Orange Kheer

 My mom had elevated blood sugars on a test, courtesy Ramzan and all the desserts that were crowding the refrigerator and since she's got the biggest sweetest tooth, its impossible for her to be without sweets.  So I took to browsing the net for recipes and came across this one by Tarla Dalal.  It tastes amazing, easy to make, and is very satisfying to a sweet lover.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ltr low-fat milk

2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in warm low-fat milk

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

a pinch of saffron strands dissolved in 1/2 tsp warm low-fat milk

4 tsp sugar substitute

1 cup small orange segments

METHOD:

• Boil the milk in a broad non stick pan for 15 to 20 minutes,while stirring continously and scraping the sides of the pan.
• Add the cornflour-milk mixture and cook on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes,while stirring continously.
• Add the cardommom powder and the saffron-milk mixture,mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute.
• Remove from the flame and allow it to cool completely.
• Once cooled,add the sugar substitute and the orange segments and mix well.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.

MUTHANJAN

Muthanjan is very similar to kheer but is far more richer and creamier.  This dessert is mostly made on Ramzan.  It is usually made a day earlier because it takes a lot of time to prepare and the day of the festival is  mostly for preparing biryani.

MUTHANJAN

Ingredients:
2 liters full cream milk
150 g of basmati rice (washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
1/2 tin condensed milk
50 g of plain mawa
Sugar (if needed)
1 tbsp ghee
A few strands of saffron
12 almonds, sliced finely
a handful of rasins
12 unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
A few drops of yellow food coloring (optional)

Method:

• Bring milk to a boil.  Add the rice and cook till the rice is completely done.  Keeping stirring continuously.
• Add the condensed milk and crumbled plain mawa and mix well.  Since the condensed milk has sugar in it, you don't have to add sugar, but if you prefer it more sweeter, then you can add it as necessary.
• Add the saffron strands and the food coloring.  By the time, it is completely, cooked, the rice should be broken (but not paste-like) and the whole mixture should be thick and creamy in texture.
• Heat the ghee in a kadai and fry the almond till lightly golden.  
• Add the ghee, the almonds, and raisins to the dish.
• Remove from heat and serve.  You can serve it hot, cold, or at room temperature.  Serve garnished with pistachios.

PS:  You can use the silver waraq to make it look more festive.

Sheer Khorma

SHEER KHORMA

Ingredients:
100 g seviyan (roasted variety)
1 L milk
50 g of plain mawa
200 g of sugar
4 to 5 cardamom crushed
1 tbsp raisins
12 almonds
12 cashews
a few pistachios (roughly chopped)
a few saffron strands.
1 tbsp ghee

Method:

• Bring milk to a boil. Keep a cup of milk aside.
• Reduce the flame to low and let the rest of milk simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Add the sugar, cardamom, and saffron and cook for 15 minutes or till milk is quarter reduced.
• Blend mawa in 1 cup of milk in a mixer.  Add mawa gradually to the milk and stir continuously.  Cook for 5 more minutes.
• Remove the milk from the stove.  Add the seviyan and raisins and close the lid.
• Blanch the almonds and slice them fine.
• Heat ghee in a kadai and fry the almonds and cashews till golden in color.  Add the ghee, almonds, and cashews to the seviyan.  Mix well.  Serve hot garnished with pistachios.

Note:

• If you do not have the mawa, use a tin of condensed milk and skip the sugar.
• In this recipe, I have used the thin, roasted variety of vermicelli.  If you are using a thicker variety of vermicelli, then add it to the milk and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Zaffrani Badam Kheer (Almond and saffron pudding)

Zaffrani Badam Kheer

Ingredients:

50 g  almonds

1 Liter milk (boiled)

1 tin condensed milk OR 100 g of plain mava and 200 g of sugar.

1/4 tsp almond essence

50 g  cashewnuts

a few strands of saffron

a few drops of yellow/orange food coloring (optional)

Garnish:

4 almonds for garnishing (finely sliced)

Silver waraq (optional)

Method:

• Bring milk to a boil and keep 2 cups aside.  Reduce the rest of the milk till three-quarters.
• Blanch the almonds and peel them.  Grind the almonds and cashews to a fine paste with 2 cups of milk.
• Add the condensed milk ( or the sugar and mawa), saffron strands, and the almond-cashew paste to the milk.  Add food coloring if you are using.  Constantly stir and cook for 20  minutes, till thick in consistency.
• Remove from fire.  Serve hot or cold garnished with almonds and silver waraq.

TIPS:  To blanch the almonds, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes.

Phirni

Phirni is a milk and semolina sweet dish, that can be served as dessert or served at breakfast with puris.  Though most people normally use rice paste, I prefer to use fine semolina...It's easy to make... and since there is sugar in the condensed milk, its not necessary to add sugar..but if you prefer it more sweet to suit your palate, you can add as necessary..

Phirni

Ingredients:

75 g fine semolina 

1/2 tin Condensed milk

1/2 L milk

3 cardamom, powdered

2 tsp rose water

3 tsp ghee

A few rose petals or chopped dried fruits (pistas, almonds)

Method:

Bring milk to a boil.  Lower the heat and add the condensed milk and semolina.  Keep stirring continuously while adding the semolina or else it will form lumps.  Cook on a low heat, stirring continuously so that it does not stick to the bottom of the vessel.

Bring to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Take off from heat and add the cardamom powder and mix well.  Pour  the ghee on top.  Do not mix.  Let it cool completely.  Add the rosewater and then mix well.

Refridgerate for 2 hours.  Serve chilled garnished with rose petals or the dried fruits.