Stuffed Pastries with Lemon-Milk Glaze (Kanti)

For pastry dough:

1 1/4 cups (150 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons melted ghee or unsalted butter

About 1/3 cup water

For filling:

1 1/2 cups (130 grams) grated fresh coconut or (215 grams) frozen coconut, defrosted

1/2 cup (110 grams) sugar

2 tablespoons finely chopped raisins

2 tablespoons finely chopped dried apricots

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds

3 ounces (85 grams) khoa (purchased, or made from 2 cups milk)

For glaze:

1/3 cup (30 grams) confectioner's sugar

1/2 tablespoon strained lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 tablespoons milk

Canola oil for frying

Place the flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and baking soda in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse three times.  Add the ghee or butter and process for 8-10 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  (To mix by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Using your fingers, cut in the ghee or butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.)  With the processor running, add the water in a slow stream just until the dough holds together; do not process for more than 40 seconds.  You want a firm dough, not one that is soft or wet.  Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and form into a smooth ball.  Wrap tightly and set aside while making the filling and glaze.

Combine the coconut, sugar, fruit, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and cardamom seeds in a nonstick frying pan and cook until the mixture is dry and sticky.  Remove the pan from the heat and cool to room temperature.  If the khoa is firm, shred it through the large holes of a hand grater; if it is soft, crumble it into small bits.  Add the khoa to the coconut mixture and blend well.  Divide filling into 14 portions and mold them into patties.  Set aside, covered with plastic wrap.

Combine the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and milk in a small bowl and mix until smooth.

To make the stuffed pastries, divide the dough into 28 pieces.  Roll them into smooth balls and cover with a damp towel.  One by one, pat each ball into a patty, dip it in flour on both sides, and roll it into an evenly thick round about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.  Place a portion of the filling in the center, easing it to within 1/2-inch of the edges.  Dip your finger in water and moisten the 1/2-inch border.  Place another pastry round over the filling and press well to seal the edges.  Pleat by hand or press the edges with a fork.  (If the edges are not well-sealed, the filling will ooze out during frying.)  Set aside on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet and roll, fill, and seal the remaining pieces.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a deep-frying vessel.  Place over moderate heat until the temperature reaches about 360°F.  Carefully, slip in 4 pastries or as many as will float on the surface without crowding.  The temperature will fall to about 330°F.  Slowly raise the temperature again to 360°F and fry until the pastries are golden brown on both sides.  

Transfer the pastries to paper towels to drain.  Fry the remaining pieces and, while still warm, brush the tops with the glaze.

Makes about 14 pieces.

From Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi

Cardamom-Flavored Caramel Milk Fudge (Vrindavan Pera)

 2/3 cup (100 grams) brown or maple sugar
12 ounces (340 grams) khoa (purchased, or made from 8 cups/2 liters milk)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey or golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) unsalted butter or ghee

Place the sugar in a coffee mill or blender and grind to a powder.  Combine all of the ingredients on a marble slab or countertop and knead until smooth and sticky.  Gather the mass together with a spatula and transfer to a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick frying pan.  Place over moderate heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a soft ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.  

Scrape the pera mixture onto a plate and cool until it is easy to handle.  Wash and dry your heads and rub them with a film of oil.  Divide the fudge into 24 portions and roll each into a smooth ball.  While still warm, press into decorative molds and set on waxed paper.  When cool, store in airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days.

Makes about 24 pieces.

From Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi

Shakarpara

For the pastry:
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) ghee or unsalted butter
1/4 cup (50 ml) water
Canola oil 

For the sugar syrup:
Generous 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (100 ml) water

To decorate:

1 tablespoon freshly ground cardamom seeds

1 tablespoon dry unsweetened coconut

Begin by making the pastry.  Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl.  Add the ghee or butter and knead with your hands, adding enough of the water to make a firm dough.  Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into two pieces, then roll each piece out on a lightly floured work surface into a large, thin, round circle, about 1/16 of an inch thick.  Cut into horizontal strips, then cut across the other way to make small diamond shapes.

Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok to 350°F, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.  When the oil is hot, turn the heat to low and carefully drop batches of the pastry pieces into the hot oil and fry for 2-4 minutes, until light brown all over.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.  Continue until all the pastries have been cooked.

To make the sugar syrup, heat the sugar and water together in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved.  Cook to 240°F, or double-thread stage (see note below).

When the syrup is ready, toss the pastries into the syrup and stir thoroughly until they are coated.  As the sugar syrup dries around the pastry, the pastry becomes coated and the syrup dries and turns white.  Decorate with the cardamom and coconut and serve.  Or, store in a dry airtight container for up to 1 month.

Serves 6-10.

