Karanji

For filling:
Ghee - 2 tsp
Fresh grated coconut - 3 cups, packed tightly
Sugar - 2 cups, add a little more if you like it sweet
Milk - 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

For dough:
Fine Semolina / Rava - 3/4 cup
Maida / Flour - 3/4 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup to 1 cup
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Nalen Gur Chumchum / Fresh Cheese Balls In Palm Syrup

Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
White Vinegar - 1/4 cup mixed with 1/4 cup water
Date Palm Syrup - 1.5 cups
Water - 3 cups


Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.



As the milk comes to a boil, add the vinegar gradually and stir the milk gently. When the curd starts separating from the whey, turn off the heat.



Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or cotton napkin.



Wrap the cheese in the cloth, and rinse under cold water for at least 1 minute, and squeeze well.

Once it is drained, place on a dry, clean plate and knead the cheese by dragging the palm of your hand hard for at least 5 minutes until it rolls into smooth soft dough.



Divide the dough into 12 portions and make them into smooth, slightly flat oblong/diamond shape.



Mix the syrup and 3 cups of water in a big wide pan on medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add the rasogollas and cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.


Serve at room temperature.

Malpua

Flour - 4 tbsp.
Semolina / Suji - 1 tbsp.
Dry Mawa / Full Fat Milk Powder - 4 tbsp
Desiccated Dry Coconut - 1 tbsp.
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Milk


A mix of Oil / Ghee to deep fry


For Syrup:
Turbinado Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Cardamom Powder - a pinch


Mix flour, semolina, mawa, coconut, fennel seeds together and add sufficient milk to make a thick batter like mixture. Keep it in the fridge for atleast a few hours to soak well.


Once the mixture is soaked well, remove from fridge and if required add a little water to make pouring consistency. Bring it to room temperature.


For syrup, bring sugar and water to a boil and let it boil for a few minutes to thicken it slightly. Add the cardamom powder and keep the syrup warm.


Heat sufficient ghee / oil in a shallow flat pan. Pour ladle full of the batter and fry for a few minutes. Once the bottom side gets slightly brown, turn and cook the other side till it gets brown.


Remove and place it on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Then dip it in the warm sugar syrup. Let it soak for a minute and remove it from the syrup and place it on a platter. Fry the entire batter in batches.


Malpoa can be served hot or at room temperature.

Maple Sandesh / Fresh Cheese sweetened with Maple Syrup



Organic Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
White Vinegar - 1/4th cup mixed with 1/2 cup water
100% Pure Maple Syrup - 1/2 cup (may use a little less or more depending on sweetness desired)
A few raisins for garnishing

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the vinegar water mixture gradually and stir the milk gently. When the cheese starts separating from the whey, turn off the heat.

Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or handkerchief.

Wrap the cheese in the cloth, and rinse under cold water for at least 3 minutes, and squeeze well to remove as much liquid as possible.

Once it is drained, place on a dry, clean plate and knead the cheese by dragging the palm of your hand hard for at least 15 minutes until the cheese almost rolls into smooth soft dough.

Add the maple syrup little by little and knead for a few minutes more.

Make small flat balls of the mixture, put a small dent in the middle and place a raisin on top. Place in the refrigerator immediately. The sandesh will harden slightly in the cold. Must be consumed within 2 days.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malai Peda

Heavy Cream - 1 quart (I use Whole Foods 365 brand cream which is without any additives)
Organic Whole Milk - 4 cups
Turbinado / Demerera Sugar - 3 tbsp. (approximately, adjust according to your desired sweetness)


Bring the milk and cream  to a boil in a heavy bottomed pan. Simmer and cook on low heat for around an hour. Keep stirring the milk so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.

After around an hour, the milk gets very thick. At this point we have to continuously stir otherwise it can get burnt easily. Add the sugar and continue to cook for 10 more minutes till the mixture comes together almost like a soft ball.

Pour the thickened milk on a plate. Let it cool a little, then make small pedas of the desired shape. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kala Jamun / Kalo Jaam

Homemade Mawa / Dried Milk Mawa - 4 cups
Milk - optional (required only if using dried milk mawa)
Maida / APF - 1/2 cup
Baking Soda - 1 big pinch
Sugar - 2 tsp
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tsp

For Sugar Syrup:
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 2/3rd cup
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil for deep frying the kala jamuns

For making sugar syrup, add the sugar to the water and bring it to boil. As soon as the syrup reaches 1 thread consistency, remove from add. Add the cardamom powder, mix well and keep aside.

The ratio to mawa and maida is 8:1. If using dried milk mawa, add baking soda to the maida and mix well. Then add this to the dried milk mawa. Sprinkle milk and knead with gentle hands to make a soft dough. Cover the dough with a wet cloth for a few minutes. (If using homemade mawa, keep the mawa in the refrigerator for a few hours to remove excess wetness. Crumble to mawa to a fine mixture. Mix baking soda to the maida. Add this to the mawa and mix well to form a smooth dough).

