1,000 Indian Recipes (315 page)

3.
Add the sugar, cardamom seeds, pistachios, and saffron-infused milk (reserving the saffron threads) and continue to roast, stirring, about 5 minutes. This process roasts the pistachios and lightly caramelizes the sugar.

4.
Standing far from the pan, carefully, add the boiling water. (Use caution when adding the water, because as soon as it touches the hot wok, it will steam and splatter for 5 to 10 seconds.) Cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the water is absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes.

5.
Uncover the pan and cook, stirring, until the halva pulls away from the sides of the pan and a shiny glaze appears on top, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the silver leaves (if using), reserved saffron threads, and the dessert masala, and serve hot.

Yellow Mung Bean Halva

Dhulli Mung Dal Ka Halva

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This traditional and decadent recipe from my friend Bharti Dhalwala's Santa Monica kitchen is loaded with
ghee
. But if it's cooked properly, a good part of the
ghee
separates from the mixture and can be poured off, leaving behind a perfectly roasted, fragrant
halva
.

1 cup dried yellow mung beans (dhulli mung dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

2 tablespoons
Dessert Masala

¹
⁄
₄
cup water

¹
⁄
₂
cup melted ghee

1 cup sugar

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups whole milk (or any kind)

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon saffron threads

¹
⁄
₄
cup raw cashews, coarsely ground

¹
⁄
₄
cup shelled raw almonds, coarsely ground

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1.
In a bowl, soak the beans in water to cover by 2 inches overnight, then drain. Meanwhile, prepare the dessert masala. Then, in a food processor, process the dal, adding the
¹
⁄
₄
cup water by the teaspoon as needed, until it is as smooth as you can make it. The consistency should be something between a dough and a thick batter.

2.
Heat half the ghee in a medium nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add the processed dal and roast, stirring, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

3.
Add the sugar, milk, saffron, cashews, almonds, and cardamom seeds and mix well. Add the remaining half of the ghee and continue to roast, stirring, until the halva is very fragrant and pulls away from the sides of the pan and the ghee separates from the halva, about 30 minutes.

4.
Remove from the stove and tilt the pan, keeping it tilted 3 to 5 minutes, allowing the ghee to collect at one end. Then, with a spoon, remove as much of the ghee as you can. (This ghee can be reused.) Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the dessert masala, and serve hot.

Simple Carrot Halva

Gaajar Halva or Gajjeraela

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The carrot
halva
I make in my American kitchen tastes almost the same as the Indian version, but it lacks the lovely rich, red color that authentic
gajjeraela
has. This is because Indian carrots have more color, and no amount of organic shopping or food coloring can compensate for the difference. Do not peel the carrots (too much is lost), but with a dull knife, simply scrape each one lightly.

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Dessert Masala

1 pound carrots, scraped, washed, and grated

7 cups whole milk

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon coarsely crushed green cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or melted ghee

4 (4-inch) silver leaves (optional)

1.
Prepare the dessert masala. Place the carrots and milk in a large, heavy wok or saucepan and cook, stirring, over high heat until the milk comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the sides of the pan often, making sure the milk does not boil over (reduce the heat if that happens), until all the milk is absorbed into the carrots, 30 to 35 minutes.

2.
Mix in the condensed milk and cardamom seeds and cook, stirring and scraping, until the mixture is quite dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the butter and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Mix in most of the dessert masala, saving some for garnish. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the silver leaves (if using), and reserved dessert masala, and serve hot.

Decadent Carrot Halva with Evaporated Milk and Jaggery

Khoa aur Gur Ka Gaajar Halva

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Jaggery (
gur
or brown, unrefined cane sugar) deepens the color and imparts a smoky richness to this carrot
halva
, which is traditionally served hot. If you want to make it ahead of time, keep the cooked carrots and the
khoa
(thickened milk, Step 3) separate. Then, before serving, mix them together in small portions as needed. This way, your
halva
will always look and taste fresh.

The
khoa
I use in this recipe is not the real one, but a shortcut I created. Here, I mix together ricotta cheese, cream, and evaporated milk to make something that is very close to true
khoa
, but is much easier to make.

¹
⁄
₄
cup raw almond slices

1 tablespoon
Dessert Masala

1 pound carrots, scraped, washed, and grated

¹
⁄
₂
cup ground or grated jaggery (gur), or 1 cup dark brown sugar, or to taste

1
³
⁄
₄
cups heavy cream

3 cups nonfat dry milk

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons raw pistachio halves

4 to 6 (4-inch) squares silver leaves (optional)

1.
Soak the almonds in water to cover for 30 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, prepare the dessert masala. Drain the almonds.

2.
Place the carrots in a large, heavy wok or a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook another 5 minutes. Add the jaggery and cook until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring as needed, until the jaggery is completely absorbed into the carrots, 10 to 12 minutes.

3.
While the carrots are cooking, make the khoa: Combine the cream, dry milk, and ricotta cheese in a large nonstick skillet or saucepan and stir over medium heat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is almost dry, 7 to 10 minutes.

4.
Mix the khoa into the carrots, along with the soaked almonds and the pistachios, and cook over low heat until the halva is completely dry and clumpy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the silver leaves and dessert masala, and serve hot.

Plantain Halva

Kaelae ka Halva

Makes 4 to 6 servings

A time-consuming labor of love, my friend Sohini's grandmother made this chewy
halva
in large batches over the course of an afternoon. To keep the kids out of her hair, she gave them the job of crushing the cardamom seeds by hand into a fine powder. It kept them busy and introduced them to the kitchen. The following recipe is quick and easy, very much an American adaptation of the original.

2 large very ripe plantains

2 tablespoons melted ghee

¹
⁄
₂
cup sugar, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1.
Peel and, if needed, seed the plantains. In a food processor or a blender, process them until smooth. Transfer to a medium wok or saucepan, add the ghee, and cook, stirring, over moderately high heat, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the sugar and cook until the mixture bubbles vigorously. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the halva thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

3.
Transfer the halva into a lightly greased tray with raised edges and spread to a thickness of 1 inch. Sprinkle the cardamom seeds on top and allow the halva to cool to room temperature. Serve as is, or cut into squares or rectangles.

Milk-Based Puddings
(Kheer, Payasam
, and
Payesh)

About Rabdi (Basundi) and Khoa (Khoya)

Rabdi
(
basundi)
and
khoa
(
khoya
and
mawa)
, are both made from milk that has been slowly reduced over low heat, but each one is different.
Rabdi
is milk that is simmered and simmered until most of the liquid evaporates, leaving behind a thick, creamy, and somewhat lumpy residue.
Khoa
, on the other hand, takes
rabdi
a step further, cooking it longer and transforming it into a dense ball of milk solids from which all moisture has evaporated.

Sweetened and enhanced with traditional Indian flavors, such as nuts, saffron, rosewater, and cardamom,
rabdi
is sometimes served just by itself as a dessert, as in
Traditional Thickened Milk Pudding
, though more often it forms the base of other desserts, such as
ras-malai
(
Paneer Cheese Patties in Creamy Thickened Milk
),
kulfi
(
Indian Ice Cream
),
mal-pudhas
(
Creamy Semolina Pancakes with Thickened Milk
), and others. And, it is often served as a dessert topping—for
gulaab-jamuns
(
Traditional Dark Brown Milk Rolls in Saffron Syrup
), and other desserts.
Khoa
, on the other hand, is used as a base for
burfees
(milk fudge pieces), is added to
halvas
, and occasionally, curries, to which it contributes a creamy richness.