Showing posts with label Sweet dish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweet dish. Show all posts

Tuesday 22 August 2017

Chanar Pantua


It is a traditional Bengali sweet made from cottage cheese and khoya, which is kneaded into a soft dough, divided into small equal portions and deep-fried. It is then dipped into sugar syrup.
Pantua is a Bengali version of Gulab Jamun.

For Sugar Syrup
Ingredients
2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 cup Water
2 Green Cardamom

Method
Add all the above ingredients in a pot and let the sugar dissolve and simmer till it becomes into a one string consistency. Remove it from the flame and keep it aside.

For the Pantua
Ingredients
Cottage Cheese made from one liter Cow Milk
approximately 150 grams 
100 grams Khoya
3 1/2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
A pinch of Salt
2 pinches of Baking Powder
1 tsp Milk if required 
1/4 tsp Ghee
Sugar Syrup
Oil for frying




Method
Drain the whey from the cottage cheese. The cottage cheese has to be dry, but moist. Add the cottage cheese, khoya, all purpose flour, salt and baking powder into a plate. Mix and knead all the ingredients together. If you fill the dough is hard, then add the milk otherwise not need. It has to be a soft smooth dough. Add ghee and knead it well. Divide the dough into equal size round balls or you can give it an oblong shape if you desire. Heat the oil. On a low flame fry the pantuas till golden brown in colour. Keep stirring the pantuas while frying to obtain an uniform colour. Directly dip the pantuas in sugar syrup. Let it soak for 15 minutes before serving.

Wednesday 2 August 2017

Langcha




On the way to Shantiniketan in West Bengal, you will cross Shaktigarh. This place is known to be the birth place of Langchas.
Langcha is a sweetdish which is made with cottage cheese mixed with other ingredients. It is long cylindrical in shape. It is deep fried till a darkish brown crust is formed and then it is  dipped in sugar syrup till it becomes soft and juicy. 
I have used a food processor to blend the ingredients together, but the actual process is to knead it with the help of your palm.


Thin Sugar Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup Sugar
2 cups Water

Method

In a pot add the sugar and water, let it simmer till the sugar dissolves. Keep it aside.

Thick Sugar Syrup
2 1/2  cups Sugar
1 cup Sugar

Method
In a pot add the sugar and water, let it simmer till the sugar dissolves. Let it boil and switch off the flame just before the one string consistency. Keep it aside.


To make the Langcha
Ingredients
300 grams Cottage Cheese
100 grams Khoya / Mawa
1/4 cup Rice Flour
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour (AFP)
1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp Cardomom powder 
2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Soda bicarbonate
1/2 tsp Ghee
Thin Syrup
Thick syrup
Oil to fry the Langcha

Method
Add the cottage cheese, khoya, rice flour, apf, nutmeg powder, cardomom powder, sugar and soda bicarbonate in a food processor and blend it till all the ingredients are blended well. Remove the mixture on a plate and knead it. If you feel that the dough is too soft to handle then add a tbsp of apf or more and knead it. Apply ghee on your palm and knead it, till a soft dough is form. Divide the dough into equal portions. Take a portion, apply oil on the palm and give it a long cylindrical shape. Take oil in a wok, heat it. On a low flame fry the langchas till darkish brown in colour. Keep stirring the langchas while frying to get uniform colour on the langchas. Remove the langchas from the oil and drop them into the thin syrup and let it soak for 20 minutes. Then remove the langchas and soak them in the thick syrup for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes serve it. 



Sunday 25 June 2017

Aish El Saraya...

Eid Mubarak to all...
May you be blessed with joy, peace and happiness.

Aish El Saraya...
It means bread of the royal palace. It's a Lebanese dish. Aish El-Saraya is made on special occasions.
Sweet sugar syrup is drizzled over the toasted bread and covered with thick cream on top. It is garnished with chopped pistachios and rose petals. It is served chilled. 
With love from my kitchen....

For the Syrup
Ingredients
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Lime juice
2 tsp Rosewater

Method
Add sugar, lime juice and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Stir and let it cook on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil and switch of the flame. Stir in rosewater. Cool for 10 minutes.

