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

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.