KUCHH MITHA HO JAYE…
(LET THE SWEETNESS FLOW…)
Diwali is just round the corner, and ʻsweetnessʼ is associated with Diwali as much as are the firecrackers and the lights. Its the season when every indian household will stock up on their sugars and make delicacies which although laborious but tingle the taste buds like none other sweet. Here is a collection of such recipes which are well tested and tried and will win heart of your family friends when they visit you to wish you Diwali and will also make Goddess Laxmi ( goddess of wealth) listen to your prayers when offered to her as part of ʻNaivadayʼ (Holy offering)! The recipe for Malai Peda and Mal Pua has been shared by Mrs. Anita Modi( an expatriate indian resident of Durban and an expert of Indian sweetmeats) and the same for Moong Daal Halwa has been shared by Mrs. Varsha Sharma( an expatriate indian resident of Durban and an excellent cook).
MALAI-PEDA
Makes +/- 10 pieces
Ingredients:
250g Paneer
150g Mawa
200g Sugar
2 pinches Saffron
2 pinches Cardamom powder
3-4 drops Kewda or Rose essence
Chopped green Pistachio for garnish
Procedure:
1. Mash mawa.
2. Mash paneer.
3. Add the mashed paneer to a frying pan. Stir it for 1 minute on high.
4. Add mawa and sugar to the paneer. Stir the mixture continuously till it leaves the sides of the pan.
5. Take the pan off the hot plate. After it cools down a bit, add kewda or rose essence, cardamom powder and saffron. Mix them together to create the dough.
6. Create dumplings as per required size and garnish with green pistachio.
MAL PUA
Makes +/- 5-6 Malpuas
Ingredients:
For Mal pua
1 litre Milk
1 tbsp Cake flour
Ghee for frying
Chopped green Pistachio for garnishing
For syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 pinch saffron
Procedure:
1. Put milk to boil in a pan while stirring it continuously. The milk will start to thicken.
2. When ¼ of the milk is left, take it off the hot plate and cool it for a bit.
3. When milk cools down, grind it in a blender and then strain it in a pot so no lumps remain.
4. Mix the cake flour in the milk and leave it to soak for minimum 30 minutes.
5. To prepare the syrup, take a pan and add the sugar and water. Boil this till the syrup is one string thick. Add saffron and keep aside.
6. Heat the ghee in a frying pan on medium heat. Using a flat serving spoon, scoop the mal pua mixture and lay it down in the frying pan.
7. Flip the sides over when one side gets brown. When both the sides are brown, take it out of the frying pan and drain the ghee. Transfer it to the syrup pot to be dipped for 30-40seconds.
8. Take out of syrup and garnish with pistachios.
Tip:
Add only a drop of mal pua mixture to the ghee at first. If the mixture scatters in the ghee, add ½ tsp of cake flour to the mixture.
MOONG DAAL HALWA
Ingredients:
I kg Moong Daal
450-500 gms Mawa
3/4 kg Sugar
500 gms Ghee
1 litres Milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
Pinch of Saffron soaked in milk
Cashews, Almonds and Pistachios for Garnishing.
Procedure:
1. Soak daal overnight. Grind it coarsely and then hang it for about 3-4 hours so that the excess water drains out.
2. Heat half of the ghee in a big pot, put the daal and cook it in on slow flame. Daal begins to swell up a bit with heat, slowly keep on adding the rest of the ghee. Keep cooking daal till it starts to change colour and now it will start reducing and will start giving out a roasted aroma. This process can take up to half an hour to 45 minutes.
3. Cook mashed mawa for about 5 minutes in another pot.
4. When the daal has roasted and is appearing golden yellow, add the mawa and cook them together for a few more minutes.
5. In another pot, heat the milk and dissolve the sugar, saffron and cardamom powder in this milk.
6. Now add the milk to the daal carefully, stirring continuously so that the daal soaks up all the milk.
7. Keep stirring gradually till the halwa leaves the sides of the pot.
8. Roast handful of cashews and almonds and pistachios, chop them and sprinkle over the halwa.
