Gajar Ki Burfi

Burfi is an Indian dessert, with almost fudge like consistency, typically made with milk, nuts, flours and vegetables like carrots, edible gourd, zucchini and winter melon combined with clarified butter.

1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups grated carrots (gajar)
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup khoya or milk powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted cashew halves
3 drops rose essence

1) In a heavy saucepan combine heavy cream and carrots. Bring the carrot mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly, and reduce heat. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been evaporated, approximately 35 to 55 minutes.
2) Add sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, khoya, cardamom and freshly grated nutmeg and mix well with the carrot mixture.
3) Cook, stirring constantly, 10 to 20 minutes, or until the carrot mixture is quite thick like soft cookie dough. Add more butter if desired. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix thoroughly.
4) Lightly grease an 8-inch round baking pan (or stainless steel thali) and pour carrot-mixture into the baking pan and spread the mixture evenly using a heatproof metal spatula. Sprinkle thinly sliced nuts of choice on top if desired. Let it cool completely before cutting. Cut into diamond shapes to serve. Refrigerate.

Servings: 12 to 16

Note: The size of grated carrots should resemble long grain rice or orzo or little larger

Savory Chickpea Cake (Dhokla)

Savory chickpea cake (dhokla) is a gluten free snack, made primarily with pureed hulled split brown chickpeas (chana dal), plain yogurt, herbs and seasonings. It is simply an Indian version of corn bread and can be made in a variety of ways. There isn’t a time when this versatile dish wouldn’t be a welcome addition served as a snack or side dish at a sit down dinner. This recipe originated in the western state of Gujarat, India.

Pureed chickpea mixture is a multi-purpose basic batter often used to make a variety of dishes in the Indian kitchen by pan-frying, deep-frying, baking, fermenting and steaming. If you like the batter this may easily be prepared with chickpea flour (besan or gram flour not graham flour), rice, corn flour, and sooji or cream of wheat. Chickpeas are one of the staples in my pantry and a particular favorite of mine during the winter.

1 cup hulled split chickpeas, soaked, drained
1/8 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice or citric acid
1 serrano chili, chopped – optional
1/8 cup chopped coriander leaves
Mustard-infused oil – optional

1) To prepare the chickpea batter simply follow the same steps (#1 and #2) to make the batter as given for Dahi Vada recipe posted on August 18, 2008 on Nani’s Indian Cooking Blog.
2) Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and add about a generous pinch of salt, baking soda and turmeric. (At this point I like to add 1 teaspoon grated ginger and a generous pinch of cayenne pepper). Stir to mix and cover. Set aside in a draft free place (preferably in the oven with off setting) and leave undisturbed at least 8 hours or overnight to ferment.
3) When ready to steam add 4 cups of water to a large 4-inch deep saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring water to a simmer over medium heat and place steamer rack in the saucepan. Lightly grease a 9-inch round baking pan and set aside.
4) Just before steaming the cake stir in oil and salt to fermented batter. Stir in lemon juice and a generous pinch of baking soda and whisk to mix thoroughly just before ready to steam. At this point, the batter should look quite frothy.
5) Pour the batter into greased baking pan. Carefully place the pan on top of steamer rack. Cover and increase the heat to high and let it steam until firm to the touch approximately 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. Turn the heat off and let it rest for approximately 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and score into desired shapes. Set aside.
6) Heat oil in a skillet and immediately add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Partially cover the pan with a lid and as soon as mustard seeds start sputtering add 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and immediately remove from the heat. Add the cut steamed chickpea pieces and stir to mix. Add the garnishes as needed.

Yield: 4 to 8 servings.

Rice Pudding (Kheer)

As we are celebrating “The Festival of Lights” known as Diwali (short for Deepavali), I fondly remember the details associated with the celebration that lasted for five days as I was growing up in the tiny village of Berinag in the state of Uttrakhand (previously part of Uttar Pradesh) in India.  My recent trip to Berinag brought back the fondest memory of the special time spent with my family almost five decades ago.  I vividly remember my mother making kheer for us kids.  Actually it was made specifically during this time of the year as to welcome the festive season of Diwali as autumn begins (generally it falls during the months of October or November according to the lunar calendar) and starting of the new harvest season in the villages.

