It’s because almost everybody loves Gulab Jamun.

Indeed, when it comes to the world of South Asian desserts, Gulab Jamun are not a nice-to-have, they’re imperative. A core part of the dining experience.

What does Gulab mean?

Rose. The traditional flavouring for Gulab Jamun is rosewater. Cardamom and saffron are also popular additions. I like to add all three.

The sugar syrup

When making Gulab Jamuns, the sugar syrup should be thin. If it’s too thick, the jamuns will not absorb the syrup and if it’s too thin, they will break apart. What we need is what’s called a simple syrup.

How to make simple syrup for Gulab Jamun

Bring the sugar syrup to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes until the temperature of the syrup registers 61°C/142°F on a sugar thermometer.

Add any flavourings, stir and set aside to cool slightly before using.

The syrup should be warm when we add the jamuns.

How to serve Gulab Jamun

Serve Gulab Jamun either warm or at room temperature. For special occasions, some people like to serve their Gulab Jamun warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

To heat the Gulab Jamun, place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power in 10 second bursts until warm. Microwaves cook from the inside out so let them cool a bit before eating.

Nobody likes a burnt tongue!

Different ways to make Gulab Jamun

There are dozens of different ways to make Gulab Jamun. This happens to be my favourite recipe.

My version uses skimmed milk powder, plain flour and semolina (sooji). This blend produces soft and spongy Gulab Jamun with a fabulous airy texture inside.

Gulab Jamun with mawa

Milk solids, or “mawa” is a traditional ingredient in Gulab Jamun recipes.

You can either buy mawa from the shop or make it at home. Shop-bought mawa is usually in the chiller section, near the paneer.

Make your own Mawa by boiling full-fat milk until all you are left with is a solid mass. This is time consuming but many people swear by it!

Gulab Jamun with cake mix

Lots of people like to make Gulab Jamun with shop-bought cake mix. The mix is made with far less liquid so it forms more of a dough than a batter. I’ve never given this one a go but if you feel brave, go for it!

Gulab Jamun with bread

Desi aunty fave! Got a loaf of leftover white bread? Blitz it up in your food processor and make Gulab Jamun. I’ve seen lots of people have success with this option, but I’ve never tried it for myself.

The final Gulab Jamuns appear to have a nice, soft texture but not the solid finish milk powder or mawa Gulab Jamuns have.

Gulab Jamun with sooji

Lots of recipes for Gulab Jamun call exclusively sooji (semolina). The result is a denser Gulab Jamun with a grainy texture.

I love the texture coarse semolina gives Gulab Jamun so choose to add a small amount of it to my milk powder and plain flour mixture.

Gulab Jamun mix

O ye old faithful. Running short on time? There are dozens of different Gulab Jamun packet mixes on Asian supermarket shelves. Mix them up according to packet instructions and have Gulab Js on the table in a flash.

Gulab Jamun with condensed milk

Some recipes call for a mixture of condensed milk and milk powder. Gulab Jamun you prepare in this way are much sweeter and caramel-like in flavour.

Perfect Gulab Jamun recipe with milk powder

My recipe calls for skimmed milk powder. It is more readily available in comparison to full-fat milk powder.

I find that using skimmed milk powder allows the cook to control the amount of fat in the mixture. This way, we can be sure our Gulab Jamun have the perfect, spongy texture inside.

Texture is everything!

I cannot reiterate this enough. When it comes to Gulab Jamun, texture is incredibly important. Even if one ingredient is out, it will throw the entire recipe.

Be sure to weigh all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Cup measures are subject to interpretation and don’t yield consistent results, in my opinion.

5 common Gulab Jamun mistakes

1. Incorrect ingredient weights and measures
2. Incorrect frying temperature
3. Dough not rested
4. Syrup undercooked/overcooked
5. Gulab Jamun too hard or too soft

Are they vegan?

Gulab Jamun typically contain milk-based ingredients. Milk powder and reduced milk solids are the most common additions.

However, this is not to say you can’t make vegan ones. I’m yet to test vegan Gulab Jamuns in my own kitchen.

Are they gluten free?

My recipe for Gulab Jamun contains both wheat flour and semolina, therefore this version is not gluten free.

Troubleshooting

Why are my Gulab Jamun breaking in the oil?

It’s likely the dough contains too much moisture or fat. Gulab Jamun that break whilst frying may also occur due to a very low oil temperature.

Why are my Gulab Jamun hard?

Your Gulab Jamun might be too hard due to a lack of moisture in the mixture or overcooking whilst frying.

My Gulab Jamun aren’t soaking up syrup

If you overcook jamun, they will develop a hard outer coating which prevents syrup absorption. This can also occur if the sugar syrup is too viscous.

Why do Gulab Jamun shrink in the syrup?

Undercook Gulab Jamun or fry them at too high a temperature and they will develop hollow or doughy centres. This will cause the jamuns to collapse inwards and deflate when you add them to the sugar syrup.

