do not skip this step.

Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel till hot but not smoking hot. Add a small piece of dough into the oil and if it sizzles and comes to the surface, the oil is ready for deep frying. SWITCH OFF THE FLAME. Now slowly add 4-5 balushahi into the hot oil and allow them to rise to the surface of the oil. Do not skip this step. It is similar to how we would fry gulab jamuns.

Once the balushahi surface to the top of the oil, turn on flame to low and cook on both sides till golden brown. The key to a good balushahi is in the deep frying. The balushahi have to cook slowly and do not rush through the process by trying to cook them on high flame as they will remain uncooked inside. It has to reach golden brown color. Do not over cook it to a darker golden shade.
Using a slotted ladle, remove the balushahi from the hot oil and place them gently in the warm sugar syrup. Once the balushahi sits in the syrup, use a ladle and allow it to sink inside the syrup such that it is coated all over. Allow to sit in the syrup till the next batch of balushahi is done. In between do flip over to the other side so that the balushahi absorb the syrup evenly. Remove from the syrup and place them on a plate and allow to come to room temperature.

Garnish them with Pistachio flakes.

Sweet Boondi

Ingredients

Gram flour 1-1/2 cup
Rice flour 1/4 cup
Cooking soda(sodium bi carbonate) 1 small pinch
Sugar 1-1/2 cup to 2 cups(adjust as per taste)
Rose essence(optional) 3 drops
Cardamom 2, powdered
Food colours(optional) orange and green

Instructions:

First make sugar syrup ready. In a broad vessel, boil sugar with water just to immerse it. Boil until 2 string consistency. Mix the rose essence and cardamom powder. If you swipe the back of ladle and check between your thumb and forefinger, there will be two strings forming in-between the fingers. Or you can keep a small bowl of water and pour a little syrup in it, it will not dissolve and you can move the syrup and gather it. Switch off the stove.

In a mixing bow, mix both flours, cooking soda with water to a thick batter. Like onion bhajji batter. I divided the batter in 3 bowls for each selected colour. Mix orange food colour and green food colour to the reserved batter.

Heat oil and use a big slotted spoon to make boondis. You will be needing two big ladles with holes. One for making boondi and one for draining from oil. Use another deep ladle to spoon the batter. Pour one ladle of batter over the ladle with hole holding it just above the oil and spread it. Wipe the ladle after each pouring.

Fry with constant turning to ensure even cooking and drain once the bubbles ceases, no need to wait until it gets very crispy. Just make sure its cooked. Drain in paper towel. Repeat to finish the batter. Make boondis in the same way as above. Finish both orange and green similarly and drain in the paper towel.

After finishing, just give a heat(no need to boil) to the syrup we prepared and switch off the flame. Put the prepared colourful boondis to the sugar syrup. Keep mixing. As it cools down, the sugar syrup will be absorbed by boondi and starts crystallizing and becomes dry.

Store in airtight container.