Elegant Desserts For Perfect Indulgence!

Dates Kheer - also known as Khajur Payesh.

Milk - 1 litre

Dates - 100 gms ( deseeded)

Sugar - ½ cup ( or to taste)

Cornflour - 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Nut meg powder - ½ tsp ( jathikkai or jaiphal powder)

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Chopped nuts ( of choice ) - ¼ cup

Reserve 10 dates for garnishing & chop the rest.

Soak the chopped dates in 1 cup hot milk ( from the 1 litre) for I hr.

Grind, not very fine, but coarse since it is nice to bite tiny pieces in the kheer.

Boil the rest of the milk, after reserving ½ cup cold for mixing the cornflour.

When the milk starts boiling, add the cornflour – milk mixture.

Stir, preventing lump formation & cook the cornflour.

Instead of boiling the milk for a long time & reducing it to get a thick consistency, I find this method easier & faster without any compromise on the taste.


Decrease the flame & add ground dates.

Simmer for a few mts & add sugar.

Mix well to dissolve the sugar, add spices & switch off.

Cool & chill.

Roast nuts & chopped ( reserved) dates in the ghee & sprinkle when serving.

This tastes very rich & can be served chilled.

 

Puri Payasam - my invention, by accident !

Puri Payasam:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Water to knead the above

Milk - 1 litre

Sugar - 1 cup ( more to taste)

Vanilla flavoured custard powder - 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Nutmeg powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder)

Edible camphor (Pachai karpooram0 - 2,3 granules ( powder)

Knead wheat flour, adding ghee & water to a dough.

Keep 4-5 cups water to boil in a broad vessel.

Make chappathis, as thin as possible, with the dough.

Cut into small squares & add to the vigorously boiling water.

Repeat the process till the entire dough is used up.

Halfway through, if the water is not sufficient, boil some water separately & add.

Meanwhile boil milk, reserving 1 cup, in another stove.

Add the custard powder to the cold milk, mix well & add to the boiling milk, stirring continuously, to avoid lumps.

To the cooked puris add sugar & simmer well to dissolve.

Mix the milk to the above, mix well, add spices & remove.

Garnish with nuts.

Chill & serve.

 

Caramel Phirni - Try this for a different flavour !

Milk - 1 litre

Unsweetened khoya - 200 gms

Rice flour - 4 tbsp

Sugar - 1 cup ( or more to taste)

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp ( optional)

To garnish:

Chopped nuts - ½ cup ( caramelised)

Heat milk, add ¾ of the sugar & khoya.

Simmer till khoya dissolves.

In another small heavy pan, cook remainig sugar over medium heat till it caramelises to a rich brown colour.

Add to milk & cook on a low fire till well dissolved.

Mix rice flour to a paste with 2 tbsp water.

Remove milk from heat, add the paste gradually, stir well & return to heat.

Cook, stirring, till thick.

Do this by keeping a old tava on the stove & keeping the vessel over it, so that the mixture being thick, the bottom will not get burnt.

Remove & cool slightly.

Add cardamom powder, if you are using it..

Pour into glass, earthenware or ceramic bowl to set.

Garnish with caramelised chopped nuts .

Note:

If you prefer the caramel flavour to be prominent, do not add cardamom powder.

To caramelise nuts:

Keep a plate well greased & ready.

Heat ½ cup sugar in a heavy saucepan.

Do not stir, just allow it to turn honey coloured & at once add the chopped nuts.

Mix & empty them on the greased plate.

On cooling, crush them coarsely.

 

Khus khus Payasam - more popular in Karnataka than Tamil Nadu.

There are many methods for preparing this.

I am giving a method where milk is used.

Khus khus - 2 tbsp

Coconut - ½ cup

Sugar - ¾ cup ( or to taste)

Milk - 2 cups

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm &powder)

Lightly roast khus khus. ( this step is optional).

Soak for 1 hour & grind fine with coconut.

Mix some water & cook it to a paste on a kadai till raw taste goes.

In another stove mix 1 cup water with sugar & heat to dissolve.

Add that to the khus khus coconut mixture.

Mix & cook for a few mts.

Add cardamom powder, saffron & remove.

Add boiled milk & stir thoroughly.

Variations:

You can add some cashews when grinding to get a rich taste.

You can soak 2 tsp rice with khus khus & grind to get a thick payasam.

You can add jaggery instead of sugar.

Instead of grinding coconut, extract milk & use that instead of milk.

 

Coffee Custard - very easy, very elegant & ofcourse, very tasty !

This is a simple recipe & you can serve topped with nuts..

Milk - ½ litre

Custard powder - 3 level tbsp

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Instant coffee powder - 3 tsp

Condensed milk or fresh cream - 2 tbsp ( optional – gives a rich taste)

Butter - 25 gms or 2 tbsp

Mix custard powder & coffee powder thoroughly with ½ cup milk & keep ready.