Sometimes they may deflate at first and then become plump and juicy after a bathe in the sugar syrup.

Why do my Gulab Jamun have cracks?

Dough not rested long enough or not enough liquid in mixture.

My Gulab Jamun fall apart in the syrup

The Gulab Jamun are too soft. Too much moisture in the dough, not fried long enough or the sugar syrup is too watery.

How to store

Immerse the Gulab Jamun in the sugar syrup and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a month.

Can I freeze them?

Yes. Keep Gulab Jamun (in their syrup) in a freezer-safe container and defrost at room temperature. Note that the structural integrity of frozen Gulab Jamun will not be as sturdy as their fresh counterparts.

I recommend warming them before you serve.

What are the ingredients for Gulab Jamun?

Here’s a list of all the ingredients you’ll need for making my Gulab Jamun at home.

• Skimmed milk powder
• Ghee
• Coarse semolina (sooji)
• Plain flour (all-purpose flour/maida)
• Green cardamom
• Baking powder
• Full-fat milk
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Oil for frying
• Sugar
• Water
• Saffron
• Rosewater

Perfect Gulab Jamun recipe

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Perfect Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun are like the chocolate cake of Desi parties. Soft balls of fried milk & rose syrup. So delicious. Follow my simple recipe & video for beautifully melt-in-the-mouth Gulab Jamuns.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword dessert, diwali, milk, mithai

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 18

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the jamun:

• 200 g skimmed milk powder
• 20 g coarse semolina
• 35 g plain flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 5 green cardamom pods, seeds ground
• 1 1/2 tbsp ghee melted and cooled slightly
• 200 ml full-fat milk room temperature
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 L oil for deep frying

For the syrup:

• 600 g granulated sugar
• 600 ml water
• 15-20 saffron strands (large pinch)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp rosewater

Instructions

For the Gulab Jamun dough:

• Take skimmed milk powder in a large bowl or thali with high sides. Add plain flour, semolina, baking powder, ground cardamom seeds and salt. Mix well.
• Add melted ghee and rub the mixture together to form a coarse, breadcrumb-like texture. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together milk and lemon juice. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Once the mixture has curdled slightly, add it to the dry ingredients. Start by making a well in the centre and then add the milk mixture a little at a time, forming a paste with your fingers from the centre and working your way outwards to incorporate more dry ingredients.
• Once all the milk mixture has been added, beat the mixture with your fingertips to form a lumpy but uniform texture. It will feel very sticky, more like a batter than a dough. This is good.
• Allow the mixture to stand, uncovered for 30 minutes. Do not mix it during this time. This resting time will give the milk powder, flour and semolina in the Gulab Jamun dough time to hydrate fully, turning from a wet batter, to a dough.

To make the sugar syrup:

• Place sugar in a large pan. Add water, lemon juice and saffron. Rub the saffron between your palms to release some of their aromas. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. The lemon juice will prevent crystallisation of the syrup. You can also use a tablespoon of liquid glucose in place of lemon juice if you like.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and bring the syrup to a rolling boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until a light syrup forms and the temperature of the syrup registers 61°C/142°F. As soon as the syrup reaches this stage, remove the pan from the heat. Cover with a lid and allow to cool for 15 minutes before adding rosewater. Stir well and keep covered until needed.

To form the Gulab Jamuns:

• Once the dough has fully hydrated, it will be a tacky, dough-like consistency. Portion the dough into 15g pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, using a very small amount of ghee to grease your hands if necessary. Ensure every ball is completely smooth and free from cracks. Set aside onto a plate.
• Repeat this process for all of the dough. You should have around 38 Gulab Jamuns.

To fry the Gulab Jamuns:

• Heat the oil in a large pan suitable for deep frying. The oil temperature should register 100°C/212°F.
• Add several Gulab Jamuns, taking care not to overcrowd the oil. Don't add too many at once as they require constant agitation. If you're not accustomed to it, they will brown unevenly. You can fry bigger batches once you get used to the frying process. Agitate the oil around the Gulab Jamun, taking care not to touch them too much with the perforated skimmer or it they will become misshapen.
• As soon as the Gulab Jamuns double in size and float to the top of the oil (after around 3 minutes), increase the oil temperature to 150°C/302°F and fry until golden brown all over. At this stage, you must keep the Gulab Jamuns moving at all times to ensure even browning. Once the Gulab Jamuns have been in the oil for around 7-8 minutes in total, they should be perfectly golden all over.
• Lift the Gulab Jamuns out of the oil and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Set aside and repeat the frying process for the remaining Gulab Jamuns. Be sure the oil temperature cools before adding subsequent batches.

