• Rinse the rice under water and place into the pan.

• Add the half of the milk and stir. Cover and cook for 15-20 min until soft. Mash the the mixture for few minutes.

• Then add sugar and remaining milk. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until the rice is quite thick in consistency. If the kheer is to thick, add a little extra milk or water.

• Add cardamom and raisins. Remove from the heat and pour into serving dishes.

• Decorate with nuts. Kheer can be served hot or cold.

• Soak pistachios in the water for at least 3 hours.

• Rinse the rice under water and place into the pan.

• Add the half of the milk and stir. Cover and cook for 15-20 min until soft.

• Then add saffron, cardamoms, sugar and remaining milk. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until the rice is quite thick in consistency. If the rice pudding is to thick, add a little extra milk or water.

• Decorate with whole pistachios. Serve hot or cold.

GAJAR HALVA (carrot dessert)

(serves 4-6)

3 lb/1.5kg carrots

5½ oz/150 g butter

2½ cups milk

¾ cups evaporated milk

½cup tbsp sugar

10 cardamoms

raisins, cashews, pistachios to decorate

• Rinse, peel and grate carrots.

• Melt a butter in pan.

• Add the grated carrots and stir for 15-20 minutes.

• Add the milk, evaporated milk, crushed cardamoms and sugar to the mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly for an additional 20-30 minutes.

• Transfer the carrot mixture into serving dishes. Decorate with the chopped pistachios, raisins and cashews. Serve immediately.

SOOJI HALVA          (serves 2-4)

1 cup of semolina (Sooji)

10 cardamoms

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

5½ oz/150 g butter

pinch of salt

cashew nuts, raisins, almonds (according to taste) to decorate

• Melt the butter in the pan.

• Add the semolina and roast on a very low heat until it turns light brown and it gives a nice aroma.

• Add water and let it absorb.

• Add sugar, pinch of salt and stir gently for 5-7 minutes.

• Finally, add nuts and take off the heat.

• Pour in serving dishes. Decorate and serve immediately.

GULAB JAMUN         (serves 2-4)

1¼ cup sugar

3 cups water

4 drops rose water

7 tbsp powdered milk

3 tsp self-raising flour

1 tsp semolina (Sooji)

3 tsp butter 

8 cardamoms

pinch of saffron

milk to mix

oil for deep frying

• Put the sugar and water in a heavy base or nonstick pan and heat to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and boil for 2-3 minutes to make a syrup. Mix in the rose water and set aside.  

• Put powdered milk, flour, semolina, butter, ground cardamom, and saffron in a bowl. Mix well with a little milk to make a soft dough.

• Divide into 18-22 equal portions, and roll each portion into a ball.

• Heat the oil and gently deep fry the balls until golden brown.

• Remove with slotted spoon and put into the syrup.

• Bring the syrup to a boil, then remove from the heat.

• Transfer the balls to a large shallow serving dish.

 RASMALAI              (serves 4-6)

2 lbs/1kg ricotta cheese or freshly made Paneer
1½ cup sugar
4 cups half & half
a pinch of saffron
6 cardamom seeds 

2 tbsp rose water (opt)

1 tsp vanilla
almonds, crushed pistachios

• Mix the cheese with 1 cup of sugar and crushed cardamom and spread out on a baking tray.

• Bake at medium oven (350 F degrees) for about 1 hour or till the cheese loses all moisture. It should not get brown.

• Remove from oven, and let it cool. When cool, shape into small flat balls.

• Thicken half and half by simmering over low heat stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes.

• Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar, saffron, vanilla and rose water (and any other flavoring you may want) to the half and half.

• Insert the balls one by one to the half and half mixture. Let it stay immersed for about 1 hour. They should become spongy. Cool in the fridge.

• Finally transfer balls into serving dishes. Crush almond, pistachios into small pieces and decorate rasmalai. You can either serve it chilled or at room temperature. 

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.

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