I love sweets!

Select fresh American Sweet corn-cobs, 4 in no:. Pressure cook in just enough water for 3 whistles. Allow to cool & remove the kernels with a sharp knife.

Corn kernels- 2 cups

Milk - 1 cup

Sweetened condensed milk - ½ of 400 gm tin

Saffron - ¼ tsp ( warm & powder)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Grind the corn with just enough milk to a paste.

Add condensed milk & 1 tbsp ghee.

Coook till the mass starts solidifying.

Add saffron & the rest og the ghee.

Simmer for 5 more mts & remove.

Now this is served in weddings on Janavasam Day topped with ghee.
The addiion of wheat flour for the outer covering is a very useful tip given by Ms Cheeniya.

Covering:

Siever together

Maida - Heaped 11/4 cup

Wheat flour - 2 level tbsp

Both should together make 1 ½ cups
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

Powdered sugar - 2 tsp

Saffron colour - a dash

Oil - as given below

Add colour & powdered sugar to the flours.

Add water & knead to a smooth, soft elastic dough.

Keep in a vessel & pour oil over to cover it completely.

Keep covered for minimum 1 hour.

Filling:

Gram dhal - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp

Boil gram dhal till just soft, but not mushy.

Drain completely & cool.

Powder the same fine in a mixie.

Add 1 cup of water to sugar & boil to get a sticky syrup ( before one string)

Add the gram dhal powder, mix very well without lumps.

Go on stiring on low fire till it solidifies well.

A little on cooling can be tested for the right puran consistency.

Add 1 tsp ghee & spices.

Remove & cool completely.

Now take a small lemon size ball of the outer covering on a greased plantain leaf or a greased plastic sheet.

With hand spread it to 2-3” diameter.

Keep a ball of filling inside.

Cover it completely, drawing the covering from all sides.

Keep a plastic sheet over this & roll with a roller as thin as possible.

Roast on a dry tava, carefully till just cooked - too much roasting should be avoided to get it very soft.

It is not necessary to add ghee or oil.

Fold into 2 & remove.

Do not stack one over the other when hot, but spread on a plate.

Serve topped with ghee.

In a big vessel, mix

Sweetened condensed milk - 400 gms tin

Full fat milk powder - 8 tbsp

Fresh curds - 6 tbsp

Mix all ingredients in a big micro vessel.

Blend thoroughly without even a tiny lump.

MW Hi for 4-5 till the mixture curdles slightly & rises to the top.

Empty into a flat vessel and garnish with nuts.

Sago (Sabudhana) - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 ¼ cups

Ghee - ¾ cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Cashew - 2 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Saffron colour - a dash

Mix milk with 1 cup of water & saffron colour.

Soak sago in this for 3 hrs.

In a vessel, heat 2 tbsp ghee, fry cashew & raisins & remove.

Now add the soaked sago & cook.

Add remaining ghee gradually, stirring the halwa.

The sago will start getting cooked & become sift.

In another stove, boil sugar adding ¾ cup water.

Switch off when a thick syrup of one string is reached.

When the sago is cooked, add sugar syrup.

Stir & cook till it becomes a mass.

Add cardamom powder & cashews-raisins.

Fresh besan - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 cups

Ghee - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Mix all ingredients without lump.

Cook till firm ball stage is reached.

Remove, stir to chappathi dough consistency & empty on a greased plate.

This takes a little longer, but will set.

Cool & cut.

For the covering:

Maida - 11/4 cups

Wheat flour - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Powdered sugar - 2 tsp

Lemon yellow colour

Knead the above ingredients with water to a very soft elastic dough.

Soak this completely in oil for minimum 1 hr.

Filling:

Grind white portion of grated coconut very fine, adding water if necessary.

Ground coconut paste - 1 cup

Jaggery - ½ cup

Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp.

In a kadai, mix coconut & jaggery.

Heat & go on stirring on a low flame, till the mass leaves the vessel.

Add nutmeg powder & switch off.

Now take the dough from oil & knead.

Make small round balls.

Take one ball & lightly roll it to a disc.

Keep puran ( twice the quantity of outer dough ) in the centre.

Bring all edges from around to the centre & cover to make a tight ball.

Flatten, using hands to a chappathi about 4” in diameter.

Heat a flat tava.

Roast this on medium heat.

Flip it & roast the other side.

It will become golden coloured on both sides.

Do not roast for long - it gets cooked very fast.

Remove & smear ghee.

I learnt this from my flatmate Ms Sadique Ali. This sweet which she makes, is very popular in her friends’ circle.

Sweetened Condensed Milk - 400 gms

Freh besan - 400 gms

Ghee - 1 ¼ cup

Grated nuts - to garnish (optional)

Kee the condensed mlk tin, open & ready.

Heat ghee in a kadai.

Roast besan on a low fire, stirring continuously.

Continue till the colur becomes light brown & a nice aroma emanates.

Remove from fire & quickly add the condensed milk.

Stir very well & quickly transfer to a greased plate.

It sets very fast.

Sprinkle chopped nuts – this is optional.

Mark & cut into squares.

Besan must be fresh for best results.

Besan (gram flour) - 1 cup

Ghee - ¾ cup

Sugar - 2 cups

Milk - ½ cup

Water - 250 ml

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Almonds, pistachios, raisins - 8-10, each

Heat ghee & fry besan till golden.

Now simmer the stove.

Add hot milk & stir continuously to cook.

Add hot water gradually &slowly, mixing & blending well to avoid lumps.

At this stage, it is best to hand-blend to remove even a tiny lump.

Continue to cook on a low flame, preferably with an old tava underneath.

When all water has evaporated, add sugar & mix well.

Cook on a very slow flame (preferably over a tava) or better still, continue to cook in microwave to prevent sticking.

Cook on slow fire till ghee separates. ( MW – power 40 or med lo)

Add cadamom powder & nuts.

Serve hot.

One medium size pineapple can be used. Peel, cut into cubes & grate.

Grated fruit - 2 cups

Grated khoa - 1 cup (200 gms)

Sugar - ½-1 cup, depending upon, how sweet the fruit is

Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder)

To garnish - nuts

Take the fruit in a vessel, do not add water, keep inside a pressurecooker & cook for 2 whistles.

Add sugar & grated khoa .

If you want a very smooth texture, after adding khoa, put in the mixi & give a run.

Stir on a low fire till it solidifies.

Since we are adding khoa, ghee is not necessary.

The later part can be done in MW also.

Add saffron & garnish with nuts.

I learnt this from my Bangalore friend. It is made as a Naivedyam also.

Gram dhal - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Cashewnuts - 2 tbsp

Pressurise gram dhal with 2 ½ cups of water till soft.

Drain & transfer to a kadai.

Add powdered jaggery & 1 tbsp ghee.

Go on stirring till it becomes a mass.

Add cardamom powder & remove.

Fry cashews & raisins in the remaining ghee & add.