Authentic Rajasthani Ghewar

Ghewar is an Indian Mithai or dessert.  This Rajasthani dessert is very popular in Northern parts of India, specially savoured during Teej and Rakshabandhan festivals. It is a round mesh like fried delicacy drenched in sugar syrup and topped with sliced nuts and flavoured rabri. Making ghewar involves a technique for making its batter and the way it is poured in hot ghee. I won’t mark it as an easy dessert but I like making difficult dishes too J.. Here, for my friends and foodie lovers, I am sharing this authentic Indian Mithai with step by step pictures......

Ingredients:

Making Ghewar involves three main steps – 1. Making Batter , 2. Frying, 3. Simmering in Sugar syrup.

For Batter – ( Makes 2 ghewar)

Maida / All purpose flour – 300 gms

Ghee ( Desi ghee / Vanaspati ghee)- 90 gms

Chilled water – ¾ cup or ice cubes - 10

Cold water – 1 ½ cups

For Frying-

Desi ghee / Vanaspati ghee – 1 kg ( as ghewar needs to be deep fried so need ½ of a deep tumbler atleast)

For sugar syrup –

Sugar – 3 cups

Water – 2 cups

For Topping – ( Optional)

Milk Full cream- 1 kg

Nuts – Pistachio / Almonds sliced

Cardamom Powder – ½ teaspoon

Silver Varq

Method:

Batter :

In a wide tumbler, take 90 gms ghee and add 8-10 icecubes and whisk vigorously. It takes approx. 15 -20 minutes to make it fluffy. You can also take ½ cup of chilled water instead of ice cubes and add it spoon by spoon while you whisk it.

When this process is done. Add maida in it and gradually add 1 ½ cup of cold water. Whisk it continously. Make sure no lumps are there..Batter has to be real smooth. At this time you can add yellow colour dissolved in water as I did.

If batter is still thick add more water and whisk. Batter has to be of pouring consistency as shown in the picture. Once done , keep this batter away from heat.

Frying of Ghewar:

There are specific utensils for making ghewar like a wide mouthed and deep kadhai, a ring mould etc., but I used a “bhagona” , a utensil which is deep and round. It gives ghewar its shape..

Now heat appox. 1 lt. Of ghee in it. Obviously it doesn’t take all this ghee, but is required for deep frying. Heat it on high flame.

When fumes start to arise, take a long handed ladle full of batter and pour in a thin line in the centre of ghee. Lots of foam forms on the surface..Flame should be on high. With a skewer make a hole in the centre of the ghewar. Wait for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes again pour a ladle full of batter in the centre. Make a hole again. Wait for 2 minutes and repeat this process for four times.

After that keep flame on medium high for 5 minutes. Then with the help of a skewer take the ghewar out and keep it in a slant plate or thali so that extra oil collects.

Similarly make another ghewar.

Making Sugar Syrup and Dipping Ghewar :

Make sugar syrup before frying the ghewar. 

In a pan add 3 cups sugar and one 2 cups water and make sugar syrup of single thread consistency.

When Ghewar frees from extra oil, dip it in this sugar syrup. Make sure that it is dipped fully. Let it be there for 5 minutes.

Then take it out with the help of skewer and again put it on the slant surface, so that extra syrup comes out. Handle it carefully, else it may break.

Let it dry for say 15 minutes.

Garnishing:

You can add khoya on top of Ghewar and slivered nuts.

Rabri can also be added as a topping.

Only slivers of pistachios and almonds can be added.

Stick some silver varq.

Serve in slices.. Serve this to your loving brother this Rakshabandhan this traditional sweet and it will add to his love and you never know you may get some more gifts.. 

Hope you liked it...

Classic French Eclairs Pastry

Eclairs is a world famous French pastry. Its a long cream filled pastry made out of choux pastry dough and topped with melted cream chocolate. Though there are various kinds of fillings can be done like custard, flavored cream. This is oh so delicious and light that hardly you'll find someone who can resist it.It's my hubby's favorite dessert, so I had to try it and the result were absolute treat. Here I am sharing step by step recipe with pictures...

