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.

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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.

Today is my 30th birthday and I’ve been sharing recipes here for 10 years. Can you believe it?! With each year, I’ve grown as a person, learning more about myself than I ever thought I would through a medium as lighthearted as a recipe blog. Exploring my cultural heritage through food has helped me get to grips with my own personal identity. With this I’ve understood and embraced what “home” really means to me. It’s where my family are; My husband, my son, my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and their children, all sitting around a dinner table eating great food and just being… well, a family.

Many of you know that I was born in Britain, the daughter of immigrants with Indian and East African roots. I was raised as a vegetarian Hindu so the food I ate growing up was a mishmash of spices, starches, vegetables and pulses. Learning to cook from my mum and her haul of Gujarati and Swahili cookbooks was both a pleasure and a privilege. I’m so glad I was able to extract happiness from those things early on because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to share so many of my favourite recipes with you all today.

I feel honoured to be connected with so many fans and readers. Together we are a community of 60,000 people from around the world across social media, each of us passionate about vegetarian Indian and East African food. Whether it’s a comfort classic or a modern take on an old favourite, we all appreciate a plate of food cooked with love. I hope to continue to grow, learn, explore and share recipes with you for years to come.

Being an oversharer, you probably know a tonne about me, but for a bit of fun, here are a few things you may not have known…

1. I’ve never been to India, yet Indian food is one of my biggest passions in life.
2. I’m a pyjama-holic. I’d live in loungewear if I could. Don’t let styled food and good photography fool you. Developing recipes and spending a lot of time covered in flour means that fancy clothes are off the cards and comfy joggers and vest tops are the norm. After a hard day’s work I’ll have butter in my hair, icing sugar on my top and and a smile on my face. An Insta-perfect life doesn’t exist and in today’s world of social media overload it’s important we don’t measure ourselves against someone else’s online persona – most of it is make believe anyway!
3. I’m an avid and life-long wrestling fan. But we’ll leave that story for another day.

Now let’s eat Birthday Cake Burfi and celebrate this old gal’s 30th.

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Birthday Cake Burfi

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

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword birthday, burfi, cake, fudge, indian sweets

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 30

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 400 g full-fat milk powder
• 200 ml double cream
• 2 x 397g tins sweetened condensed milk
• 3 eggless birthday cupcakes not frosted (recipe is on the blog)
• 150 g white chocolate to decorate
• 2 tbsp sprinkles to decorate

Instructions

• Crumble up the birthday cake cupcakes with clean hands, making sure you have fine crumbs. Don’t use a food processor for this and ensure the cupcakes are have been allowed to cool completely. I like to make the cupcakes the day before so they’re completely cool and ready to crumble.

To make the burfi:

• Combine the milk powder, cream and condensed milk in a pan. Cook on a low heat, stirring all the time until the mixture starts exuding oil and begins to come away from the sides of the pan. If you have a sugar thermometer, the mixture should reach 116°C (this is known as the soft ball stage). Keep stirring to ensure the mixture doesn’t burn as it can catch quite easily. Don’t worry if you do not have a sugar thermometer. You can check it’s ready by first spreading a little mixture on a cold plate and if you can roll it into a soft ball between your thumb and finger, it’s ready. Time to work quickly!
• Remove from the heat and spread half of the mixture inside the greased brownie tin. Even the mixture out with the help of a spatula. Top with the birthday cake crumbs immediately, making the layer as even as possible. Top with the rest of the Burfi mixture and again, use a spatula to even it out. You need to make quick work of this to ensure the Burfi mixture is still hot when you’re spreading it. You don’t want it to start setting or it will be hard to work with.
• Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Ensure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Pour the chocolate over the Burfi layer and spread it out evenly. Scatter with sprinkles and allow to sit at room temperature until set, about 8 hours or preferably overnight. Slice into squares and serve.

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What’s in this Indian-Inspired Rocky Road?

Truffle-like chocolate studded with pistachios, almonds, dried mango, crystallised ginger, Turkish delight, mini marshmallows and spiced shortbread biscuits. Dried rose petals top the Rocky Road off beautifully.

Last-minute Mithai

I’ve been known to leave things to the last minute at Diwali time when it’s customary to gift Indian sweets (“mithai”) to your nearest and dearest.

This recipe is a quick and easy raid-the-cupboard workaround that hits the spot when Pendas, Jalebis, Gulab Jamuns and Burfis are all too time consuming to make.

It’s also great for people who aren’t too keen on Indian sweets.

I’ve added all the things I love to this (namely pistachios, Nankhatai from the wonderful Chins’ Kitchen and Turkish delight) but you can swap any of these for what you like best.

Ways to Customise your Indian-Inspired Rocky Road

Other delicious mix-ins would be candied pineapple, coconut cookies and chopped dates. If you’re after a more authentic Indian sweet taste, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom or cinnamon. This is your sweet treat to customise.

How to add jellies and marshmallows to Rocky Road

Freeze the Turkish delight pieces and mini marshmallows for about 2 hours before you start making these. This will help them keep their shape so you’ll get beautiful pink and white- studded pieces when you cut the Rocky Road.

