Shubho Bijoya 2023: Sweets To Try At Home On This Occasion

As families come together to celebrate this significant day, a prominent aspect of the festivities involves indulging in a delectable array of sweet delicacies.

Sweets To Try At Home On Bijoya

Source : PR Handouts

Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is a vibrant and auspicious Hindu festival celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm throughout India. This festive occasion marks the victory of good over evil, symbolized by Lord Rama's triumph over the demon king Ravana. As families come together to celebrate this significant day, a prominent aspect of the festivities involves indulging in a delectable array of sweet delicacies. They are not only a source of joy but also carry deep cultural significance, as they symbolize the sweetness of victory and the joy of new beginnings.

In Bengali households, families and friends gather together to wish each other 'Shubho Bijoya' with hugs and blessings. Here are a few mithai recipes that you can try at home to celebrate the occasion.

1. Blueberry Badam laddoo (By Chef Rohitash Singh, Varque)

Ingredients:

• 750 grams of almonds
• 250 grams of sugar crystals
• 1/2 liter of water
• Fresh blueberries for jam (quantity not specified)

Method:

• Boil 750 grams of almonds until they are soft.
• After boiling, peel the skin off the almonds.
• Once peeled, grind the almonds finely. You should have a smooth almond paste.
• In a separate pan, make a sugar syrup by combining 250 grams of sugar crystals and 1/2 liter of water.
• Heat this mixture and bring it to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Allow the sugar syrup to cool down.
• Once the sugar syrup has cooled down, add the finely ground almonds to it.
• Mix the almonds and sugar syrup together well. This will create a sweet almond mixture
• You can make blueberry jam by heating fresh blueberries with sugar and water until the mixture thickens and resembles jam. Allow it to cool.
• Once the almond mixture has cooled down, you can add your fresh blueberry jam to it. The quantity of jam to add is not specified, so you can adjust it to your taste.
• Mix the blueberry jam into the almond mixture until well combined.
• With your hands, shape the mixture into small, round ladoos (balls). The size of the ladoos can vary according to your preference
• Allow the almond blueberry ladoos to cool and firm up. You can place them on a tray or plate to set.
• Once the ladoos have cooled and set, they are ready to be served. Enjoy your homemade almond blueberry.

 

Blueberry Badam laddoo (By Chef Rohitash Singh, Varque)

2. Lauki Ki Kheer (By Jaybir Negi- Pastry Chef, The Deltin, Daman)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Ghee or neutral flavoured oil
• 200 grams lauki or 1 cup grated lauki 
• 2.5 cups full fat milk
• 1 pinch saffron strands
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 5 tablespoon sugar or add as required
• 5 to 6 dried rose petals, crushed (optional)
• 1 to 2 teaspoon rose water (optional)
• 12 to 15 cashews
• 1 tablespoon raisins – optional

Instructions:

Sautéing Lauki

• Rinse, peel and grate 200 grams lauki (half of a medium sized lauki). You should get 1 cup grated lauki.
• In a thick bottomed pan, heat ghee or a neutral flavoured oil. Add the lauki.
• Stir the lauki well and begin to sauté it on a low to medium heat.
• Stirring often, sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.

Making Lauki Ki Kheer

• Then add fresh whole milk and stir.
• On a low to medium heat simmer the milk stirring at intervals, so that the milk does not scorch at the bottom of the pan.
• After 5 to 6 minutes, add a pinch of saffron strands.
• Continue to simmer milk till it comes to a gentle boil.
• Keep on cooking milk, till it’s reduced a bit. Stir often and scrape the milk solids from the sides and add them to the simmering milk. Overall cook the milk for 16 to 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Once the milk has reduced a bit, add sugar as per your taste.
• Stir the sugar with the kheer mixture.
• Then add cardamom powder and cashews.
• Simmer the kheer for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Lastly switch off the heat and add rose water.
• Then add 5 to 6 dried rose petals (crushed). Skip rose petals if you do not have.
• Now you can serve lauki ki kheer hot or warm or chilled. On cooling, the consistency of the lauki kheer will thicken.