Put to boil the remaining milk.

When it starts boiling, add the mixture.

Cook, stirring continuously, till it is smooth.

Simmer, add sugar & butter.

Remove, mixing in cream thoroughly.

Cool & set in the refrigerator.

You can also make this, substituting 4 tsp cocoa instead of instant coffee powder.

 

Bread Payesh - easier than the easiest dessert.

Milk - ½ litre

Bread slices - 2 ( edges trimmed)

Cashewnuts - 7,8

Sugar - ½ cup

Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp

Nutmeg powder - ¼ tsp

Powder cashewnuts with bread slices in a mixi.

Boil milk & add this powder, stirring well till it thickens.

Add sugar, spices & remove.

Chill & decorate with dry fruits or nuts.

 

Mock Badamkheer - Say " mock" softly & " badamkheer" loudly !

Yellow ripe pumpkin is best suited. It is shown in the photo posted below.

Peel & chop the vegetable into small cubes.

Cubed vegetable - 1 cup

Cashews - 8 – 10

Milk - ½ litre

Sugar - ½ cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp ( optional)

Chopped nuts or saffron threads - to garnish

Steam the vegetable till soft.

Grind that with cashews, adding minimum water.

Put the milk to boil.

When it starts boiling, decrease the flame , add the paste & cook on a low flame.

Do not allow vigorous boilng.

When the mixture thickens, add sugar & simmer to dissolve.

Add spices & remove.

Chill & serve.

 

Chocolate Mousse - this is eggless, please !

Milk - ½ litre + 1/2 litre

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Cocoa powder - 4 tsp

Instant China grass - 100 gms ( chocolate or vanilla flavour )

Corn flour - 3 tbsp

Cream - ½ cup

Vanilla essence

Walnuts - to decorate


Mix China grass with 1/2 litre milk, mixing well.

Put it boil & immediately remove.

Cool it, stirring continuously.

Now get the cornflour - cocoa mixture ready with the other 1/2 litre milk.

Mix ½ cup cold milk with cornflour & cocoa powder & keep ready.

Put the rest of the milk to boil.

When the milk is about to boil , add cornflour - cocoa mixture.

Simmer & cook to boil on a low flame, adding sugar.

Remove, add essence & cool thoroughly.

Mix this with China grass mixture, blending thoroughly.

When completely cold, beat in the cream, top with nuts & chill in the refrigerator. Decorate with walnuts.

 

Khubani ka Meeta - the Hyderabadi special !

Dried apricots ( called khubani) - 250 gms

Sugar - 3 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp ( optional)

Cream - ½ cup for decoration

Custard:

Milk - 1/2 litre

Cream - ½ cup

Sugar - 3-4 tbsp

Vanilla flavoured custard powder - 1 tbsp

Wash & soak apricots in water enough to immerse them, overnight.

They become soft & swollen.

Simmer in the same water till they are tender & about to break.

Mash them with the back of a spoon, lifting stones out.

Crack to remove nuts & skin nuts by dropping them in boiling water for a mte.

Add sugar to well mashed apricots, cook till thick, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

Remove & cool well.

Mix in essence, lemon juice & nuts reserving a few for decorartion.

Pour cooled apricot in a bowl & set this aside.

Heat milk & sugar for custard, reserving little cold milk to make custard.

Make a smooth paste of the custard powder using the cold milk.

Pour this into the hot milk & cook, stirring constantly till custard is formed.

Cool slightly & stir in cream to make it extra rich.

When completely cold, pour custard on apricot layer, smoothen & decorate with cream & reserved nuts.

This is an information from the internet:
Consumption of apricot kernels must be restricted to two per person, per day.

 

Dhal-Rice Payasam - my birthday payasam to all of you, friends !

For SBS photos,please go to
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/964289-post7.html


This payasam is usually made in Tamil Nadu as an offering on festival days.

This is made for weddings also – poha & wheat rawa are optional.

Rice ( preferably thin variety) - ¼ cup

Gram dhal - ¼ cup

Moong dhal - ¼ cup

Aval ( poha) - ¼ cup

Wheat rawa - ¼ cup

Jaggery - 2 ½ cups

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Cashew chopped - 2 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 4 tsp

Roast dry the first 5 ingredients, individually in a dry kadai.

Mix , wash & add with 4 cups of water in a pressure pan.

Cook for 2 whistles.

Cool & open,.

Meanwhile mix jaggery with ½ cup of water in a vessel & heat to dissolve on a low fire.

Boil for 5 mts.

Strain & add to the pressurepan contents.

Booil well for 5 mts, add cardamom powder & remove.

Add milk, after removing from fire & stir continuously for a few mts.

Heat ghee, roast cashews & raisins & add to payasam.

Poha & wheat rawa can be omitted & the payasam can be made with rice & dhals only.

Adjust the amount of water & jaggery suitably.