Karwa Chauth, a significant and cherished Hindu festival, is a day when married women fast from sunrise to moonrise, praying for the well-being and longevity of their husbands. As the day progresses, women prepare to break their fast with a sumptuous and delightful meal. Among the many delectable dishes that make up this festive spread, desserts hold a special place. These sweet treats not only satisfy the taste buds but also symbolise the sweet and enduring bond between husband and wife.
Here are some rcipes that you can try on this day:
1. Blueberry Phirni (By Reetika Mitra – Home Chef & Author)
Ingredients:
- 1/3rd cup sabudana (tapioca pearls)
- 3 cups milk
- 3 Tablespoon milk powder
- 4 teaspoon + 2 teaspoon sugar (you may add or use less of the sugar according to your preference)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- 1/3rd cup water
- A few Almonds and Pistachios for garnishing
Method:
- Transfer the Sabudana to a grinder and repeatedly grind till it is evenly powdered.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the milk. Keep stirring and boiling, till it reduces a bit and is around ¾ of its original volume.
- Add the Milk powder and mix it thoroughly into the milk. Now add the Sabudana powder and lightly boil for a minute or two. Next add 4 teaspoon sugar and stir well to help it dissolve. Take off from flame and pass it one time through a sieve just to be doubly sure that there are no lumps. Add the vanilla essence to the sabudana -milk mix and pour the mixture into individual serving bowls. Leave it in the freezer for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.
- In the meantime prepare the blueberries by putting them in a bowl with 1/3rd cup water and 2 Tsp sugar. Simply microwave them at high for 40 to 50 seconds. If no microwave, simply put the blueberries along with the sugar and water in a pan over medium flame and cook for a minute or two minutes till the blueberries soften and are pulpy in texture .
- Take out the Sabudana phirni bowls half way when they are almost set and add the blueberries to each of the bowls from the top.
- Before serving garnish with sliced almonds and chopped pistachios.
2. Ragi Jaggery Balushahi (By Prabhjeet Singh Lehal, Chef De Cuisine, Conrad Pune)
Ingredients:
- Ragi Flour- 26.0 gm
- Wheat Flour (Whole)- 36.0 gm
- Curd- 40 gm
- Saffron Strand- 0.04gm
- Green Cardamom Powder- 0.24 gm
- Baking Powder- 0.45 gm
- Baking Soda- 0.67 gm
- Jaggery- 23.0 gm
- Salt- 0.54 gm
- Oil- 16.0 ml
- Butter- 12.0 gm
- Water- 50.0 ml
Method:
- Take a bowl and add Curd, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Mix Well.
For making syrup:
- Take a kadhai and add Jaggery Syrup In a pan chopped
- Jaggery, add water as required, then add Kesar strands, green cardamom powder, and mix and bring to a boil.
For Balushahi:
- In a mixing bowl add ragi flour, cup whole wheat flour, salt, butter and mix it till crumble form.
- Add curd and mix well and knead into the dough.
- Make small round clean balls then flatten them and make a hallow hole in the centre and deep fry in ghee till golden brown.
- Soak fried Balushahi in a jaggery syrup and serve.
3. Chocolate Modak Stuffed with Coconut Filling (By Chef Savita, Vice Principal at Lexicon Institute of Hotel Management)
Ingredients:
- Desiccated coconut – 2 bowls
- Almond, walnuts cashews and walnuts- 3/4 Katori (Finely chopped)
- Condensed Milk- 1 Katori
- Ghee -2 Teaspoons
- Green cardamom powder -1/4 Teaspoon
- Nutmeg powder -1/8 Tea Spoon
- Dark Compound – 200 gm
Method:
Heat the ghee and roast the finely chopped nuts on a low flame.
Heat the condensed milk in a non-stick pan and when it is hot add the roasted nuts, desiccated coconut and cardamom powder and cook till it binds well.
Allow the mixture to cool down a little.
Apply a thin layer of ghee on the modak mould and press the mixture in the mould.
Gently unmould and repeat the same for the remaining mixture.
Melt the dark compound.
Dip each modak in it and let the extra compound drip down completely with the help of a fork and place them on a butter paper.
Allow the chocolate compound to set completely and wrap them.