The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (29 page)

VARIATION: CARDAMOM MANGO KHEER—
Peel and dice 2 ripe and sweet mangoes. Purée one of them using a blender. Add a pinch of ground cardamom and sugar to taste. Fold the mango purée into the cooked and cooled kheer. Use the rest as a topping.

Milk Dumplings in Saffron Syrup
Gulab Jamoon

The closest resemblance to this dumpling here in the West, is the donut hole (Munchkin) that you can find at any Dunkin’ Donuts location. Let’s just say this is an Indian version! This recipe uses milk or milk powder instead of flour. It is made fragrant by the addition of the rosewater and saffron that are infused in the sugar syrup. The saffron also provides a beautiful golden color to the syrup. This dessert is widely enjoyed in India during festivals. It is best eaten warm, but it’s also delicious when served cold. It is very important to soak the dumplings in the syrup before you serve them, or else they might be hard and dry. You can even be adventurous when making it for an extra-special occasion and add interesting stuffing, like a dry fruit or a chocolate morsel, inside the dumpling.

Serves
4–6

Prep time:
10 minutes plus 2 hours for cooling

Cook time:
30 minutes

⅔ cup (150 g) dried milk powder

⅓ cup (75 g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2–4 tablespoons whole milk

Oil, for deep-frying

SAFFRON SYRUP

1½ cups (300 g) super fine sugar

1 cup (250 ml) water

2 tablespoons rosewater

A few strands of saffron

To prepare the Saffron Syrup, slowly dissolve the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Stir in the rosewater and saffron and remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl add the milk powder, flour, and baking soda and stir to combine. Make a well in the center, add the butter, and stir in enough milk to bring the ingredients together to form a stiff dough. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 18–20 pieces and gently roll each piece in your hands to form a smooth ball. (Do not roll the balls too firmly as you want them to have a soft and light texture when cooked.) Place the balls on a large plate and cover with a damp tea towel.

Heat the oil in a deep, wide saucepan over a medium heat. Keep the heat at a constant medium to low temperature, about 230°–260°F (110°–130°C). Deep-fry the milk balls in batches, adding them gently one at a time. These milk dumplings will sink at the bottom of the pan. It is very important to keep turning them to ensure a deep golden brown color all over. After about 3–4 minutes, they will rise to the surface. Continue to cook them slowly for another 2 minutes or until even golden brown.

Carefully remove the dumplings from the oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Transfer the dumplings into the slightly warm Saffron Syrup. Ideally, let the dumplings sit in the Saffron Syrup overnight to soak and warm through gently before serving.

Coconut Fudge
Nariyal ki Burfi

Fudges in India are known as
burfi
, and there is usually an elaborate process that is followed to make them. Typically prepared for festive occasions in India—for example, during Diwal, the festival of lights—fudge is made in batches and boxed in colorful cartons to be given as gifts to family and friends. This recipe is simplified, but the end result definitely doesn’t compromise on taste or the experience of eating a burfi! The combination of the coconut and cardamom makes this sweet a treat for the taste buds. I often use edible gold leaf to garnish these sweets because of the festive look it creates. You can purchase this flashy edible accoutrement from any French pastry shop.

Serves
4–6

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
25 minutes

2½ cups (250 g) shredded unsweetened coconut (freshly grated or frozen)

1 cup (100 g) desiccated coconut

½ cup (100 g) sugar

1 can condensed milk, 14-oz (400-g)

1 tablespoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground green cardamom seeds (from about 10 cardamom pods)

1 cup (2 sticks/200 g) unsalted butter, plus extra to grease

1 cup (110 g) roasted unsalted pistachios, finely chopped (optional)

Heat a medium, wide-mouthed pan over medium to low heat. Add the fresh coconut, desiccated coconut, sugar, and condensed milk. Cook stirring frequently for 20–25 minutes until the mixture has thickened to a fudge. Note—do not leave the pan unattended as the coconut mixture should not take on any brown, cooked color. Stir in the ground cardamom and butter and remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the coconut mixture into a lightly buttered baking dish and spread out to about 1–2 in (2–5 cm) thickness.

Top it with the pistachios (if using) and press them gently with the back of a spoon to help the nuts stick. Let the fudge cool completely, then chill for at least 30 minutes to allow it to firm up.

Cut the coconut fudge into small diamonds or squares. Serve at room temperature.

Chilled Mango Cooler
Aam Panna

This Indian drink is renowned for its heat-dissipating properties. It is made from green mangoes and it is used as a tasty and healthy beverage to fight the intense heat of Indian summers. Apart from being tasty, this drink also looks good owing to its refreshing, light green color. The drink is welcome on a hot day, and after a meal it’s great as a digestive.

Serves
4

Prep time:
20 minutes

Cook time:
15 minutes

3 green mangoes (1¼ lbs/600 g total), peeled and diced

4 cups (1 liter) water

Salt, to taste

¼ cup (10 g) packed fresh mint leaves

¼ cup (50 g) sugar

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

Crushed ice, for serving

Mint sprigs, for serving

Put the diced mangoes, with enough water to cover, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the raw mangoes until slightly tender, about 10–15 minutes. Drain and cool.

Blend the cooked mangoes with the water, salt, and mint leaves. Strain the mixture in a sieve.

Add the sugar and roasted cumin powder to the mango mixture. Mix well and chill.

Add the crushed ice into four tall 8-oz (250-ml) glasses and pour in the drink. Serve garnished with the mint sprigs.

Lassi

Lassi is an ever-popular Indian drink. Here I have used plain yogurt. You can use vanilla-flavored yogurt for a slightly different taste. You can use fresh mangoes, or if using pulp, use Alphonso and Kesar mango pulp.

Serves
4

Prep time:
5 minutes if using canned mango purée, 15 minutes if using fresh mangoes

4 cups (1 kg) plain yogurt

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

3 ripe mangoes (about 3 lbs/1.5 kg), peeled and cut into chunks, or 3 cups (750 ml) canned mango pulp or purée

½ teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground green cardamom seeds (from about 6 green cardamom pods)

1 cup (250 ml) crushed ice

Blend all the ingredients in an electric blender until the yogurt is frothy. Pour into four 8-oz (250-ml) glasses and serve.

VARIATION: CUCUMBER LASSI—
Compared to Sweet Mango Lassi, this is a thinner, savory version. Just combine 4 cups (1 kg) of plain yogurt, 2 cucumbers (about 8 oz/250 g) peeled and diced, 1 cup (250 ml) of crushed ice, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of toasted cumin seeds, and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint in an electric blender and blend. Pour into four 8-oz (250-ml) glasses and serve.

VARIATION: MASALA SPICED LASSI—
This spicy and refreshing drink is perfect for a hot summer day. Just combine 4 cups (1 kg) of plain yogurt, 6 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), about 20 fresh mint leaves, 1 small fresh green chili pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of toasted cumin seeds, and 1 cup (250 ml) of crushed ice in an electric blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into four 8-oz (250-ml) glasses and serve.

VARIATION: AVOCADO LASSI—
This variation is not traditional. This is my twist on the traditional lassi. Make sure it is consumed within a few hours of preparation or the avocado will turn dark. Just combine 2 cups (500 g) of plain yogurt, 2 large ripe avocado (about 1 lb/500 g) peeled and pitted, 4 teaspoons of sugar, 2 cups (500 ml) of water, 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom, and 1 cup (250 ml) of crushed ice in an electric blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into four 8-oz (250-ml) glasses and serve.