Topara Pak: July 6, 2011

A very famous recipe from the section of sweets amongst the Gujarati Cuisine; Topara Pak is quite easy & quick to make…here you will have 2 more variations also of the same.

Requirements:

Desiccated Coconut : 3 Cups

Sugar : 2 Cups

Milk : 1 Cup (approximately)

Ghee: 1 Tea Spoon

Cardamom Powder : ½ Tea Spoon (Optional)

Water as required to soak sugar

Silver Foil for Garnishing

Process:

Step 1: Soak the finely grated desiccated coconut with milk; add milk spoon by spoon to make sure that the grated coconut is only
getting slightly wet & not completely drained with milk. Keep the mix aside.

Step 2: Soak the sugar in water (water level should be only that much that sugar crystals are soaked in it) in a pan & start heating it on medium flame.

Step 3: Cook till the sugar syrup becomes slightly sticky (ek tar ni chashni).

Step : Remove it from heat, add the soaked desiccated coconut, add cardamom powder into it & mix everything well.

Step 4: Add ghee into it & mix it well.

Step 5: Grease a plate / tray & spread the topara pak on it & let it cool down to room temperature.

Step 6: Garnish it will silver foil on it & cut them into square or diamond shape.

Step 7: Take them into serving dish or else store them in an air tight jar & refrigerate it.

Tips:

1 : Topara Pak is again made of chashni so it will remain good for 10 to 12 days.

2 : How to make chashni / sticky sugar syrup is already discussed in other recipes & in the section of “Tips” too.

Variations :

Yellow Topara Pak:

Step 1: Before soaking the desiccated coconut into milk, add 5 to 7 strings of saffron in milk & mix them well.

Step 2: Use the same milk to soak the grated coconut & you’ll get Saffron Topara Pak.

Topara Pak from Fresh Coconut:

Step 1: Finely grate the fresh coconut & roast it in a pan on slow flame with ½ tea spoon of ghee.

Step 2: Roast the coconut till it turns slightly brown.

Step 3: Prepare sticky sugar syrup (as mentioned in Step 2), add the roasted coconut into it & follow step no. 4 to 7

Gulab Jamuns: July 2, 2011

My experience says that 90% of males just adore “Gulab Jamuns” like anything…my Pa,Bro,Hubby, Brother in laws are absolute freak for
this sweet…so this recipe was a must learned for me…

Requirements:

Milk : 1 Litre

Maida Flour : 3 Table Spoons

Baking Soda : A Pinch

Ghee for frying

Requirements for Sugar Syrup:

Rose Water : 2 Table Spoons

Plain Water : ¾ Cup

Sugar : ¾ Cup

Saffron : A Pinch

Process:

Step 1:  Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan, stir it constantly till it thickens & entire water portion is burnt.

Step 2: Add Maida flour to the thicken milk & stir it continuously, make sure no lumps are formed; cook till 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 3: Remove the cooked maida dough from the flame & make small balls of either round or oval shape.

Step 4: Keep the balls aside.

Step 5: Add the saffron strings in rose water & keep them aside

Step 6: Take another pan, soak the sugar granules in water.

Step 7: Start cooking the sugar syrup till it becomes a little hard/sticky.

Step 8: Add the mix of rose water & saffron strings to the sticky sugar syrup.

Step 9: Take the sugar syrup a bowl & let it rest.

Step 10: Heat the Ghee in a pan for frying; once the ghee is hot set the flame on low & start frying the small balls (jamuns) till
they are golden brown; take them on a soaking paper.

Step 11: Put the fried & drained jamuns in the warm sugar syrup.

Step 12: Keep them covered for some time.

Step 13: Jamuns can be served semi hot or cold also.

Step 14: Garnish them with petals of rose & flakes of almonds & pistachios.

Tips:

1 : Always boil milk of medium flame & heavy bottom pan.

2 : While preparing the balls from cooked dough, keep one thing in mind that the jamuns will grow big in size once fried & soaked in
the sugar syrup (almost double the size).

3 : One can also serve the gulab jamuns in a shallow plate with little sugar syrup poured from the top & garnished with silver
foil, flakes of almonds & pistachios & ofcourse petals of rose.

