How to Cook Indian (123 page)

15 pistachios, blanched (see Note page 40) and sliced

1. Put the rice in a small bowl, wash it in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 1 cup (200 ml) water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the rice in a colander and transfer to a spice grinder. Grind to a coarse paste. Stir in a little water or some of the milk.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add the milk, and bring to a boil. Add the rice paste and stir well. Lower the heat to low and simmer, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes or until the rice is completely cooked. Add the saffron and stir well. Add the sugar and cardamom, and cook until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Spoon into earthenware or china serving bowls and garnish with the pistachios. Put in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.

Rabdi

Thickened milk with pieces of cream

Cooks called
halwais
labor in local sweet shops all over India, reducing milk in gargantuan woks by stirring the hot liquid continuously. The result of their hard work is either this thick, sweet dessert with large bits of cream in it or the dry, crumbly cake called
khoya
or
mawa,
which is the basis of countless other sweets.

Serves 4.

8 to 10 almonds

8 to 10 pistachios

1 quart (800 ml) whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon rosewater

¼ teaspoon ground green cardamom (see Note page 559)

1. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add ½ cup (100 ml) water, and bring to a boil. Add the almonds and pistachios, and remove from the heat. Let the almonds and pistachios blanch in the hot water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Peel and thinly slice them.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add the milk, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 40 minutes. As the cream forms, it will stick to the sides of the pan.

3. Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the milk is reduced to one quarter of its original volume.

4. Scrape off the cream from the sides of the pan and return it to the thickened milk. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater.

5. Transfer to a serving bowl and decorate with the almonds, pistachios, and cardamom. Serve warm or chilled.

Raghavdas Laddoo

Sweet semolina balls with roasted coconut

There’s a special, much-loved type of Indian sweet called
laddoos.
The more common ones are the chickpea flour–based
laddoos
of the north and the semolina-based ones of Maharashtra. During the festival of Ganapati, these coconut-and-semolina
laddoos
are prepared as
naivedyam
(offerings to the Almighty).

Makes 25.

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

6 tablespoons ghee (page 37)

1½ cups (300 grams) coarse
rawa/suji
(semolina flour)

½ teaspoon ground green cardamom (see Note page 559)

2 tablespoons raisins

1¾ cups (375 grams) sugar

1. Place a nonstick wok over medium heat. Let it heat for 2 minutes, then lower the heat to low, add the coconut, and cook for 6 minutes or until reddish brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Put the ghee in the same hot wok over low heat. Add the semolina and cook for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat, add the browned coconut, and stir well.

3. Add the cardamom and stir well. Reserve a few raisins for garnish and stir the rest into the semolina mixture.

4. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and ¾ cup (150 ml) water, and cook until a syrup of one-string consistency is formed (see Note page 570).

5. Add the semolina mixture and stir well. Cover and remove from the heat; set aside for 15 minutes or until the mixture cools a little.

6. Grease your palms with a little ghee, take a little of the semolina mixture into your palms and shape into a round ball. Decorate each ball with a raisin. Repeat with the remaining semolina mixture and raisins.

7. When the
laddoos
are completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Rasmalai

Soft cheese patties soaked in sweetened milk

Juicy
and
creamy:
two words that do not go together except when used to describe this traditional Indian dessert. It is available in
mithai
(sweet) shops across the country, but making it from scratch at home is an exhilarating experience. The results are superb, and you are bound to get some pats on the back.

In this recipe, the first syrup is used for cooking the cheese patties. Since this syrup has a bit of flour, it cannot be used for soaking the patties once they are cooked. So we prepare another syrup, this time without the flour.

Makes 12.

For the
chenna:

5 cups (1 liter) whole milk

1½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar

For the first syrup:

1¼ cups (250 grams) sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

For the second syrup:

2½ cups (500 grams) sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

For the
rabdi:

5 cups (1 liter) whole milk

3 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of saffron threads

1. Make the
chenna:
Place a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat and add the milk. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to low, add the vinegar, and stir until the liquid whey separates from the solid curds.

2. Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth and pour in the whey and curds; drain, then gather the curds up in the cloth and dip the
chenna,
in the cloth, in a bowl of cold water until it is completely chilled. Squeeze out any excess water and press with your palms until all the water drains away. The
chenna
should form a ball.

3. Transfer the
chenna
to a plate and divide into 12 portions. Take each portion between your palms and press and roll to form a flat patty. Set aside.

4. Make the first syrup: Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat. Add the sugar and 3 cups (600 ml) water and cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. When the syrup comes to a boil, add the milk. The scum will rise to the top. Gently spoon off the scum and discard.

5. Bring the syrup to a rolling boil. Lower the
chenna
patties into the syrup. In a small cup, stir the
maida
into ¼ cup (50 ml) water to make a slurry. Add this to the syrup and stir. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, adding ½ cup (100 ml) water every 5 minutes so that the syrup does not thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. Make the second syrup: Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat. Add the sugar and 2 cups (400 ml) water, and cook, stirring continuously, until the sugar is dissolved. When the syrup comes to a boil, add the milk. The scum will rise to the top. Gently spoon off the scum and discard. Let the syrup cool slightly; it should be warm, not hot.

7. With a slotted spoon, remove the
chenna
patties from the first syrup and put them in the second syrup to soak.

8. Make the
rabdi:
Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add the milk. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring continuously, until the milk is reduced by one quarter. Scrape off the cream that collects on the sides of the pan and drop it back into the milk.

9. Add the sugar and saffron, and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.

10. Remove each
chenna
patty from the second syrup, gently press to remove excess syrup, and add into the
rabdi
to soak.