Box it up for gifting

This Indian-inspired Rocky Road looks stunning when boxed up for gifting and even make a great after-dinner treat when you feel like dessert but are short of time.

How to store this Indian-Inspired Rocky Road at home

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll keep well for up to 10 days, although I doubt they’ll last that long.

Follow me on Instagram for more Indian recipes!

After receiving a tonne of requests for Indian sweets through my latest Instagram Q&A session, I have a handful of Indian-style sweet recipes lined up, all in time for Diwali. I hold these Q&As regularly so make sure you’re following my Instagram Stories to tell me what you’d like to see next.

Indian-Inspired Rocky Road recipe

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Indian-Inspired Rocky Road

Truffle-like chocolate studded with pistachios, almonds, dried mango, crystallised ginger, Turkish delight, mini marshmallows and spiced shortbread biscuits. Dried rose petals top the Rocky Road off beautifully.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Indian

Keyword chocolate, marshmallows, rocky road

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Chilling time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 300 g milk chocolate
• 300 g dark chocolate
• 140 g unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 100 g Turkish delight cubed
• 100 g Nankhatai broken
• 40 g toasted pistachios plus more for sprinkling on top
• 20 g toasted flaked almonds
• 20 g dried mango cut into 2cm pieces
• 20 g crystallised ginger cut into 2cm pieces
• 60 g gelatine-free mini marshmallows
• 2 tsp dried rose petals
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• In a freezer-safe container, freeze the Turkish delight pieces and mini marshmallows. This will help them keep their shape for pretty slices.
• Place the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Give it a gentle stir every 5 minutes until melted and well combined. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• Add the crushed Nankhatai, Turkish delight, nuts, dried mango, crystallised ginger and mini marshmallows. Combine to coat.
• Spread the mixture into a 9” x 6” brownie tin lined with greaseproof paper. Flatten the top and scatter with extra pistachios and dried rose petals.
• Cover and allow to set in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
• Slice however you like and serve with masala coffee.

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

Love Sanjana

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I have a love/hate relationship with gulab jamun (or gulab jambu as we call them at home). I mean this in the sense that I love to eat them but hate that I can never just have one. 

These sweet, saffron, rose and cardamom-soaked milk doughnuts are one of the most well-known Indian desserts, and the chances are, they’re on your local Indian restaurant’s menu.

Kala jamuns are the lesser-known big sister of gulab jamun. At first, the most obvious difference is in the colour difference between brown gulab jamun and black kala jamun (hence, the name – ‘kala’ meaning black). The texture of kala jamuns is also very different to regular gulab jamuns. They have a chewier exterior, that’s almost squeaky and the inside is a little grainier. You could say they’re the heartier of the two. Another key difference is in the serving style. Gulab jamuns are usually served in their syrup, whereas kala jamun are served without their soaking syrup, often rolled in desiccated coconut. When I was little I’d love coconut coated kala jamun split down the middle and filled with Shrikhand, but that’s another story for another day.

This grown-up version of traditional kala jamun is easy to make, since I use milk powder and just a touch of khoya (also known as mawa) for added texture. Khoya is made by simmering full-fat milk in a pan for several hours, until almost all the water has evaporated, leaving just the milk solids behind. Khoya is widely used in South Asian cuisine, across India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, to name a few places. You can find khoya sold in vacuum-packed blocks in the chiller section of your local South Asian supermarket. Hint: Look near the paneer section, it’s usually there.

I’m a huge fan of anything soaked in rum, so when the opportunity to make kala jamun presented itself, I know that making a spiced rum syrup was the way to go. The combination of dark rum, cardamom, saffron, rosewater and vanilla is my idea of bliss and it works so perfectly in the recipe. It’s sweet and beautifully aromatic with just a hint of bittersweet flavour from the caramelised jamuns.

They’ll make a show stopping alternative Christmas dessert, served in a tower and covered in gold leaf. Sprinkle over some pistachios or toasted coconut if you like.

Rum-Soaked Kala Jamun (Cardamom and Rum Syrup-Soaked Doughnuts)
Makes 24 kala jamuns

For the kala jamun:
600g milk powder
430ml warm milk
50g khoya, grated
3 tbsp icing sugar
150g self-raising flour
2 tsp coarse semolina
½ tsp crushed green cardamom
Pinch of saffron
Pinch of salt
Sunflower oil, for deep frying

For the cardamom and rum syrup:
800g sugar
950ml water
400ml dark rum
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp rosewater

Gold leaf, to decorate

Method
1. To make the kala jamun: In a large bowl, mix together the milk powder, self raising flour, khoya, semolina, salt, sugar, saffron and cardamom.

2. Gradually add the milk, stirring gently. The ingredients will come together to form a dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

3. To make the sugar syrup: Place all the ingredients, including the vanilla pod in a pan. Give it a quick stir and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer until it reaches the thread stage on a sugar thermometer (110-115C) and then switch the heat off. It’s important you don’t stir it during the cooking period. If you notice the sugar starting to crystallise around the sides of the pan, run a wet pastry brush around the sides of the pan so that water runs into the crystals and dissolves them.

