indian sweets

	KAJU KATRI   2 cups cashew nuts 1¾ cup sugar 3 tbsp milk 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla essence 1½ cup boiling water 4 sheets of silver leaf (optional)	Soak the cashew nuts in boiling water for 1 hour. Drain it and process smoothly in a mixer by adding milk & then sugar. Heat the butter in a large pan, put the cashew nut paste and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick. Then, put vanilla essence and mix thoroughly. Put this mixture in a greased tray and spread it evenly and press the silver leaf (optional) on the top. Let it cool for 45 minutes. After it is cooled, cut into diamond shaped pieces.
	PEDA   300 g/1cup milk powder 240 m/ 1 cup milk 75 g sugar - preferably jaggery or palm sugar 100 g ghee/ butter cardamom powder according to taste - start with ¼ tsp pistachios to decorate (soak in the water for 6 h) Kasmiri pada/ Kesar pada Add a pinch of Saffron while milk is boiling for Kesar Peda.	Bring milk to a boil, add sugar and ghee. Stir to dissolve/melt. Keep the mix gently bubbling for 6-7 minutes. Slow to a simmer and slowly add milk powder. Mix well and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add cardamom powder and stir well. The mix should have come away from the side of the pan and become a solid lump by now. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Take small balls, roll slowly in hand and flatten on something like a cutting board. Put half of pistachio on the top. You can use a special Penda stamper to impress leaf, floral or star patterns on the sweets. Leave to cool and set.
	ALMOND -PISTACHIO ROLLS (makes 25 pieces) For the pistachio dough ½ kg pistachios 1 cup sugar 1 pinches saffron ½ tsp cardamom powder For the almond dough 1 kg almonds 1 kg sugar For decoration silver foil Preparation time:20 min, Cooking time: 30 minutes	For the pistachio dough Put the pistachios into boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Drain, remove the skin by rubbing on a piece of cloth and grind into a powder. Mix the sugar in 8 to 9 tbsp of water and boil in a broad vessel until it forms a soft ball. Add the pistachios powder and allow to cool. Warm the saffron in a small vessel, add 2 tsp of milk and rub until the saffron dissolves. Add the saffron liquid and the cardamom powder to the pistachio dough. Roll out the dough and make small rounds. For the almond dough Soak the almonds in water for 12 hours. Drain and put into boiling water. Cover and leave for 10 min. Drain the almonds, remove the skin and drop into cold water so that they do not discolor. Grind with a little water in a grinder. Add the sugar and cook until the mixture forms into a dough. Leave for 5 min. How to proceed Roll out the almond dough and cut into square pieces which exactly cover pistachio rolls. Place a pistachio roll on an almond square piece and roll up. Repeat with the remaining pistachio and almond squares. Decorate with silver foil, cut into small pieces and serve.
	COCONUT SOUFFLE 400 g condensed milk / sweetened 5 cups tender coconut water 3 tbsp gelatin ¼ cup chocolate syrup	Dissolve the gelatin in half a cup of coconut water over a pan of hot water.  Mix the condensed milk to the dissolved gelatin. Mix the above mixture with the tender coconut water and refrigerate it.  When set garnish with chocolate syrup. You can serve it with cherries and strawberries.
	COCONUT BURFI 400 g condensed milk 300 g grated coconut  100 g  full cream milk powder ½ cup milk  few drops red color	Heat the condensed milk, coconut powder, milk and milk powder in a thick-bottomed kadai.  Once heated cook on slow flame till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.  Divide the mixture into two equal portions.  Spread one portion evenly on a greased plate.  To the other portion add the red color and mix well.  Spread it over the white layer and allow it to cool.  Cut into squares and serve.

	PANEER AND COCONUT BALLS (makes 20 balls)   For the paneer balls ½ kg paneer 8 tbsp powdered sugar 2-3 tsp rose water a few drops rose essence For the coconut mixture 2 cups dried coconut 1½ cups granulated sugar 2 pinches saffron a little milk For decoration 4 -5 blanched and chopped pistachios, silver foil	For paneer balls Mix all the ingredients very well and make a dough. Divide the dough into 2 portions and shape into small round balls. For the coconut mixture Cook the coconut and sugar for 10 minutes on a slow flame. Cool. Warm the saffron in a small vessel. Add a little milk and run in until the saffron dissolves. Add the saffron mixture to the coconut mixture. Mix well. How to proceed Make a covering of the coconut mixture over each paneer ball using hand pressure. Arrange the balls in a plate and cover with silver foil. Chill. Cut each ball into 2 parts. Decorate with pistachios. Serve cold. Preparation time:20 min, Cooking time: 10 minutes
	MANGO VANILLA BARFI (makes 10-12 Pieces) 4 cups full fat milk ¾ cup sugar a pinch alum powder 4 tbsp mango juice ¾ cup paneer 3 tbsp sugar ½ tsp vanilla essence for decoration: chopped almonds and pistachios Preparation time:10 min, Cooking time: 20 minutes	Put the milk in a large vessel, preferably in a non-stick one and boil on a high flame. When it starts boiling, add ¾ cup sugar. Boil again for 3-4 min on a high flame. Add the alum powder and continue boiling and stirring until the mixture becomes thick. Test by putting a little mixture on a small plate. If it forms a small ball, add the mango juice and continue cooking for at least 4 min. Test once again by putting a little mixture on a small plate. If it forms a soft ball remove from the heat and spread on a plate. Crumble the paneer and knead well for 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar and cook in a pan on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Cool slightly and add the vanilla essence. Spread this mixture over the mango mixture. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top. Store in refrigerator. Cut into pieces and serve.
	BOONDI LADDOO   1 cup besan 1 pinch saffron 1 pinch cardamom powder 1 tbsp rice flour 1 pinch baking powder 1 tbsp broken cashew nut 2 cups sugar 1 cup of oil 1 cup water For decoration silver foil	Mix the flour, rice flour, baking powder. Make a smooth thick batter. Heat the oil. Take the batter and pour it over a sieve with round holes. Tap it gently with a spoon so that small balls of dough fall into the oil. Make the balls and keep aside. Heat the sugar and water till reaches 1/2 thread consistency. Mix in the saffron and cardamom powder and fried boondies. When the mixture is still warm make into balls. Boondi Ladoo are ready to be served If the mixture cools balls cannot be made as the sugar crystallizes. Decorate with silver foil, cut into small pieces and serve.
	BESAN LADOO 2 cups gram flour (besan) 1½ cup sugar (grinded) 1 cup ghee 1 hand full of raisins	In a kadhai mix gram flour and ghee over a low heat. Stir constantly to avoid lumps. When it releases an appetizing smell, it is ready. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Add sugar and raisins to the gram flour and mix thoroughly. Now form ping-pong size balls of the mixture. Besan Ladoo are ready to be served.