To make Aish El Saraya
Ingredients
8 slices White Bread,sides cut and toasted
1 1/2 cups of Milk
1/3 cup  Sugar
1 cup Fresh Cream
3 tbsp Cornflour
1 tsp Rosewater
Sugar Syrup
1/4 cup chopped Pistachios
Few dried Rose petals

Method
Take a baking dish. Place 4 slices of toasted bread slices into the dish in a way that no gap should remain. Pour 1/2 of the syrup on the bread. Top with remaining bread. Drizzle with remaining syrup. Keep it aside. Add milk, cream, sugar and cornflour in a  sauce pan. Stir it till the cornflour has mixed well. Cook, stirring it constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Switch of the flame. Stir in rosewater.Pour over the bread in the dish. Sprinkle with pistachio. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate until it sets. Serve.

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Gadbad Thandai Kulfi....


As Holi is round the corner and the sun is scorching bright. Here is something traditional, but unique cool.... cool.... recipe for you. This Kulfi is a medley of flavours and colours.... with love from my kitchen...

Thandai Milk (Base for the Kulfi)
Ingredients 
1 liter Full cream Milk 
1/2 cup Banana pulp 
3 tbsp Sugar
1 Green Cardomon 
4 Pepper corn 
8 Almonds soaked and peeled 
6 Pistachios 
1/2 tsp Water Melon seeds
1/4 tsp Fennel seed 
1/4 tsp Poppy seeds 
A pinch of Saffron 

Method
Take a deep bottom pot. Add milk and simmer on a low flame till it reduces to half the quality. Meanwhile take a grinder, add cardomon, pepper corn, almonds soaked, pistachios, water melon seeds, fennel seed, poppy seeds, saffron and 4 tbsp water. Grind the ingredients in to a paste. As the milk is simmering, add the wet paste and the banana pulp. I have added banana to give a rich and creamy texture to the kulfi. Stir and cook till the milk thickens. Switch off the flame and let it cool. Take a blender and blend it until smooth. 

For the Gadbad Thandai Kulfi 
Ingredients 
Thandai Milk 
6 Betel leaves 
1 tbsp Gulkand 
1 drop of Green colour 
4 tbsp Rose Syrup 
1 drop of Red colour 
2 tbsp Sweetened Coloured Fennel seeds 

Method 
Divide the Thandai Milk into 3 parts. Take a blender, add one part of the milk, betel leaves, gulkand and green colour. Blend it till all the ingredients have incorporated well. Pour it in a bowl and keep it in the refrigerator. Wash the blender. Now add the second portion of the milk, rose syrup and red colour. Blend it well till all the ingredients have incorporated well. Pour it in the bowl and keep it in the refrigerator. Now take the mould in which the Kulfi will set. Pour 2 to 3  tbsp of the remaining milk into each moulds and keep it in the freezer to set. After an hour, remove the moulds from the freezer. Take out the rose thandai milk from the refrigerator. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of rose thandai milk in to each moulds. Keep the moulds back in to the freezer. Again after an hour remove the moulds from the freezer. Remove the betel leave thandai milk from the refrigerator. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of milk into each moulds. Sprinkle the sweetened coloured fennel seeds on top. Keep it back in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Insert a ice cream stick.  Refrigerate it back till it sets.

Thursday 12 January 2017

Gokul Pitha

To make this pitha, first stuffing is made. Then the batter is made. Little portion of the stuffing is taken and dipped in to the batter and fried. Then the fried balls are dipped into the sugar syrup.
For the Stuffing
Ingredients
2 cup Coconut grated
3/4 cup Date Jaggary grated
2 tbsp Sugar or more as per the taste
4 tbsp Mawa / Khoya
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Raisins

Method
Take a pan, add the coconut, sugar, Jaggary and salt, stir it on a low flame till the coconut becomes dry. Add Mawa , cardamom and raisins.Cook for another couple of minutes till the mixture is dry. Pour in a bowl and let it cool down.

For the Batter
Ingredients
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Semolina
1 cup Milk or more
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Sugar

Method
Take a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, sugar and semolina. Mix it. Add milk little at a time to make the thick batter. Cover and let the batter stand for 30 minutes.

For the syrup
Ingredients
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water

Method
Take a heavy bottom pan, add all the above and boil it to get thick syrup.

For making the Gokul Pitha
Ingredients
Oil for Frying
Batter
Stuffing
Sugar Syrup

Method
Heat the oil in a wok. Mean while make lime size balls of the stuffing. Dip these balls one by one in the batter and coat the balls. Add the balls in the hot oil. Fry on very low heat till they are golden brown in colour. Drain the oil and immediately drop them in the warm syrup. Let it stand for an hour to soften. Gokul pitha is ready to be eaten and celebrate Poush Sankranti.