To soak the Gulab Jamuns:

• Once all of the Gulab Jamuns have been fried, add them to the prepared, still warm sugar syrup. If the syrup is cold, warm it very slightly before adding the Gulab Jamuns to ensure better absorption. Immerse the Gulab Jamuns completely and allow to stand, covered for 6-8 hours. Stir from time to time to coat each one well with syrup.
• Serve either at room temperature or warm.

Video

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Perfect Jalebi

More delicious South Asian sweets

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Check out this recipe

Vanilla Rasmalai

Soft, spongy cheese dumplings soaked in sweet vanilla, cardamom and saffron milk. Inspired by the classic Bengali dessert, this version is served chilled and the flavours are reminiscent of the Indian ice cream, kulfi.

Check out this recipe

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.

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How to Make Boondi

This traditional Indian sweet is always popular around festival time. The juicy bubbles of chickpea flour are flavoured with delicate saffron and ground green cardamom. Serve it warm as it is or form into Laddoos.

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Pistachio Burfi

An easy recipe for melt-in-the-mouth Indian milk fudge (burfi) made with REAL PISTACHIO. Perfect for gifting. Your family and friends will love it!

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Indian-Inspired Rocky Road

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Birthday Cake Burfi

Sweet condensed milk fudge with a hidden layer of birthday cake and sprinkles!

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The post Perfect Gulab Jamun appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

In our home, this is known as Bodhi’s Kheer because it’s my boy’s favourite pudding. To adapt it for his little tum, I’ve cut out traditional refined sugar from the recipe and replaced it with low GI agave nectar. The addition of golden sultanas also lend a juicy sweetness to the overall dish. He loves it.

Oat milk and dairy milk can be used interchangeably in the recipe, and this is something I do often. Having said this, I find the oat milk version to be much lighter and so recommend seeking it out for a delicious spiced rice pudding.

What kind of rice should I use for this Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer?

Traditionally, Kheer is made with basmati rice and not short-grain pudding rice. It can be made directly from washed and soaked aged basmati or with leftover cooked rice (less creamy than the former). Basmati rice makes a huge difference to the flavour of the Kheer and is what differentiates it from traditional western rice pudding recipes.

So which rice should I use?

Controversial disclosure: My recipe for Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer uses a 70/30 combination of aged basmati and short-grain pudding rice. Not only does this add the fragrance of traditional Kheer, it also ensures a level of creaminess that makes me weak at the knees. Having said this, feel free to mix things up by using 100% basmati or 100% short-grain rice if you like. There are no hard and fast rules, only personal preferences. After all, the rice is just a carrier for copious amounts of milk and/or cream in any rice pudding recipe.

Can I used other plant milks to make Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer?

Yes! While I find oat milk to be the closest match to dairy milk, you may prefer to use almond milk, rice milk, pea milk, hazelnut milk or even cashew milk in this recipe. You can also use soy milk but be aware that it will alter the flavour slightly. Ultimately, you can use any combination of plant milk to make this dish. Just be sure it’s an unsweetened one! Note that most oat milks are not certified as gluten free so if you are avoiding gluten, try a nut milk. Soy milk or rice milk marked nut free are great if you are avoiding nuts.

How long do I need to cook this kheer?

45 minutes, low and slow with a lid on to ensure each grain of rice swells to twice or even thrice its size. A lid ensures a skin does not form on top. The long cooking time also means the natural starch from the rice has a chance to thicken the kheer while the spices develop their aromas and colours. The finished kheer will be golden from the saffron and speckled with black and cardamom vanilla seeds.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes. In fact, this kheer tastes even better the next day. The spices and aromas have a chance to develop as the kheer chills. This infused the milk and cream with even more flavour. After a day, you will also notice the fragrance of the rice, vanilla and rosewater deepens.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer

• Aged basmati rice
• Short-grain pudding rice
• Oat milk
• Plant-based cream (such as oat cream)
• Golden sultanas
• Agave nectar
• Green cardamom pods
• Saffron
• Vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), optional for enhanced flavour
• Rosewater
• Slivered almonds
• Dried rose petals

How to make Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer

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Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer

This recipe for Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer is hands down my favourite way to make the classic Indian rice pudding. The tender grains of rice are fragrant and have all the flavours of sweet Rasmalai milk. In my opinion, those two things combined make for a comforting bowl of kheer.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword cardamom, dessert, indian sweets, oat milk, rice pudding, saffron, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Large, heavy-based saucepan with lid
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 30 g aged basmati rice
• 80 g short-grain pudding rice
• 1 L oat milk
• 50 ml plant-based cream
• 20 g golden sultanas
• 3 tbsp agave nectar
• 5 green cardamom pods seeds removed and crushed
• Large pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 1 tbsp slivered almonds and dried rose petals to garnish

Instructions

• Mix the rice together in a bowl and rinse briefly. Don’t rinse away too much starch as this is what will make the Kheer creamy.
• Put the rice into a large, heavy-based saucepan. A non-stick pan is ideal as the milk will will be less likely to catch and burn at the base of the pan. Pour in the oat milk, cream, sultanas, agave, cardamom, saffron, rosewater and vanilla. Stir and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid.
• Stirring frequently, simmer the Kheer over a low heat. Once it begins to thicken, you’ll need to stir it more often, at least every 5 minutes. Once reduced to the consistency of thin porridge, beat the Kheer with a wooden spoon until the grains are soft and tender. This will tease the starch out of the rice and thicken the kheer beautifully.
• Switch off the heat and serve hot or alternatively cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 2-3 hours for serving the kheer cold. Garnish with almonds and rose petals.

