Cuisine

Kesar Peda

Ingredients:

• 500g Soft white milk fudge (khoya)
• 300gms sugar powdered
• Half tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds semi crushed
• 1tbsp slivered or crushed pistachios
• A few strands of saffron
• 1tbsp warm milk
• 2 drops saffron colour (optional)

Method:

1. Soak the saffron in warm milk.
2. Crumble the khoya. If very hard, grate the khoya. Add powdered sugar and mix well.
3. Put mixture in a large heavy or nonstick pan. Heat on medium high for few minutes. Reduce the flame and cook till soft and gooey.
4. Make sure to stir continuously, while on heat. When mixture is thick and gooey, add cardamom and saffron. Add the colour if desired.
5. Mix well, and take off fire. Allow to cool, gently turning occasionally.
6. Use cookie moulds, or shape pedas with palms into patty rounds. Mix pistachios and cardamom seeds and press a bit on top of each.
7. If using moulds, first sprinkle some at bottom. Take some mixture and press into mould. When set well, invert and carefully, un-mould.

Dahi Vada

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Fresh Curd
• 1 Cup Urad dal
• 1/4 Cup Moong dal
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 Green Chili (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp Cumin Seed (roasted and grounded)
• 1 tsp Chili Pepper
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 6 tsp Sweet Tamarind Chutney
• Coriander leaves (chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry

Directions

1. Wash and soak the two dals overnight in water.
2. Drain out excess water. Add asafoetida, salt and green chilli. Grind to make a thick batter, beat till fluffy. Now heat oil in a large frying pan. Add spoonfuls of dal batter in oil and fry until turned golden brown. Remove excess oil. Drop the hot vadas in a cold water bowl and leave for about 3-4 minutes. Take each vada out from water, squeeze and set aside. Now add garam masala, pepper and salt in beaten curd. Pour curd mixture over vadas, placed on a deep bottomed dish. Sprinkle with roasted cumin powder and chopped coriander leaves.
3. Dahi Vada is ready to serve with sweet tamarind chutney.

Thandai

Ingredients

• 1 litre full fat milk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 10 to 12 black peppercorns (kalimirch)
• a few saffron (kesar) strands
• To be ground into a fine powder
• 1/4 cup almonds (badam)
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• 1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
• 20 white peppercorns

Directions

1. Boil the milk and allow it to cool completely.Keep aside.
2. Add the ground powder and mix well. Refrigerate the mixture for 3 to 4 hours.
3. Strain the mixture through a sieve, add the sugar,peppercorns and saffron and mix well.
4. Serve chilled. strawberries. Sandwich together with sponge tops.Dust with icing sugar and serve.