Khejur Gurer Shoru Chakli ( Jaggary Rice Dosa) 

This is made with rice flour and all purpose flour, mixed together with jaggery water an made into a batter. Then the batter is cooked into a kind of a sweet dosa.
Ingredients 
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup All Purpose flour
1/4 cup Date Jaggery
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cardomon powder 
Ghee for Drizzeling on the pan

Method 
Take the Jaggary, salt, Cardomon powder and add a cup of water , let it boil till the Jaggary melts. Take it off the  flame. Take a bowl, add both the flours and mix it. Add the Jaggery water into the flour and mix it to make a thin batter. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Take a pan, drizzle ghee, pour in 1 or 2 ladle of the batter and swirl the batter in the pan so that the batter spreads out evenly, keep it on low flame for 3 or more minutes, so that the batter gets cooked. Keep checking, once one side is done, turn it and cook for another minute. Shoru Chakli is done...

Bhaja Puli

This Pitha is made with rice flour which is kneaded into a dough. A lime size portion is taken from the dough and stuffed with coconut and jaggary. Then it is given a shape and fried in oil.
For the Stuffing 
Ingredients
1 cup Coconut grated
1/2 cup Date Jaggary grated
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
Pinch of Salt

Method
Take a pan, add the Jaggary, Cardomom and salt, stir it on a low flame till it melts. Add the coconut and stir on low heat till the mixture becomes dry. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.

For the Rice Dumplings 
Ingredients
2 cups of Rice Flour
1 Pinch Salt
Warm water

Method 
To make the dumplings, take the flour and add the salt in a mixing bowl, add warm water little at a time. Knead it into a soft dough. Keep the dough covered as the dough will becomes hard if kept open.

For the Final step
Ingredients 
Stuffing 
Rice Dough 
Oil or Ghee for Frying

Method 
Take lemon size balls from the dough. Flatten the balls with your fingers in the shape of a bowl. The shell would be medium thin. Fill the stuffing into it. Close, fold and seal the edges of the dough. Give it a boat shape with 2 edges pointing outwards. Heat oil or ghee in a wok, Heat the oil or ghee. Add the stuffed dumplings in the oil and fry it till golden brown.

Wednesday 11 January 2017

Nolen / Notun Gurer Roshogolla... Date Jaggery Rasgulla...

This Rasgullas are made with Notun / Nolen Gur / Date Jaggery. Date jaggery is made in winter season and is sold in the market either in liquid form called Jhola Gur or solid blocks called Patali / Nolen Gur or Notun Gur. 
The recipe of the Rasgulla is the same, only date jaggery is added to the syrup. Rasgulla making is a easy task, only few tips to be remembered. Cow milk is best to make the rasgulla. While making the cheena / paneer, after the sour agent is added don't over boil the milk after it curdles other wise the cheena will become hard. Squeeze out the whey completely from the cheena, but at the same time cheena should be moist enough to bind into a smooth soft dough. Knead the cheena very well by rubbing the cheena with the help of your palm on a flat surface. Knead the cheena for 10 minutes. If you feel that the cheena has become hard and it is not binding, then add few drops of milk or water while kneading. I have added suji and sugar. You can also replace suji with flour. 
I am sure you will enjoy making them too. 

Ingredients
Cheena / Paneer made out of 1 1/2 litres Cow Milk
1 tsp Suji / Fine Semolina 
1 tsp Sugar 

For the Syrup
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Nolen Gur / Date Jaggery 
7 cups of Water 

Method
Take a deep bottom pot. Add the sugar, date jaggery and water. Let the jaggery and sugar melt. Let it simmer. Meanwhile on a flat surface, start kneading the cheena, suji and sugar for 10 minutes rubbing the cheena with the heel of the palm until smooth and it binds into a dough. Make small lime size portions and roll them into balls. Drop the balls into the syrup. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. Open the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Switch off the flame, wait till it cools down before serving. 

Wednesday 14 December 2016

Chushi Pitha Kheer


Chushi Pitha is traditionally made during Paush Sankranti. This is a Bangladeshi sweet dish. There many types of Pitha made during this season with the new harvested rice and date jaggery which is made during this winter season. Chushi Pitha or Chutki Pitha or Chui Pitha has to be made in advance as the small rice dumplings are made first and then sun dried. It is time consuming to make them so the traditional method is becoming extinct. Now a days the dried rice dumplings are available in the market. 
Traditionally it is made with Gobindo bhog rice flour or Basmati Rice flour. The dough is made by cooking the flour in hot water and then kneading it well. A pinch of the dough is taken and then shaped. There are many traditional and faster ways of making it, but since I being a Prabasi Bangali (out of the state), I am not very acquainted with all the methods.  The dumplings are sun dried and it can be stored. These are used to make Chushi Pitha Kheer. To make the kheer date jaggery is used as it is the season for this jaggery. Milk is boiled and reduced and sugar and date jaggery is added to the milk, it stirred till the sugar and jaggery is dissolved. The dumplings are fried in ghee and added into the milk and cooked till the milk has slightly thickened. 

