Simply Desserts: Orange And Cinnamon Kulfi With Orange Sauce

While even today,in India,traditional kulfi flavors like kesar(saffron) and pista(pistachio) are the most popular,newer variations like anar(pomegranate),banana and strawberry are increasingly gaining fans.

ORANGE AND CINNAMON KULFI WITH ORANGE SAUCE
"Me and ice cream.Best friends forever."
                                                                                        -Jessi Lane Adams
Meet Orange And Cinnamon Kulfi,your new best friend!What else can be a better way to celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month?
Kulfi,the Indian version of ice cream is made by slowly thickening milk,combining it with sugar and flavorings,and freezing it to a sublime dessert.While most ice creams start with whipping egg yolks with sugar,kulfi does not involve any whipping and hence no air is incorporated.This makes kulfi richer,denser and much more heavenly than its western counterpart!
This contemporary recipe,brings together the sweet,citrusy taste of oranges and the warm,woody flavor of cinnamon.

Cooking Time : 40 minutes
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
3 cups milk
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cinnamon stick
FOR THE ORANGE SAUCE:
1/4 teaspoon cornflour
TO SERVE:
Rind of 1/2 orange - Grated(Optional)

METHOD
Take the milk in a non-stick pan and bring it to a boil on high heat.
Once the milk reaches a boil,add the amber colored,smooth honey,and reduce the heat to low.Stirring frequently,reduce the milk to half of its original quantity.Then,tip in the cream,and continue cooking.After ten minutes,switch off the flame and strain this thickened,pale yellow milk and cream mixture to ensure a silky texture.Allow it to cool down to room teperature.
In the meanwhile,combine the orange juice along with cinnamon stick and half the sugar in a pan over low heat.Stir until the sugar dissolves.Cook till reduced to half of its original quantity,discard the cinnamon stick and let it cool down to room temperature.Reserve two tablespoons of this cinnamon flavored orange juice for the orange sauce.
Once both the mixtures - milk and cream mixture,and cinnamon flavored orange juice cool down to room temperature,mix them together.Pour into kulfi moulds and screw the lids securely.Freeze for three to four hours.During the first hour of freezing,shake the moulds every fifteen minutes.This will prevent the formation of any ice crystals.
At the time of serving,streak or spoon some orange sauce on each individual plate,dip kulfi moulds in a bowl of warm water for a few seconds,unscrew the lids and invert onto plates.Sprinkle the kulfi with orange rind,if using and meet your new best friend!
FOR THE ORANGE SAUCE:
Dissolve the cornflour in a teaspoon of water.Keep aside.
Heat the reserved reduced orange juice along with remaining sugar over high heat.Keep stirring constantly,as the juice begins to bubble.Reduce the heat to medium,and add dissolved cornflour,which will result in the juice thickening.Cook till it gets a sauce-like consistency.Remember,the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.Serve it warm or at room temperature with kulfi,as desired.

NOTE
1. While traditionally a heavy bottomed vessel is used to thicken the milk for kulfi,using non-stick pan is even better since it  prevents the milk from sticking at the bottom/getting burnt.
2. Traditionally,kulfi is frozen in kulfi moulds which are made of aluminium or plastic.However,if you don't have kulfi moulds,lolly moulds or disposable plastic cups can be used instead.

Thanks to its density,kulfi takes longer to melt than ice cream.

This work by Fahad Khan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

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Simply Desserts: Gajar/Carrot Halwa

I don't want a six pack,I rather want a bowlful of this toothsome carrot confection every day.If heaven had a signature dessert,this would it be!

GAJAR/CARROT HALWA 
Sweet,juicy carrots cooked in milk and clarified butter,combined with the creamy texture of whole milk fudge and sprinkled with fried cashews to make a spectacular Indian dessert.Fit for the gods!
Often,it is difficult to recreate the taste and appearance of Gajar Halwa served in restaurants and wedding banquets.The trade secret is to saute carrots in clarified butter,before boiling them in milk.This prevents them from becoming mushy while cooking.

Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
4 large carrots - peeled and grated
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
125 grams whole milk fudge(khoya/mawa) - grated
10 cashewnuts - split into two
Generous pinch of green cardamom powder
2 tablespoons ghee

METHOD
Start with heating the ghee in a kadhai.When hot,fry cashewnuts over a medium flame till golden brown and gorgeous.Take out with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
In the same ghee,tip in the grated,red carrots.Saute them for five to six minutes,stirring all the time.This will help in retaining the 'bite' in carrots,and will ensure that the halwa does not become mushy later.
Then,add the milk,and cook,till it dries,leaving the carrots nice and soft.Not only will the milk help in tenderizing carrots,it will also intensify their natural,pleasing sweetness.Oh,and it will fill your kitchen with a dazzling aroma,of course!
Once the milk dries,sweeten the cooked carrots with sugar.Keep stirring constantly,as the carrots take a deep red color,due to the caramelization of sugar,and release moisture.Allow all of this water to evaporate from the pan,and stir in the pale,cream colored whole milk fudge.Continue cooking for the next three to four minutes,letting the flavors blend harmoniously.Finish with sprinkling the fragrant green cardamom powder,return fried cashewnuts to the pan,give a good stir and switch off the heat.Go on,play god.Taste the offering!

