Malpua....Sweet Indian Pancakes

As I mentioned in my last post that I'm celebrating "Poush Sankranti" or "Makar Sankranti" on my blog so this will be my last recipe to celebrate the same. We Bengalis celebrate this festival with Pithe-Payesh. Since childhood I have seen my Mom and Grandma to make different varieties of "Pithe". Among them Patisapta (Indian Rice Flour Crepes) and Malpua (Indian Sweet Pancakes) were my favorites. I used to call them Dosa Pithe (as they look like Dosas) and Bhaja Pithe respectively.

I learnt the skill of making Pithe from my Mom. But this year I tried two very unusual Pithes; Hridoy Horon Pithe and Golap Pithe. They not only include cooking but crafting too. As far as their taste is concerned they are ambrosial. I have already posted the recipes of Hridoy Horon Pithe and Golap Pithe. Check them out :)

To wrap up this festival I decided to make Malpua. It is fennel flavored sweet Indian pancakes dipped in sugar syrup and when served with Rabri, believe me its just a slice of heaven. There are many variations and proportions used for this recipe but I'm penning down what I learnt from my Mom.

Let's begin:

Ingredients:

For Sugar Syrup:

1. Sugar: 2 cups

2. Water: 1 cup

For Rabri:

1. Milk: 2 cups

2. Sugar: 1 cup

3. Green Cardamoms: 4-5

4. Saffron Strands: few

5. Almonds (chopped): for garnishing

For Malpua:

1. All purpose flour(Maida): 2 cups

2. Rice Flour: 1 cup

3. Semolina: 1 cup

4. Khoa(solidified milk): 1/2 cup

5. Sugar: 1/2 cup

6. Green Cardamoms(crushed): 4-5

7. Fennel Seeds: 1 tbsp

8. Salt: a pinch

9. Oil: for frying 

Method:

For Making Sugar Syrup:

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan add sugar and water and let it boil on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any). 

2. Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat. Keep it aside.

For Making Rabri:

1. Take a pan and heat milk on medium heat. Cook the milk till it is reduced to half.  At this stage add sugar and mix well.

2. Cook the milk-sugar mixture for another minute. Add crushed cardamoms and keep it aside.

For Making Malpua: 

1. As I used store bought khoa so I first grated and then mashed it. If you are using homemade then you just need to mash it well.  

2. In a deep bowl add all purpose flour, rice flour, semolina, khoa, sugar, crushed green cardamoms, fennel seeds and salt. Give it a nice mix so that all the ingredients gets combined.

3. Add milk to this mixture and mix well till no lumps are visible. The batter should have a pouring consistency neither too thick nor too watery.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai or pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough test your malpua batter by pouring a spoonful in hot oil. 

5. If required add more flour or milk (little at a time) to make it thick or thin.

6. When you are satisfied with the batter take a laddle full of batter and pour it into the oil. Fry the malpua till it gets a nice golden hue. Remove them in a palte lined with paper-towel.

7. Dip the malpuas in sugar syrup. The syrup should be warm enough.

8. While serving take out Malpuas from sugar syrup put a generous amount of Rabri on top of it. Garnish with few saffron strands and chopped almonds.

9. Enjoy.

Note:

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Golap Pithe.......Edible Rose Garden

As I'm celebrating "Poush Sankranti" or "Makar Sankranti" on my blog so my posts are revolving around "Pithe". Let me just give you an idea of what this festival is all about, so basically its a major harvesting festival which is celebrated in many parts of India. As India is a very diversified country, this festival is celebrated in many regions but with different names: 

Assam==> Bhogali Bihu

Andhra Pradesh==> Makara Sankranti

Bihar, UP and Rajasthan==> Sankrat

Gujarat==> Uttrayan

Goa and Maharashtra==> Makar Sankranti

Himachal Pradesh==> Magha Saaji

Karnataka==> Suggi

Kerala==> Pongal

Punjab==> Maghi

Tamil Nadu==> Pongal
Goa and Maharashtra==> Sankrant

West Bengal==> Poush Sankranti

I believe it really doesn't matter how a same festival is being celebrated in different regions, but what counts is same level of happiness that it brings along.

We Bengalis celebrate it with "Pithe-Payesh". For those who don't know what is "Pithe" so let me introduce it to you its basically a type of cake or dimsum common in the Eastern India and Bangladesh. They are made up of rice flour or wheat flour batter (or dough), stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients and then cooked and "Payesh" is rice pudding which is made with "Nolen Gur" (date palm jaggery) available only this time of the year.

To keep the spirit up of this festival I chose a very unique dessert called "Golap Pithe". It involves not only "Cooking" but "Crafting" too and when these two combine they give a recipe which pleases your mind aesthetically.