Here I have mixed the flour and salt together and add hot water to the flour. I have mixed it and microwaved it for 30 seconds. Then kneaded it in to a dough... 

For the Chushi Pitha

Ingredients
1/2 cup + 1 tsp Rice Flour ( Gobindo bhog RiceFlour / Basmati  Rice Flour )
Salt to taste
Hot water as required

Method

Take bowl.  Mix 1/2 cup flour and salt. Add little hot water at a time and mix it till it forms a wet dough. Microwave the dough for 30 seconds. Let cool down a bit. Knead it well for 5 minutes.  Cover the dough and keep it for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on a platform. Take a small pinch of the dough and roll it into a ball. Keep it on a platform and with the help of the heel of the palm,  gently roll it from the edge and make it into a oblong shape. Then turn the dough and using the heel of the palm, roll it from the edge. It is pointy at the edges and thick in the centre. Follow the same process to make the other dumplings. Sprinkle some flour on them and sun dry. These can be stored in a jar and kept until Chushi pitha payesh is made out of it.

Chushi Pitha Kheer
Ingredients
3/4 cup Chushi pitha
1 1/2 liters Milk
3/4 cup Date plam Jaggery grated
3 tbsp Sugar or more as required
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
Pinch of Salt
Few Raisins
Few Broken Cashewnuts
1 tbsp Ghee

Method
Take a heavy bottom pot. Let the milk simmer, stir it occasionally.  Meanwhile take a pan. Add ghee and stir fry the Chushi pitha till light brown in colour. Keep it aside. As 1/4 cup of the  milk reduces, add the sugar, cardamom powder, salt, jaggery, raisins and cashwenuts. Stirring the milk occasionally, dissolve the jaggery. Add the chushi pitha and keep stirring it as it should not form a lump. As the milk thickens, switch off the flame and let it cool. If you feel that the chushi pitha has absorbed the milk, then please add some more milk and stir it.
P .S. Some times due to the jaggery the milk curdles. So in that case if you are not sure of the jaggery, it is better to melt the jaggery with little water and then add it to the milk. 

Friday 28 October 2016

Paan Chocolate Cake Truffles..


If you are a paan lover, and want to enjoy dessert with an Indian touch, then this is an ideal Diwali sweets for you after a sumptuous meal. This is made with chocolate cake sponge and the ingredients of the paan are added into the cake crumbs. It is mixed and kneaded into a dough. The dough is then divided into small balls which are dipped into melted chocolate and garnished with sweet fennel balls. Just pop one and you will pop in another... Sinfully delicious..... 🎊✨🎉💥😃

To prepare Paan Chocolate Cake Balls
Ingredients 
15 small Betel leaves cut into pieces 
1 1/2 cup of Chocolate Cake crumbs
2 tbsp Gulkand 
3 tbsp Chocolate Ganache
1 tbsp Sugar coated Fennel seeds mukhwas 
1 tsp chopped Glazed Cherries 
1/2 Paan masala ( pinch of Nutmeg powder, pinch of Cinnamon powder, pinch of cloves powder , pinch of Cardamom  powder and pinch of fennel powder )
1 tbsp of each  dried Rose petals and Desiccated Coconut  ( I did not use )

Method 
Take a grinder, add the cake crumbs, chocolate ganache, gulkand and betel leaves. Grind it into a paste. 
Or 
Add the cake crumbs into a grinder and grind it into a finer crumbs. Remove it into a mixing bowl add the chopped betel leaves, gulkand and chocolate ganache and follow the rest of the process. 
Add the paan masala, chopped glazed cherries, sugar coated fennel seeds mukhwas, rose petals and desiccated coconut. Knead it into a dough. Make small balls from the dough.

To make the Truffles 
Ingredients 
1/4 packet of Pure Dark Chocolate 
2 tbsp Sugar coated Fennel seeds 
Paan Chocolate Cake Balls 

Method 
Melt the chocolate in the microwave and cool it down to room temperature. Dip a cake ball into the melted chocolate. Remove it and keep it on a chocolate / small cupcake liner or a parchment paper. Sprinkle some sugar coated fennel seeds. Repeat the same process. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Serve it. 





