KHOI ER MURKI
Ingredients
200g khoi (popped rice)
300g sugar
½ cup water
1 tbsp ginger juice
Method
Pour ½ cup of water in a pan and add sugar. Keep the pan on medium flame. Keep on stirring until the sugar becomes sticky. Now switch off the gas and after three minutes add khoi and ginger juice. Mix continuously with a spatula for the proper coating of sugar. Allow it to cool down. After cooling, store the murki in an air tight container.
KADMA
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1–2 tbsp lemon juice
A pinch of cardamom powder
Method
In a pan and add sugar and water. Heat it on medium flame and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Once it starts boiling, add a little lemon juice. Keep cooking until the syrup becomes thick and reaches a hard-crack stage. (When a drop put in the cold water it becomes hard and brittle).
Now comes to the tricky part. At this stage, you need to work quickly. Remove the pan from heat and start stirring the syrup continuously until it starts turning slightly opaque and grainy. At this point, quickly take small portions and drop them onto a greased tray, shaping them into round lumps. Let them cool and harden completely. Your homemade kadma is ready — crunchy on the outside with a slightly airy texture inside, perfecwt for a nostalgic sweet treat!
TILL CHAKKI (SESAME BRITTLE)
Ingredients
1 cup white sesame seeds
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp ghee
A pinch of cardamom powder (optional)
Method
First, dry roast the sesame seeds in a pan on low heat until they become lightly golden and fragrant. Stir continuously so they do not burn. Remove from the pan and keep aside. In the same pan, add sugar and water and cook on medium heat until the sugar melts and forms a light golden syrup. Add the ghee and a pinch of cardamom powder for flavour. When the syrup reaches a sticky consistency, quickly mix in the roasted sesame seeds and stir well so all the seeds are coated. Immediately pour the mixture onto a greased tray or parchment paper and spread it thin with a greased rolling pin or spatula. While it is still warm, cut it into squares or diamond shapes. Let it cool completely until crisp.
GOJA
Ingredients
2 cups refined flour
1 cup sugar
A pinch of baking powder
2 tbsp ghee
2 green cardamom
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Oil for deep fry
Method
Combine sugar, water and cardamom pods in a heavy bottom pan. Bring to a boil. Stir frequently. As the syrup thickens, reduce the heat and test the consistency. Once the sugar syrup has reached a two-string consistency, turn off the heat and add lemon juice (this prevents the syrup from crystallising). Keep warm. In a bowl mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add ghee and work it well into the mixture. Add water little by little and knead till stiff dough is formed.
Divide the dough into equal portions and using rolling pin roll out into ovals. Make several slashes on the ovals with a knife or a fork. Heat sufficient ghee or oil in a pan and deep fry the gojas till light brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on an absorbent paper to remove excess oil or ghee. Dip the fried gojas into the sugar syrup. Coat rapidly and remove quickly. Toss till dry and crisp.
SUGAR COTED JHINUK PITHA
Ingredients
1 cup semolina
½ cup flour
1 egg
1tbsp ghee
¼ tsp baking powder
4 tbsp warm milk
Oil for deep fry
A pinch of salt
For sugar syrup —
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
Method
Take semolina, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and ghee in a large bowl. And mix it well. Now add the egg and knead the dough. Dough must not be too dry nor too soft. Make small balls from the dough. Take one ball and shaped it like an egg, then spread it on top of a colander thinly and start to fold from one end and finish it to another end and close it. Using the same process make all the pitha. Now heat oil in a pan. Fry the pitha until golden brown and then take it out from oil to a paper tissue. Fry rest of the pitha and keep it aside. Now pour ¼ cup of water in a pan and add sugar. Keep the pan on medium flame. Keep on stirring until the sugar becomes sticky. Now switch off the gas and after three minutes add fried pithas. Mix continuously with a spatula for the proper coating of sugar. You can preserve this pitha in an airtight box for 2/3 weeks.
GUJIYA
Ingredients
For the dough —
2 cups refined flour
¼ cup clarified butter
A pinch of salt
Water to mix
For the filling —
1 cup mawa
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp almonds, finely chopped
Oil or ghee for deep frying
For the syrup —
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Method
Rub ¼ cup ghee into the flour and knead into a stiff dough with water. Leave to rest for at least half an hour. Now saute the mawa over medium heat till it looks slightly fried. Add sugar and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cardamom powder and almonds. Mix well and remove from heat. Allow the filling to cool. Shape the filling into ovals about 21 cm length and 1 cm thickness.
Make balls of the dough and roll out into small round roti. Take a round roti, wet the edges with water and place a piece of filling over one half. Fold the other half over and press the edges together to seal, make a design by pinching and twisting all along the sealed edges. Make all the gujiya in this way. Heat ghee or oil in a pan, fry the gujiya till golden brown on all sides.
Make sugar syrup by cooking water and sugar together, till one thread consistency. Dip the fried gujiya into the sugar syrup. Lift and let dry on a plate. Serve or store in air tight container.
Food & Recipes by Salina parvin
Photo: Silvia Mahjabin
Decor: RBR