TIL BHUGA

Til Bhuga, a heart-warming, wonderful winter sweet made from khoya (mawa or reduced milk) and sesame seeds. It's a makar sankranti and Lohri special sweet…truly adorned and relished during this festive week to celebrate the harvesting festival. This easy to make winter sweet just melts in your mouth and the sesame seed coating provides a subtle crunch, and gives you warmth. It’s a must to have during this time of the year.

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PREP TIME: 3 hours (if making khoya from scratch)

PREP TIME: 5 minutes (if using readymade khoya)

COOKING TIME: 5 minutes

ASSEMBLY TIME: 15 minutes

MAKES: 20-25 pieces

INGREDIENTS

• 350g khoya

• 200g confectioners sugar

• 350g white sesame seeds

• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

• 1 tsp ghee

• 25g green raisins

For Khoya

• 2 ltrs double fat milk/ full fat

METHOD

1. To make khoya, pour the milk in a heavy bottom wok. Keeping at medium high heat and stirring frequently bring the milk to boil. After it reaches boiling point, reduce the heat to low and keep stirring constantly in very frequent intervals, after every one or 2 minutes. Once it’s reduced to 1/3 quantity and starts becoming thick, keep stirring constantly without leaving the sight of it. Reduce the milk completely until it starts leaving the pan and become like a solid lump consistency.

2. In a large pan toast all sesame seeds on a medium low heat until lightly toasted but not browned. It should still stay white in colour. Remove from the pan and cool.

3. In a bowl separate 70g of sesame seeds for later use. In a grinder, grind rest of the sesame seeds to a slightly coarse powder.

4. In a microwave safe bowl, add khoya and warm for a minute until slightly warm and soft in consistency. (You can also warm the khoya in the pan on a low heat). Add ground sesame seeds, sugar, cardamom powder and half tsp ghee. Mix well until combined.

5. Now greasing the palms with remaining ghee, shape them in flat laddu, place a green raisin on top and roll it in the remaining sesame seeds.

6. Repeat with the rest of the mix and serve.
   

COOK'S NOTES

• This dessert can be easily prepared in a short time if you are making with readymade khoya.

• I made the khoya from scratch in a traditional way and the results are incredible. But if you do not have time, you can always make this Indian sweet (traditional mithai) from the readymade khoya which is generally available with mithai shops (Indian sweet shops).

• Please ensure that the readymade bought khoya is prepared traditionally and not from the milk powder as you won’t get the same results and taste you are looking for.

KESAR MALPUA

Saunf and Elaichi Malpua with Kesar Kheer! So yum!

Last week during Eid break weather was gloomy and so cloudy in Muscat and we were under complete lockdown…Hubby was in a mood to rustle something to curb his sweet cravings and suggested to make Malpua and Kheer…immediately he took the charge and made this amazingly delicious kesar kheer (of course under my guidance) !😉😁

And I made these fennel and cardamom Malpuas dunked in kesar syrup…ah the crispy warm Malpuas and deliciously cold n creamy Saffron Kheer (rice pudding) was such a delight to enjoy in this perfect weather. What is your favorite rainy day treat???

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

COOK TIME: 25-30 minutes

SERVES: 12-14 (depending on the size)

INGREDIENTS

For Malpua:

• 100g Milk powder (full cream)

• 1/3 cup single cream or cooking cream

• 1 cup plain flour

• 1 1/4 cup milk (full cream) plus 1/4 extra if required

• 1 tsp fennel, lightly crushed

• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

• 1 cup ghee for shallow frying + more if needed

For Sugar syrup:

• 1 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 1/2 cup water

• Big pinch of saffron

For Garnish:

• 1 tbsp slivered pistachios

• Few saffron strands

• Few dried rose petals and buds

• Silver or gold leaf

METHOD

1. In a small glass bowl, add milk powder and cream, mix together and place it in microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave, give a quick mix and put it back in for another minute. Mix again and heat for another 30-40 seconds in microwave. Mix and leave the khoya to cool completely.

2. Put cooled khoya and half of the milk in the blender and blend to make smooth paste. Pour the mixture in a large bowl, add rest of the milk and whisk. Add sifted flour, fennel and cardamom powder to the milk mixture, whisk together to make smooth lump free batter. Add bit more milk if the batter looks thick. It should be slightly thinner than the pancake batter consistency. Leave to rest for 15-20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile make the sugar syrup. Dissolve saffron in 2 tbsp water, let it stand for 5 minutes. Pour water, sugar and soaked saffron, bring to boil and reduce the flame and cook until it forms one string consistency. Do not make the syrup too thick else the malpuas won’t soak in the syrup. Let it cool and come to slightly warmer temperature.