Monday 24 October 2016

Paan Bahar Sandesh....


I have betel plant growing wild in my balcony. I love the flavor of the betel leaves with gulkand and sweet fennel mukhwas. My experiment with Sandesh continues. I have infused betel leaves and gulkand with paneer. Have it at the end of a meal. As you eat it, first taste is of the sandesh and then the flavour of the paan.. 

Ingredients 
10 small size Betel Leaves finely chopped 
200 grams Paneer / Cottage cheese
3 tbsp Condensed Milk 
3 tbsp Dessicated Coconut 
2 tbsp Gulkand 
1 tbsp of Sweet Fennel Mukhwas 
1 tbsp of Sweet Mix Mukhwas
Few Cherries cut into pieces 

Method 
Take the paneer and blend it in a blender. Take a wok, add the paneer, Betel leaves, dessicated coconut, gulkand and condensed milk. Keep stirring it continuously and cook on low flame till all the ingredients combines together and forms a dough. To check, take a small portion of the dough and roll it with your fingers. Remove it from the wok and keep it on a plate. As it cools down a bit. Knead it for a minute and divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Mix the 2 types of sweet mukhwas together. Take a portion. Roll it into a ball and slightly flatten it. Create a dent in the centre. Fill up the centre with the mukhwas and add a cherry piece on top. 


Wednesday 19 October 2016

Kesari Badam Bahar Sandesh Roll...


Sandesh is a sweet delicacy of Bengal. There are different types of Sandesh which are made with the key ingredient Chana / Cottage cheese. This recipe here is an experiment in my kitchen. The outer covering is made with cottage cheese while the inner roll is made with almond powder which is infused with saffron and saffron colour. You get 2 different taste which is the chana / cottage cheese taste from the outer covering and the kesari badam barfi taste from the inner roll and 2 put together the taste is divine. This sweet can be served to friends and family during festive season and since Diwali is next in line, do try it and have a joyous and sparkling Diwali.... 

For the Kesari Badam Bahar Barfi / Inner Roll
Ingredients 
100 grams Almond powder
2 tbsp Milk masala ( 1 tbsp Pistacho powder, 1 tbsp Almond powder, 1/4 tsp Cardomom powder, 2 pinch of Saffron crushed )
6 tbsp Sugar 
2 pinch of Saffron colour 
1/4 tsp Saffron 
1/4 cup Mava / Khoya 
6 tbsp Milk 

Method 
Take a non stick pan, add khoya, stir it continuously for 2 minutes on low flame. Add sugar and stirring it continuously, cook till the sugar dissolves. Add the almond powder, stir and cook for a minute, add 2 tbsp of milk and mix it. Add another 2 tbsp of milk, saffron, saffron colour and milk masala. Stir it and cook it for a minute. Add the remaining milk and cook it till it forms a soft dough. If required add a spoon or 2 of milk. To check, take a little portion and try to roll it. It should form a ball. Take it out, cover and keep it aside. 

For the Sandesh / Outer Roll 
Ingredients 
Home made Cottage cheese made from 1 1/2  litre Milk ( whey has to be completely drained out ) 
6 to 8 tbsp Sugar 

Method 
Mash the cottage cheese well. No lumps should remain. Take a non stick pan, add sugar, stir it on low flame for few seconds. Add the cottage cheese, keep stirring and cooking for 5 to 7 minutes till the sugar and cottage cheese combines well and starts to leave the sides of the pan. Remove it, cool the mixture a bit and add it in a grinder and pulse it 3 to 4 times. It will be come a smooth soft dough. 

To Assemble

Method 
Take a plastic sheet, put the cottage cheese dough on the sheet. Cover the dough with another plastic sheet. Roll the dough into a disc. Remove the top plastic sheet. Take the inner stuffing and shape it into a long cylindrical roll. Place the roll on the edge of the cottage cheese disc. With the help of the plastic sheet, start rolling the cottage cheese disc around the inner stuffing. It will become a cylindrical roll. Keep the roll in the fridge for an hour. Remove it and cut it into disc. Decorate it with edible sliver foil / chandi ka warq
 ( optional ). 