NOTE
1. Sugar is added much later in the recipe since if added earlier,it may prevent the carrots from softening.
2. Cardamom powder is used at the end,so that it does not lose its perfume.

In India,Gajar Halwa is made in winter when carrots are sweeter than any other time of the year and have their fullest flavor.

This work by Fahad Khan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

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Diwali Treats: Rasmalai

Originally from India,Rasmalai,the delectable dessert has become popular throughout Southern Asia.  

RASMALAI
Literally translated as 'Ras' meaning nectar,and 'Malai' meaning cream,this sweet is every dessert fanatic's desire!Melt in mouth patties of fresh,homemade cheese are prepared in sugar syrup before steeping them in thickened milk flavored with saffron and perfumed with cardamoms.Topped with slivers of almonds and pistachios,this has to be fit for a king in every way!
I am also sending this recipe to Vardhini's Sinful Delights event.

To learn more about Diwali,the 'Festival Of Light's,click here.

Cooking Time : 40 minutes
Servings : Makes 13 pieces

INGREDIENTS
150 gms chhena
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 reetha - boiled in water for fifteen minutes and discarded to make reetha extract/1 teaspoon refined flour dissolved in a little water 
3 cups milk
Pinch of saffron
1/4 teaspoon green cardamom powder
6-7 almonds - blanched,deskined and cut into slivers
6-7 unsalted pistachios - blanched,deskined and cut into slivers
10 raisins

METHOD
Take the milk in a non-stick pan and bring it to a boil on high heat.
As the milk reaches a boil,put the saffron along with three teaspoons of sugar in a food processor and grind it to a powder.Alternately,you may use a mortar and pestle.
Add this ground sugar and saffron to the pan,and reduce the heat to medium.The saffron will immediately start releasing its blissful,almost orange color into milk,dying it into a warm,sunset yellow hue.Stirring frequently,reduce the milk to half of its original quantity.Then,tip in the fragrant cardamom powder,switch off the flame and allow it to cool down to room teperature.
In the meanwhile,pulse chhena in a food processor till it starts coming together,forming into a mass.This will just take a few seconds.Then,knead it lightly with your hand into a ball.Divide this creamy chhena into thirteen equal portions.Take one portion in your hand,roll it between your palms to make a fine ball,and gently flatten it into a disc.Ensure that the surface of the disc is flawlessly smooth,with no cracks,or it will disintgrate when cooked in sugar syrup later.Do not worry if the disc appears to be small.Repeat with the rest of the portions.Keep aside.
Now,place a fresh pan with three cups of water on high heat.Once fairly hot,reduce the flame to low,add the remaining sugar and stir until it dissolves.Reduce the heat and cook the sugar syrup for three to four minutes,till it thickens just slightly.The consistency of this syrup is of prime importance - it should be neither too thin,nor too thick,or the chhena disks will not cook to perfection.Then,add two tablespoons of reetha extract/dissolved refined flour,which will result in a layer of froth on the syrup surface.If the froth appears to be little,add more spoonfuls of reetha extract/dissolved refined flour,till a thick,foamy layer covers the entire syrup surface.If this froth layer rises too high in the pan,sprinkle some water over,so that it goes down.Finally,drop in the chenna disks gently,one by one.Let them boil for approximately ten minutes,till they increase in size and become spongey.Keep sprinkling some water from time to time so that the syrup does not become too thick.Once done,switch off the heat and pour a cup of water gently in the pan.This will help the rasmalai cool faster.
Once it cools down to room temperature,remove the delicate chhena disks,the mouthful morsels of heaven with a slotted spoon,and turn them even more heavenly by transfering them to the rich,sweet milk.Refrigerate the rasmalai until serving time,sprinkle with dried fruit - almonds,pistachios,raisins and decide whether to serve it to guests or enjoy it all by yourself!

NOTE
1. While traditionally a heavy bottomed vessel is used to thicken the milk for rasmalai,using non-stick pan is even better since it  prevents the milk from sticking at the bottom/getting burnt.

2. Paneer is the denser,more concentrated form of chhena.If the solids obtained from curdling milk are allowed to rest in their own heat,drain for a longer time period,or pressed under a weight,paneer is formed.Since we need homemade cheese for rasmalai that can withstand boiling,only chhena can be used since it is softer and easier to work with,than paneer.
3. Chhena should not be pulsed/kneaded for too long or the milk fat will separate,making it greasy.

A bowl of Rasmalai guarantees to please your friends and family,the perfect end of any Indian meal.

This work by Fahad Khan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

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