Malai ChamCham

malai chomchom

Preparation Time : 1 hour
Cooking Time : 1 hour

Ingredients :

• Milk : 6 cups +2 cups
• Lemon : 1
• Maida : 1 tsp
• Sugar : 2 cups + 4 tbsp
• Water : 5 cups
• Elaichi : 3 crushed
• Pistachio : 5-6 
• Saffron : pinch

Procedure :

1) In a heavy bottom pan boil milk, stir occasionally, making sure not to burn
    milk.As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice gradually and stir the
    milk gently.Lower the heat. Almost in seconds you will see the milk curdle
    and clumps of white milk solids forming.When you see the greenish water
    separating ,turn off the heat and let it sit for 4-5 minutes.

2) Now drain the chana using a strainer line with a cheesecloth or muslin cloth.
    Next lightly rinse the chana with water to remove the lemon taste and let it
    drain.Squeeze out  the excess water from the chana.
 

3)  Once the chana is drained, place on a dry, clean surface and knead the
     chana for 15-20 minutes until the chana is almost rolls into smooth soft
     dough.In the mean time, you add 1 tsp of maida.Knead the chana with the
     heel of your palm .The chana will become smooth and your palm will  be
     little oily from the fat of the chana.

4)  Take small portion of it and roll into small balls between your palm. The
      balls should be smooth and firm.Now give Chamcham an oval shape and
      place it on a plate. Prepare all Chamcham balls.Approximately 9-10
     chamcham will be made from this measure.

5)  In a heavy bottom pan make a syrup adding 5 cups of water and 2 cups
     of sugar. Keep it at medium high heat and  bring to boil. Add 2-3 crushed
     cardamom.let it boil for 5-6 minutes.Syrup should be thin.

6)  Add all raw chhana  to the syrup .Cover the pan with lid.Cook in high
     heat for first 4-5 minutes,then cook for another 20-25 minutes in medium
     heat.Now turn off  the heat and wait for 10-15 minutes.

7)  Only take out Chamcham with no sugar syrup and put it in a bowl.

8)  Make kheer / malai in a small pan.Add 2 cups of milk and boil it. Stir continuously .
     Other wise milk will burn at the bottom.Boil milk till its volume become half.
     Add 4 tbsp of sugar and stir it still it dissolves in milk.Turn off the heat and let
     it settle down for 3-4 minutes.

9)  Now pour kheer/ malai over chamcham in the bowl. Garnish with 5-6 finely
     chopped pistachios and saffron. Add 1/2 tsp of rose water over chamcham.

     Serve it chilled or warm.

Rasamalai

rasamalai

Preparation Time :1 - 2 minutes
Cooking Time : 40-45 minutes
Serve : 4-5

Ingredients :

• Whole milk : 500 ml
• Rasgulla : 8-10 (Canned rasgulla can be used,or you can make them.)
• Cardamom : 2-3 crushed
• Saffron strands : 7-8
• Sugar : 1 tbsp or you can add more
• Pistachio : 1 tbsp finely chopped for garnishing

Procedure :

1) Boil milk in a pan for 30 minutes in medium high heat.Stir continously
    till its volume reduces to 3/4 th of its original volume. Scrape off the
    cream that will collects on all sides of the pan.
2) Add crushed cardamom and saffron strands. Boil milk for 5 minutes.
    Reduce the heat.
3) Remove rosogolla from syrup and squeeze extra syrup from it.
4) Add rosogolla to the milk  and add a table spoon of sugar. Taste if you
    need more sugar.Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

    Garnish it chopped pistachio and serve chilled.

Rajbhog

rajbhog

Ingredients :

• Paneer /Chhana : made from 1 litre
• Sugar : 2 cups + 1 tbsp
• Kesar / Saffron : 1/2 tsp soaked in 1 tbsp+ 1 tsp milk
• Suji / semolina : 1 tsp
• Maida/ all purpose flour : 1 tsp
• Milk powder(unsweetened) or mawa: 1/4 cup
• Green cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
• Pistachio (blanched and chopped): 1 tsp
• Water: 5 cups 
• Green cardamom: 6-7
• Saffron: few strands
• Rose water: 1-2 tbsp

Procedure:

1) Make channa / paneer and drain out all excess water from it.
2) Put chhana/paneer on plate. Add sugar (1 tbsp), semolina, flour
    and saffron to the chhana and mix very well.Mix all the ingredients
    very well.  Knead the dough with heel of your palm for 10 minutes,
    to make a smooth dough.
3) Divide the dough into 10 equal parts and cover the dough with a wet
    kitchen towel.
4) Now take another plate and put milk powder,green cardamom powder,
    pistachio and saffron soaked in 1 tbsp. Mix all the ingredients for the
   stuffing and divide the stuffing into 10 small balls.
5) Stuff the chhana/panner balls with the stuffing balls. Make smooth
    round balls. Cover the chhana balls with a wet kitchen towel.
6) Now make syrup .In a large deep container boil 2 cups of sugar
    and 4 cups of water. Add green cardamom, saffron to the syrup,
    let the syrup boil. As the syrup rolls to boil add the chhana balls
    carefully. Reduce heat, cover the container and cook the chhana balls.
   Cook the chhana balls for 40-45 min. In between add 1 cup of warm
   water to keep the consistency of the syrup right. Make sure you are
   using a large enough container to accommodate all the chhana balls
   and as the chhana balls are cooked they will swell up to double their size.
7) Switch off heat, remove pan from heat and let it cool down.
    Serve hot or cold