Thursday 22 September 2016

Rasgulla... From the village of Pahala


A sweet controversy....
Uptill now I grew up knowing that Rasgulla's were invented in Bengal by Nobin Chandra Das in 19 th century. The other day when I had posted Rasgullar payesh, a friend pointed out that this is not the truth... According to historians of Odisha, the rasgullas were originated in Puri, as Khira Mohana which later was know as Pahala Rasgulla. It has been traditionally offered as offering  to goddess Laxmi at JagannathTemple in Puri. The Jagannath Temple scholars Laxmidhar Pujapanda and researchers like Jagabandhu Padhi state that the tradition has existed since 12th century.  According to people of Pahala, a village which is on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, had large number of cows and the milk was produced in excess.  The villagers would throw away the milk when it got spoilt. When a priest from the Jagannath Temple saw this, he taught them the art of curdling the milk and including the recipe of rasagulla. Hence Pahala become the biggest market for chhena-based sweets.
This claim is contested by Bengali historians. According to food historians K.T Acharya and Chitra Banerji, that there are no references to cheese (including chhena) in India before the 17th century. The milk-based sweets were mainly made up of khoa before the Portuguese ruled our country. Their influences led to the introduction of cheese-based sweets. Therefore, the possibility of a cheese-based dish being offered at Jagannath Temple in 12th century is highly unlikely. According to Nobin Chandra Das' descendant Animikh Roy and historian Haripada Bhowmik, rasgulla is not even mentioned as one of the chhappan bhog ("56 offerings") in the early records of the Temple. They also state that it would have been a blasphemy to offer something made from spoiled milk to a deity. However,  Michael Krondl argues that Hindu dietary rules vary from region to region, and it is possible that this restriction did not exist in Odisha.
Recently it is declared by an Odia researcher Asit Mohanty (research scholar on Jagannath culture and traditions) that there is mention of Rasagola in the Jagamohana Ramayana of Balaram Das a text of 15th Century.The text mentions that Rasagola, along with other sweets were found in Odisha. There is also mention of many other cheese made sweets like Chhenapuri, Chhenaladuand Rasabali.
However Bengal claims that the spongy white rasgulla is believed to have been introduced in 1868 by a Kolkata based confectioner Shri Nobin Chandra Das. His descendants claim that his recipe was an original, but according to another theory, he modified the traditional Odisha rasgulla recipe to produce this less perishable variant. Yet another theory is that rasgulla was first prepared by someone else in Bengal, and Das only popularized it. In Banglar Khabar (1987), food historian Pranab Ray states that a man named Braja Moira had introduced rasgulla in his shop near Calcutta High Court in 1866, two years before Das started selling the dish.  In 1906, Panchana Bandopadhyay wrote that rasgullla was invented in 19th century by Haradhan Moira, a Phulia-based sweetmaker who worked for the Pal Chowdhurys of Ranaghat. According to Mistikatha, a newspaper published by West Bengal Sweetmeat Traders Association, many other people prepared similar sweets under different names such as gopalgolla (prepared by Gopal Moira of Burdwandistrict), jatingolla, bhabanigolaand rasugolla.Food historian Michael Krondl states that irrespective of its origin, the rasgulla likely predates Nobin Chandra Das.Bhagwandas Bagla, a Marwari businessman and a customer of Nobin Chandra Das, popularized the Bengali rasgulla beyond the shop's locality by ordering huge amounts.
In 2015, the Odisha government initiated a move to get Geographical indication (GI) status for the rasagulla made in Pahala. On 30 July, the people of Odisha celebrated "Rasagola Dibasa" ("Rasgulla Day") to reaffirm Odisha as the place of the dish's origin.In August, West Bengal decided to legally contest Odisha's move to obtain GI Status.
In 2015 The odisha state government constituted three committees to claim over the Rasgulla .The committees submitted their interim report to the government. Noted journalist and food researcher Bhakta Tripathy and a member of the committee had submitted dossier containing historical evidence of Rasgulla origin in Odisha.The Science and Technology department of the West Bengal government also started the process to get its own GI status for the dessert.
In 2016 an official of the West Bengal government stated that they only wished for a Geographical Indications (GI) tag only for the local varity of Rasgulla known as'Rasogolla', stating that "There is no conflict with Odisha. What we want is to protect the identity of our Rasogolla. Their product is different from ours both in colour, texture, taste, juice content and method of preparation."
Based on Net Sources.....
For me a sweet is to indulge, irrespective of the state it belongs.
Here is my adaptation of the dish....