Take about 3 tbsp of dough and mix it with sugar. Make tiny balls of this dough and keep aside.

Remove the wet cloth and knead the dough slightly. Apply a little ghee to your palms.Take 2 tsp of the dough, stuff with the sugar mixture and make a small smooth ball. Make balls of the entire mixture similarly.

Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai / wok. The oil should be on medium heat and not too high. Add a few of the jamuns and fry on slow fire till they become very dark brown almost black on all sides. The jamuns should be fried on low heat otherwise the outside would get black and burnt and inside would not cook. They should get caramelised on slow heat.

When the jamuns are almost black, remove them from heat, place in a paper towel for a minute and soak in the thick sugar syrup. Similarly fry the rest of the balls in batches.

Soak the jamuns for a few hours or preferably overnight. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Mixed Berry Sauce

Fresh Cream - 1 cup (use fresh cream and not heavy whipping cream)
Whole Milk - 1 cup
Raw Honey / Raw Sugar - 1/4 cup
Pure Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp
China Grass / Agar Agar - 2 tsp ( a vegetarian alternative to gelatin)
Water - 3 tbsp
Butter - 1/2 tsp

Mixed Berries - 1 cup (I used a mix of raspberries, blueberries, tart cherries and blackberries)
Honey - 1 tbsp
Water - 2 tbsp

To make the berry sauce, add mixed berries and 2 tbsp water in a pan and cook on low heat for around 10 minutes or till the berries break and a thick sauce forms.  Mix the honey and keep aside to cool and then refrigerate. You can add a little bit of lemon juice too to the sauce when it cools down, but I did not add as the cherries were quite tart.

Mix the cream and milk together and bring to a boil. Once the mixture starts boiling, remove from heat. Add vanilla and honey. Stir well so that the honey dissolves completely.

Boil 3 tbsp water and soak the china grass in the water. Stir well so that it completely dissolves in the water. Use a strainer and add this mixture to milk and cream mixture. Stir well.

Take 4 small ramekins and grease with a little butter. Pour the cream mixture in the ramekins and leave it aside to cool. Then refrigerate for at least 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator, loosen the edges a little with a knife and overturn on a serving plate. Drizzle with berry sauce on top and serve.

Mixed Berry Gelato

Fresh Cream - 1 cup (I used local farm's fresh raw cream)
Whole Milk - 1 cup
Raw Honey - 1/3 cup or use 1/3 cup raw sugar

Mixed Berries - 1 cup (i used a mix of strawberries, blueberries and pitted cherries)
Water - 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Raw Honey - 1 tbsp (optional, depending on how sweet the berries are)
Amaretto (Almond Liquor)- 1 tbsp (optional)

Mix together fresh cream, whole milk, honey and whisk till they are completely mixed. Bring the mixture to boil over medium low heat. Once it begins to boil, remove from heat and cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least two to three hours or overnight.

To make the berry sauce, add a little water to the berries and cook on low heat for around 15 minutes till the berries are all soft and the sauce is thick. Mix lemon juice, honey and amaretto(if using). The mixture can be sieved to remove the small seeds but I don't sieve as I like with the seeds. Cool and refrigerate.

Turn on the ice cream maker and pour the cream and berry sauce in the frozen ice cream bowl (I used a Cuisinart ICE-21). Let it mix for 15 to 20 minutes till the mix is thickened. Remove and serve the soft creamy gelato right away. For a firmer consistency, transfer the gelato to an airtight container and freeze for around 2 hours.

Sinding this post to the following event http://www.simplysensationalfood.com/2012/08/announcing-event-lets-cook-with-fruits.html

Nalen Gurer Payesh / Rice Pudding with Date Molasses

Even though we no longer have white rice and totally converted to brown rice, once a year when I make rice pudding  I use white rice. I have tried substituting with brown basmati rice, but didnt like the consistency and taste. So I figured out that once a year, we can break our rules and have 4 tbsp of white rice. Traditionally a special very fragrant rice called "Gobindabhog" available in west-bengal is used for the payesh. Here I have used organic white jasmine rice from Thailand with equally good results.

Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
White Rice - 3 to 4 tbsp. (Preferably use Gobindabhog or Kalijira Rice, I used Jasmine here)
Nalen Gur / Date Molasses - around 1 cup (a little more or less depending on how sweet you want the pudding to be and the quality of the molasses, if the molasses is solid then break into small pieces)
Raisins - a handful (optional)

Wash the rice in water and keep aside.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, bring the milk to a boil. Add the washed rice and stir. Then reduce the heat and let the rice and milk simmer for about an hour. Keep stirring in between every five minutes so that the rice doesn't clump together and the milk doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan.

When the rice has become very soft and the consistency of the pudding is very creamy, remove from heat. Add the nalen gur and stir gently till it has completely dissolved and mixed well with the payesh. If using raisins, sprinkle them on top.

