Indian Sweet Treats
Continuing with our Indian theme this week we have put together some Indian sweet treats, we all need something to look forward to. Some of these could be fun to make with your children (if you have any) to break up home schooling with a bit of home economics, whilst teaching them also about Indian culture and geography!
Coconut Ladoo
Time: 10 mins
Makes 15
Suitable for Vegetarians
A popular Indian sweet recipe made using 3 ingredients – coconut powder, condensed milk and cardamom. Ready in 10 minutes and makes 15 ladoos. Perfect for Indian festive season or parties.
Source: Easy Cooking with Molly
Ingredients
- 1 tin of condensed milk
- 254g dry shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp oil – for greasing your hands to make ladoo
Decoration – optional
- 2 tbsp dry shredded coconut
- 1 pinch of saffron
- 2 tbsp milk, to dissolve saffron
- 5-6 dried rose petals – crushed
Method
In a non-stick pan, toast the coconut over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
Add the condensed milk and cardamom powder to toasted coconut.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. (Give it a taste, if you feel it’s too sweet, add little more coconut).
Now grease both your hands with 2-3 drops of oil.
Scoop about 1 1/2 tbsp coconut mix on your hand and make round balls.
Roll each ladoo in dry shredded coconut to coat them evenly.
Similarly, make all the ladoo and transfer to serving plate.
Saffron Coconut Ladoo:
In the warm milk, dissolve saffron and add this to coconut mix.
Follow the process above to make the ladoo and enjoy!
Rose Coconut Ladoo:
Add the crushed rose petals in the coconut mix.
Follow the process above to make the ladoo and enjoy
Nankhatai (Indian Shortbread Cookies)
Time: 25 mins
Serves 4
Moreish cookies!
Nankhatai are shortbread biscuits, originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular in Northern India and Pakistan. The word Nankhatai is derived from Persian word Naan meaning bread and “Khatai” from a Dari Persian word meaning Biscuit.
Super yummy melt in the mouth cookies.
Source: Maunika Gowardhan
Ingredients
- 100g softened butter
- 60g caster sugar
- 60g plain flour
- 60g gram flour (chickpea flour)
- 2 tbsp semolina
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground cardamom powder
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp ground pistachio
Method
Preheat the oven to 175C and lightly grease a baking tray. In a bowl sieve plain flour, gram flour, semolina, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder and baking powder and set aside
In a separate bowl beat together the butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. Add the flour mix to the sugar & butter and knead to form a smooth dough
Divide into small portions and flatten in circles pressing down lightly. Place each piece on the baking tray about 2cm apart and bake for 12 minutes until down. Cool on a wire rack and store in a jar for up to two weeks.
Cardamom, Pistachio , Rosewater Eggless Cake
Time: 30 mins
Serves 7
Delicious and light
A moist and delicious cake infused with rosewater – cardamom flavour with a marble glaze and chopped pistachio and made with yoghurt.
Source: Easy Cooking with Molly
Ingredients
- 123g plain flour
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 30g pistachio pods, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp rose water
- 64g yoghurt
- 60ml water
- 80ml olive oil
- 85g sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Icing & Decoration
- 64g icing sugar
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp chopped pistachio
- 1 tsp chopped dried rose petals
Method
Preheat the oven to 190c.
In a bowl, sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and keep aside.
Take a large bowl, add oil, sugar, yoghurt, water, rosewater, cardamom powder, vanilla extract, pistachio and whisk for 2 minutes to form a smooth batter.
Using a spatula, in three stages, slowly fold in the dry ingredients to the whisked batter.
Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, poke a cocktail stick into the centre of the cake and remove instantly. If it comes out clean, it means the cake is cooked completely.
Remove the cake from the oven and keep on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, add icing sugar with 2 tbsp of milk, rosewater and whisk to form a smooth paste like consistency (remember it should be thick and easily poured).
Divide the icing in two smaller bowls.
Add cocoa powder into one bowl and whisk to form a smooth paste.
Now drizzle both the icings on the cake to form a marble look.
Sprinkle with chopped pistachio and dry rose petals.
Serve fresh or store in airtight container in fridge up to 3-4 days.
Instant Thandai Shrikhand Mousse
Time: 35 mins
Serves 6-7
Suitable for Vegetarians
An extremely flavourful, delicious and light instant Indian dessert made using yogurt, cream, saffron, pistachio, almonds, cardamom or instant Thandai mix.
Source: Easy Cooking with Molly
Ingredients
- 254g plain Greek yoghurt
- 235ml double cream
- 2 tbsp Thandai Mix (see ingredients)
- 1 tsp rose water
- 2 drops yellow food colouring
- 1 tbsp sugar
Decoration
- 3 tbsp chopped pistachios
- 1 tsp crushed saffron
- 1 tbsp dried rose petals
Homemade Thandai Mix Ingredients
- 1 tbsp almonds
- 1 tbsp pistachio
- 1 tbsp cashews
- 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 tbsp watermelon seeds
- 1/8 tsp saffron
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 2 black pepper corns
- 1 tsp dry sweetener
Method
To make the homemade Thandai Mix –
Add the ‘Thandai mix’ ingredients into a blender and blend for a minute.
Remove the lid, scrape the mixture and then blend it again for a minute for fine powder-like consistency.
The Thandai Mix is ready and keep it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk Greek yoghurt, Thandai mix, sweetener, yellow food colour and rose water for a minute or until everything is combined.
In another bowl, whisk double cream to form stiff peaks.
Now, add the whisked cream in the yogurt mix.
Whisk for another minute until everything is fully incorporated.
Transfer the mousse in serving bowls and keep in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes (it can stay in the fridge for 24hrs).
Once ready to serve, decorate with pistachios, saffron, and rose petals.
Serve immediately.