Pahala Rasgulla

Ingredients
Home made Chenna / Cottage Cheese made from 11/2 liters Cow Milk
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Semolina
2 pinches of Cardamom powder
1/2 liter Hot Water

For the Sugar Syrup
21/2 cups Sugar
5 1/2  cups Water
Method
Take the a plate, add the chenna, semolina and sugar. Mix and knead it into a smooth dough for 5 to 7 minutes. Take sugar and water in a pot for making the sugar syrup. First let it boil and and let it simmer on low flame. Meanwhile make equal size balls ftom the dough. Roll it into a balls and drop it in the sugar syrup. Let it cook on medium flame covered for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and let it boil for 5 minutes on high flame. Remove the rasgulla from the sugar syrup and put it in the hot water for 10 minutes. Remove the rasgullas from the hot water. Put it in a bowl and pour the sugar syrup on top of the rasgullas. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Thursday 8 September 2016

Raj Bhog....


This is one of the sweet delicacy of Bengal. It is another variety of rosogulla which is made from paneer or cottage cheese but it is little bigger in size, yellow in colour and has a mawa and milk masala stuffing inside. 

For the Paneer / Cottage Cheese 
Ingredients 
1 1/2 liters Cow Milk 
3/4 tsp Citric Acid 
3/4 cup Water 

Method 
Dissolve citric acid in water. Heat the milk and when it just starts to boil, reduce the flame. Take a ladle full of milk and add it in citric water, mix it and pour it back in the remaining milk and stir. Once the milk curdles and separates from the whey, then switch off the flame and let it stand for an hour and half. Strain the paneer through a muslin cloth till all the water drains out completely. 

For the Suffing 
1 tbsp Mawa
1 tbsp Milk Masala powder 

For the Sugar  Syrup 
3 cups Sugar 
7 1/2 cups Water 

For the Raj Bhog
Ingredients 
Paneer made from 1 1/2 liters Cow Milk 
1 tsp All Purpose Flour 
1 tsp Semolina 
2 pinches of Yellow food colour 




Method 
For the Stuffing, mix the mawa and milk masala together, make 8 or 12 equal small portions as many portions of the paneer balls and keep it aside. 
For the Rajbhog, take the paneer, semolina and all purpose flour together and knead it well till a smooth soft ball is form. Divide the dough into 8 or 12 equal portions as per the size desired. Take one portion,  flatten and create a hollow in the centre of the dough. Add a portion of the stuffing, seal the edges of the dough and roll it back into a ball. 
To make the Sugar syrup, mix sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pot. Heat it on full flame. As the syrup begins to boil add the balls one at a time into the sugar syrup to make the Rajbhogs. Lower it on medium heat and cover the lid for the first 5 minutes. Then half open for the next 15 minutes and for the last 10 minutes remove the lid. Serve it hot or room temperature. 
P. S. Instead of the milk masala powder you can ground 2 Almond, 3 Pistachios, Few Saffron Strands, 1 Cardamom seeds together. 

Sunday 28 August 2016

Chitrakoot


This is a very famous sweet from Bengal. Chitrakoot is made from cottage cheese,  flour, semolina, khoya, sugar and baking powder. It is first deep fried in ghee or oil and then submerged in the sugar syrup and after that rolled with milk powder and caster sugar. 

Ingredients
For Chitrakoot.....
100 grams Home made Cottage cheese (water completely squeezed out )
25 grams Khoya 
10 grams All Purpose Flour 
OR
5 grams of each All Purpose Flour and Semolina 
5 grams Sugar 
2 Pinches of Baking powder 
Ghee or Oil for frying 
For the Sugar Syrup....
100 grams Sugar 
100 ml Water 
1/4 tsp Milk Powder to sprinkle
Little Caster Sugar  to sprinkle 

Method 
Take the cottage cheese, khoya, 5 grams sugar, all purpose flour and baking powder in a plate. Knead all the ingredients together until a soft dough is form. Divide the dough into 6 lemon size equal balls. Flatten the balls and shape it into square or diamond shape. Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the chitrakoots until brown in colour. Mean while take a pot and add sugar and water to make a one string sugar syrup. After the chitrakoots are fried dip it into the sugar syrup for an hour. Remove it from the syrup, arrange the Chitrakoots in a plate. Sprinkle milk powder and caster sugar on top. 



Thursday 25 August 2016

Rosogollar Payesh


Today I have prepared Rosogollar Payesh, which is a sweet delicacy from Bengal. The Rosogollas are boiled in the flavoured milk. 
The syrup is squeezed out from the rosogolla and it is re boiled  in water again so that it swells up and when the water is squeezed out again and then added to the milk, it will soak the milk well in the rosogollas. 