Pistachio Phirni

pistachio phirni

Ingredients :

• Basmati rice /Gobindo bhog rice : 1/2 cup
• Milk : 1/2 litre + 1/4 cup
• Pistachio : 1/4 cup blanched,peeled and sliced 
• Saffron / kesar : pinch soaked in little warm milk
• Sugar : 7 tbsp ( you can add more or less sugar as per your taste)
• Elaichi powder / cardamom powder : 1 tsp
• Rose water : 1tsp

Procedure :

1) Soak rice for half an hour. Drain and grind it with 1/4 cold milk  to a
    coarse paste.
2) Take a pan and bring milk to boil.
3) Add rice paste dissolved cold milk. Cookand stir  constantly in medium
    -low heat, till rice is completely cooked.
4) Add sugar, saffron soaked in milk, green cardamom powder and cook
    till sugar is completely dissolved. cook till you get thick consistency.
5) Add rose water ,mix well. Turn off the heat.
6) Put it in a bowl and garnish with sliced pistachios.
    Chill in a refrigerator for an hour or two before serving.  

Kheer ChamCham

kheer chamcham

Ingredients :

• Milk : 1 liter (4 cup)
• Lemon juice : 2-3 tbsp (2 lemons)
• Sugar : 2 cup
• Maida : 1 tsp
• Yellow color - less then 1 pinch
• Mawa - ¼ cup
• Cardamoms - 3-4 (peel and make powder)
• Sugar - 2-3 tbsp
• Pistachios - 7-8 (thinly sliced)
• Rose water - 2-3 drops

Procedure :

 1)  In a heavy bottom pan boil milk, stirring occasionally, making sure
      not to burn milk. As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice
      gradually and stir the milk gently.Lower the heat. Almost in seconds
      you will see the milk curdle and clumps of white milk solids forming.
      When you see the greenish water separating ,take it off from heat.Let
      it sit for 4-5 minutes.

2)  Now drain the chhana using a strainer line with cheesecloth or muslin
     cloth. Next lightly rinse the chhana with water to remove the lemony
     taste and let it drain.Squeeze out the remaining water  from the chhana.
     It is very important that the chhana is drained of all excess water. To
     take out the excess water squeeze the cloth, or pressthe wrapped chhana
     under a heavy pan for about one hour.

3)  Once the chhana is drained, place on a dry, clean surface and knead the
     chhana for 8-10 minutes until the chhana is almost rolls into smooth soft
     dough.In the mean time, you add 1 tsp of maida and 2-3 drops of yellow
     food colour.Knead the chhana with the heel of your palm .The chhana
     will look like a smooth dough and your palm will  be little greasy from
     the fat of the chhana.

4)  Take small portion of it and roll into small balls between your palm. The
      balls should be smooth and firm.Now give Chamcham an oval shape and
      place it on a plate. Like wise prepare all Chamcham balls.Approximately
      9-10 cham cham will be made from this measure.

5)  In a heavy bottom pan make a syrup adding 4 cups of water and 2 cups
     of sugar. Keep it at medium high heat and  bring to boil. Add 2-3 crushed
     cardamom.

6)  Add all raw chhana balls to the syrup .Cover the pan with lid.Cook in high
     heat for first 4-5 minutes,then cook for another 20-25 minutes in medium
     heat.Now turn off  the heat and wait for 10-15 minutes.

7)  Take out Chamcham in any big bowl along with sugar syrup. Stuff cham-
      cham when it cools down completely.

8)  Peel cardamom and make powder. Mash mawa very finely with help of a
     spoon. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder and knead really well.
     Stuffing is ready.

9)  After soaking Chamcham for 3-4 hours and cooling it down, take it out from
    sugar syrup.Chamcham has become cold, sweet and hard. Take when Cham-
    cham  and slit it from center keeping it joint from one side. Keep Chamcham
    in one hand and stuffing it with other hand. Garnish with 5-6 pistachios pieces.
    Like wise stuff all. Chamcham. Sprinkle rose water.

   Chamcham is ready.

Kalakand / Milk cake

kalakand

Ingredients:

• Ricotta Cheese – 15 oz
• Condensed Milk – 14 oz
• Chopped Pistachios – 1/2 tbsp
• Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
• sugar :1-2 tbsp (you can add more or less,as per your taste)

Procedure:

 1) In a microwave safe bowl, take Ricotta Cheese,Condensed Milk

     and sugar and mix well.

 2) Make a smooth paste and mash down all the lumps with a help
     of a whisk.

 3) Cook in the microwave for 10 minutes uncovered.

 4) Take out and mix well. Make sure that you loosen the edges.

 5) Put back in the microwave and cook for 8 more minutes, uncovered.

 6) Take out and mix.

 7) Microwave for 2 minutes, stand for 4-5 minutes.

 8) Once done, mix well.

 9) Add in the Powdered Cardamom mix well again.

10) Pour the mixture in a plate.

11) Press down and flatten the mixture.

12) Sprinkle chopped Pistachios on top and press them down to help

       them stick.

13) Cover and allow to set either in the refrigerator for an hour or on the

       counter-top for a few hours.

14) Cut into desired shape and serve.

kalakand