3. Rajgira Kheer (By Jaybir Negi- Pastry Chef, The Deltin, Daman)

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup amaranth grain (rajgira)
• 1.5 cups water for pressure cooking
• 1 cup milk
• 4 to 5 tablespoon sugar or add as per taste
• 12 to 15 cashews or blanched almonds, sliced or 4 to 5 tablespoon sliced cashews or almonds
• 4 to 5 green cardamoms, crushed to a powder in mortar-pestle or ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 7 to 8 dried rose petals, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

• Rinse 1/3 cup amaranth grains in a fine meshed sieve or strainer. You can also add them directly in the pressure cooker if you want.
• Then add 1.5 cups water. Stir very well
• Pressure cook the grains on a medium flame for 3 whistles or for 9 to 10 minutes. Once the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid of the cooker.
• Now add 1 cup milk in the cooker.
• Keep the cooker on stove top on a low flame. Stir the milk and the cooked amaranth grains mixture very well. Simmer on a low flame for 6 to 7 minutes. Do keep on stirring at intervals so that the kheer does not stick or get browned from the base.
• Add 4 to 5 tbsp. sugar. Stir again and simmer the kheer for 2 minutes more.
• Lastly add 4 to 5 tbsp. sliced cashews or almonds, 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder, 7 to 8 dried rose petals, chopped (optional). You can also add raisins and crushed saffron. Stir again.
• Serve amaranth kheer hot or warm or chilled. Once the kheer comes to room temperature, you can chill it in the fridge.
• You can garnish with some saffron strands or sliced almonds or cashews, while serving.

 

Rajgira Kheer (By Jaybir Negi- Pastry Chef, The Deltin, Daman)

4. Bread Malai Chum Chum (By Reetika Mitra – Home Chef & Author)

Ingredients: 

• 6 white bread slices
• sliced pistachios 
• Almond slivers 

For the Mawa Paste :

• 1 ½ teaspoon butter
• ¼ cup milk (you may replace with almond or soya milk)
• 2 tablespoon thick cream
• ½ cup milk powder
• A pinch of saffron (optional)

For the Malai Milk : 

• 1 cup milk (you may replace with almond or soya milk)
• ½ cup cream
• Add ¼ cup Sugar
• ¼ Tsp Cardamom powder

Method:

• To make the Mawa Paste heat pan over medium heat. Add 1 ½ tsp butter, ¼ cup milk and 2 tablespoon cream. With a spoon or a spatula mix and combine well.
• Now add ½ cup milk powder. Stir vigorously to mix in the milk powder so that there are no lumps. 
• Keep stirring continuously over medium - high flame. The consistency will gradually thickens considerably and will become thick, creamy, smooth paste like consistency. The mawa paste is ready to be used. 
• Take bread slices, one at a time. Gently roll and flatten them using a rolling pin. Trim the four sides of each of the bread slices. 
• Next take some of the prepared mawa paste (about 1 heaped tablespoon) spread it evenly across the bread slice. Sprinkle chopped pistachios and almond slivers on top. 
• With your hands lightly roll the bread slice into cylindrical shape. Once done, roll back and forth lightly using your palms. This will help the mawa bread chum chum rolls to get tighter and retain its shape.
• Place the bread bread chum chums in a serving dish. 
• To prepare the Malai Milk in a pan heat th1 cup milk, ½ cup cream. Stir well and boil for 2 minutes before adding ¼ cup sugar. Keep stirring and cook till milk thickens to a light creamy consistency.
• Add ¼ tsp cardamom powder. Mix well. 
• Cool a bit but pour the malai milk over the bread cum chum while still warm. Sprinkle a few saffron strands if you want to. 
• Refrigerate 15 – 20 minutes and serve chilled. 

NOTE : As a fast and easy alternative you can replace the Mawa paste with store bought kalakand. Just mash it, spread it evenly on the bread slices and topped with almonds and pistachios. This alternative is bound to taste delicious too! 

A ready and convenient substitute for the Mawa milk is Rabri.

 

Bread Malai Chum Chum (By Reetika Mitra – Home Chef & Author)