This oven-friendly recipe is made with vegetable suet to create a plant-based option.

What is Suet?

Suet in the traditional sense is a raw animal-derived fat. It’s usually sourced from beef or mutton and has many cooking applications from pastry to dumplings. It is not the same as lard.

Since this recipe for Jam Roly Poly is vegan, it calls for vegetable-based suet. Vegetable suet is made from vegetable fats and tossed with wheat flour to keep the fat pellets separate.

The texture is wax pellet-like and soft when pressed between the fingers. Buy it from the supermarket and store in a cool, dry place. I like this brand of vegetable suet.

Jam Roly Poly without suet

It’s entirely possible to make Jam Roly Poly without suet. The texture will however, be different if you use a hydrogenated fat (fat with water) such as vegan butter or spread.

Suet is a form of non-hydrogenated fat which produces a crumbly, soft pastry-like finish. Therefore, if you use vegan block with water listed in the ingredients, the finish will be more doughy.

For a vegan Jam Roly Poly without suet, virgin or refined (odourless) coconut oil is a better option than vegan block or butter.

Step-by-step: How to make Vegan Jam Roly Poly

How to roll Jam Roly Poly

Think cinnamon roll! Indeed, if you can make cinnamon rolls, this process will be a breeze. Due to the sticky and splodgy nature of jam, be sure to leave a border around it to avoid overspill.

Why has my Jam Roly Poly cracked?

It’s normal for Jam Roly Poly to crack a little while it cooks. The foil and baking parchment wrap should be left slightly loose so the pudding has room to expand.

Can you freeze Jam Roly Poly?

Allow the cooked Vegan Jam Roly Poly to cool completely. Wrap it in cling film and then a layer of aluminium foil. Place into a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Instructions to re-heat

Defrost at room temperature and then reheat in a pre-heated oven at 180°C/350°F for 10-12 minutes.

How to make Vegan Custard

I love this recipe for thick and creamy Vegan Custard from The Veg Space. It’s my go-to recipe and tastes so wonderful with this Vegan Jam Roly Poly. The perfect plant-based pudding!

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Flavour ideas for Jam Roly Poly

Types of Jam

I use raspberry jam but strawberry, blackberry, cherry or even plum jam would be delicious options for Roly Poly.

Vegan Jam Roly Poly with spices

Cardamom is optional in this recipe. Feel free to leave it out for a more traditional take on Vegan Jam Roly Poly.

You can replace the cardamom with 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon which is especially delicious with a strawberry jam filling.

Vegan Jam Roly Poly with citrus zest

Fresh orange zest or lemon zest also make for great additions to the suet dough.

Vegan Jam Roly Poly recipe

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Vegan Jam Roly Poly

A vegan take on Jam Roly Poly, the classic British steamed pudding I loved so much at school. Serve hot with custard for a nostalgic dessert you'll crave often. This oven-friendly recipe is made with vegetable suet to create a plant-based option.

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword cardamom, dessert, jam, pudding, raspberry

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Large, deep baking tray
• Oven-safe wire rack
• Aluminium foil
• Baking parchment
• Pastry brush

Ingredients

• 225 g self-raising flour (or plain flour with 2 1/4 tsp baking powder added)
• 25 g caster sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 g vegetable suet
• 120 ml dairy-free milk room temperature
• 175 g raspberry jam stirred to loosen
• 3 tbsp dairy-free milk
• 1 tbsp Demerara sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
• Lay a 50cm wide piece of foil on a work surface. Place a 30cm piece of baking parchment on top of the foil and grease it lightly with oil. Set this aside.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, caster sugar, cardamom, salt and vegetable suet.
• Add the milk and mix to form a shaggy dough. Knead gently for 2-3 minutes until the dough is soft and slightly elastic.
• Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30cm x 15cm.
• Spread the jam all over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1cm gap at the edges to prevent overspill.
• With the longest edge closest to you, begin to roll the dough into a log, like how you’d roll up the dough for cinnamon buns.
• Carefully lift the roll and place it on the greased baking parchment, near the edge. Roll the log in the baking parchment/foil loosely. If it’s too tight, it won’t have enough space to expand.
• Fill a large roasting tin with boiling water and place an oven-safe baking rack on top. Place the wrapped Roly Poly on top of the rack.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F.
• Unwrap the Roly Poly and brush the with the milk. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Return the Roly Poly to the oven for 5 minutes until golden all over. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut the Vegan Jam Roly Poly into thick slices and serve with hot custard.