Kheer or creamy rice pudding is one of the subtly flavored festive desserts often prepared to celebrate religious ceremonies in my nani’s kitchen.

8 cups whole milk
3/4 cup medium grain rice
6 green cardamom pods, roughly crushed
2 one-inch-piece cinnamon sticks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup blanched powdered almonds
Blanched almonds for garnishing

1) In a 3-quart non-stick saucepan bring 6 cups of milk to a boil. Add rice to the boiling milk. Add cardamom, cinnamon sticks and saffron threads if desired.
2) Reduce the heat; cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until rice is tender. Add sugar and almonds (refined nut flour) to rice and stir constantly until sugar has completely dissolved. Continue to cook until rice is soft and the texture is quite creamy. Add more milk to achieve the desired creamy consistency of rice pudding (kheer). It has to be stirred frequently if you are not using non-stick saucepan.
3) Remove from heat. It takes about 45 to 55 minutes to cook the pudding. The rice pudding will thicken as it sets. You may need to add more milk to achieve the right consistency of the pudding. Before serving the pudding remove the whole cardamom pods and cinnamon stick. Refrigerate at least 4 to 5 hours. Garnish individual bowl of pudding as desired. This can be served warm or chilled.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Mango Ice Cream

Over the years it seems like it isn’t a summer family get together unless I have made my family favorite Indian version of ice cream or kulfi. Whatever the occasion, kulfi is traditionally prepared without the custard-base and I love to prepare it particularly during the month of August that happens to be a very special month for us.

The first time I ever tasted mango ice cream was at a restaurant in Windsor, Canada over three decades ago. The ice cream is still vivid in my mind – creamy, smooth texture with the subtle flavor of my favorite spice green cardamom. The following is the taste memory of mine recreated over the years with many flavors I recently prepared for our family get-together in the month of August.

6 green cardamom pods
2 cups heavy cream
1 two-inch-piece thinly sliced ginger
1/2 cup granulated sugar or to taste
1/4 teaspoon loosely packed saffron threads
2 cups chopped mango, pureed and chilled

1) Remove the papery skin from green cardamom pods if needed. Place cardamom seeds in a coffee grinder and grind coarsely or finely according to your texture needs. Set aside.
2) Combine heavy cream (or combination of half-and-half or milk), ginger and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan and heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Add ground cardamom and saffron and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
3) Remove from the heat and add a generous pinch of salt if desired. Stir to mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool or transfer the spice-infused cream in a clean stainless steel bowl set over ice water bath to expedite the cooling process.
4) Add mango puree (1 cup) to cream and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. (I prefer chilling it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours for the best infusion of spices or spice-infused cream). Strain the chilled mango-cream mixture through fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids if any.
5) At this stage I prefer adding about 1/8 cup of cashew flour finely ground with additional sugar. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking pan. Cover and freeze until the mixture starts freezing around the edges. At this stage take it out and try to stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Cover and freeze for about 45 minutes. Repeat the process again after an hour. Cover and keep in the freezer for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
6) Before serving garnish individual serving with freshly cubed mango pieces on top or as desired. It is best tasting as soon as it sets like the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

Note: I prefer freezing the ice cream in individual pop sickle moulds or 3 to 4-ounce stainless steel bowls (or katori) and unmold by dipping in hot water for about 25 to 30 seconds just before serving.

Variation: To make custard-based mango ice cream add 2 to 3 egg yolks plus additional sugar if desired.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nani’s Vegetarian Cooking

Nani's Vegetarian Cooking Front Cover

After nearly 20 years, I’ve finally released my book, Nani’s Vegetarian Cooking. The book was officially released in September and I wanted to take some time to quickly mention it here for my blog readers. If you enjoy the recipes on my blog, you’ll definitely enjoy the many recipes in my book. I’ve covered a variety of recipes across appetizers, beverages, desserts, rice dishes, lentils, and breads and also provide many helpful cooking tips. One way I think my book distinguishes itself is that unlike many Indian cookbooks, Nani’s Vegetarian Cooking focuses exclusively on Indian vegetarian cuisine.

