How to Cook Indian (122 page)

3. Transfer the apricot purée to a medium nonstick saucepan. Add the reserved whole apricots and place the pan over medium heat. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with the cream and garnish with the almonds, and serve hot or let cool to room temperature and then serve.

Malai
is the cream that forms on the top of boiled milk. To prepare it, boil whole milk, let it cool, then skim off the cream.

Malpua

Milk-based, shallow-fried sweet pancakes

This gooey, rich, sweet pancake is a real treat on a Sunday morning! Don’t skimp on the ghee here, as it really adds to the richness of the dish.

Serves 4.

5 cups (1 liter) milk, or more if necessary

1½ cups (300 grams) sugar

6 to 8 saffron threads

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon (30 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

1 tablespoon
rawa/suji
(semolina flour)

2¼ cups (450 grams) ghee (page 37)

1. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the milk reduces and is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Put the remaining sugar in a saucepan, add ½ cup (100 ml) water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 2 teaspoons of the milk and stir. The scum containing the impurities in the sugar will rise to the top. Gently gather it with a spoon and discard. You will get a clear syrup. Cook until the sugar syrup reaches one-string consistency (see Note). Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

3. Dissolve the saffron in 1 teaspoon of warm milk. Add it to the sugar syrup.

4. To the cooled reduced milk, add the
maida
and
rawa
and the reserved 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir well to make a batter of pouring consistency, adding a little more milk if needed. Set aside at room temperature for 3 hours; do not keep the batter in the refrigerator.

5. Place a wide nonstick sauté pan over high heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to medium and pour in a ladleful of batter to form a pancake. Gently spoon hot ghee over the pancake for 1 minute, then turn the pancake over. Cook, turning, until both sides are golden brown. Drain with a slotted spoon and immerse in the warm sugar syrup for 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.

6. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve warm.

To check if the sugar syrup has reached a one-string consistency, place a drop of slightly cooled syrup between your thumb and forefinger, and slowly pull them apart. If the syrup forms a single string, the syrup is ready.

Meethe Chawal

Sweet rice

This delicately flavored dish is typically served on special occasions. It gets its oomph from the cardamom and saffron combination. You can adjust the level of sweetness by reducing the sugar.

Serves 4.

2 cups (400 grams) raw basmati rice

3 tablespoons ghee (page 37)

20 almonds

12 cashews

3 whole cloves

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

5 or 6 whole black peppercorns

1 black cardamom pod

3 green cardamom pods

1¾ cups (375 grams) sugar

25 saffron threads

1. Put the rice in a large bowl, wash it in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 4 cups (800 ml) water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain the rice in a fine colander.

2. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the almonds and cashews, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let cool, then thinly slice the almonds and split the cashews in half and put them in a small bowl.

3. Return the pan with the ghee to medium heat and add the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, black cardamom, and green cardamom, and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant.

4. Add the rice and sauté gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3½ cups (700 ml) warm water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed.

5. Put the sugar in a medium bowl, add 1 cup (200 ml) warm water, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the saffron and stir. Add this syrup to the rice, stirring gently to mix well. Cover and continue to cook the rice over low heat until it is cooked and almost all the liquid is absorbed.

6. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer the rice to a serving platter, garnish with the almonds and cashews, and serve.

Naralachi Karanjis

Crescent-shaped pastries filled with sweetened coconut

Karanjis
are sweet-filled pastries that celebrate auspicious moments in any Maharashtrian household. They are made with many different fillings, but this is the one I have tasted most often since I made Mumbai my home. The festivals of Ganpati and Diwali are incomplete without
karanjis.

Makes 8.

For the dough:

½ cup (60 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

¾ tablespoon fine
rawa/suji
(semolina flour)

1½ tablespoons ghee (page 37)

¼ cup (50 ml) milk

1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

For the filling:

½ cup (60 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

15 to 20 raisins, chopped

1¼ cups (125 grams) confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon ground green cardamom (see Note page 559)

¼ cup (50 ml) milk

1. Make the dough: Sift the
maida
into a bowl. Add the semolina and ghee, and stir with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the milk and knead to make a semisoft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Make the filling: Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the coconut and dry-roast until lightly browned.

3. Add the raisins, confectioners’ sugar, cardamom, and milk, and stir well. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

4. Knead the dough once again and divide into 8 portions. Roll out each portion into a 4-inch (10-cm) round. Place one round on a work surface. Place one portion of the filling on one half of the round. Brush a little water on the edges of the dough, fold the empty half over, and press the edges to seal. Trim with a pastry wheel. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

5. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium and slide in two
karanjis
at a time. Cook, gently turning with a slotted spoon, until crisp and golden brown all over. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

6. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature.

Phirni

Chilled rice pudding with nuts

Kheer
(made with whole rice) is probably a better-known rice pudding than
phirni
(made with ground rice), but in my opinion
phirni
tastes equally good—and it can be made with one third the effort of
kheer.

Serves 4.

6 tablespoons (90 grams) raw rice

5 cups (1 liter) milk

Generous pinch of saffron threads

1 cup (200 grams) sugar

½ teaspoon ground green cardamom (see Note page 559)