Ingredients:

choux pastry dough for 8 pastries

For cream Filling

Sweetened Heavy Cream - 2 cups or Heavy cream 2 cup and powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tbs


For Chocolate Glaze


Dark chocolate / Dark Compound - 120 gms
Fresh cream - 120 ml

Method: 

Make choux pastry dough for 8 - 10 pastries. Line baking tray with a parchment paper. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Fill the pastry dough in a piping bag.

Pour pastry in eclairs shape i.e. long. Keep good space between pastries as they will puff up good. Brush with egg for the glaze.

Bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees. Check with a needle whether its cooked.

Now bake them again at 150 degrees till they turn brown. This is basically fro browning of eclairs. Browning is required to achieve crispiness and also to avoid sagging of the pastry as they are hollow.
 

Cool on a wire rack.

For cream filling, mix one tbs of vanilla extract in the sweetened heavy cream. Whip the cream till soft peaks form. Fill it in a piping bag with a small nozzle.

For chocolate glaze, heat fresh cream till it slightly boils and pour it over chocolate pieces. Stir and whisk till a shiny smooth chocolate glaze is obtained.

 
Now take a pastry , poke 2 -3 small hole at the bottom with the nozzle and fill in the cream. Make sure that the cream doesn't ooze out much.

Dip the top of the pastry into the chocolate glaze or you can brush the glaze on top with a pastry brush.

Do the same with all the pastries and cool for 2 hrs, Serve.

Hope you liked it...

Sabudana Kheer / Sago Pudding

Sago pudding is a sweet pudding made by boiling sago with either water or milk and adding sugar and sometimes additional flavourings. It is made in many cultures with varying styles, and may be produced in a variety of ways.
In Malaysia, sago gula melaka is a sago pudding made by boiling pearl sago in water and serving it with syrup of palm sugar (gula melaka) and coconut milk
In the UK, "sago pudding" is generally made by boiling pearl sago and sugar in milk until the sago pearls become clear, and thickening it with eggs or cornflour. ( Source - Wikipedia)

Sabudana kheer is a popular dish in India and is eaten mostly during fasts. It can be made using different kinds of flavours , but my family loves cardamom flavour. Here, i am sharing step by step recipe with pictures. ....

Ingredients:

Sabudana / Sago - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Milk - 300 ml
Cardamom powder - 1 small teaspoon
Saffron strands for garnishing
Pistachios - Sliced for garnishing

Method:

Soak sago for 1 hr in water and then drain. You can also use sago directly without soaking but then it needs to be boiled in milk for more time.

In a pan, boil milk and once boiled add sabudana/ sago. Stir.

It will soon start to thicken. Now add sugar. Keep stirring till sago pearls turn transparent ( it means sago is cooked). It takes approx 15 minutes. 

Add 1 small teaspoon cardamom powder now. Mix and switch of the flame after 5 minutes. In all the whole process takes approx 25 -30 minutes.

Serve hot in dessert bowls. Garnish with sliced pistachios and saffron strands and enjoy the heavenly taste of sago  pudding. 

 Hope you liked it...

Fruit Trifle

Fruit trifle is a light summer dessert. Layers of sponge cake, fruits and whipped cream makes it a delightful  dessert. Number of variations can be applied to this dish. Here I am sharing the recipe with pictures ...



 Ingredients:

Sponge cake
Chopped fruits - Canned or fresh ( Pineapple, Cherries, kiwis, strawberries etc.)
Cream - 1 cup
Powdered Sugar- 3/4 cup
Serving glasses or bowls

Method:

Chill serving glasses or bowls.

Whip cream and powdered sugar till peaks forms.

Crumble / crush sponge cake coarsely.

Make sugar syrup by dissolving 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons water.

Now in the chilled bowls, make a layer of crumbled cake. Press the layer. Sprinkle sugar syrup on the layer.

Now add a layer of whipped cream gently.



Add a layer of chopped fruits. Try to cover as much as possible.



Again add a layer of whipped cream.



Garnish with chopped fruits again.



Chill in refrigerator for 2 - 3 hrs.

Serve the individual bowls..

Hope you liked it ......