Video

Notes

How to freeze Vegan Jam Roly Poly

Allow the cooked Vegan Jam Roly Poly to cool completely. Wrap it in cling film and then a layer of aluminium foil. Place into a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and then reheat in a pre-heated oven at 180°C/375°F for 10-12 minutes.

Vegan Custard

I love this recipe for thick and creamy Vegan Custard from The Veg Space. It’s my go-to recipe and tastes so wonderful with this Vegan Jam Roly Poly. The perfect plant-based pudding!

Flavours

Cardamom is optional in this recipe. Feel free to leave it out for a more traditional take on Vegan Jam Roly Poly.

I use raspberry jam but strawberry, blackberry or even cherry jam would be delicious options for Roly Poly.

Pin this recipe for later!

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Masala Cheese Scones

Love Sanjana

The post Vegan Jam Roly Poly appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Watch my Mohanthal and Dhilo Mohanthal video

What is Mohanthal?

Mohanthal, when served as a set square, is a sweet and delicious fudge made from toasted chickpea flour. The texture is grainy and meltingly short, like the lovechild of fudge and shortcrust pastry.

“Mohan” is another name for the Hindu deity, Krishna and “Thal” means plate. This dish is named after him and the saga of his sweet tooth.

What is Dhilo Mohanthal?

Dhilo Mohanthal (or Disco Mohanthal) is the hot, liquid form of Mohanthal. Serve it like hot fudge, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chopped nuts.

The ice cream melts into a pool, partially setting the Mohanthal it touches for a hot and cold pudding like no other. The textures of Dhilo Mohanthal are out of this world.

Indeed, it’s no wonder Mohanthal is such a popular dessert at Indian weddings; Gujarati and Rajasthani weddings in particular.

Why do they call it Disco Mohanthal?

It’s a mystery! I have no idea why, but some people call Dhilo Mohanthal Disco Mohanthal. What’s to question when it sounds this fun?!

Does anybody know why? Let me know in the comments!

What does Mohanthal and Dhilo Mohanthal taste like?

A favourite during holy festivals and family celebrations, the distinct, toasty smell of Mohanthal is inimitable. It calls for liberal use of mace. Not nutmeg, but the orange-hued outer blades that cover it.

Bring the flavours of your Mohanthal to life with the addition of salt. Yes, salt.

Butter vs. Ghee

I use salty butter to make my Mohanthal. Cue the gasps of horror. Purists will tell me the only way to make Mohanthal is with ghee. I respectfully disagree.

Butter

When you toast nutty chickpea flour in fat, it screams for salt. Think salted caramel on level 2,840 of Candy Crush Saga. It’s that delicious. I make Mohanthal more than I make most Indian mithais and believe me when I say that this one is best made with butter.

Still want to use ghee?

Having said this, you can indeed use ghee if you like. If ghee is your fat of choice, be sure to add a generous pinch of salt to the toasted besan. I promise, salt will bring your Mohanthal to life.

Do I really need a cooking thermometer?

Yes. A thousand times, yes! Unless you’re a well-seasoned mithaiwallah, don’t use the “string” method to check the consistency of your sugar syrup. It might have been the done thing years ago and that’s fine. Your grandma did it, my grandma did it, and so does my mum. I bet it’s the same for you.

However, if you’re a beginner and want accurate results, invest in a cooking thermometer. You’ll save yourself a lot of hassle and wasted ingredients. They’re fairly inexpensive. Check here for my recommendations (affiliate link).

How to cut Indian Mithai

Things you need to cut any kind of set Indian sweet neatly: A sharp knife, a steady hand and lots of patience. I like to use a metal ruler, a plastering trowel and cake scraper to mark out where to cut first.

A flexible spatula helps lift the mithai from the tin. The first one or two pieces cut from the tin will usually break. It’s okay! I like to roll the broken ones into laddoos. Never have high expectations for the first pieces you wangle from the tin.

Watch my Mohanthal and Dhilo Mohanthal video to see how I cut my Indian sweets neatly and evenly.

