Gulab Jamoon

Gulab Jamoon is one of  my all time favourites and I cannot resist with just one or two at a time. This soft, smooth and spongy dessert will literally melt in one's mouth. The ingredients are very simple but it turns out to be a very rich dessert. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Whole milk powder - 1 cup
Plain flour - 1/4 cup
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) - 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 Teaspoon
Warm milk - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 Tablespoon
Oil - For deep frying
For sugar syrup
Sugar - 3 cups
Water - 3 cups
Cardamom - 4 pods (crushed)

Method
1. Mix the plain flour, milk powder, baking soda and salt along with the warm milk into a fine dough (like chapatti dough) and keep it aside covered for 10 minutes.
2. Make the sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in water and boiling it for 15 minutes. Once it is done add the crushed cardamom pods to the syrup.
3. Now heat the oil for deep frying in a thick and wide bottomed pan on a medium heat.
4. Make small roundels out of the dough by touching the ghee now and then to avoid the stickiness of  the dough.
5. Now drop a pinch of the dough into the oil, if it springs to the top in a second or two the oil is ready for frying.
6. Drop 8 to 10 roundels into the oil at a time, allowing enough space for each roundel to get cooked. Fry until the jamoons turn into a nice golden brownish colour (approx. 2 to 3 minutes) and sieve them out of the oil and place on the kitchen towels to absorb excess oil.
7. Allow 2 minutes for the oil to heat up and drop the roundels again.
8. Once the jamoons are cooled drop them in the sugar syrup. Leave them for an hour or two and serve the jamoons along with the syrup.

Note
* Oil should be only on medium heat else the roundels will be burnt outside and uncooked in the inside.
* Allow 2 minutes for the oil to heat up between each batch else the jamoons will break if the oil is not hot enough and start absorbing excess oil and become too crispy on the outside.
* Readymade jamoon mixes can also be used. I usually prefer MTR brand.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu, the famous italian dessert has become the heart favourites of my husband's and mine. We would grab a piece of it where ever we go. I prepared it for my husband's birthday for the first time and it was a super hit. The combination of the smooth, creamy rich cheese and the strong coffee will drift you to a different world altogether. 

Ingredients

Whipping cream - 200 ml

Mascarpone cheese - 500 g

Vanilla Extract - 1 Tablespoon

Sugar - 150 gm

Cocoa powder - 2 Tablespoon

Instant Coffee powder - 1 1/2 Tablespoon (I used Nescafe)

Water - 1 cup

Sponge fingers - 1 pack

Method

1. Whip the cream and keep it aside.

2. Mix the mascarpone with sugar and vanilla extract into a smooth cream with a spatula.

3. Now add the whipped cream to the cheese and fold it evenly with a spatula.

4. Mix the instant coffee powder with water.

5. Now dip the sponge fingers in the coffee mix one by one and arrange it evenly in a square or rectangular container (at least 2" deep)

6. Now spread half of the cheese mix on top of the sponge fingers and sieve the cocoa powder on top.

7. Repeat the same for another layer.

8. Pop it into the fridge for at least 5 hours for the cream and cheese to set.

      Cut and serve according to the size of your choice. I bet you cannot stop with one!

Note

* Do not dip the sponge fingers in the coffee for a long time else it becomes soggy and breaks soon and the excess coffee with ooze out while you serve. Do not dip for more than 2 seconds. 

Strawberry Jam

This is a recipe that I learnt from my Columbian friend. I got the courage to prepare this jam because of its quick and easy recipe. Though I am not a lover of jams, I like to spread this jam in the cake I bake. Normally, I prepare this jam in a very small amount so it runs out very fast. If stored in a proper way, this jam can be prepared in a considerable amount and can be stored for months.

Ingredients
Strawberries- 1 Cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Water- 1/4 cup
Cinnamon powder- a pinch

Method

1. Wash the strawberries and wipe them dry with paper towel. Cut the berries into half.
2. Heat a non-stick pan and add the cut berries into it. Saute them dry for less than a minute in low fire.
3. Add 1/4 cup of water to the berries and 1 cup of sugar to it. 
4. Let it boil well, and stir frequently, preferably with wooden spoon to prevent from sticking to the bottom. 
5. When the berries are half done, add a pinch of cinnamon powder and allow to cook well. 
6. It will take around 20 mins, for it to come to jam consistency. 
7. To check if the jam is done, drop little jam in a glass plate and move the plate. If the jam sticks to the plate without moving, switch of the fire and allow it to cool.
8. Storing in a proper way is very important. Wash a glass bottle with soapy solution, clean it well with water, wipe it and keep it in the preheated oven for ten mins, until the moisture dries out. Store jam in the bottle and when the bottle cools down store in the refrigerator.

Note

• This recipe can also be prepared with blackberry, cherry and peach. Though, I haven't used any other fruits for this, I have heard from my friend that any fruit except banana can be used.
• Cinnamon can be replaced by juice from a whole lemon. It also tastes very good. 
• This jam, when it is half done, can be used as a desert too. 
• Do not add excess water.

Kesari/ Dessert with Semolina

Kesari is one of the simple and common desserts in Tamil Nadu. I remember my mum and granny making this dish quickly when we had unexpected guests at home. We, as kids would fight for the nuts and raisins in the kesari and would snack on most of them as soon as they were fried in ghee. Thus making my mum to roast them again. Nostalgic right! Lets go to the recipe.

  Ingredients
Semolina - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 4 Tablespoons
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Food colour - Few drops (yellow or orange)
Mixed nuts & Raisins - 1/2 cup (cashewnut, almonds, pecans)


Method
1. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a pan and roast the nuts and raisins until they become golden brown and the raisins puff up. Strain them from the ghee and keep aside.
2. Use the same pan with the left over ghee to roast the semolina until become golden yellow in a medium heat. Transfer the roasted semolina to a plate. 
 3. Now heat the water in the pan and once the water boils add the semolina spoon by spoon and keep stirring to avoid the formation of lumps. It will thicken in matter of seconds, so must be very careful while mixing.
4. Add milk and stir the contents. Once it thickens add the sugar, food colour, cardamom powder, ghee and the roasted nuts and mix everything evenly.
       Kesari is ready!


Note
* Should be very careful while adding semolina to the water because it forms lumps very quickly, so keep stirring non-stop.
* If you feel that the kesari is very thick,  you can add milk.
* Sugar can be adjusted according to your taste. 
* Instead of food colour, saffron boiled in milk can also be used.