So let's begin:

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour: 1 and 1/2 cup

2. Sugar: 2 cups

3. Milk: 1 cup

4. Egg: 1

5. Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tbsp

6. Green Cardamoms(crushed): 5-6

7. Salt: 1/2 tbsp

8. Oil: for frying pithe

9. Water: 3 cups

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan boil two cups of water with sugar on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any). Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat.

2. In another pan boil a cup of water with salt on medium-high heat. Once the water starts boiling add the flour and mix well with a wire whisk. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool down.

3. Crack the egg in a bowl and beat it nicely with a fork. 

4. Add ghee, beaten egg (very little at a time) and remaining crushed cardamoms to the flour mixture. Knead well until the mixture comes together into a dough.

5. Make small balls (8-10) out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and roll it into a flat puri (bread) with your rolling pin. 

6. Now take the puri (bread) and cut a circle with the help of a cookie cutter. In the same manner make the other two puris (breads). We need three puris (breads) to make one flower.

7. Put one puri on top of the other and make three cuts leaving the center as shown in the figure. Take one part at a time and fold it inwards to form the petals. Use water to seal the edges together. Continue the process until you are done.

8. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pithe. Fry them until they get a nice golden hue. Take them out on a plate lined with paper-towel. 

9. Put them in sugar syrup (the syrup should be warm enough) and let it rest for good 2-4 hours.

10. Enjoy these beautiful "Golap Pithe" with your friends and family.

Note:

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Hridoy Horon Pithe.....A Heart Stealing Delicacy

The foodies just need a reason to celebrate and slurp some of the sumptuous delicacies. Whether it's Holi, Diwali, Eid, Christmas or a simple weekend, we don't miss any chance to cook and then wolf it down. But this time for sure we have a reason. Yes, it's "Makar Sankranti" or "Poush Sankranti" (in Bengali) which is a major harvest festival in many parts of India. In Eastern India this festival is also called as "Poush Parbon" or "Poush Sankranti" as this festival marks end of the month "Poush". 

During this auspicious time of the year several desserts are prepared using freshly harvested paddy, nolen gur (date palm jaggery) and coconuts which are called as "Pithe" or "Pitha". The sweet shops in Kolkata are bursting with the sweets made up of "Nolen Gur". Every household is filled with the aroma of Pithe at this time of the year.

I grew up seeing my Mom and Grandma making these pithe. They use to spend their whole day (of Sankranti) making several types of pithe and payesh (rice pudding); I'm just following their footsteps. Well, I have to also confess that I don't make so many varieties of pithe-payesh but I do make three to four varieties. 

Pithe or Pitha is a type of cake or dimsum common in the Eastern India and Bangladesh. They are made up of rice flour or wheat flour batter (or dough), stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients and then cooked. 

"Hridoy Horon Pithe" is a very palatable and easy on the eye delicacy. "Hridoy Horon" is a bengali term which means "Heart-robbing". This dessert literally steals your heart when you look at it. When I made it at the very first time, trust me I couldn't have it, not because it didn't turn out well but due to its exceptional and affectionate look. Anyway that's another story :)

So, let's start with this heart stealing recipe of the pithe:

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour: 1 and 1/2 cup

2. Sugar: 2 and 1/2 cups

3. Milk: 2 cups

4. Egg: 1

5. Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tbsp

6. Green Cardamoms(crushed): 5-6

7. Salt: 1/2 tbsp

8. Oil: for frying pithe

9. Water: 3 cups

10. Almonds and Saffron strands: for garnishing

Method For Making Malai:

1. Take a pan and heat the milk on medium heat. Cook the milk till it is reduced to half.  At this stage add 1/2 cup of sugar and mix well.

2. Cook the milk-sugar mixture for another minute. Add crushed cardamoms and keep it aside.

Method For Making Pithe:

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan add sugar and two cups of water and let it boil on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any). Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat.

2. In a separate pan boil a cup of water with salt on medium heat. Once the water starts boiling add the flour and mix well with a wire whisk. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool down.

3. Break the egg in a bowl and beat it nicely with a fork. 

4. Add ghee, beaten egg (very little at a time) and remaining crushed cardamoms to the flour mixture. Knead well until the mixture comes together into a dough.

5. Make small balls (8-10) out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and roll it into a flat puri (bread) with your rolling pin. 

6. Now take the puri (bread) and shape it into a paper fan. Fold it into half and seal inside with a wet finger.

7. Fold the open edges opposite way to give it a heart shape. Use water to seal the edges together. 

8. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pithe. Fry them until they get a nice golden hue. Take them out on a plate lined with paper-towel. 

9. Put them in sugar syrup (the syrup should be warm enough) and let it rest for good 2-4 hours. You can have these pithe as it is with sugar syrup or put it into malai.  

10. I guess this pithe justifies its name when you dip them in malai. Garnish with chopped almonds and  few strands of saffron.

