SHAKKARPARE

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
11/2 cup maida (plain flour)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp Saunf
1/3 cup ghee
Ghee to deep fry

Method

* Mix the above ingredients with a little water and knead into a soft dough.
* Divide dough into equal parts and roll out into thick chappatis.
* Cut with a cookie cutter or knife into small diamond shapes.
* Lift with spatula and keep aside on a dry cloth for 1 hour.
* Deep fry in hot ghee over slow flame till light golden brown.
* Drain well and keep aside till cool.
* Store in clean, dry containers.

RAWA LADOO

Ingredients

2 cups semolina (rawa)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ghee
1 tbsp broken cashew nuts
1 tbsp raisins fried
1 tsp fried cardamom powder

Method

* Heat 1 tsp. ghee in a pan and dry roast the rawa till pink.
* Grind the fried rawa and powdered sugar in a mixer to a fine powder.
* Heat the remaining ghee and add the powdered rawa, cashew nuts, raisins and cardamom powder.
* Mix thoroughly.
* While still warm, make into small lemon-sized balls.
* Cool and store in an airtight container.

RASMALAI

Ingredients

2 lbs Cows Milk or Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sugar
32 oz half & half milk
A pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 tbsp crushed green pistachios

Method

*
Mix the cheese with sugar and little cardamom powder and spread out on a baking tray.
*
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until it sets. It should not get brown.
*
Remove from oven, cool at room temperature and cut into 2" squares. Place them in a dessert bowl.
*
Mix the other ingredients, except the pistachios well in a separate dish and pour over the squares.
*
Decorate with pistachios, chill for 2-3 hours and then serve.

RECIPES OF PEDA

Ingredients

1/2 kg. Soft white khoya
2 1/2 cups (approx.300gms) sugar powdered
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tsp. cardamom seeds semi crushed
1 tbsp. slivered or crushed pistachios

Method

*
Grate khoya with a steel (not iron) grater.Add powdered sugar and mix well.
*
Put mixture in a large heavy or nonstick pan. Heat first on high for few minutes.The on slow till done.
*
Make sure to stir continuously, while on heat. When mixture thick and gooey, add cardamom.
*
Mix well, and take off fire. Allow to cool, gently turning occasionall
*
Use cookie moulds, or shape pedas with palms into patty rounds.
*
Mix pistachios and cardamom seeds and press a bit on top of each.
*
If using moulds, first sprinkle some at bottom. Take some mixture and press into mould. When set well, invert and carefully, unmould.
*
Tip:Above is the basic recipe. Any colour ( yellow, orange, green, cochineal), essence (pineapple, orange, pista, chocolate), topping (almonds, walnuts, cashews), can be added. To above recipe add any of following for varied flavours: cashew powder 1/2 cup, cocoa 2 tbsp.(then increase sugar by 1/2 cup), walnuts powdered 1/2 cup, etc. Add when the mixture is half cooked.

LAPSI (Bulgar Sweet)

Ingredients

1 cup Broken wheat
2 1/2 cups Hot water
2 tablespoon Almonds
3/4 cup Sugar
15 nos. Raisins
1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
3/4 cup Ghee

Method

*
Soak the raisins in 1/2 cup water and keep aside.
*
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, add the broken wheat. Saute on a high flame till it turns pinkish brown. Add hot water, partly cover and cook on a medium flame till most of the water has evaporated. Add more water if the wheat is not tender enough.
*
Once all the water has evaporated, add the sugar, ghee and 1/2 cup water. Stir. Place a griddle or tava below the pan and cook on a low flame for 8-10 minutes. The lapsi is ready when the ghee starts oozing out from the sides of the pan.
*
Serve hot garnished with blanched almonds and pistachios.

KHEER

Ingredients

1/4th cup Long grain Rice (washed and drained)
4-5 cups Milk
2-3 cardamom seeds (crushed)
2 tbsp. almonds (blanched silvered)
A pinch of saffron threads, soaked in a little hot milk
1 tbsp skinned pistachio nuts (chopped)
1 tbsp raisins (optional)
2-3tbsp. sugar or as desired

Method

*
Put the rice, milk and cardamom in a pan, bring to boil and simmer gently until the rice is soft and the grains are starting to break up.
*
Add almonds, pistachio, saffron and raisins and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
*
Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
*
Remove from heat and serve either warm or chilled.

KESAR KAJU BURFI

Ingredients

500 gms Kaju (cashewnuts)
300 gms sugar
1/2 tsp kesar(saffron)
1/4 tsp orange color
2 chandi (silver) warak

Method

*
Soak the cashewnuts in water for 3 hours.Drain the water and ground the cashewnuts,finely.
*
In a pan mix sugar and cashewnuts,and roast on low heat,stiring constantly.
*
Mix saffron and orange color in it.roast till done.
*
On the rolling board place a butter paper and pour the mixture on it.
*
Now place another butter paper ,sandwhiching the mixture between the two paper. Roll it with rolling pin.
*
Remove the butter paper from top and place silver warak,and cut the burfi pieces.