Notes

• Note: This rice kheer is not suitable for freezing.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Ensure the kheer is completely cool before placing in the fridge.

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If you like this recipe, you’ll love this

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The post Creamy Vegan Rice Kheer appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

I think this cake is my spirit animal.

What are Gulab Jamuns?

If you’ve never had them, traditional Gulab Jamuns are basically doughnut holes on crack. They get their signature burnished bronze exterior from a high milk solids content that caramelises as it fries.

Yes, like any dessert worth its salt (or should that be sugar?), Gulab Jamuns are deep fried before being dunked in a bath of rose-scented syrup.

Here’s my mum’s annual batch of Gulab Jamuns for the Hindu festival, Diwali. They’re amazing and she is the master!

When do people eat them?

They’re the original “golden balls” (sorry Mr. Beckham) and an iconic dessert at weddings. No religious festival would be complete without a bowl of a hundred sticky Gulab Jamuns either.

Sweet memories

As a child, I would snaffle down a minimum of three at any sitting. Each jamun is basically a carrier for an outrageous volume of rosy-cardamom syrup.

For the uninitiated, they can cause quite the sugar rush. Some go a step further and serve them warm with ice cream. Too far?

Sadly, I no longer have the metabolism of an eight-year, but I do need my Gulab Jamun fix once in a while.

Gulab Jamuns, reinvented: The Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake

Enter, the Gulab Jamun Cake. This is one recipe I’ve gently modified to preserve all the things I love about the original dish.

Ultimately, the cake has all the treasured flavours of classic Gulab Jamun without the deep frying or long soak in sugar syrup. What’s not to love?

How can this Gulab Jamun Cake be Eggless?

Yes, my recipe is made without eggs so is suitable for lacto vegetarians or anyone with an egg allergy.

Is this Gulab Jamun Cake vegan?

No. I developed my recipe to pay homage to the rich, milky flavour of traditional Gulab Jamun. I use full-fat milk powder to enrich the cake batter with a subtle creaminess reminiscent of the Gulab Jamuns I ate growing up.

A note on milk powder

Classic Gulab Jamun recipes feature grated milk solids (mawa). Having said this, milk powder is a more readily-available substitute. It works beautifully in this recipe. If you’d like to have a go at making a vegan version, you can try swapping this for soy milk powder, for example.

How to serve Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake

Ultimately, you want to serve it with ice cream for a truly royal pudding. You could also enjoy a naked piece with masala chai.

Ingredients you’ll need to make this Gulab Jamun Cake

Here’s a list of ingredients you need to make this recipe. You can find exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.

• Plain flour (all-purpose flour or maida)
• Coarse semolina
• Caster sugar
• Full-fat milk powder (whole milk powder)
• Cornflour (cornstarch)
• Baking powder
• Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• Fine salt (table salt)
• Full-fat milk (whole milk)
• Lemon juice
• Rosewater
• Almond oil (or any flavourless oil of your choice)
• Saffron strands
• Green cardamom pods
• Water
• Dried petals and/or rosebuds (optional)
• Slivered or chopped pistachios

How to make Gulab Jamun Cake

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Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake

This simple, yet beautiful cake sees the queen of Indian sweets transformed into an easy-to-make dessert. Rose, cardamom and saffron give the syrup-glazed sponge its iconic “gulab jamun” flavour. Serve it with ice cream for a truly royal pudding, or enjoy a piece with masala chai.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword baking, cake, eggless, gulab jamun

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Equipment

• 18cm Dia. x 8.5cm small ring cake/bundt tin
• Sugar thermometer/candy thermometer

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 250 g plain flour
• 40 g full-fat milk powder
• 50 g coarse semolina
• 20 g cornflour
• 125 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 420 ml whole milk room temperature
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp rosewater (I used Nielsen-Massey)
• 125 ml any flavourless oil of your choice
• 8-10 saffron strands
• 4 cardamom pods seeds removed and crushed

For the syrup:

• 80 g sugar
• 50 ml water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 8-10 saffron strands
• 2 cardamom pods seeds removed and crushed

To grease the cake tin:

• 1 tsp any flavourless oil of your choice
• 1 tbsp plain flour

To decorate:

• Dried rose petals/rosebuds
• Slivered or chopped pistachios

Instructions

For the sponge:

• Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Grease the cake tin with 1 tsp oil and dust with 1 tbsp plain flour. Set aside.
• In a jug, mix together the whole milk and lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in the oil and rosewater.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, semolina, cornflour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and saffron.
• Gradually whisk in the milk mixture and beat briefly until smooth, about a minute. Don't overwork the batter but be sure to get all the lumps out.
• Pour the cake batter into the greased and floured tin. Bang the tin on the work top 3-4 times to remove any unwanted air bubbles.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Do not open the oven door in the first 40 minutes of cooking. This can cause the cake to collapse.
• Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack. It should come away from the tin easily since it was greased and floured. You might need to give it a gentle wiggle. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the sugar syrup.