Mava Kachori:

A very famous sweet from the Rajasthani Cuisine, this recipe is high on calories as the kachoris are fried & soaked in sugar
syrups…so all those who are weight conscious please avoid it & if you can’t resist than have 1 or 2…

Requirements for Dough:

Maida : 1 Cup

Ghee : 1 Tea Spoon

Milk as required

Requirements for Filling:

Mavo : 100 grams

Sugar Powder : 2 Tea Spoons

Almonds : 1 Table Spoon

Pistachios : 1 Tea Spoon

Cardamom Seeds : ½ Tea Spoon

Nutmeg Powder: 1 Pinch

Oil for frying

Requirements for Sugar Syrup:

Sugar : 250 grams

Water as much as the sugar gets soaked

Cardamom Powder : ½ Tea Spoon

Flakes of Almonds & Pistachios for garnishing

Process:

Step 1: Knead the dough for kachoris, dough’s consistency should be between parathas & purees; keep the kneaded dough aside for rest.

Step 2: Coarsely grind the almonds & pistachios & keep them aside.

Step 3: Heat a pan & roast the mava for 6 to 8 mins (stir continuously).

Step 4: Remove the pan from heat & take the mava in a bowl.

Step 5: Add all the ingredients of the feeling & mix everything well.

Step 6: Once the feeling comes down to room temperature, make small balls from the same & keep them ready in a plate.

Step 7: Prepare small balls from the kneaded dough & create a small cup type shape with your fingers.

Step 8: Place the small ball prepared from the feeling into the space created in the outer layer of kachori & seal them from the
top.

Step 9: Get all the kachoris ready in the same way as above.

Step 10: Heat the oil in a pan, once the oil is properly heated, lower down the flame & start frying each kachoris one by one till
they turn golden in color.

Step 11: Remove the kachoris in a plate.

Step 12: Prepare Sugar Syrup by adding sugar & water into a pan.

Step 13: Cook the syrup till it becomes slightly sticky.

Step 14: Once the syrup is done add cardamom powder to it.

Step 15: Prick the prepared kachoris slightly from all the sides.

Step 16: Soak all the kachoris into the sugar syrup for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 17: Remove them from the syrup & sprinkle cardamom powder on them (Optional).

Step 18: Garnish them with flakes of almonds & pistachios.

Tip:

1: The best time to serve these kachoris is when they are @ room temperature.

Prabhavati Penda (Bengali Penda):

There are more than 50 types of Pendas available in the Market of Sweets…Here is one of the recipes from 50+

Requirements for Penda:

Fresh Grated Coconut : 1/2 Cup

Ravo :  1/2 Cup

Mavo : 1 Cup

Sugar : 1/4 Cup (Powdered)

Maida Flour : 1 Cup

Saffron Strings : 10 to 12

Cardamom Powder :
1 Tea Spoon

Pure Ghee

Requirements for Sugar Syrup:

Sugar : 1 ½ Cup

Water : 4 ½ Cup

Lemon Drops : 4 to 5 drops

For Garnishing : Almonds, Pistachio, Silver Foil
(eatable)

Process:

Step 1: Prepare Sugar Syrup (same as Kala Gulab Jamuns).

Step 2: Roast freshly grated coconut in a pan on low flame.

Step 3: Roast grated Mavo in a separate pan on low flame.

Step 4: Roast Ravo in a separate pan on low flame.

Step 5: Let the above come down to room temperature.

Step 6: Add Sugar Powder, saffron Strings, cardamom powder with all the above three roasted mixtures.

Step 7: Make 15 pendas from the above mixture.

Step 8: Prepare slurry of Maida with Water.

Step 9: Deep the prepared pendas into Maida’s slurry.

Step 10: Fry them in ghee.

Step 11: Soak them in Sugar Syrup for an hour or 2

Step 12: Remove the Pendas from Syrup & place them in a plate, Garnish them with Almond & Pistachio flakes.

Step 13: If desire one can coat the same with silver foil (eatable).

