1,000 Indian Recipes (326 page)
Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
3.
Transfer to a serving platter. Place a dollop of the rabdi on each cham-cham, sprinkle with cardamom seeds, then top each with a pistachio. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.
Stuffed Paneer Cheese Rolls in Fragrant Syrup
Raj-Bhog
Makes 15 pieces
These desserts are also part of the
rasgulla
(
paneer
cheese balls in sugar syrup) family. They are called
raj-bhog
, which translates roughly as "fit for royalty." With creamy centers much like liqueur-filled chocolates, these juicy 2-inch rolls are generally reserved for special occasions. These are made in a pressure cooker.
8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought), at room temperature
2 tablespoons
Dessert Masala
1
⁄
2
cup heavy cream
1
⁄
4
cup finely chopped or slivered raw pistachios
4 cups water
1
1
⁄
2
cups sugar
8 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
1
⁄
2
teaspoon coarsely ground green cardamom seeds
2 tablespoons shredded sweetened coconut
1.
Prepare the paneer cheese in advance. Prepare the dessert masala. Then, in a small nonstick saucepan, mix together the cream and pistachios and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until quite thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool and thicken further. Then prepare the dessert masala.
2.
Place the paneer cheese in a food processor and process until it's smooth and starts to gather into a soft and pliable dough (just before it forms a ball). Divide the dough into 15 equal portions, and shape each portion into a 2-inch patty. Then, with your thumb, press into the center of each patty to make a slight depression. Place about
1
⁄
2
teaspoon of the pistachio-cream mixture into the depression. Fold the patty in half to cover the filling, pressing it lightly between your clean palms, then roll it into a 2-inch log. Repeat with all the dough portions. Cover and set aside.
3.
Place the water, sugar, cardamom pods, and cardamom seeds in a pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the logs. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker, place it over high heat, and cook until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid of the pressure cooker and simmer over medium heat until the logs are somewhat firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
4.
Transfer each raj-bhog, one by one, to a tray, tilting the tray to one side to allow them to drain, 15 to 20 minutes. Then place them on a large serving platter and sprinkle the dessert masala and coconut on top. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.
Other Desserts
Traditional Dark Brown Milk Rolls in Saffron Syrup
Gulaab Jamun
Makes 15 pieces
Authentic
gulaab jamuns
are made with buffalo milk
khoa
, which is very hard to come by or to make at home in America, so I offer this recipe using American substitutes. You'll be pleasantly surprised with it!
For ideal flavor and texture, do not replace the shortening with oil. You could, however, use
ghee
if you wish. Also, monitor the temperature carefully, making sure that it remains between 300°F to 325°F. It is crucial to fry the
gulaab jamuns
at a low temperature for a longer time to ensure that the centers get cooked and the
gulaab jamuns
don't collapse when added to the syrup.
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
1
⁄
2
cup all-purpose flour
3
⁄
4
teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarsely ground green cardamom seeds
1
1
⁄
2
cups sugar
1
⁄
4
cup (
1
⁄
2
stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1
⁄
3
cup plain yogurt (any kind), whisked until smooth
2 to 3 cups melted vegetable shortening, for deep-frying
2 cups water
1
⁄
2
teaspoon saffron threads
1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped raw pistachios
1.
In a food processor, add the dry milk, flour, baking powder,
1
⁄
2
teaspoon cardamom seeds, and 1 tablespoon sugar and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles bread crumbs, about 30 seconds.
2.
With the food processor running, add the yogurt in a thin stream through the feed tube and process until everything gathers into a ball. The dough should be soft and somewhat sticky; if it seems too sticky, add some more dry milk.
3.
With lightly buttered clean hands, divide the dough into 15 equal portions. Shape each portion either into a log about 1
1
⁄
2
inches long and
1
⁄
2
inch wide, or into a ball. Make sure the pieces are smooth and free of cracks. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil and set aside.
4.
Heat the shortening in a large, heavy wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F on a frying thermometer or until a piece of dough dropped into the hot oil rises to the top after 30 to 40 seconds. Do not make the oil any hotter; the gulaab jamuns need to be fried long and slow. (If you can, leave the thermometer in the wok and carefully monitor the temperature as you cook; it should remain between 275°F to 325°F. Turn off the heat if it goes any higher.) Add half the gulaab jamuns and fry, stirring and turning gently with a slotted spatula, until they are dark brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain.
5.
Place the water, saffron, and the remaining sugar and cardamom seeds in a skillet or wok and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, about 5 minutes. Add the fried rolls to the syrup and continue to simmer until they soak up the syrup, swell and become soft, and the sugar syrup becomes very thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the pistachios on top, and serve hot or at room temperature.
Caramelized Milk Balls in Thick Syrup
Kaala Jaam
Makes 20 pieces
Kaala
means black, and the word
jaam
comes from
jamun
, a purple-black, date-like fruit with a long center seed. These words attempt to describe the characteristic eye-catching color of
kaala jaam
, which comes from the sugar coating that caramelizes upon frying, forming a deep, caramel-colored crust.
These spongy and cake-like caramel-colored balls, a firmer and drier version of authentic
gulaabjamuns
(dark brown milk balls in syrup) are popular high-tea items, along with
pakoras
(chickpea flour fritters),
samosas
(deep-fried triangular pastries), and
burfees
(milk fudge).
4 ounces (
1
⁄
2
recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought), crumbled, at room temperature
1
1
⁄
4
cups (1 recipe) dough for
Traditional Dark Brown Milk Rolls in Saffron Syrup
, crumbled
4 cups sugar
2 to 3 cups melted vegetable shortening, for deep-frying
4 cups water
8 to 10 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds
1.
Prepare the paneer cheese in advance. Prepare the dough for milk rolls. Then, in a food processor, process the paneer cheese and the milk roll dough until the mixture gathers into a ball that does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
2.
Place about 2 tablespoons sugar in a small dish. Then, with lightly buttered clean hands, shape the dough into 15 smooth, crack-free balls. Roll each ball in the sugar.
3.
Heat the shortening in a large heavy wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F on a frying thermometer or until a piece of dough dropped into the hot oil rises to the top after 30 to 40 seconds. Do not make the oil any hotter; the kaala jaams need to be fried long and slow. (If you can, leave the thermometer in the wok and carefully monitor the temperature as you cook; it should remain between 275°F to 325°F. Turn off the heat if it goes any higher.) Add half the kaala jaams and fry, stirring and turning gently with a slotted spatula, until they are very dark brown, about 7 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain.
4.
Place the remaining sugar, water, and cardamom pods in a large skillet or wok and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, about 5 minutes. Add the fried balls to the syrup and continue to simmer until the kaala jaams soak up the syrup, swell and become soft, and the sugar syrup becomes very thick and almost evaporates, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the cardamom seeds on top and serve hot or at room temperature.