4. In a large, deep pan (I use a wok), heat enough sunflower oil to deep fry the jamuns. Use a cooking thermometer to bring the oil to 150C.

5. Make small balls with the dough, about 2cm in diameter. This might seem a little small but they will expand in the oil. It’s really important to roll them firmly between your hands to ensure there are no cracks. Do this for all the jamuns – you should have around 24.

6. Deep fry 6-8 jamuns at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Allow the jamuns to cook for 3-4 minutes. They are ready when they turn really dark brown/almost, but not quite black all over. The jamuns will swell slightly in the oil, making them a little larger than the balls you rolled.

7. Drain the jamuns on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Allow to cool and test one to ensure the middle is cooked through. Repeat the frying process for the remaining jamuns.

8. Allow all the jamuns to cool for 20 minutes and then place them in the sugar syrup, making sure they’re fully submerged. Leave covered for 24 hours and serve the following day. Decorate with gold leaf if you’re feeling fancy.

I love to eat my kala jamuns hot with vanilla ice cream.

Note: If you’re serving them hot by reheating them in the microwave, make sure you add the gold leaf after they’ve been warmed.

Storing: Keep the jamuns in their syrup and store in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last two weeks… unless you eat them all before then!

Click the image above to Pin this recipe for later.

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In my family, I’ve been known as a burfi monster since I was a kid. I was gap toothed, chubby cheeked and all about the sweet stuff. My wonderful masi used to make sure she had a stash of chocolate burfi whenever I went to visit on special occasions – and still does to this day. And although I’ve learned to control myself over the years, I’ll always be its’ number one fan.

Diwali was always a special time in our home. It would warrant us going to Indian sweet shops to stock up on boxes of brightly-coloured treasures to share with family and friends. My dad’s heart is as big as my appetite so he always made sure we nabbed one of everything. There’d be rows and rows of burfi, penda, mohanthal, halwa, laddoo, gulab jambu, kaju katli, pista rolls, soan papdi and jalebi, in every colour under the sun – an Aladdin’s cave of milk-based sweets, topped with gold and silver leaf.

As they glimmered behind glass cases, I would stand there mesmerised by all the colours and textures. By the time dad had selected what would go in each box, he’d turn to me and ask what I like in my own special box of sweets. This was the moment I had been waiting for…

I’d choose coconut burfi, saffron penda, mawa penda, kaju katli, Bombay halwa – one pink and one green and of course, my beloved chocolate burfi. This still happens, BTW and it always takes me back to those happy times.

At home, I’d eat them as a mouse would eat a hamper of cheese – nibble a bit of each one, and then methodically determine the order in which I’d devour the sweets.

So what would you say if I told you that chocolate burfi + cookie dough had a party in my kitchen and things got pretty wild? Layers of cardamom burfi, classic chocolate chip cookie dough and milk chocolate combined to create the wickedest chocolate burfi you’ll ever experience. Make it for Diwali, make it for your birthday, make it for any random Wednesday if you want, I promise you’ll only ever want it this way from now on.

Fellow chocolate burfi monsters, I dedicate this one to you.

How to Make Cookie Dough Chocolate Burfi in the Microwave
Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

For the burfi layer:
180g full-fat milk powder
1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
Pinch of ground cardamom (seeds from about 3 pods, crushed)

For the cookie dough layer:
70g unsalted butter, softened
120g soft brown sugar
160g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g milk chocolate chips
Pinch of fine salt

For the chocolate layer:
250g milk chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Method

1. Grease a 6-inch long X 9-inch wide X 3-inch deep tin with groundnut or sunflower oil. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit in the bottom of the tin to make the burfi easier to lift out later. You could also use a 6-inch round tin, just make sure it has high sides.

2. First, combine the milk powder and condensed milk in a large, microwave-safe bowl.

3. Microwave on high power for one minute, remove from the microwave and stir well. Return to the microwave and repeat three more times, so you’ve cooked it for four minutes in total, stirring every minute. Doing it in bursts like this will ensure the mixture doesn’t burn.

4. Add the ground cardamom and stir again before immediately spooning into the tin. Spread it out as evenly as you can and smooth it over. Press it in firmly to make sure your layers come out perfectly – you can use the base of a steel bowl or a cake smoother if you’re looking for very even layers. If it starts sticking, apply a little oil to whatever you’re using. Set aside and allow to cool.

5. To make the cookie dough layer, place the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl. Whip until fluffy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder and vanilla extract. Whip until it just comes together. Next, throw in the chocolate chips. Go in with your hands to gently bring it together and form a dough.

6. Place the cookie dough layer over the cooled burfi layer and repeat the smoothing over process as above. Try to get the layers even. Allow to cool.

7. Chop up the chocolate for the topping and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it on a medium heat in 30-second bursts until fully melted. Don’t stir it too much or the chocolate will seize. You want it to be shiny and perfect for pouring.

8. Pour the chocolate over the cookie dough layer, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.

9. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.

10, Run a knife around the edges of the tin and turn it out onto a board. This is where your greaseproof paper makes everything easier. Slice into pieces and devour. Decorate with gold lustre dust or leaf if you’re feeling fancy.

Love Sanjana

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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.