For the sugar syrup:

• In a small saucepan, mix together the sugar, water, lemon juice, rosewater, cardamom and saffron. Bring to the boil and simmer until it reaches 104°C (119°F) on a sugar/candy thermometer. It should be ever so slightly sticky. The lemon juice will stop the syrup crystallising.
• Set the warm cake (on the wire rack) over a roasting tray or oven tray to catch the excess syrup as it falls. You may need to set this over a heatproof mat to protect your work surface. Carefully drizzle the syrup over the cake. Repeat, transferring the cake to another roasting tray or oven tray and drizzle over the syrup from the first tin. Keep doing this until all the syrup is used up. I repeated this step 4-5 times.
• Decorate with pistachios. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature.
• Optional: Fill the centre of the bundt with dried rose petals and rosebuds for a show-stopping finish. Slice and serve.

Notes

• Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours.
• Refrigerating the Gulab Jamun Cake will cause it to harden and dry out.
• Serve the cake as it is, with masala chai or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• This cake can be baked into cupcakes. It will make around 18 small cupcakes. Bake at 175°C/350°F for 18-20 minutes. The tops will turn slightly golden.
• You can also bake this cake in a 25cm x 4cm (10-inch x 1.5-inch) round cake tin. Bake at 160°C/320°F for 45-50 minutes.

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Finally, if you like this cake, you’ll love these Rum-Soaked Kala Jamun

Love Sanjana

The post Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

I used to love going into Indian sweet shops as a little nipper, especially around Diwali. Wide-eyed and full of wonder, the shop keepers would see me peering through their glass cases at the majestic displays of endless halwa, burfi, penda, jalebi, kaju katli, mohanthal gulab jambu, rasmalai and everything in between. I very quickly became an expert at getting free samples.

My dad would always ask me what I’d like in my special box of sweets. I’d think long and hard about which ones would make the cut – it was a very important decision. To this day, he still buys me my own box of sweets and even if I’m not there to choose them, he somehow always picks my favourites.

The one that always stood out was the Bombay Halwa. It’s one of the only sweet that comes in lots of different colours – and they’re SO bright. Rows of translucent pink, yellow, green and orange jellies studded with jewel-like pistachios and cashews. They were bright and beautiful and I was a magpie, attracted to anything colourful.

For me, it was always the pink ones. As an avid fan of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, it reminded me of the White Witch’s wicked Turkish delights that were conjured up to encourage Edmund’s betrayal. Of course, the only things I betrayed were my poor teeth. It was so worth it.

I learnt much later that Bombay Halwa is really easy to make. The jelly-like texture is achieved by mixing cornflour and sugar syrup – very much like making Turkish delight. Next, you slowly add ghee until it’s glossy and thick. And that’s pretty much it. So simple but make sure your arm muscles are ready. There’s loads of stirring involved.

You can make pretty much any flavour or colour you like. I love rose and pistachio but saffron and cashew and simple lemon and cardamom are also great.

Pistachio and Rose Bombay Halwa
Makes 18-20 pieces

Ingredients
160g cornflour
140ml water

400g sugar
250ml water

4 tbsp rose syrup
100g ghee, melted
50g roasted pistachios, lightly broken
½ tsp cardamom seeds, ground

Method

1. Grease a 6×8 rectangular tin with ghee.

2. First, mix together the cornflour and 140ml cold water.

3. In a large pan (I use a wok with a large handle), add the sugar and 250ml water. Bring to the boil and wait for all the sugar to melt.

4. Once all the sugar has melted, in a slow and steady stream, add the cornflour mixture, stirring all the time. Keep the mixure boiling all the time and keep stirring. It will thicken and look a lot like wallpaper paste.

5. When you’ve added all the cornflour mixture, add the rose syrup.

6. Next, start adding the ghee – slowly at first. Keep stirring to ensure there are no lumps. Then add the rest of the ghee and incorporate. Cook again, mixing all the time until thick, glossy and translucent.

7. Mix in the cardamom and pistachios.

8. Pour the mixture into the greased pan, decorate with crushed pistachios and allow to set at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.

9. Cut into pieces as big as you can fit in your mouth.

I have two more of my favourite Diwali sweets coming your way this week. Keep an eye out.

