Elegant Desserts For Perfect Indulgence!

Doodhi Malai - a very delicious, rich tasting, unusual dessert.

I made this dessert for the Chennai meet in June.

Doodhi (lauki or bottle gourd) - 2 cups (grated)

Milk - ½ litre

Nutmeg & cardamom powders - ½ tsp each

Saffron - a pinch (warm & powder)

Pure ghee - 1 tbsp

Orange food colour - a pinch (optional)

Gulab jamun mix - ½ packet

Sugar - 1 cup (or less by preference)

Basmati - 1 tbsp

Clean & grate doodhi.

Wash twice, squeeze out water & spread on a cloth to dry.

Now heat ghee in a kadai & sauté doodhi on a high fire till translucent.

Take off the fire & cool.

Boil milk, add rice & continue to boil till milk is reduced to nearly half.

Add little saffron colour & remove.

Add saffron, nutmeg, cardamom & let cool.

Make the gulab jamun dough as per instructions & make tiny balls.

Deep fry on a low fire & soak in sugar syrup.

When well soaked, remove from syrup.

Add syrup gradually to milk mixture, stirring all the while.

Toss the jamuns lightly & carefully into the doodhi & spread out evenly in an attractive dish.

Pour the milk mixture all over & mix gently.

Chill & serve.

 

Seviyan Ki Kheer - The Id special, I receive every year !

My flatmate Ms Sadique Ali gives this dish to me every year, without fail. This time she kindly showed me a demonstration & I tried at home very successfully.

Milk - 1 litre (preferably full cream)

Vemicelli (sevian) - 1/3 cup

Grated or coarsely powdered black dates (called khajur) - 1 tbsp

Finely grated copra - 1 tbsp

Grated almonds - 1 tbsp

Grated pista - 1 tbsp

Charoli - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Condensed milk - ½ of 400 gms tin

Boil milk in a vessel & soak raisins in water in a small cup.

In the next stove, heat the ghee in a kadai.

First fry sevian to golden brown & add to milk.

Next, heat the remaining ghee & fry in order, dates, coconut, almonds, pistas & charoli, on a low fire.

Add them to the boiling milk.

Let the mixture boil for 10 mts.

Now switch off & add the condensed milk, mixing thoroughly.

Now, wash the raisins well, squeeze gently & add.

Served warm, this tastes best .

 

Pink Semiya Payasam - Specially for Deepavali !

I tried this by a different method this time !

Milk - 1 litre

Semiya (broken well) - ¾ cup

Sugar - 1 cup ( or to taste)

Ghee - 2 tsp + 1 tsp

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Cashews & raisins - 1 tbsp each

Boil milk & keep aside 1 cup.

Heat 2 tsp ghee & fry semiya to golden colour on a low flame, stirring very well.

Remove & add the reserved 1 cup of milk.

Do not put back on fire.

The semiya will soak & get cooked well.

In a tall vessel, mix this, sugar and the rest of the boiled milk & stir very thoroughly.

Keep this inside a pressure cooker , close & keep the weight.

When the first whistle comes, lower the flame & cook for 30 mts.

Cool, open, add cardamom powder & cashew-raisin roasted in the remaining ghee.

This is very rich, very creamy (without stickiness!) & very tasty, looking a beautiful pink !

More than chilled, it tastes best warmor even at room temperature.

 

Indian Cheesecake - a steamed pudding for a change !

Make thick curds & hang in a thin cloth to drain the watr as completely as possible.

Hung curds - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Sweetened condensed milk - 400 gms tin

Saffron - a pinch – warm & powder

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Chopped nuts - to garnish

Blend all ingredients, except nuts, well to a uniform consistency.

Transfer it to a pudding mould or a vessel with flat bottom.

Steam it in boiling water, lowering the flame, once the water starts boiling.

Water should come up to half the height of the vessel.

Steam on a low flame for about 40 mts.

Remove, cool & sprinkle nuts.

Serve chilled.

 

Mishti Dhoi - the favourite of Shonar Bangla !

I used 1 cup of melted palm jaggery which gives a unique flavour. But my Bengali friend says, one can add upto 2 cups.
Full cream milk gives best results with thick mishti dhoi.

Full cream Milk - 1 litre

Curd - 3 tbsp

Melted jaggery - 2 cups

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Boil milk on a low flame till thick & creamy.

Cool thoroughly & add the curd.

Also stir in the melted, cooled jaggery & the cardamom.

Leave to set in a warm place overnight for 8 hrs.

It is customarily set in indivual mud pots.

 

Sago-Milk-Jaggery Payasam - this is rich in taste !

In this method, sago is shallow fried in ghee & cooked completely in milk. Hence it is rich & creamy.

Milk - 1 litre

Sago - 1/3 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Ghee - 3 tsp

Cashews - 2 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Boil the milk & keep ready.

Heat 2 tsp ghee & roast the sago on a low fire.

The sago must puff up uniformly – this is important.

Now add the hot milk & simmer.

Cook for 10 mts, stirring continuously, on a low fire.

In the meanwhile, add ½ cup of water to jaggery in a saucepan & heat till it dissolves.

Strain & heat till it becomes little syrupy.

Remove the sago-milk mixture from stove & add this jaggery syrup, stirring continuously for 10 mts, to prevent “breaking” of milk.
Do not put back on fire.

Add cardamom powder & cashew-raisins roasted in ghee.

Best served warm – do not refrigerate.

If it becomes thick, add little more milk, when serving.

 

Sago-Jaggery Payasam - very simple, less rich, but no compromise on taste !

Sago - ½ cup

Water - upto 4 cups (varies with the quality of sago)

Milk - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cashews & raisins - 2 tbsp each

First boil 2 cups of water & when boiling add sago, stirring.

Cook, stirring regularly.

Add boiling water ½ cup at a time, as the mixture thickens, till the sago is completey cooked.

In the meanwhile, add little water to jaggery & boil till it dissolves.

Strain & add to the cooked sago mixture.

Cook, stirring till a sauce consistency is reached.

Remove, add milk & stir thoroughly.

Add cardamom powder and cashew& raisins fried in ghee.

Do not refrigerate.

 

Cornflakes Payasam - my New Year Special !

Cornflakes (without any flavour) - 1 cup

Milk - 500 ml

Sugar - 2-3 tbsp

Sweetened condensed milk - ¼ cup

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cashews & raisins - 2 tbsp each

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Saffron - a pinch (warm & powder)

Boil milk & simmer for 10-15 mts for it to thicken slightly.

In a kadai, heat ghee & fry cashews & raisins.

Remove &fry cornflakes till lightly & uniformly roasted.

Add ½ cup of water & sugar.

Simmer & allow sugar to dissolve.

Now add thickened milk & condensed milk.

Mix well & simmer for a few mts.

Add cardamom powder, saffron & remove.

Garnish with the roasted cashews and raisins.

 

Oats Pradhaman - call it Oats Payasam!

Oats - 1 cup

Moong dhal - 1 tbsp

Jaggery - 1 cup (more or less is optional, depending on how thick you like it)

Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp


Dry ginger powder - ½ tsp (optional)

Cashew broken - 2 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Roast the dhal till the colour changes lightly.


Cook till soft.


Add first 1 cup of warm water to coconut & extract first milk.


Next add 1 more cup of warm water & take the second milk.


Add ½ cup of water to powdered jaggery & heat to dissolve completely.


Strain & keep ready.


Heat the ghee in a kadai & roast cashew-raisins.


Remove & set aside.


Next roast oats till it turns pink.


Add the second coconut extract & simmer till oats get cooked.


Now add the cooked dhal & strained jaggery syrup.


Simmer to boil on a low fire for 5 mts.


Switch off, add first extract & spice powders.


Stir well for thorough blending.


Add the roasted cashews & raisins.


Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

Caramel Semiya Payasam - easier & quicker than Caramel Payasam


Milk - 1 litre

Semiya - ¾ cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cornflour - 4 tsp

Smear ghee on the semiya & roast on sim flame in a kadai till uniformly fried.

Keep ¾ cup water hot & ready.

Remove the semiya, add hot water & keep aside.

Keep the milk boiled & ready.

Heat a heavy saucepan very well on a high flame till it gets really hot.Add 1 tbsp of sugar. Do not stir.sugar will start caramelizing.When it becomes dark brown add ½ cup of hot water (beware, it will splash!) .

Then add the milk.

When it starts boiling, add the cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold milk.

Simmer to boil, stirring well.

Add semiya, boil for 5 mts.

Switch off the flame, add sugar & keep covered for 10 mts.

Open & stir well so that the sugar will dissolve completely.

If you want to aoid adding cornflour, boil the milk for 20-25 mts to thicken on its own.