4. Heat ghee in shallow pan, reduce the flame to medium. Pour a ladle full of batter in hot ghee for each malpua, and let it spread on its own. (Make 3 or 4 Malpuas at a time). Let the malpuas cook on one side for 2 -3 minutes or until there is no runny batter left on top. Carefully turn them around with the slotted spoon and cook for another 2 minutes until the edges are crisp and both sides look golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper for 1 minute. Repeat with all batter.

5. Now dunk the malpuas in sugar syrup for few seconds and place them on serving platter. Drizzle extra syrup on top and garnish with pistachios, rose petals, saffron strands and silver leaf. Serve warm with cold kesar kheer or rabri!
   

COOK'S NOTES

1. I made khoya at home using the milk powder and cream for the recipe. If you have access to fresh khoya use 100gms of that instead.

2. Make sure Malpua batter is lump free and is rested for at least 15-20 minutes before frying them.

3. I like the malpuas semi-thin (neither too thin or too thick) but if you like thin malpuas you can add little more milk in batter and change the consistency slightly thinner and vice-versa, add bit more flour to make it slightly thicker malpuas. It’s a personal preference.

4. You can also flavour the sugar syrup with rose water or cardamom as well instead of saffron.

5. Do not keep the syrup consistency too thick as Malpua will not soak the syrup in. Neither it should be too thin in consistency as the malpuas won’t stay crisp enough when dunked in thin syrup. It will make them bit soggy.

6. Don’t fry the malpuas on high flame, neither on low as both temperatures are not good for getting that perfect crispness and golden colour. Higher temperatures will it burn from outside and the inside will it be raw. Vice-versa, low flames make the malpuas soak in too much oil and will not get that colour and edges won’t turn crisp.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

The most easy and quick dessert you can ever make...the luscious chocolate mousse which I made from the leftover egg yolks!

When it comes to making use of the leftover ingredients in your fridge I find it most satisfying as I believe in zero waste...this thought has been instilled in me since childhood by my mum as she had a very practical approach to everything she would cook or create...and would never waste even the water from boiled eggs, which she would use for feeding plants.

I recently hosted dinner for friends where I made pavlova for dessert and I had those leftover egg yolks and some whipped cream which I wanted to incorporate into something quick and easy...this was my approach to put those leftovers into its best use. Mousses are a welcome dessert which my family loves and they loved it even more as I made it after such a long time and they were all yearning to eat something sweet and luscious.

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PREP TIME: 10 minutes

ASSEMBLY TIME: 5 minutes

PASSIVE TIME: 2 hours

SERVES: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 350g semi-sweet chocolate chips(I used Hershey’s)

• 4 egg yolks

• 125 ml hot water

• 1/2 cup caster sugar

• 200 ml whipping cream

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For Garnishing

• 100 ml double cream

• 6-8 strawberries

• Red currants

• Rosemary sprigs

• 1 tsp cocoa powder for dusting

METHOD

1. I used Hershey's chocolate chips but you can also use dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa) chopped into small pieces and follow the rest of the recipe as is.

2. In a heat proof bowl, add chocolate chips, pour hot water and whisk until the chocolate melts completely. Bain-marie if you still find chocolate bits in it, or microwave it for 20 seconds to melt completely.

3. In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour a small amount of melted chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk with an electric mixer, now add rest of the melted chocolate and whisk. Leave 5 minutes to cool the mixture.

4. Now whip the cream and vanilla until stiff. Drop small amount of whipped cream to the chocolate egg mix and whisk with electric mixer. Add the rest of the whipped cream and whisk until just combined.

5. Cut strawberries in half. Take glasses of your choice, place one or two halves of strawberry against the glass wall, cut side out. Pour the prepared mousse in the glasses with the help of piping bag and let it set in the fridge for 2 hours.

6. Whip the double cream until it’s slightly thick but not stiff. Gently spoon it on the set mousse and dust it slightly with cocoa powder.

7. Garnish with strawberries and rosemary sprigs.
   

COOK'S NOTES

• Chocolate mousse can be prepared without eggs as well...make it by completely omitting the egg yolks. Instead of eggs and caster sugar, take the whipping cream with half a cup of confectioners sugar and fold it into the melted chocolate. Set in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.

• Another version can also be prepared without adding any whipped cream. Bain-marie the chocolate on a double boiler until completely melted. Whisk egg yolks with caster sugar in a bowl and place it over a pan of hot water to gently cook eggs. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks and fold it in the chocolate mix. Set it in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.

• Adjust the sugar according to your taste buds.

• Do not over whip the double cream as the stiff cream will not let you have soft and delicate dollops on top.

• You can garnish this with any fruit of your choice.