Love Sanjana

The post Pistachio and Rose Bombay Halwa appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

I’ve been craving cinnamon rolls all week. Soft, buttery bread with crispy edges, heaps of spice and the best part – lashings of sweet icing. Whenever I make Lotte Duncan’s version with maple icing, they fill the house with the most mouth-watering scent of fresh bread.

In fact, I love Lotte’s buttery cinnamon roll recipe so much, I used it as the basis for my Indian-inspired wreath here.

The basic white dough is rolled with a shameless amount of butter, ground cardamom and cinnamon, twisted into a Finnish bakery-style wreath and placed in a hot oven. Once baked, I couldn’t help but drizzle it with icing made with rose syrup (the kind I use to make my Strawberry Cheesecake Falooda), and then scattered with homemade candied lemon peel and pistachios. Need I say more?

Okay, let me explain the beauty of these flavours together…

The spicy cardamom and cinnamon combined with sugar and butter create the most amazing, rich flavour once baked inside the dough. The fluffy bread mops up the buttery juices and almost caramelises the bottom of the wreath. The exposed layers on top create little craters where the caramelised butter collects, making it golden and crusty. A drizzle of rose icing gives it just enough sweetness and perfume to define it as a Bollywood-themed party in your mouth. Oh, and who doesn’t love candied lemon peel?

Cardamom Wreath with Rose Drizzle and Candied Lemon Peel

Ingredients

For the dough:

450g strong white bread flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried yeast
275ml lukewarm water
2 tsp groundnut oil

For the filling:

100g light brown sugar
200g very soft salted butter
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom

For the rose icing:

70g icing sugar
2 tbsp rose syrup

For the candied lemon peel:

1 lemon
400ml water
5 tbsp sugar, plus more for coating

To decorate:

20g pistachios, husks removed

Method

1. Combine the ingredients for the dough in a large bowl and bring together using your hands. Knead for 10 minutes. Grease the bowl with a tiny bit of oil and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix together the ground cardamom, cinnamon and sugar.

3. Next, make the candied lemon peel. Peel the lemons using a vegetable peeler and hold a sharp knife against the underside, slicing off as much white pith as you can. Discard the pith and slice the lemon zest into thin strips. Heat the water and 5 tbsp sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon zest and boil for 7 minutes. Drain and toss in a bowl of sugar. Remove from the sugar and allow to dry on a plate. Set aside.

4. To make the icing, combine the icing sugar and rose syrup, beating well to ensure there are no lumps.

5. Heat the oven to 180C and line a large tray with baking paper.

6. Once the dough has risen, knock it back and give it a good knead to remove all the air bubbles. This will ensure an even rise in the oven, maintaining the shape of the wreath.

7. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle until it’s about 1cm in thickness. Spread the very soft butter all over the surface and then sprinkle all over with the sugar and spice mixture. From the longest side, roll the dough into a log shape. Split the log into two pieces lengthways (I find the easiest way to do this is using a pizza cutter – this avoids any snagging). Press the tops into each other and place one strip over the other, keeping the layers on top. Repeat until you’ve completed the whole log. Bring the ends together and twist to form a wreath. Brush with a little bit more butter and place on a lined baking tray.

8. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Once baked, you’ll notice quite a bit of butter in the tray. Use a pastry brush to baste this all over the wreath.

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before drizzling with rose icing and sprinkling with candied lemon peel. Scatter with pistachios and finally dust with a little bit of icing sugar.

10. Serve with Cardamom Chai or Masala Coffee.

Love Sanjana

The post Cardamom Wreath with Rose Drizzle and Candied Lemon Peel appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

I remember the days my brother and I would raid the biscuit selection box, grabbing our favourites before the other one could get their paws on them. In our house, it was always the jammy dodgers, bourbons and custard creams that went first.

I first spotted this recipe on The Boy Who Bakes, Edd Kimber’s website whilst doing some last-minute baking for a party. Short, delicate butter biscuits with a hint of vanilla sandwiched with that sweet custard flavour I’ve loved since I was a kid. To say Edd’s recipe is heavenly would be an understatement.

For me, milk and cookies has always evoked memories of ice cold rose milk and shortbread in the summer sun at my aunt’s house. My brother would complain and demand chocolate Nesquik, meaning I got to guzzle down his share of bright-pink rose milk too. Winner.

Combining the two flavours of my childhood was a no brainer – adding a hint of lemon thyme was a last-minute addition which worked a treat.

These make lovely gifts for Christmas (they have that sweet Turkish Delight-feel about them) or are great with tea or coffee after dinner. But my favourite way of serving them is with a glass of cold milk. There’s nothing like a bit of nostalgia around this time of year.

