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Recipe – Gulab Jamun

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Deep-Fried Milk Balls in Rose Syrup (Gulab Jamun)
(Yields about 20-25 Gulab Jamuns, cooking time: 45 mins)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 -2 teaspoons of cardamom powder
  • handful of sliced almonds (optional)
  • a pinch or few strands of Saffron (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons (25 ml) pure distilled rose water (optional)
  • ghee or oil for deep-frying
  • 2 cups full-cream milk powder
  • ½ cup white flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon soft butter/ghee
  • Water as required to make a dough

Procedure

Syrup:

Combine water and sugar, stir it and boil it till sugar melts. Add cardamom powder, almonds and saffron. Then, after 5 minutes, remove the syrup from the heat. Add the rose water and set aside.

Keeping Oil ready:

Pour the ghee/oil in a deep-frying vessel. Place over very low heat.

Dough:

To make the dough, for better results sift the flours, milk powder and baking powder. Add softened butter or ghee. Mix everything to form crumbles. Add water little by little to make a dough.

Take out the desired size and roll with your hands to form a ball. For more precision, divide the dough into 20-24 portions and then make balls.

Frying and soaking in syrup:

THE SECRET TO GOOD JAMUNS IS IN THE FRYING. Drop a little dough and see if it is too hot/cold (102°C/216°F). The balls will initially sink to the bottom. Do not try to move them. You can, however, gently shake the deep-frying vessel from side to side occasionally until the balls start to rise to the surface. From this point on they must be gently and constantly stirred, rolling them over and over with the back of a slotted spoon, allowing them to (golden) brown evenly on all sides (for 5-10 minutes).
Remove one ball and test it by dropping it into the warm syrup. If it doesn’t collapse within a couple of minutes then place all the balls (3 – 4 at a time) with the slotted spoon and place them in the syrup. (When frying them in oil, you may want to place them on paper towel before putting them in the syrup.) Otherwise, cook the balls for another 5 minutes.

When all the gulab jamuns have been placed in the syrup, turn off the heat under the ghee and allow the sweets to soak in syrup for at least 2 hours.

Gulab jamuns can be prepared a day in advance, allowing them to fully soak overnight. They can be served at room temperature or slightly warmed.

This recipe is very easy for even large quantity of Gulab Jamuns.

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Recipe – Rice and Mung Bean Stew (Khichadi)

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(enough for 6 – 8 persons ; cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes)

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (85 ml) split mung beans
  • 1 cup (250 ml) basmati or other long-grain white rice
  • 3 tablespoons (60 ml) ghee or oil
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon (20 ml) fresh hot green chili, minced or crushed black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons (40 ml) minced fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon (2 ml) turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) yellow asafoetida powder (Hing)
  • 1 tablespoon (20 ml) coriander powder
  • Sliced/Cubed Vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, zucchinis, green beans, butternut squash, spinach, green peas etc.
  • 6 cups (1 1/4 – 1 1/2 liters) water
  • 2 teaspoons (7 ml) salt
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh coriander leaves

Procedure

  1. Wash and drain the dal and rice.
  2. Heat the ghee/oil in a heavy 4-liter/quart non-stick saucepan over moderate heat. Fry the cumin seeds in the ghee.
  3. When they turn golden brown add the chilies or pepper and ginger. Saute them for a few seconds; then add the turmeric, coriander powder and asafoetida.
  4. Add the vegetables pieces and stir fry them for 1 minute. Finally, add the dal and rice, stirring with the spices and vegetables for 1 minute. Add salt.
  5. Add the water and bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 – 40 minutes or until the dal and rice are soft.
  6. If the khichadi dries out too much, add up to one cup (250 ml) warm water. Before removing the khichadi from the heat, fold in the chopped fresh coriander leaves, allowing them to warm for one minute. Serve hot.

 

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Recipe – Semolina Pudding (Halawa)

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(enough for 6 – 8 persons ; cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cups raw sugar
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 115 g (4 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup coarse-grained semolina
  • 1/4 cup walnut pieces
  • 2 tbsp Vanilla essence (optional)

Procedure

  1. Place the butter in a non-stick saucepan and melt the butter. Add the semolina and walnut pieces. Slowly stir-fry the grains and nuts until they darken to a tan colour and become aromatic (about 20 minutes). Stirring more carefully, raise the heat under the grains.
  2. Add the water and sugar. Bring the syrup to a rolling boil. Keep stirring steadily. The grains may at first splutter, but will quickly cease as the liquid is absorbed.
  3. Stir steadily over low heat until the grains fully absorb the liquid, start to form into a pudding-like consistency, and pull away from the sides of the pan. Add vanilla essence. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan and cook over the lowest possible heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, allow the halava to steam, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot in dessert bowls.

 

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Recipe – Mixed Lentils (Swadisht dal)

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(enough for 6 – 8 persons ; cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes)

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (75 g) each: toor dal, mung dal, and urad dal
  • 5 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 8 cups (1.9 liters) water
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 green chillies, seeded and minced
  • 4 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
  • 1 small eggplant, cubed
  • 3 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves

Procedure

  1. Wash the dals and soak them for one hour; then let them drain.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee or vegetable oil and fry the ginger. Add the turmeric and the dals. Stir-fry for a minute, add 1 1/4 pints (725 ml) water, and cook over medium heat (skimming off the foam as it accumulates) until the dal becomes soft. Remove the saucepan. Mix the dal in a blender or mash it into a paste. Set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of ghee or vegetable oil in a saucepan. Fry the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Add the cubed eggplant. Stir-fry for 10 minutes until they are butter-soft. Now add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, garam masala, dal paste, and the remaining water. Stir well to mix the ingredients, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender.
  4. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve hot with plain rice.

 

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Recipe – Curried Beans Kidney Beans (Rajma)

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(enough for 4 persons ; soaking time: 8 hours; cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes)

Ingredients

Rajma
  • 1 cup kidney or pinto beans soaked for 8 hours or overnight
  • 1 tablespoons (20 ml) olive oil or Ghee or any other oil added for boiling the beans
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons (40 ml) olive oil or Ghee or any other oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) yellow asafoetida powder
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) green chili, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons (20 ml) ground coriander seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon (2 ml) ajwain
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) turmeric
  • 2 tablespoon (40 ml) grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons (40 ml) tomato paste or 2 Cut Tomatoes or half of both
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon (20 ml) chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Procedure

  1. Wash the kidney beans in running water.
  2. Soak the kidney beans in 4 cups of water for alteast 8 hours or overnight at room temperature.
  3. Boil the beans with 1 tablespoon of oil until soft.
  4. Mash or press some of the beans with a laddle.
  5. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and saute the cumin seeds. Then add ginger, green chilli, ajwain, coriander powder and asafoetida.
  6. Add the tomatoes and/or tomato paste, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Stirring often, cook on moderate heat for about 10 minutes.
  7. Add the boiled and mashed beans. Add more water if you need it more liquidy. Simmer everything for another 10 minutes on moderate heat.
  8. In the end add lemon juice and fresh cilantro and serve hot with plain rice.