11. Serve your "Hridoyhoron Pithe" and steal the hearts of your friends and family.

Note:

For regular updates just click the "Like" button on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flavors-Of-My-Plate/737185573034586?ref=hl

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Rasgulla/Rosogolla

Rasgulla or Rosogolla.....Do I need to tell you what it is? Rosogolla and Bengalis are synonyms. You cannot imagine one without the other. It doesn't need any introduction in the Indian subcontinent. But for those who don't know what it is then let me introduce them with this signature Bengali sweet. Rosogollas are homemade cheese balls cooked and soaked in sugar syrup.

Bengali's love for Rosogolla is endless. They can eat it at breakfast, at lunch and can even finish their dinner with it. My love for Rosogolla has a short story behind it. As a child I was not a big fan of sweets and needless to say I had never tasted Rosogolla. My parents used to tell me you are missing such a big thing in your life. But one day my Mesho (Maternal Uncle) insisted me much to have a bite of it but I was not ready and then he took one Rosogolla and put it in my mouth and I realized how delicious it is and what I was missing all that while. From that day onward I can eat Rosogolla at any time of the day.

This time I made Rosogolla on Diwali. I posted its picture even on my Facebook page:

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flavors-Of-My-Plate/737185573034586?ref=hl 

 Since I was busy with Diwali chores I was unable to post its recipe before. So now here I am with its recipe. Hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:

For Making Cottage Cheese (Chena):

1. Milk : 1 liter 

2. Lime Juice : 4 tbsp (mix with 1 tbsp of water)

For Making Sugar Syrup:

1. Sugar : 4 cups

2. Water: 2 cups

3. Crushed Cardamoms: 4-5

Method:

For Making Homemade Cottage Cheese (Chena):

1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Stir it continuously as it tends to stick to the bottom.

2. As milk starts boiling reduce the heat to low. Take small amount of milk in a ladle and add lime juice to it until milk (in the ladle) starts curdling. Then add this curdled milk into the pan and stir slowly until milk solids and whey (green color water) gets separated (you can add more lime juice if required but don't add too much because it will leave a sour taste and the chena will get firm). I like to curdle milk like this because this makes the process of curdling easier. 

3. Strain the curdled milk with a muslin cloth or a strainer lined with cotton cloth. Once all the water gets drained wash the chena under cold running water. This helps the chena to cool down and will remove its sourness.

4. Squeeze the excess water from the chena (don't overdo it otherwise the chena will become too dry) and hang it on the kitchen tap for around an hour to remove any excess water. Now your chena is ready for making Rosogolla.

For Making Sugar Syrup: 

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan add sugar and water and place it on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any).

2. Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat and add crushed cardamoms. 

For Making Rosogolla:

1. Mash the chena with your palms until its smooth. You need to do it for good 10-15 mins. As you do so your palms will become greasy which is due to the fat present in the chena. 

2. Once your chena is ready divide it into equal portions.

3. Take each portion put one cardamom seed in it and roll it into a smooth ball with the help of your palms. Roll it until you get a perfect ball. By perfect I mean you should not be able to see any cracks. If you see any cracks then again mash it and make a smooth ball out of it.

3. Once your chena balls are ready put them in the sugar syrup, cover the lid and boil them for 20-25 mins on medium heat. (Remember to take a wide mouthed and deep pan because these chena balls will get double in size so there should be enough room for them to accommodate).

4. Check the Rosogollas after 20-25 mins by this time they will be double in size and will get spongy too. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool down to room temperature. 

5. Enjoy your home made Rosogolla with some extra syrup as we Bengali's do.

Langcha

As Diwali is around the corner its time to indulge yourself into the sweetness of the sweets without having the guilt of those extra pounds gained from them. Diwali or Deepawali is a festival of lights. It signifies the victory of light over the darkness, good over the evil. On Diwali night people dress up their best and decorate their home with Diyas and workship Lakshmi: the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. The Puja is followed by fireworks and the grand feast including sweets. So, I thought of sharing a very popular Bengali sweet "Langcha" on this festive occasion.

Langcha is a Bengali dessert that originated in Shaktigarh in the Burdwan district of West Bengal, India. But now you can find it in any sweet shop of Kolkata. Moreover some of the well known brands also sell them in cans. 

Langcha is made up of sweetened cottage cheese (chena), khoa (reduced solidified milk), and flour. There is another form of Langcha which is known as Pantua. Basically the difference between Langcha and Pantua is in their shape. Langcha is cylindrical shaped while the other one is round.

Cottage cheese is widely used in many Indian sweets. You can use store-bought cottage cheese or make it very easily at home. However, I would suggest you to make cheese at home to ensure its purity. Any adulterated or inferior cheese can ruin your Langcha or Pantua.