Over the years, both Indian and vegetarian cuisine have become increasingly popular but it’s tough to find cookbooks that effectively blend the two cuisines. In addition, some may find both Indian and vegetarian cuisine intimidating as the two cuisines may be out of their comfort zone. As a result, it’s really important to make sure the recipes are accessible to a variety of readers and cooks.

While I’m just a little biased, I tend to think that Nani’s Vegetarian Cooking does a splendid job in making Indian vegetarian cooking accessible to beginners but can also offer advanced chefs something new. I really wanted to make this a manual that invites cooks of all styles and levels and I focused on providing recipes that could grow in complexity with the level of the cook. The recipes are explained in a very clear and concise manner and in certain cases I make sure to provide optional steps that can make the dish less difficult to prepare while not resulting in a bland offering.

If you’re looking for something new in terms of cookbooks and have liked what you’ve seen on my blog, Nani’s Vegetarian Cooking could be a great new addition to your bookshelf. You can order it at a variety of places such as Trafford Publishing, Amazon.com, and Waterstones.com. Hopefully, my little informercial wasn’t too long! Thank you for your support and check back here for additional recipes in the future.

Happy Holidays!

Kaju Burfi

Happy Deepavali (or Diwali for short)!

Kaju burfi is a festive sweet, traditionally prepared by using an array of dairy-products and nuts (almonds, cashews, coconuts, pistachios or a variety of grated vegetables), or flour, sugar and flavorings in my nani’s kitchen.

2 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste
1 1/2 cups cashew (kaju) flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground cardamom
3 drops rose essence

1) Lightly grease a 10-inch baking pan (stainless steel round plate or thali) or line it with non-stick parchment paper for easy clean up. Set aside.
2) Combine milk and sugar in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly until sugar has completely dissolved.
3) Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar and a generous pinch of salt to boiling milk. Stir to mix and cook the milk mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. (At this stage I like to add a generous pinch of mace or nutmeg and additional ground cardamom). Add the remaining ingredients except rose essence and stir until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
4) Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring constantly to prevent from sticking on the bottom of the pan, until all the liquid has evaporated. At this point the mixture should have the consistency of cookie dough (almost resembling almond paste).
5) Remove from the heat and add the rose essence (or pure almond extract) if desired. Empty the mixture into the baking pan and spread evenly with a lightly buttered back of metal spatula. Garnish it with sliced cashews or silver leaf for festive look. Let it cool for at least 1 to 2 hours and cut into squares or diamond shapes if you prefer. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate the leftovers.

Yield: 12 servings.

Kofta

Kofta is traditionally a Middle Eastern and South Asian round or oval shaped meatball, made primarily with minced or ground meat usually lamb or beef flavored with onion, herbs and seasonings. However, I have the memories of eating many vegetarian versions of koftas made with an assortment of grated or chopped vegetables (e.g. edible gourd or lauki, ash gourd, cauliflower, carrot and paneer etc.) in my nani’s kitchen. These are quite versatile and may be served as an appetizer (small kofta or mini bites) or as an entrée served with creamy rich sauce along with the side dishes of naan and fragrant rice.

Cauliflower Kofta

2 1/2 cups grated cauliflower
1/4 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon grated ginger and pinch of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala and salt to taste
1 cup chickpea flour or more to hold the shape
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves and extra for garnishing – optional
Vegetable oil for deep-frying koftas
Prepare the sauce as needed

1) To prepare the cauliflower kofta: In a large bowl, combine grated cauliflower, onion, ginger, baking powder, garam masala, 1/3 teaspoon salt, chickpea flour and chopped coriander leaves. (Add 1/2 tablespoon water and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper if needed). Mix thoroughly and shape in about 10 to 14 medium-size koftas or balls. It is extremely important to season the mixture generously and use the light touch while shaping the koftas.
2) Carefully drop onto the heated oil and deep-fry, a few at a time, until crisp and lightly brown on both sides 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat the process until all the koftas are deep-fried. Set aside.
3) Prepare creamy rich sauce according to the AP Spice Paste recipe given under this blog or simply use the commercial Masala Simmer Sauce. At this stage I like to add defrosted green peas (pan-fried paneer or extra firm cubed tofu) and cook for about two minutes. Adjust the spices according to taste.
4) Stir in garam masala if desired and carefully add koftas in a single layer to prepared sauce. Gently turn koftas once; making sure not to break them. Simmer about 2 to 3 minutes and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves just before serving if needed. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Note: The koftas shown in the picture with this recipe do not include the sauce or gravy.

