How to Cook Indian (119 page)

Anaarase

Rice-and-cane jaggery sweets with poppy seeds

This is an exotic cookie that is quite labor intensive to make.
Anaarase
is a traditional sweet made by Maharashtrians for Laxmi Puja (a special prayer to Laxmi, the goddess of wealth) during the Diwali festival. It is also prepared in Karnataka with ready-made rice flour. Some tips: Do not make the
anaarase
too thin or they will be hard. And be sure you cook them with the poppy-seed side up so the seeds don’t fall off.

Makes 16.

1½ cups (250 grams) short-grain rice

About 6 ounces (165 grams) grated cane jaggery

¼ cup (50 grams) white poppy seeds

4½ cups (900 grams) ghee (page 37)

1. Wash and soak the rice in 1 quart (800 ml) water for 3 days, taking care to change the water daily. On the fourth day, drain the rice, spread on an absorbent towel, and let dry for 1 hour. Grind to a fine powder and weigh it; there should be about 6 ounces (175 grams).

2. Add an equal weight of jaggery and stir. Let rest, covered, for 2 days, then knead it into a dough. Divide the dough into 16 portions and shape into balls.

3. Spread the poppy seeds on a plate. Roll out each ball to a 3-inch (7½-cm) round and press one side into the poppy seeds to coat.

4. Place a nonstick wok over medium heat and add the ghee. When the ghee melts and small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to low and gently slide in one round at a time, keeping the poppy seed–coated side up. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without turning.

5. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Balushahi

Deep-fried North Indian sweets

These round doughnutlike desserts are coated with a thick sugar syrup. I prefer to make them bite-size, but in
mithai
(sweet) shops you can expect to see large ones.

Makes 12.

1½ cups (180 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons plus 3 cups (675 grams) ghee (page 37), softened

6 tablespoons (115 grams) plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2½ cups (500 grams) sugar

2 tablespoons milk

4 or 5 pistachios, finely chopped

1. Sift the flour and baking soda into a large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons (75 grams) of the ghee and rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the yogurt and knead to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 45 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into 12 portions and shape into smooth balls. Take care not to overwork the dough. Make a slight dent in the center of each ball with your thumb. Keep the balls covered.

3. Place a nonstick wok over medium heat and add the 3 cups (600 grams) ghee. When the ghee melts and small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to low and gently slide in the dough balls, two or three at a time, and cook. If necessary, carefully place a griddle underneath the wok so that the ghee does not get too hot. The
balushahis
will gradually start floating to the top. Turn them gently with a slotted spoon and cook on the other side until golden. The entire process will take 30 to 45 minutes. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

4. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 1 cup (200 ml) water. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the milk; the scum will rise to the surface. Carefully scoop out the scum and discard. Continue to cook until the syrup reaches a two-string consistency (see Note page 570).

5. Remove from the heat and add the cooled
balushahis;
soak them in the syrup for 2 hours.

6. Gently remove the
balushahis
from the syrup with a slotted spoon and place them on a serving plate. Sprinkle with the pistachios and set aside for 2 to 3 hours or until the syrup hardens into a thin white layer. Serve.

Badam Pista Kuli

Frozen dessert with almonds and pistachios

My earliest memories of
kulfi
(similar to ice cream) have always been about the traditional version served with its faithful partner,
falooda
(thick vermicelli made of cornstarch, available at Indian groceries). For some strange reason, my elder brother, Rajeev, who isn’t a chef but a strategy consultant, perfected the art of making
falooda
long before I did. You can serve this recipe with or without
falooda,
which you can purchase at the Indian grocery store.

Serves 4.

7½ cups (1.5 liters) milk

Pinch of saffron threads

1 can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup (35 grams) almonds, coarsely ground

¼ cup (35 grams) pistachios, coarsely ground

1 cup (150 grams) grated
khoya/mawa
(unsweetened solid condensed milk; page 37) (see Notes)

1. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add the milk, and bring to a boil. Add the saffron, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the milk is reduced by half.

2. Add the sweetened condensed milk, almonds, and pistachios, and stir well. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Add the
khoya
and stir well. Pour into individual
kulfi
molds (see Notes) and place them in the freezer to set.

4. When firm, unmold and serve immediately.

You can use
¾
cup (100 grams) dry milk powder instead of the
khoya.
Some Indian stores now sell
khoya
in the refrigerated section.
Kulfi
molds are available in Indian grocery stores. Or you can use ice-pop molds and sticks.

Besan Ke Laddoo

A very popular
besan
sweet

Diwali is a festival of lights and is celebrated with loads of sweets and savories that are all made at home. My wife, Alyona, makes these
laddoos
every year for this holiday.

Makes 24.

12 to 15 cashews

12 to 15 almonds

1¼ cups (225 grams) ghee (page 37)

4 cups (400 grams)
jada besan
(coarse chickpea/gram flour)

1 teaspoon ground green cardamom (see Note)

2½ cups (250 grams) confectioners’ sugar

1. Put the cashews and almonds in a spice grinder, and coarsely grind them. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Place a nonstick wok over medium heat and add the ghee. When the ghee melts, lower the heat to low and add the
besan.
Cook, stirring continuously, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the
besan
is fragrant and light brown.

3. Add the cardamom and ground nuts. Stir well, then remove from the heat. Let cool for about 15 minutes.

4. Add the confectioners’ sugar and stir well. You may use your hands to do this.

5. Shape into walnut-size round
laddoos
and arrange on a serving plate. Serve. Store leftover cooled
laddoos
in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Laddoos
that have been kept for a few days in the refrigerator should be warmed for 15 to 20 seconds in a microwave oven to soften and refresh them.

To grind cardamom for sweet dishes: Grind a few green cardamoms (whole pods) with a little sugar. You can store the ground mixture in an airtight jar for use in sweet dishes and desserts.

Bhapa Doi

Bengali steamed yogurt

This is one of my favorite desserts—a traditional festive sweet, but one of the easiest to make when you’re in a hurry.
Bhapa
in Bengali means “steamed.” And
doi
means “yogurt.”

Serves 4.

1 can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup (250 grams) thick plain yogurt, whisked

1 cup (200 ml) milk

15 raisins

10 almonds, blanched (see Note page 40) and slivered

15 pistachios, blanched (see Note page 40) and slivered

1. Put the sweetened condensed milk in a bowl. Add the yogurt and whisk. Add the milk and whisk again until well blended.

2. Add the raisins, almonds, and pistachios, and stir well.

3. Transfer to the top part of a steamer. Cover with aluminum foil and place the top on the steamer. Place the steamer over high heat and add 2 cups (400 ml) water. When the water comes to a boil, place the container with the milk mixture in the steamer, cover, and steam for 20 to 25 minutes.