What should I do with scraps and broken Mohanthal?

Gather up any leftover scraps from the tin and roll it into a laddoo. Of course, this is also a good way to salvage any broken Mohanthal that didn’t quite make it out of the tin in one piece.

My Mohanthal-making equipment (contains affiliate links)

Grab the full list of equipment I use to make Mohanthal at home (including pots, pans, thermometer, tin, sieve, scales, knifes and more!). Shop my Mohanthal & Mithai-Making essentials now.

Mohanthal & Dhilo Mohanthal recipe

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Mohanthal and Dhilo Mohanthal

Buttery, melt-in-the-mouth fudge made with chickpea flour, cardamom, saffron and mace. Mohanthal is such a delicious Indian sweet (mithai). Enjoy it as a square or as a hot-fudge like pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword gujarati, indian sweets, mithai

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Resting time 12 hours hours

Total Time 13 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• 2 x large, heavy-based pans
• Sugar thermometer
• Wooden spoon
• Fine mesh sieve
• Large bowl
• Sharp knife
• 20cm x 25cm x 10cm-deep (8" x 10" x 4"-deep) non-stick baking tin or 23cm (9") square. You can also use a 30cm round thali (at least 7cm deep) if you prefer.
• Kitchen scale

Ingredients

For the Dhrabo (this is the bit that ensures your Mohanthal has those essential crunchy pieces):

• 320 g chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp melted ghee
• 2 tbsp full-fat milk

For the Mohanthal:

• 325 g salted butter
• 90 g full-fat milk powder
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp slivered pistachios
• 1 tsp saffron
• 1 1/2 tsp ground mace
• A pinch of orange food colour optional

For the sugar syrup:

• 400 g granulated white sugar
• 300 ml water

Instructions

To make the "Dhrabo":

• Place the chickpea flour in a large bowl. Add the melted ghee and milk. Stir well and then begin to rub the mixture together using your fingertips to form a sandy-texture. This similar to how you would rub butter with flour to create a crumble. Set this aside for 30 minutes. This mixture will give the Mohanthal its' distinct grainy texture.
• Sift the "Dhrabo" mixture through the fine-mesh sieve to remove large lumps. You may need to do this in stages. Don't skip this step, it's really important to ensure the mixture is thoroughly sifted so the final texture of the Mohanthal is correct.

To cook the "Dhrabo":

• Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the "Dhrabo" and stir well to incorporate. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture turns from a creamy beige colour to pinkish and caramel-like in colour. This should take 8-10 minutes depending on the level of heat. Don't stop stirring the mixture at any point.
• As soon as the mixture becomes a light pinkish colour, switch the heat off. Continue to stir for a further five minutes to temper the residual heat. The mixture will be extremely hot and it will continue to cook even after you switch the heat off. This is why it's important to switch the cooker off as soon as it begins to turn caramel-like in colour. Watch my video to see these stages. Add the milk powder and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to cool while you make the sugar syrup.

To make the sugar syrup:

• Place the sugar in a large pan. Add the water and stir to combine. Once the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved, fit the pan with a sugar thermometer. If you're using a digital thermometer, theres no need to affix it to the pan. Don't stir the sugar syrup any more.
• Allow the sugar syrup to reach a temperature of exactly 115°C/239°F and then switch the heat off.

To flavour the Mohanthal:

• To the cooled chickpea flour and milk powder mixture, add ground cardamom, saffron, mace and optional orange food colour. Stir well to incorporate. It should now be cool or just room temperature. Note: If you add hot sugar syrup to this mixture while it's hot, it will clump up and become dry and crumbly. Always allow the chickpea flour mixture to cool.
• Very carefully, pour the hot sugar syrup into the chickpea flour mixture. Slowly begin the stir the mixture using a wooden spoon. After 2-3 minutes of stirring, it will become shiny and lava-like in appearance. The Mohanthal should have a distinct graininess which is what makes it so delicious. It is now ready to serve as Dhilo Mohanthal (loose/liquid Mohanthal).