Ingredients:

For Making Cottage Cheese(Chena):

1. Milk : 1 liter

2. Lime Juice : 4 tbsp (mix with 1 tbsp of water)

For Making Langcha:

1. Cottage Cheese (Chena) : 200 grams
2. Khoa (Solidified Milk) : 100 grams

3. Flour : 2 tbsp

4. Sugar : 1 tbsp

5. Baking Powder : 1/4 tsp

6. Cardamoms(crushed) : 4-5
7. Ghee : 1 tbsp

8. Oil : For frying

9. Almonds(for garnishing) 

For Making Sugar Syrup:

1. Sugar : 5 cups

2. Water : 2 cups

3. Cardamoms(crushed) : 4-5

Method:

For Making Homemade Chena(Cottage Cheese):

1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Stir it continuously as it tends to stick to the bottom.

2. As milk starts boiling reduce the heat to low. Take small amount of milk in a ladle and add lime juice to it until milk (in the ladle) starts curdling. Then add this curdled milk into the pan and stir slowly until milk solids and whey (green color water) gets separated (you can add more lime juice if required but don't add too much because it will leave a sour taste and the chena will get firm). I like to curdle milk like this because this makes the process of curdling easier.

3. Strain the curdled milk with a muslin cloth or a strainer lined with cotton cloth. Once all the water gets drained wash the chena under cold running water. This helps the chena to cool down and will remove its sourness.

4. Squeeze the excess water from the chena (don't overdo it otherwise the chena will become too dry) and hang it on the kitchen tap for around an hour to remove any excess water. Now your chena is ready for making Langcha.

For Making Sugar Syrup: 

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan add sugar and water and place it on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any).

2. Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat and add crushed cardamoms. 

For Making Langcha:

1. Mash the chena with your palms until its smooth. As you do so your palms will become greasy which is due to the fat present in the chena. 

2. I used store bought khoa so I grated it first and then mashed it until its smooth.

3. Now mix chena, khoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, crushed cardamoms and ghee. Knead it well with your palms until there are no lumps. The dough will be greasy and you will be able to feel it.

4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for 10-15 mins.

5. Now make equal sized round balls from the dough and shape them into long cylinders with the help of your palms. 

6. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once ready remove the oil from heat, wait for a minute and add Langcha's carefully (few at a time as they tend to increase in size and should have room for frying evenly). Place the pan on heat again and fry them till they get a nice brown color. 

7. Take out the fried Langcha and place them on a plate lined with paper towel to soak excess oil. Now add fried Langcha in sugar syrup very carefully as they are very delicate. Make sure the syrup is hot. 

8. Soak the Langcha in the sugar syrup for an hour and Voila!! your Langcha is ready to serve. Garnish it with almonds if you like or enjoy your syrupy Langcha as it is.

Narkel Nadu/ Coconut Ladoo

Narkel Nadu or Coconut Ladoo don't need any introduction in Bengali households. But for the people who are wondering what it is then let me introduce you to this. Narkel Nadu or Coconut Ladoo is a sweet dish from West Bengal which are made during the festivals specially during the Durga Puja and Lokkhi Pujo/ Lakhmi Pujo. 

The Nadu or Ladoo are of two kinds "Gure'r Nadu" made with Jaggery and are deep brown in color and "Chini'r Nadu" made with Sugar and are pristine white in color. My personal liking is the Chini'r Nadu (the one made with Sugar) and that is what I am sharing with you all.

As the name suggests it is made up of Coconut, Whole Milk (you can also use Evaporated Milk to reduce the time and effort), Sugar and Cardamom to add some flavor to the Nadu (Ladoo).

Ingredients:

1. Grated Coconut or Shredded Coconut : 4 cups

2. Sugar : 2 cups

3. Whole Milk : 3 cups (If you are using Evaporated Milk: 2 cups)

4. Cardamom (crushed) : 5-6

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan mix the grated coconut and sugar thoroughly with your hands.

2. Place the pan on low heat for about 4-5 mins. The sugar will melt and gets mixed with the coconut. Stir the mixture with a wooden spatula as it tends to stick to the pan.

3. Now add the whole milk (or evaporated milk) to the coconut and sugar mixture. After a minute or so the mixture will start bubbling. To prevent it from sticking to the bottom stir the mixture continuously.

4. Keep stirring till the milk gets almost dry and the mixture will leave the sides of the pan. At this point the mixture will slightly change its color. In order to test it make a small ball from the mixture (be careful as the coconut mix will be very hot), if it holds the shape then the mixture is done.

5. Turn off the heat and add the crushed cardamoms. Give it a good mix and wait until the coconut mixture cools down.

6. Make small balls by rolling the mixture within your palms and place it on a clean plate.

7. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate it if you want the Nadu/ Ladoo to keep for several days.