Eggless Rose Custard Creams
Adapted from Edd Kimber’s Custard Creams recipe
(makes 20-25)

Ingredients

225g plain flour
50g custard powder
30g icing sugar
170g butter, cold and cubed
½ tsp vanilla bean paste

For the filling:

40g butter
1 ½ tsp rose syrup
120g icing sugar
2 tbsp custard powder
Lemon thyme for sprinkling

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. For the biscuits: Combine the flour, custard powder and sugar. Lightly and quickly, rub in the butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the vanilla bean paste and bring together using your hands. If the mixture seems too dry, wet your hands a little and bring together to form a dough. Try to work quickly.

3. Wrap the dough in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whip together all the ingredients for the filling. Set aside in a cool place.

5. On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 3-4mm in thickness. Use a round cutter to cut out the dough. Place the discs on a lined baking tray and allow to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

6. Make a few holes in the top of the biscuit dough to prevent it from rising. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

7. Take small amounts of the filling and roll into balls. Take a few leaves of lemon thyme (don’t overdo it) and sandwich the biscuits with the balls of rose filling and thyme, pressing gently and being very careful not to break them.

Merry Christmas!

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Don’t you just love the feeling you get when you’re in a restaurant and your waiter or waitress appears from the kitchen with your order? And also hate it when you think it’s yours but it’s really for the table next to you?

I guess it just affirms that we’re all big kids just waiting to be fed at heart.

When I think of Falooda I think of my dad and the big smile that emerges on his face whenever he rumbles the fact there’s something sweet on the menu. We’re two peas in a pod.

When I was little he used to take the whole family to a favourite restaurant in either Leicester or Bradford on a Sunday afternoon and we’d have the most memorable family meals. Mum would order something classy and simple, Dad would get the thali and my brother and I would squabble over whether they put coriander in the daal or not.

Regardless of what Ravi and I were arguing about, Dad would always diffuse the situation by asking me the golden question. That cheeky smile would spread across his face and he’d say one word, ‘Falooda?’

And that was all it took. I’d be content without coriander in the daal and no samosa starter because I knew I was getting to drink what is practically a dessert with my main meal. Happy days.

What the fudge is Falooda, I hear you ask?

A rose-flavoured milkshake with rice noodles, basil seeds, milk jelly diamonds and a couple of scoops of ice cream.

If you love ice cream sundaes, this will be your kryptonite.

I’ve been a bit playful with my version and tweaked what is a very classic Indian Falooda into what can only be described as a bloody delicious deviation. Meet the Stawberry Cheesecake Falooda – a hybrid between two separate ends of the world. A bit like me, I suppose.

Imagine this; all the gorgeousness of classic Falooda with the fruitiness of strawberries to compliment the delicate rose flavour, a hint of malt from the biscuits, the creaminess of light Italian mascarpone cheese and some strawberry cheesecake ice cream to top it all off.

This one’s all for you, Pops. Don’t tell Mum.

Strawberry Cheesecake Falooda
(Serves 2)

Ingredients for the milk jelly:

240ml milk
5g agar agar/China grass strands, snipped into small pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
200ml warm water
Few drops pink food colour

Method:

1. Soak the agar agar in warm water for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, gently bring the milk to the boil. Squeeze the agar agar to remove any water and mix it into the boiling milk. Stir continuously until completely dissolved. Add the sugar and keep on stirring for a few minutes.

2. Lightly grease a steel plate and pour in the milk. Allow to cool to room temperature, then place into the fridge until set. When set, cut the jelly into diamond shapes. Refrigerate until needed.

Ingredients for the rest of the Falooda:

280ml milk
50ml rose syrup
4 large strawberries
1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese

2 Rich Tea-style biscuits, crushed
1 tablespoon takmaria (basil seeds), soaked in cold water for 20 minutes (you can get these in South Asian grocery shops or online)
60g rice noodles, cooked according to packet instructions, then soaked in 1 tablespoon rose syrup

4 scoops strawberry cheesecake ice cream
2 strawberries to garnish

Method:

1. Place the milk, rose syrup, strawberries and mascarpone cheese in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into a jug, cover, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

2. Grab yourself two ice cream sundae glasses or other tall glassware. Divide the takmaria and noodles between the glasses, then add a few pieces of milk jelly and the crushed biscuits. Pour over the strawberry and rose milkshake, leaving some room for the ice cream.

3. Top with two scoops of strawberry cheesecake ice cream and garnish with a sliced strawberry. You’ll need a spoon and a straw, too!

Serves as a dessert – or if you’re a bit like me, as a drink on the side of a spicy meal.

The post Strawberry Cheesecake Falooda appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

So how have you been? The new site is coming along nicely and I’m hoping to build some pretty new features for you to get your paws on soon. Thanks for your patience.

The post Eggless Chocolate and Rose Cupcakes appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

One of my most magical childhood memories is sitting in the back seat of my parents’ red VW Golf during the mid-nineties, slowly peeling back the red-stained paper from a little bundle of ‘Special Meetha Paan’: Areca nuts, fennel seeds, shredded coconut and rose paste, smothered in a ‘secret’ syrup, then tightly wrapped in a peppery betel leaf.