Sweet Potato Halwa

Halwa or halva is one of the simplest sweets, traditionally prepared by cooking grated vegetables (lauki or edible gourd, ash gourd and a variety of root vegetables) in generous amount of ghee with the combination of flour, sugar, milk, flavorings and nuts in the Indian kitchen.

1 sweet potato
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seeds, crushed
1/4 cup sugar or to taste
1/8 cup milk powder or khoya – optional
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
1/8 cup unsalted cashews, chopped

1) Remove the skin from sweet potato and wash thoroughly. Cut into uniform pieces or cubes (yielding about 2 1/4 cups chopped).
2) Place them into a microwave-safe bowl and add 1 teaspoon water. Cover and microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir and microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes or until they are fork tender. Remove from microwave and mash them without adding any liquid. Set aside.
3) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add roughly crushed cardamom seeds (if you like) and mashed sweet potatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except cashews (choice of nuts). Continue to cook, stirring constantly until there is no moisture left in the pan. Stir in the chopped cashews.
4) Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a lightly buttered 8-inch round baking pan or thali (Indian stainless steel round dish). Spread the mixture evenly with a lightly buttered back of metal spatula. Let it cool completely and cut into desired shapes. Serve it warm or at room temperature. Yield: 6-8 servings

Note: This dish may be prepared with baked or boiled sweet potatoes along with additional flavorings and nuts.

Chickpea Patties

This is a great–tasting quick-to-make method of making leftover cooked chickpeas. If you like, the patties may easily be prepared with a combination of cooked soybeans and cooked brown rice, along with herbs and seasonings of choice. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are available in three varieties – brown or kala chana, green and opaque (garbanzo), or kabuli chana in the Indian kitchen.

Tip: Once the chickpeas are cooked; they may be used in four different ways: dips, fritters (falafel), salad, or simply using the chickpeas along with the herbs and seasonings of choice (like chana chaat).

2 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 tablespoon chana chaat masala or to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup rice flakes, moistened
Vegetable oil for pan-frying

1) Combine cooked chickpeas, salt, sesame seeds, ginger and garlic in a food processor. Add chana chaat masala or 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice if desired and pulse until the consistency of a coarse thick paste or dry pulp.
2) Empty the mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients except the vegetable oil and stir to mix. Add additional rice flakes (poha) or sesame flour as needed to hold the shapes of the patties and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
3) Form the chickpea mixture into patties and coat each patty with additional rice flakes. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before pan-frying.
4) Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet and pan-fry in oil for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until lightly brown. Serve warm.

Yield: 4-6 Chickpea Patties.

Chickpea Pakora

Chickpea pakora is traditionally a round or oval shape fritter resembling falafel, made primarily with pureed split hulled beans or dals with onion, herbs and seasonings in the Indian kitchen. Chickpeas are one of the most versatile legumes (or beans) and may be used in a myriad of ways ranging from appetizers, entrees, and even desserts (made with chickpea flour, known as besan halwa).

1/2 cup hulled split chickpeas
1/8 cup hulled split black beans
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

1) To prepare the batter for these fritters simply follow the same steps (#1 and #2) given for the Dahi Vada recipe posted on August 18, 2008 on Nani’s Indian Cooking blog. The batter can be made the evening before and kept covered in the refrigerator until needed.
2) Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add a generous pinch of baking powder and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add onion, chopped coriander leaves, 1 tablespoon semolina (sooji) and additional water if necessary to form a batter just thin enough to drop from a spoon. Stir to mix thoroughly and adjust the seasonings.
3) Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet (preferably a wok) and gently drop a heaping teaspoonful batter for each fritter onto the heated oil and fry a few fritters at a time until crisp or approximately 4 to 6 minutes.
4) Drain on paper towels and repeat the process until all the fritters are deep-fried. Serve warm with chutney or tomato based dipping sauce.

Yield: 30-45 Chickpea Fritters.