Tip:

1: If required add a tea spoon of pure ghee while roasting Coconut, Mavo & Ravo

Kala Gulab Jamuns:

Every Indians would just love Gulab Jamuns…This recipe is an all-time hit sweet & mostly goes with all Indian Cuisines

Requirements for Kala Gulab Jamuns:

Fresh Panner of 1 ½ liter Whole Milk (Cow Milk)

Ravo : 1 Tea Spoon

Mavo : 100gms

Maida : 2 Table Spoons

Sugar : 2 Tea Spoons (Fine Powdered)

Ghee : 1 Tea Spoons (Vanaspatti / Vegetable)

Desiccated Coconut : 1½ cup

Refined Oil to fry

Requirements for Filling:

Mavo : 100gms

Sugar : 3 Table Spoons (Fine Powdered)

Rose Essence : 2-3 drops

Red Color : 2-3 drops

Requirements for Sugar Syrup:

Sugar : 4 Cups

Water : 6 Cups

Lemon Juice : 1 Tea Spoon

Process:

Step 1: Add sugar to water in a thick pan & start boiling it, after 1st boil add the lemon drops to it.

Step 2: Remove impurities from the syrup with a spoon.

Step 3: Mix all the ingredients of Gulab Jamun well & make 14 equal portions from it.

Step 4: Mix all the ingredients of filling well & make 14 equal portion of filling’s mixture too.

Step 5: Keep the small ball of filling’s mix into gulab jamun’s mix & seal it into a fine ball.

Step 6: Fry the balls in Oil & let them come down to room temperature.

Step 7: Once the Gulab Jamuns are cooled down put them in the Sugar Syrup.

Step 8: Heat the Syrup with Gulab Jamuns for 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 9: Remove the soaked Gulab Jamuns once they are again back to room temperature, roll them into desiccated coconut & serve
them either on room temperature or refrigerated.

Tip:

1: To check whether the syrup is done or not, take water in a transparent glass, drop 1 or 2 drop of syrup into it; if the drop does not
spatter in water it means your syrup is ready remove the pan immediately down from the flame.

Mohanthal: June 28, 2011

A very famous & desired recipe amongst the sweet cuisine of Gujarati Cuisines…

Requirements:

Gram Flour : 500 grams

Ghee : 500 ml

Sugar : 250 grams

Mavo : 250 grams

Cardamoms : 10 to 12

Saffron Strings : 3 to 4

Milk : 3 -4 Table Spoons

Water as much as sugar gets soaked

Almonds & Pistachios for Garnishing

Process:

Step 1: Dissolve the saffron strings in 1 table spoon of luke warm water & keep them aside.

Step : Sprinkle 2 to 3 table spoons of milk on gram flour, if required than one can take a little more just to ensure that the gram
flour is been soaked properly (but not over soaked or liquidised).

Step 2: Soak few almonds into luke warm water for nearly 20 to 30 minutes; later remove the skin of soaked almonds & cut thin flakes
& keep them aside.

Step 3: Keep the soaked gram flour aside for 30 to 40 minutes.

Step 4: Later strain the soaked gram flour so that there are no lumps.

Step 5: Add ghee in a pan & heat it on medium flame for a minute.

Step 6: Add the strained gram flour into the ghee & roast continuously till the flour turns slightly brown in color.

Step 7: Once the gram flour is roasted, remove it in a plate & let it come down on room temperature.

Step 8: Take 2 to 3 table spoons of ghee in a pan & start cooking mavo on low flame for 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 9: Add the cooked mava with the roasted gram flour & keep the mixture aside.

Step 10: Add sugar in a pan & add water only to soak the sugar, start cooking the sugar syrup on low flame initially; once sugar is
completely dissolved raise the flame & let the syrup cook till the syrup becomes sticky.

Step 11: Add the soaked saffron strings into the sugar syrup & constantly stir the sugar syrup so that the color of saffron is
been properly mixed with the sugar syrup (need to stir for nearly 3 to 5 minutes.)

Step 12: Remove the pan from heat & add the gram flour & mava mixture into the sticky sugar syrup.

Step 13: Add the coarsely grinded almonds & pistachios into the above mix.

Step 14: Grease a plate with ghee & remove the mix into it.

Step 15: Let the mix come down to room temperature; once it comes down to room temperature cut the mohanthal into desired shape &
size (squares or rectangles)

Step 16: Arrange one or two flakes of almonds & pistachios on each piece.

Tips:

1 : While taking gram flour for this recipe, make sure that you are using a coarsely grinded gram flour to get the best result.

2 : One needs to be really very careful while preparing sticky sugar syrup, to check the consistency of the syrup one can check by
dropping one or two drops of syrup on a plate, than erect the plate; if the syrup does not fall down means your syrup is ready.

3 : Mohanthal can be served hot or cold also; you can keep the prepared mohanthal in an air tight jar & refrigerate them; later
when you want to serve to your guest, you can take pieces in a microwave plate & heat them for about 20 to 30 secs on micro high to serve your mothanlal hot.

Dates Rolls: June 27, 2011

I learned this recipe from one of my friend’s mom, I made a few changes on my own; it is my favorite as it’s high on haemoglobin &
sweet in taste (just perfect)

Requirements:

Seedless Dates : 1 Packet (400 grams)

Desiccated Coconut : 300 grams

Milk Powder : 2 to 3 Table Spoons

Sugar : 2 Table Spoon (Powdered)

Milk : for soaking (500 ml)

Ghee : 4 to 5 Table Spoon

Cashew nuts : For Garnishing

Process:

Step 1: Chop the dates finely.

Step 2: Soak the chopped dates in milk for atleast 6 to 7 hours.

Step 3: Put ghee in a pan & add the soaked dates into the pan with the a little milk.

Step 4: Add Sugar & let it cook till the mixture gets soft & ghee starts coming out of the sides of the pan.

Step 5: Add desiccated coconut & milk powder to the above mixture once it’s get to room temperature.

Step 6: Roll it into balls & make your desired size & shape.

Step 7: For garnishing coat the balls with desiccated coconut & cashew nut.

Tips:

1: While soaking the dates, take a bowl slightly big than the overall quantity of dates; as when the dates will get soaked it will get
big in size.

2: Make sure that you cook the mixture till all moisture is evaporated.

3: To add a twist, add 2 table spoon of Cocoa Powder & Drinking Chocolate Powder to the mixture of cooked dates…I am sure kids would
really love it.

Chocolate Balls:

This recipe is very easy, handy & yummy too…when I made them for the first time, it was an instant hit amongst my family, friends & neighbours
too…

Requirements:

Plain Marie Biscuits : 2 Cups (Finely Crushed/Powdered)

Cocoa Powder : 2 Table Spoons

Drinking Chocolate Powder : 2 Table Spoons

Milk Maid : 1 Cup

Desiccated Coconut : 200 grams

Icing Sugar : 2 Table Spoon

Milk : For Binding

Process:

Step 1: Mix the following in a big bowl: Powdered Marie Biscuits, Cocoa Powder, Drinking Chocolate, Icing Sugar & Desiccated
Coconut around 150 grams.

Step 2: Add Milk Maid & mix it well.

Step 3: Add Milk to above so that mixture will get bind & balls can be prepared from the same

Step 4: While making balls, apply slight ghee on both your hands; make balls according to your choice (it can be of round, oval or any
shape you desire)

Step 5: Roll each ball in desiccated coconut & serve them.

Tips:

1: You can change the amount of milk maid as per your taste.

2: When you are adding milk to the above mixture add it spoon by spoon just to make sure you don’t pour too much all together.

3: Dough should be a little stiff, as when you will mix everything sugar will get melt & might loosen your dough a little more.

4: If your dough gets loose than you can add a little milk powder to make it proportionate.

Fresh Coconut Halwa: June 26, 2011

One of the yummiest & easy recipes made from Fresh Coconut…

Requirements:

Fresh Coconut : 1 Medium Sized (Grated)

Ghee : 3 Table Spoons

Sugar : 3 Table Spoons

Mavo : 50 grams (Grated)

Whole Milk : 500 Ml

Cardamom : 1/2 Tea spoon

Assorted Nuts : 1 Table Spoon (Almonds, Pistachio, Cashew nuts… Chopped)

Process:

Step 1: Boil Milk & keep it aside.

Step 2: Take a thick pan, add ghee & sugar & heat them till the sugar gets completely melted & brown in color.

Step 3: Once the sugar gets melted, add the freshly grated coconut to the same & cook it till ghee comes out from the side of the pan

Step 4: Later add the boiled milk into the above mixture & cook again till ghee comes out from the side of the pan

Step 5: Take it out in a serving bowl

Step 6: Once the halwa is @ room temperature, sprinkle cardamom powder & grated nuts on the same.

Tips:

1: You can change the measurement of Sugar as per your taste.

2: I personally do not use Mavo; Instead I usually make this halwa whenever I prepare ghee @ home, so that I can use the remains of
ghee.