Ingredients 
12 Mini Rosogollas 
750 Ml full fat Milk 
3 to 4 tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
2 tbsp Almond Flakes 
2 tbsp Pistachio Coarsley ground 
Some Almond flakes and ground Pistachios for garnishing 

Method 
Take a deep bottom pot. Add the milk. On a low flame let the milk simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cardamom powder, almond flakes and ground pistachio. Stir and let it simmer till the milk has reduced 1/2 it's quantity.  Meanwhile take the Rosogollas, squeeze out the syrup, take a small pan and add 1 cup of water. Boil the water and add the squeezed Rosogullars in the water. Boil it for a minute. Squeeze the excess water out from the Rosogollas. Add the Rosogollas into the milk, continue to cook the milk till the milk has thickened up. Remove it from the flame, garnish it with remaining almond and pistacho. Serve it chilled.

Tuesday 23 August 2016

Chia Besan aur Sattu Ki Barfi...

Chia Besan aur Sattu Ki Barfi....

When festivals are around and sweets are in demand let's make some home made sweets with Lyva Organic Chia seeds..
Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, which is grown in Mexico. "Chia" means strength, and it used used as energy boosters. It contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium. Chia seeds are an unprocessed, whole-grain food that can be absorbed by the body as seeds. About 2 tablespoons of Chia contains 139 calories, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrates and 11 grams of fiber, plus vitamins and minerals.The mild, nutty flavor of chia seeds makes them easy to add to foods and beverages. They are most often sprinkled on cereal, sauces, vegetables, rice dishes, or yogurt or mixed into drinks and baked goods. They can also be mixed with water and made into a gel.
I have roasted the chia seeds.. hence it gives crunchiness to the barfi along with almond flakes.
This is a recipe and review for Plattershare and Go Organic India for Belly Nirvana Program....

Ingredients
1/3 cup Sattu
1/3 cup Besan/Gram flour
1/2 cup Organic Coconut Sugar or Organic Jaggary powder
Pinch of Salt
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
2 tbsp Almond flakes
1 tbsp Pistachio coarsely ground
2 tbsp Organic Chia Seeds roasted
3/4 cup Milk 
1/4 cup Ghee

Method
Grease a square tray and keep it aside.
Take a wok and add ghee. Let it melt. Add the besan and sattu. Stir it continuously and saute it on low heat till light golden brown in colour. Add the coconut sugar or jaggary, stirring it continuously, cook it for a minute. Gradually pour the milk and keep stirring till continuously till all the ingredients combines together. Add the chia seeds, salt and cardomom powder. Stir and cook till it starts to leave the sides of the wok. Spread the mixture on the square tray. Sprinkle with pistachios and almond on top and gently press the mixture. Let it cool completely before cutting and serving.   

Tuesday 9 August 2016

Pholkopir Barfi / Kabishambardhana Barfi / Cauliflower Barfi

Pholkopir Barfi / Kabishambardhana Barfi  / Cauliflower Barfi

This sweet dish is one of the favourite sweet cooked in Jorasanko, where the great poet Rabindranath Thakur resided. This dish was invented by his neice on his 50th birthdayThis sweet dish is not found any where in the shops. You have to make it to enjoy it. Cauliflower is ground and made in to a barfi. In eairler days it was ground on shilbatta.. but now a days grinders have taken over the kitchen.

Ingredients
250 grams or a small Cauliflower remove the stem and cut into medium size florets around 6 to 7 florets
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Khoya crumbs
5 to 6 tbsp Sugar or more as per the sweetness required
Pinch of Salt
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
1 tbsp Almonds chopped
1 tbsp Raisins
Few Saffron Strands
2 tbsp hot Milk
2 tbsp Ghee

Method
Soak the saffron in hot milk and keep it aside. Take a pot and boil the cauliflower florets in water till It is cooked. Remove and drain the water out completely. Let it cool. Make a coarse paste of it in a grinder without adding any water to it. The paste should be around a cup. In a wok, heat the  ghee. Add the cauliflower paste. Stir it on low heat and stirring it continuously cook it for 5 minutes. Add sugar and 1/2 cup khoya. Keep stirring it till the sugar has dissolve and the khoya has melted. Add the saffron milk, cardomom powder, salt, half of almond chopped and raisins. Stir and cook till the mixture has incorporated well and semi dried up. To check, take a pinch of the mixture and roll it with your fingers, it should form a ball. Grease a plate. Pour the mixture into the plate. Spread it out. It should be 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Garnish it with remaining almonds, raisins and a tbsp of khoya. Let it set till it cools completely. Cut it into square pieces and enjoy it.