My last trip to everyone’s favourite paan house got me thinking; I was missing a trick. I’ve always loved the fresh flavours, but all that chewing can be terribly hard work. Then suddenly it dawned on me, why had I never made my own Paan Ice Cream?

It’s swelteringly hot over here (in comparison to last week’s pesky rain) and so I let myself go, forgot the diet for an evening and decided to finally give it a go. The first batch curdled on me because the milk I had steeped betel leaves in was too hot to add to the cold cream and custard. Boo, hiss. As this was not the time nor place for paneer, I binned it and started again.

The second batch was perfect; it had the right balance of sweet, aromatic and peppery. Sounds like my kind of ice cream.

Serve Paan Ice Cream as a refreshing after-dinner treat and an alternative to mints. It’s the most wonderful palate cleanser too, so a little bit between a starter and main course would go down a treat.

Here’s my recipe for Paan Ice Cream.
 

For more information on the history of paan, see my blog post for Food Network UK.

Want brand new recipes before anyone else? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for fresh recipes straight from the kitchen, ask me cooking questions, see what I’m munching my way through during the week or just tweet to say hello.

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This time last year I won the Re-Inventing the Lamington competition hosted by Mr P of the thoroughly delicious Delicious Delicious Delicious. Not bragging or anything. My Shrikhand Spice Lamingtons consisted of a traditional Shrikhand sandwiched between eggless honey-flavoured sponge, coated in milk chocolate and pistachio splinters. There were some amazing entries and it was fantastic to see such a great deal of thought go in to the competition. I was lucky enough to walk away with an utterly cute Welsh dragon cookie cutter which I ended up making Holi cookies with.

In a desperate attempt to uphold my prized title, I present to you, my first entry into Mr P’s Re-Inventing the Lamington competition 2011 – Eggless Turkish Delight Lamingtons. For those of you who don’t know, a lamington is essentially an Australian filled and covered cake. Simple as that.

I love cooking with flowers, as long as the final product isn’t too strong and perfumed. Sounds like a contradiction in itself, but rose jelly and rose cream with lemon scented sponge and white chocolate is a match made in heaven. Well, for me anyway.

Ever since I was a little nipper I always had a thing for Turkish delight. Little pink cubes of icing-covered yumminess. Don’t even get me started on the chocolate-covered kind. I’d eat my own hand thinking about those.

Eggless Turkish Delight Lamingtons
(serves 6-8)

Ingredients

For the rose jelly:
230ml water
100ml cranberry juice
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried rose petals
1 tbsp rose water
2 tsp agar agar or vegetarian gelatine

For the lemon sponge:
200g self raising flour
100g skimmed milk powder
100g caster sugar
60g icing sugar
60ml sunflower oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp lemon extract or lemon zest
230 ml soda water

For the rose cream:
150ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp rose water
Pink food colour

To cover:
350g chopped white chocolate to cover the cake
Untreated, washed rose petals to decorate

Method
1. For the jelly, heat all of the ingredients (except the agar agar) until just boiling. Turn the heat off and whisk in the agar agar or add the vegetarian gelatine according to the packet instructions. Place in a greased wide, flat pan and allow to cool. Refrigerate until set and ready to use.

2. Sift together the flour, skimmed milk powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl cream together the sugar, lemon, sour cream and oil.

4. Gently mix in half of the sifted flour mixture.

5. Add the soda water and mix until there are not any lumps (but don’t overwork it).

6. Add remaining sifted flour mixture and then fold in using a metal spoon. Take care not to beat it too much.

7. Grease and line a 6X8inch cake tin and pile in the cake mixture.

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 25-30 minutes. Do not open the oven door for the first 15-20 minutes of baking.

9. When cooked (insert a skewer into the centre of the cake to see if it comes out clean), remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

10. When cool, cut into two equally sized rectangles (lengthways) as one will go on top of the other. Trim if necessary.

11. For the rose cream, whip together all of the ingredients until it reaches soft peaks.

12. Gently melt the white chocolate over a double boiler and set aside.

13. To assemble, pile the rose cream on top of one cooled sponge and top with the other sponge. If you have any leftover rose cream, why not combine it with cake crumbs and make these cute rose truffles?

14. Cut a fitting size of rose jelly to top the cake log and gently place on top. I wish mine had been neater.

15. Cover the entire cake log in half of the white chocolate. Put in the fridge to set, then repeat. This is so, SO messy. I had white chocolate in my hair, on my clothes and all over the kitchen.

16. Cover with a cascade of fresh rose petals and serve.

I can’t wait to share my other lamington recipe with you next week!

P.S. I got a new camera – no, I don’t really know how to use it properly, but boy oh boy am I in love with it.

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