Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Mawa Gulab Jamun, A delicious Indian dessert

Ingredients
Mawa/khova/khoya - 1/2 cup (I prefer homemade organic Mawa. The recipe posted here), 
All purpose flour - 2-3 tbsp,
Baking soda - pinch,
Oil/ghee (clarified butter) - for frying,
Sugar - 1 cup,
Water - 1 cup,
Saffron - few strands,
Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp.



Method
Take mawa and grate it and measure 1/2 cup packed. Add Mawa, all purpose flour and baking soda in a plate. Mix well.


Add little water at a time and make a smooth lump free dough with no cracks. Let it rest covered for 5 minutes and make equal sized smooth balls/jamuns (7).


Add sugar, water, cardamom powder, saffron in a pan and bring it to boil in medium flame for 10-15 minutes until 1/2 to 1 string consistency.


Heat ghee/oil in a pan and fry jamuns in low medium heat. Keep stirring them continuously to fry them evenly until it gets golden brown color. Gently roll slotted spatula over  jamuns in oil/ghee slowly to fry jamuns evenly from all sides.


Take them out in a paper towel and immediately add in prepared warm sugar syrup. Let it rest 2-3 hrs until sugar syrup absorbed well.

Notes
More baking soda causes cracks in jamuns while frying.
Be gentle with jamuns while frying.
After adding into sugar syrup, jamuns become light in color. So fry little brown.
If dough has cracks, add little ghee and smooth out.
Add rose essence in sugar syrup if you wish to.
Cardamom powder and saffron can be skipped.




Sunday, July 26, 2015

Soft and fluffy Indian Pav (Dinner rolls/Buns)

Ingredients
Warm milk - 2 cup + 2 tbsp for brushing,
Yeast - 4 tsp,
Milk powder - 1/4 cup,
Salt - 1 tbsp /  to taste,
All purpose flour - 2 cup,
Bread flour - 2 cup,
Sugar - 2 tbsp,
Butter (melted) - 4 tbsp.

Method
Add warm milk, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Mix well and let it rest covered for 10 minutes.


Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, salt and milk powder. Mix well. After 10 minutes yeast should be risen well as per below image. Add yeast mixture and mix well.


Knead the dough on clean surface around 10-12 minutes. Add butter (4 tbsp) in between kneading. Dough should be little sticky.


Grease the container and dough with some butter. Cover with clean wrap and lid, keep it in warm place for about an hour.


After an hour, dough should have been double in size, take out the dough on working surface and gently knead it.


Now divide dough into 24 equal sized balls. Roll each ball in between your palms and flatten a bit.


Arrange them in greased baking dish with little space in between. Mix pinch sugar in milk and apply on buns properly. If you wish you can sprinkle sesame seeds. Let it rest for 45-60 minutes covered by clean wrap in warm place.


After proofing, bake in preheated oven at 450 F for 12 minutes. Take them out and brush/apply some butter while hot. Take them out from baking dish after some time.


Notes
Omit milk powder if you wish to.
Warm water can be used instead of warm milk.
Butter can be replaced by olive oil.
Make them according to desire size and shape.
I am using instant dry yeast and unbleached all purpose flour.



Friday, July 24, 2015

Mava Penda / Peda (Organic), A delicious indian sweet.

Ingredients(for 10 piece)
Mava/khova/khoya - 2/3 cup (I prefer homemade organic mava. Recipe posted here),
Powdered sugar - 1/4 cup,
Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 1/2 tsp,
Milk - 2 tbsp,
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp,
Almond flax - for garnishing.



Method
In a pan, add mava and milk. Cook it in low flame. Keep stirring continuously else it will stick into the pan. After 8-10 minutes add ghee and keep stirring.  After sometime it will turn into thick lump, its time to turnoff the heat.


Take the mix out in a plate, add powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well with hand. Make 10 equal sized balls. Grease your palms with little ghee and roll each ball and flatten a bit. Top up with almond flax.


Notes
Add saffron for yellow color & flavor. Avoid artificial color.
If  mixture dries out, add few drops of milk.
Almond flax can be replaced by any other nut.
Increase/decrees amount of sugar as per your taste.
Try to get organic ingredients if accessible.


Video Recipe -