From Mountain Berries and Desert Spice by Sumayya Usmani

Note: To check for double-thread stage without a thermometer, dip a wooden spoon into the mixture, lift it out, and allow it to cool for a few seconds.  Touch the syrup with a clean forefinger, then touch your thumb and finger together and pull apart gently.  Two-thread consistency is when two threads are formed and do not break.  This is also known as soft-ball stage - when a drop of the syrup is dropped into cold water, it forms a soft ball.

Gadbad Mitha

200 grams sponge cake
250 ml vanilla custard
About 450 grams fruit (bananas, blueberries, grapes, mango, peach, strawberries, raspberries, etc.)
120 grams Alphonso mango puree
6 scoops vanilla ice cream

Cut the cake into roughly 2 cm (3/4 inch) cubes and place a few pieces in each of 6 sundae glasses or glass serving bowls.

Prepare your chosen fruit, cutting into bite-size pieces as necessary.  Divide between the glasses or bowls.

Swirl some mango puree over each portion.  Spoon a generous amount of custard on top.

Finish with a scoop of ice cream and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

From Dishoom: From Bombay with Love by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar, and Naved Nasir, with minor changes

Salted Jaggery Kulfi

130 grams jaggery
300 ml evaporated milk
100 ml milk
200 ml heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the jaggery in a saucepan, stirring until it melts.  Then whisk in the evaporated milk, milk, and cream.  When the milks and cream are fully incorporated, add the salt and bring the heat up to almost boiling, then take off the heat.  Allow to cool, then pour into moulds and freeze.

Serves 6.

From Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Spiced Rice and Raisin Pudding

100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) white basmati rice
400 ml (1 3/4 cups) boiling water
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods
850 ml (3 cups) milk (or replace 1 cup milk with 1 cup coconut milk)
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
125 grams (4 1/2 ounces) sugar
2 pinches of saffron threads
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten together
1/4 cup golden raisins

Put the rice in a bowl and cover with the measured boiling water; leave to soak for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, grind the rice and water mixture to a thick, coarse paste in a food processor.  

Grind cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle.

Put the milk in a pan with the crushed spices.  Add vanilla bean seeds or paste.  Slowly bring to a boil.  Add the rice paste and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the sugar and saffron and mix well.  Gradually whisk some of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, then add the egg and milk mixture back into the pan, stirring continuously.  Cook for a further 5 minutes, until the custard is thick.  Add the raisins.  Chill in refrigerator to desired temperature.

Can be served topped with additional raisins, crumbled saffron, slivered pistachios, or sliced fruit.

Serves 4.

Adapted from The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan (original recipe for Fennel and Phirni Custard Tartlets)

Pear and Cardamom Caramel Upside-Down Cake

For the topping:
50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) unsalted butter
100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 pears, peeled, halved, and cored

For the cake:
150 grams (5 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
200 grams (7 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
150 grams (5 1/2 ounces) self-rising flour
50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges.

Heat the oven to 350° F.  Grease a 9-inch round springform pan.

Make the topping:
In a saucepan, gently heat the butter, sugar, and ground cardamom until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.  Pour this sauce carefully into the prepared pan and spread it evenly over the base.  Arrange the halved pears in it with the cut sides facing down.

Make the cake:
Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the whisk attachment for about 2 minutes, until light and creamy.  Carefully spoon this mixture over the pears, taking care not to disturb them.  Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out on to a wire rack.  The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Serves 8-10.

From The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan, with minor rearrangement

Cardamom-Scented Custard with Diced Fruit

1 tablespoon sugar

Juice of 1/2 lime

300 g (2/3 pound) mixed chopped fruit (apples, pears, grapes)

Mint leaves, chopped (optional)

900 ml (3 3/4 cups) whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthways

4 green cardamom pods, crushed

2 egg yolks

40 g sugar

Stir together sugar and lime juice.  Mix the chopped fruit in a bowl, add the lime syrup, and mint if desired, and stir to coat the fruit thoroughly.  Set aside to chill in the refrigerator.

Pour the milk into a non-stick saucepan (large enough to prevent it boiling over).  Heat almost to boiling point, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes until there is 300 ml (1 1/2 cups) left.  Add the vanilla pod and crushed cardamom to the milk and allow to just come to a boil, then take the pan off the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.  Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl.

Remove the whole spices from the pan of milk and discard.  Reheat the milk until hot, then pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, whisking vigorously.  When completely mixed in, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir over low heat for 10-12 minutes until the mixture thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon.

Pour into a serving bowl, allow to cool, and serve chilled with the fruit.

Serves 4.

From Spice at Home by Vivek Singh

Vanilla Spice Pudding

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
2 to 3 tablespoons Chai Masala or similar mixed whole spices

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time), whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch.  Whisk in egg yolks, then add chai masala.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until it thickens and the first large bubble forms and sputters.  Reduce heat to low; still whisking, cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Immediately pour through sieve into bowl.  Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding.

Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent skin from forming, or omit this step if you, like a sensible person, love pudding skin!  Chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.  Before serving, whisk pudding until smooth.

Serves 4.

From Martha Stewart with changes

Coconut Rice Pudding

1/3 cup basmati rice, well-washed
5 cups milk
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of saffron threads
1 vanilla bean
1 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon orange flower water (or kewra) (optional)

Combine the rice with 2 cups of the milk and the coconut milk in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes, or until all of the milk has been absorbed by the rice.  Do not allow the rice to stick or burn.  

Add the remaining milk, the sugar, cardamom, saffron, and the seeds from the vanilla bean, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 hour or until the pudding is very thick.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the chopped pistachios along with the raisins and vanilla and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in the orange flower water.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.  Pour into dessert bowls, cover with plastic film, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until well chilled.

Serve chilled, garnished with the remaining pistachios.

Serves 6.



From Raji Cuisine by Raji Jallepalli, with some changes

Gulab Jamun

2 cups sugar
3 3/4 cups water
4-5 drops orange blossom water

1 cup dry/powdered milk (plus a bit more)
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
2 teaspoons fine semolina
2 tablespoons ghee
4 tablespoons milk
Canola oil

To make the syrup, put the sugar and water in a large saucepan.  Stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar.  Increase the heat and boil for 5 minutes or so, to make a syrup.  Stir in the orange blossom water and remove from heat.

To make the gulab jamun, mix the dry ingredients - powdered milk, flour, and semolina - in a bowl.  Add the ghee and smoosh between fingers until the mixture is well-combined.  Stir in the milk, then add more dry milk as necessary to make the dough cohesive and not too sticky to shape (a bit like slightly sticky Play-Dough).  Roll small amounts of dough into balls a little less than an inch across.

Fill a pan with about an inch and a half of oil.  Heat the oil for a few minutes, only until warm but not hot.  Put the balls into the oil.  They will sit on the bottom of the pan for awhile - stir them gently to keep them from sticking and burning on one side.  Eventually, they will float to the top - turn them until they are nicely browned all over.  Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the syrup.  When all the balls are in the syrup, bring the syrup to a boil and them remove from heat.


From A Little Taste of India by Priya Wickramasinghe and Carol Selva Rajah, with some changes

Multiple-Mistake Microwave Maple Halwa

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 scant cup sugar
6 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons maple syrup

Put the butter, sugar, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, and maple syrup in a bowl.  Beat with a whisk until well-combined.

Lightly grease a glass bowl or pie plate (of 6 cup or large capacity).  Spoon the mixture into the bowl.

Microwave, uncovered, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes.  You can check it without spoiling it.

Serves 4 to 6.


From recipe for Microwave-Steamed Maple Syrup Pudding from Vegetarian Supercook by Rose Elliot, with multiple mistakes changes!  (fortunate result of cooking too late at night, while sleepy and confused...)

Jalebis

2 cups unbleached all-purpose white flour
1 1/2 tablespoons fine-grained semolina
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 1/4 cups warm water (100°F)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, dry-roasted and powdered, divided (1/8 and 3/8 teaspoon)
3 cups sugar
2 2/3 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons orange flower water
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Combine the white flour, semolina, baking powder, yogurt and 3/4 cup of the warm water in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Mix well with a whisk, and then add the remaining water and 1/8 teaspoon of the powdered saffron and whisk until smooth.  Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 18-24 hours.  The batter will ferment slightly and the batter should fall from a spoon in a broad, solid band without breaking.

Combine the sugar, remaing saffron powder, and water in a 3-quart saute pan and place over moderate heat.  Stir until the sugar dissolves, then raise the heat to high and boil for 8 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the scented water.

Arrange a cake rack resting on a baking tray near the frying area.  Heat the oil at a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a large frying pan until it reaches 355°F.  While it is heating, pour 1 to 1 1/2 cups batter into a pastry bag or squeeze bottle.  To shape the jalebis, squeeze the batter into the hot oil, shaping three-ring connecting spirals or loose double figure-eights, each piece about 2 x 3 inches wide.  Fry for about 30 seconds on the first side and 20-30 seconds on the second side or until they turn crisp and just begin to brown.  (You will have to turn them the moment you finish shaping them; do not allow the loops to brown.)

Using a slotted spoon, lift the fried jalebis out of the oil and drop them into the hot syrup.  With another slotted spoon, submerge them for 15-20 seconds in the syrup to allow the hollow centers to fill with syrup while the outsides remain crisp.  (If they soak too long, they will become limp.)  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a cake rack to drain.  Shape, fry, soak and drain the remaining jalebis.  Serve immediately. 

Serves about 6 to 8.


From Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi