1,000 Indian Recipes (323 page)

2 tablespoons whole milk

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

2 drops rose essence

Soak the saffron threads in the milk at least 30 minutes. Prepare
Basic White Milk Fudge
or
Basic White Milk Fudge with Cream
through Step 2. Then mix all the ingredients into the fudge and set the burfee as explained in Step 3 of
Basic White Milk Fudge
.

Layered White and Brown Chocolate Milk Fudge Chaclate Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

This recipe, with its origins in the British Raj, is a layered white and brown burfee with chocolate as its main flavor. Garnished lavishly with pure silver leaves, this burfee is a favorite with kids, including mine.

¹
⁄
₄
cup white chocolate chips

³
⁄
₄
cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.
Prepare
Basic White Milk Fudge
or
Basic White Milk Fudge with Cream
through Step 2. While it is still in the pan, mix in the white chocolate chips and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes.

2.
Divide the burfee mixture into 2 parts. Leaving one half in the pan, place the other half on an 11-by-8-inch tray with raised edges (or any other dish) and, with a spatula, smooth and flatten it into a
¹
⁄
₄
-inch-thick layer.

3.
Add the chocolate chips to the mixture in the wok and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.

4.
Spread the chocolate mixture over the white burfee, making a smooth brown top layer. Garnish with the silver leaves. Cool well and cut into 1-inch (or larger) squares. Or, make a long, thin roll with each color, lay them side by side, then roll them together to make one roll about 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inches in diameter. Then, with a sharp knife, cut
¹
⁄
₃
- to
¹
⁄
₂
-inch slices and serve.

White and Pink Coconut Milk Fudge Nariyal Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

The layering procedure is the same as for chocolate burfee, but the flavors here are very different.

¹
⁄
₂
cup sweetened shredded coconut, processed in a food processor until fine

2 to 3 drops red food coloring

1.
Prepare
Basic White Milk Fudge
or
Basic White Milk Fudge with Cream
, but do not add the vanilla. Instead, mix in all but 2 tablespoons of the shredded coconut.

2.
Divide the fudge into 2 parts. Leaving one half in the wok, place the other half on an 11-by-8-inch tray with raised edges (or any other dish) and, with a spatula, smooth and flatten into a
¹
⁄
₄
-inch-thick layer. Add the red food coloring to the mixture in the wok and cook over medium heat, stirring, 30 seconds.

3.
Spread the pink burfee over the white layer, making a smooth pink top layer. Sprinkle the reserved coconut on top and lightly press it into the surface. Cool well and cut into 1-inch (or larger) squares.

Pure Cashew Milk Fudge

Kaaju ki Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

The authentic way of making cashew
burfee
calls for
chashni
(sugar syrup), which can be tricky for the novice. Here is my fail-safe, easy way. This exact same recipe can be made with ground, blanched almonds or walnuts instead of cashews.

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups coarsely chopped raw cashews

¹
⁄
₂
cup confectioners' sugar

¹
⁄
₃
cup instant nonfat dry milk

1 to 2 tablespoons warm water

6 (4-inch) squares silver leaves (optional)

1.
In a food processor, process together the cashews, sugar, and dry milk until the mixture becomes a powder. Add the water and continue to process until the ingredients gather into a smooth dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl.

2.
With lightly oiled clean hands, shape the dough into a round ball and place between 2 large sheets of aluminum foil or wax paper. Then, with a rolling pin, roll on top of the foil to make an 8-by-4-inch rectangle, about
¹
⁄
₂
-inch thick. Remove the top piece of the foil and garnish with silver leaves. Then cut into 30 to 40 pieces. Transfer to a serving platter and serve, preferably at room temperature.

Pure Pistachio Fudge

Pistae ki Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

Remember all those unnatural green
burfees
you've seen in Indian stores? They're all aiming to be color-ful like this classic, brilliant green
burfee
fudge. Typically associated with affluence, this fudge has always been among the formal gifts given during weddings and festivals, especially
Diwali
, the Hindu festival of lights.

2 cups shelled raw pistachios

¹
⁄
₂
cup confectioners' sugar

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons ground green cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons warm water

6 (4-inch) squares silver leaves (optional)

1.
In a food processor, process together the pistachios, sugar, and cardamom seeds until the mixture resembles a powder. Add the water and continue to process until the ingredients gather into a dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Do not make the dough too smooth; this burfee should have a grainy texture.

2.
With lightly oiled clean hands, shape the dough into a ball and place between 2 large sheets of aluminum foil or wax paper. Then, with a rolling pin, roll on top of the foil to make an 8-by-4-inch rectangle, about
¹
⁄
₂
-inch thick. Remove the top piece of the foil and garnish with silver leaves (if using). Then cut into 30 to 40 pieces. Transfer to a serving platter and serve, preferably at room temperature.

Saffron Milk Patties

Pedhae

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

Associated with the city of Mathura, the home of Lord Krishna, these bite-sized sweets made with
khoa
(thickened milk) are different from the typical
burfee
fudge, in that they are crumbly and drier, and are generally shaped into smaller, 1-inch round patties.

¹
⁄
₃
teaspoon saffron threads

¹
⁄
₄
cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups nonfat dry milk

¹
⁄
₂
cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons coarsely ground shelled raw pistachios

1.
In a small bowl, soak the saffron threads in the milk about 30 minutes. Then, in a large nonstick skillet or saucepan, mix the cream, dry milk, and ricotta cheese and cook, stirring, over medium heat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, mix in the saffron-infused milk and the saffron, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture (
khoa
) is almost dry and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 7 to 10 minutes.

2.
Remove from the heat. Let cool about 1 hour and shape the mixture into 1-inch patties. Then, with your thumb, press into the center of each patty to make a slight depression. Press some ground pistachios into the depression and serve, preferably at room temperature.

Authentic Curdled Milk Fudge

Kalaakand

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

This fudge is meant to be pure white with a slight grain, due to the fact it is made with curdled milk.

4 cups whole milk

1 cup plain yogurt (any kind), whisked until smooth

1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon coarsely ground green cardamom seeds

1.
Place the milk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the yogurt, stirring constantly; this will cause the milk to curdle and break into tiny curd particles. Keep stirring and boiling over high heat until the curd particles are firm, about 3 minutes. Then pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. The liquid whey will drain out and the curds will remain in the strainer. Discard the whey and return the curds to the pan.

2.
Mix in the condensed milk and cardamom seeds and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and gathers in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.