Serve the payesh at room temperature.

Frozen Vanilla Yogurt

Greek Yogurt (Whole Milk & Plain) - 2 cups / 16oz
Raw Honey / Maple Syrup / Raw Sugar- 2/3rd cup, can use a little less for slightly tart frozen yogurt
Pure Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp

Mix together yogurt, honey and vanilla and whisk till they are completely mixed. Cover and refrigerate for two to three hours or overnight.

Turn on the icecream maker and pour the yogurt in the frozen icecream bowl (I used a Cuisinart ICE-21). Let it mix for 15 to 20 minutes till the mix is thickened. Remove and serve the soft creamy frozen yogurt right away. For a firmer consistency, transfer the frozen yogurt to an airtight container and freeze for around 2 hours.

We had ours with some drizzled raw honey and chopped mixed nuts.

Adapted from http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/recipe/homemade-vanilla-frozen-yogurt-recipe

Mawa Barfi / Milk Fudge with Coconut Palm Sugar

Organic Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
Coconut Palm Sugar - 1/2 cup
Pistachios - a tbsp, chopped

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed pan. Simmer and cook on very low heat for around two hours. Keep stirring the milk so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.


After 2 hours, the milk gets very thick. At this point we have to continuously stir otherwise it can get burnt easily. Add the coconut palm sugar and continue to cook for atleast10 more minutes till the mixture comes together almost like a soft ball. Coconut palm sugar is more sticky than normal sugar and takes more time to dry. So we have to cook a little more to make the barfis.

Pour the thickened milk on a greased tray. Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top and cut into desired shape after it cools completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes around 12 barfis.

Sending this recipe to the event Cook.Eat.Delicious - Desserts happening @ Sensible Vegetarian.

Nalen Gurer Sandesh / Fresh Cheese Balls with Date Molasses

Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
Lemon - 1 big, or Organic White Vinegar - 1/4 cup mixed with 1/4 cup water
Nalen Gur / Date Molasses - 10 tbsp

Squeeze juice out of the lemon and sieve the lemon juice so that it has no solid particles. Mix it with half cup of water and keep aside.

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice or vinegar gradually and stir the milk gently. When the cheese starts separating from the whey, turn off the heat.

Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or handkerchief.

Wrap the cheese in the cloth, and rinse under cold water for at least 3 minutes, and squeeze well to remove as much liquid as possible.

Once it is drained, place on a dry, clean plate and knead the cheese by dragging the palm of your hand hard for at least 20 minutes until the cheese almost rolls into smooth soft dough.

Add the gur and knead for a few minutes more.

Take this mix in a nonstick pan and cook on very low heat for around 10 minutes till all the moisture is removed.  Remove from heat, knead once more, cool a little and make small flat balls of the mixture.

Adapted from http://ahomemakersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/01/nolen-gurer-sandesh-bengali-cottage.html


Sending this recipe to the event Cook.Eat.Delicious - Desserts happening @ Sensible Vegetarian

Peda, Sweet Cream fudge

Organic Whole Milk - 1/4 gallon
Turbinado / Demerara Sugar - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cardamom Powder - 1/8 tsp, a pinch

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed pan. Simmer and cook on very low heat for around two hours. Keep stirring the milk so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.

After 2 hours, the milk gets very thick. At this point we have to continuously stir otherwise it can get burnt easily. Add the sugar and cardamom powder and continue to cook for 10 more minutes till the mixture comes together almost like a soft ball.

Spread a tsp of ghee on a plate and pour the thickened milk. Let it cool a little, then apply a few drops of ghee in the hand and make small pedas of the desired shape. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Makes around 8 small pedas.

Kanchagolla Sandesh

Adapted from http://ahomemakersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/01/nolen-gurer-sandesh-bengali-cottage.html

Organic Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
Lemon Juice - Juice of one lemon
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Saffron - a few strands
Pistachio - 5, grated
Raisin - 10 (optional)

Sieve the lemon juice so that it has no solid particles. Mix it with 2 tbsp of water and keep aside.

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice gradually and stir the milk gently. When the curd starts separating from the whey, turn off the heat.

Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or thin cotton napkin.

Rinse under cold water for atleast 3 minutes to remove the lemon flavor and squeeze well. Wrap the cheese in the cloth tightly and leave it in a colander for an hour to drain the excess water.

Once it is drained, place on a dry, clean plate and knead the cheese by dragging the palm of your hand hard for 15 minutes until the cheese becomes soft and oily and rolls into smooth soft dough. Add the sugar and saffron strands and knead again for 5 minutes till the sugar melts.

Put this mixture in a nonstick pan and cook on very low heat for around 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook otherwise the sandesh will get hard.

Remove and cool for a couple of minutes. Roll it into desired shapes, put a raisin on top and sprinkle grated pistachio. Serve cold or at room temperature.