To set the Mohanthal:

• Pour or ladle the liquid Mohanthal into a tin 20cm x 25cm x 10cm-deep (8" x 10" x 4"-deep) non-stick baking tin or 23cm (9") square. You can also use a 30cm round thali (at least 7cm deep) if you prefer. Flatten the top using a spatula and then sprinkle over some slivered almonds and pistachios.
• Allow the Mohanthal to cool to room temperature. This can take several hours.
• Once cooled, cover the tin with cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours or until completely set.
• Remove the tin from the fridge and allow to sit on the counter top for 30 minutes before cutting into pieces. I like to cut mine into approximately 2.5cm/1-inch squares using a sharp knife. If you want to be super accurate, you can score the top to create a guide before cutting all the way through. Watch the recipe video to see how I use a plastering trowel and cake scraper for super-sharp cutting.
• Enjoy the Mohanthal at room temperature, cold or hot.

To reheat set Mohanthal for Dhilo Mohanthal:

• Place a 2.5cm/1-inch square of Mohanthal into a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tbsp water and microwave on high power in 15 second bursts until liquid. Stir at every interval to distribute the heat evenly. Allow to cool before eating as it will be extremely hot!

Video

Notes

• It’s normal for butter to rise to the top of the set Mohanthal. This may turn opaque upon chilling. This was a highly-coveted result in more traditional times because many people didn’t have fridges to preserve their mithai. The layer of fat will help keep this Mohanthal fresh for weeks when stored (covered) in the fridge.
• Store the Mohanthal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

Pin it for later!

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Cookie Dough Chocolate Burfi

The post Mohanthal and Dhilo Mohanthal appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

I’ve been rushing around like a mad woman on too many jalebis this month. Developing recipes (which I’ll show you later), catching up with friends I haven’t seen since our wedding and generally thinking about what to blog about next.

Sifting through my mum’s handwritten recipes, clippings and annotations on pudding recipes, I once again became a tubby eight year old. Making Indian sweets like white chocolate penda, butterfly burfi (milk fudge with almond ‘butterfly wings’ like the buns we used to make at school) with mum was what made me so passionate about playing with food. She fuelled my curiosity for learning about how flavours really work and our shared enthusiasm for putting an Indian spin on everything. It is something I try to practice every single day.

We’d always make enough to feed the five thousand so quite often, the puddings would be taken to our temple for prashad – food which has been offered to the gods. Once it has been ‘blessed’ the food can be shared.

Unashamedly, this was my favourite bit.

Sampling the prashad brought to the temple by all the different families was something new and adventurous for me. One family would always bring kheer – an Indian rice pudding. It was packed with saffron, cardamom and nuts. Plus, in my eight year-old mind it had to be good… It’d been blessed by GOD! I. Was. Hooked.

The next time there was an event at the temple, I was there faster than a buttered bullet.

Anyone who knows me will be aware of my infatuation with Raymond Blanc. Every time I see him create a French classic on my TV screen, I melt. A simple recipe prepared with hunger and respect for ingredients is something that inspires me to my very bones. So when I saw him make his mother’s recipe for Riz au Lait, I had to try it. He suggested serving it warm, or cold with a brûlée top. Bloody brilliant.

Of course, I had to put my own spin on it so taking my inspiration from childhood experiments and that ‘holy rice pudding at the temple’, I created this Saffron Rice Pudding with Banana Brûlée.

Saffron Rice Pudding with Banana Brûlée
Adapted from Raymond Blanc’s Riz au Lait
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1.2L semi-skimmed milk
500ml double cream
½ tsp saffron
150g rice
100g caster sugar
4 bananas
Extra caster sugar for caramelising the pudding tops

Method

1. Pour the milk and cream in a large pan, then add the sugar, rice and saffron. Bring to the boil and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 40 minutes. The rice should be pretty much cooked all the way through. Don’t worry that there’s lots of extra liquid – it will all come together.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 190C

3. Next, take individual ramekins placed on a tray or one large ovenproof dish and ladle in the rice pudding. Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes or until nicely browned on top. If it gets too brown, cover with some foil. Remove from the oven.

4. Slice the bananas and top the rice pudding. Sprinkle over a liberal amount of sugar and place under a hot grill until dark and the colour of burnt caramel. If you have a blowtorch you can use that. I do have one but it’s new and if I’m honest, I’m a bit scared of it.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving because burnt tongues are nobody’s favourite.

Love Sanjana

The post Saffron Rice Pudding with Banana Brûlée appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.