Popular Indian Sweets and Desserts

1. Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

• 1 cup khoya (milk solids)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp milk (for kneading)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• Ghee (for frying)

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix khoya, flour, and baking soda. Knead into a soft dough with milk. Rest for 15 minutes.
2. Shape into small, smooth balls.
3. Heat ghee in a pan. Fry the balls on low flame until golden brown.
4. Make sugar syrup by boiling sugar, water, and cardamom powder for 10 minutes.
5. Soak the fried gulab jamuns in warm syrup for 2 hours before serving.

2. Rasgulla

Ingredients:

• 1 liter milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Boil milk and add lemon juice to curdle it. Strain and rinse the curdled milk (paneer) under cold water.
2. Knead the paneer into a smooth dough. Make small balls.
3. Boil sugar and water to make syrup. Add cardamom powder.
4. Drop the balls into the boiling syrup. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Let them cool and soak in the syrup for at least 2 hours before serving.

3. Kaju Katli

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• Silver foil (optional)

Method:

1. Grind cashews into a fine powder.
2. Heat sugar and water in a pan to make a syrup of one-string consistency.
3. Add cashew powder and cardamom powder. Cook until the mixture forms a dough-like consistency.
4. Roll the dough between parchment paper and cut into diamond shapes. Decorate with silver foil if desired.

4. Jalebi

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• A pinch of saffron
• Ghee (for frying)

Method:

1. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and yogurt. Ferment the batter for 8 hours.
2. Make sugar syrup with sugar, water, and saffron. Keep it warm.
3. Pour the batter into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe spirals into hot ghee and fry until golden.
4. Dip the fried jalebis in warm syrup for 30 seconds. Serve hot.

5. Carrot Halwa (Gajar Ka Halwa)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg carrots (grated)
• 1 liter full-fat milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Cook grated carrots in milk over medium heat until the milk is absorbed.
2. Add sugar and cook until the mixture thickens.
3. Heat ghee in a pan. Add the cooked carrot mixture and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with chopped nuts and cardamom powder. Serve warm.

6. Rava Kesari (Sooji Halwa)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semolina (sooji/rava)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup ghee
• A pinch of saffron
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts and raisins
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan. Roast semolina until fragrant.
2. Boil water with saffron and add to the roasted semolina, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
3. Add sugar and cook until it dissolves and the mixture thickens.
4. Stir in cardamom powder and nuts. Serve hot.