What's a Holi without some 'mithai'? But be a little cautious and try cooking some healthier sweets in your home kitchen, suggests Indian masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor, as he gives out some easy recipes:
Gujiya
Ingredients:
For the filling
Khoya/mawa: 500 gm
Sugarfree natura diet sugar: Six tablespoons
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Desiccated coconut: 3¼ tsps
Cashewnuts (blanched and chopped): 15 nos
Almonds (blanched and chopped): 15 nos
Raisins: 20 nos
Green cardamom or nutmeg powder: ½ tsp
For the outer covering
Refined flour (maida): Four cups
Salt: ½ tsp
Ghee: Five tbsps + to deep fry
Gujiya mould
Method
* Mash the khoya and roast it in a deep pan on medium heat till pink. Take off the heat and let it cool.
* Add all the other filling ingredients to the khoya and keep aside.
* To prepare the covering, sieve flour and salt and rub in five tablespoons of ghee.
* Add enough water and knead into a firm dough. Cover it with a moist cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
* Divide the dough into small balls and roll each ball into a small puri of four inches diameter.
* Spread a puri on a greased gujiya mould and fill a tablespoon of the filling mixture on one side.
* Moisten the edges of the puri and fold one side of the mould over the other. Press the edges and remove the excess dough and reuse.
* Prepare all the gujiyas and spread on a damp cloth.
* Heat sufficient ghee in a deep pan and deep-fry the gujiyas, in batches on medium heat, till golden brown.
* Drain on to an absorbent paper. Cool and store in an airtight tin.
-*-
Kesari Malai Peda:
Ingredients:
Four cups of milk
A few strands of saffron
A pinch of citric acid
Two teaspoons of cornflour, dissolved in two tablespoons of milk
¼ tsp green cardamom powder
10 teaspoons Sugar Free Natura Diet Sugar
Eight almonds, chopped
Method:
* Bring milk to a boil in a deep pan and simmer till it reduces to half its original quantity. Add saffron and mix well.
* Mix citric acid in two teaspoons of water and add to the thickened milk.
* Add dissolved cornflour and stir continuously till the mixture thickens.
* Add green cardamom powder and mix well.
* Take pan off the heat and stir in Sugar Free Natura Diet Sugar and set aside to cool.
* Divide the mixture into eight equal portions and shape them into round pedas.
* Sprinkle almonds over the pedas and serve.-*-
Mathhi:
Ingredients:
Two cups of refined flour
Salt to taste
½ tsp carom seeds
One tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
Five tbsp Nutralite Table Spread
Oil for deep frying
Method:
* Place the flour in a bowl and add the salt, carom seeds and dried fenugreek leaves and mix well.
* Add five tablespoons of Nutralite Table Spread and mix well. Add sufficient cold water and knead into hard dough. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes.
* Divide the dough into 24 equal balls and flatten them slightly. Roll each ball thinly into small puri and fold in half and then fold again to make a triangle. Stick a clove at one corner making it appear like a paan.
* Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Slide in the mathhis, a few at a time, and deep fry on medium heat till golden and crisp.
* You can also make these in round shapes. Lightly prick them with a fork so that the mathhis do not rise like puris.
* Drain on absorbent paper. Cool completely. Store in airtight tins.
-*-
Thandai:
Ingredients:
Full cream milk: 1½ litres
A few strands of saffron
Sugar Free Natura Diet Sugar: Five tbsp
Almonds, blanched and peeled: 25 nos
Cashewnuts, soaked: 20 nos
Pistachios, blanched and peeled: 30 nos
Melon seeds (magaz), soaked: Three tbsp
Poppy seeds (khuskhus), soaked: Three tbsp
Green cardamoms: 8 to 10 nos
Rose petals, dried: 20-25 nos
Cinnamon: 1-inch stick
Peppercorns: 8-10 nos
Method:
* Bring milk to a boil in a pan. Add saffron and simmer.
* Grind together almonds, cashewnuts, pistachios, melon seeds and poppy seeds with a little milk to a fine paste.
* Add this paste to the milk and mix well. Simmer for three to four minutes.
* Grind green cardamoms, dried rose petals, cinnamon and peppercorns to a fine powder.
* Add this to the milk and mix well. Add sugarfree natura Diet Sugar and mix.
* Chill the milk and serve.