WINTER DELIGHT

2 cups orange juice.
6 cups pineapple juice.
8 cloves.
A cinnamon stick.
4 tablespoons honey.
Method
1.Heat the orange juice, pineapple juice, honey, cloves and cinnamon stick in a pan.
2.Give it one boil and then let it simmer for 20 minutes. Strain out the cinnamon and cloves and serve hot steaming mugs of this unique concoction.
Serve instesd of dessert in winter.Guests would love it.

MELON TANGO

Ingredients
2 cups muskmelon (kharbooja), cubed
juice of 2 oranges
2 cups tender coconut water
2 teaspoons sugar
a pinch black salt (sanchal)
For the garnish
A few mint leaves
Method
1. Blend the melon in a liquidiser. Strain it.
2. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
3. Serve chilled, poured into glasses and garnished with mint leaves.
This is a good appetizer.Good in summers to beat the heat.

SANDESH ORANGE

Ingredients
500 grams paneer
4 to 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange juice
2 drops orange essence (optional)
2 drops orange colour (optional)
For decoration segments of 2 oranges
4 almonds, blanched and sliced
4 pistachios, blanched and sliced
Method
1. Knead paneer thoroughly with sugar.Add orange juice, orange essence andorange colour and mix well. Spread half this mixture to form a 125 mm.square on a plate or dish. Arrange half the orange segments on top.
2. Cover with the remaining paneer mixture, spreading it evenly on top chill. Tips Decorate with the remaining orange segments, almonds and pistachios.
It is very low fat sweet.

MYSORE PAAK

Ingredients
1/3 cup (50 grams) Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/3 cup (50 grams) plain flour (maida)
1/2 cup melted ghee
3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
For pouring into the flour mixture
3 cups melted ghee, hot
Method
1. In a bowl, combine the gram flour, plain flour and melted ghee and mix well. Keep aside.
2. In a kadhai, dissolve the sugar in 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer till the syrup is of 1 string consistency.
3. Add the gram flour mixture and mix well, stirring continuously in one direction, over a medium flame.
4. Pour the hot ghee a little at a time (approximately 1/4 cup) from a height so that it trickles in a thin stream in the centre of the Mysore pak mixture.
5. Stir continuously in a circular motion on a low flame. When the ghee is absorbed, the Mysore pak mixture will increase in volume(expand).
6. Stir in one direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise) only. When the mixture settles down a little, pour more hot ghee again and stir in the same manner.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 till the entire quantity of 3 cups of ghee has been poured and absorbed by the Mysore pak mixture.
8. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cold water on the Mysore pak. If it is ready, the Mysore pak will sizzle indicating that it is ready to be poured out.
9. Pour the mixture into a tray or thali approximately 100 mm. (4") in diameter. The sides of the thali should be at least 50 mm. (2") high.
10. Allow it to set and harden for about 5 minutes. Then, crack a small hole and drain out all the excess ghee. Approximately 2 to 2 1/2 cups will get drained out.
11. Cut into 12 squares and store in an air-tight container.
Tips
If a colander is used instead of the tray or thali to set the Mysore pak. Keep a bowl under the colander to collect the excess ghee which will drain out automatically. This is an Indian sweet.Requires lot of attention.I remember once I was making a mysore paak it turned out so hard like thor from shrinathji in rajasthan.

GULAB JAMUN KULFI

GULAB JAMUN KULFI
Ingredients
1 litre full fat milk
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
a few saffron strands
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornflour
5 small gulab jamuns, drained and cut into 2
Method
1. In a small bowl, soak the saffron in a little warm milk and keep aside. 2. Dissolve the arrowroot in
2 tablespoons of water and keep aside.
3. Pour milk in a broad non-stick pan n bring it to a boil.Add arrowroot solution n sugar n mix well.
4. Simmer over a medium flame, stirring continuously till the milk reduces to a little less than half the original quantity (approx. 450 ml.).
5. Cool completely and add the cardamom powder and saffron mixture and mix well. Add the gulab jamun pieces and mix lightly.
6. Pour into kulfi moulds and freeze overnight till it is firm.
7. To unmould, allow the moulds to remain outside the refrigerator for 5 minutes and then unmould by inserting a wooden skewer, stick or a fork,in centre of the kulfi n pulling it out.

BAKLAVA

Ingredients
4 ready-made frozen samosa pattis
2 tablespoons cornflour dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
For the filling
¼ cup chopped walnuts (akhrot)
¼ cup soaked and chopped figs (anjeer)
¼ cup soaked and chopped apricots
¼ cup chopped dates
A pinch cinnamon (dalchini) powder
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Other ingredients
Oil for deep-frying
Honey for drizzling
Method 1. Make a thick paste of corn flour and water. Keep aside.
2. Cut each samosa patti into 3 to get 75 mm. x 62 mm. (3" x 2½") rectangles.
3. Mix all the ingredients for the filling together and divide into 6 equal portions.
4. Place the filling on one rectangle taking care to leave the sides clean.
5. Place another piece of samosa patti on top and seal the edges using the corn flour mixture.
6. Repeat with other rectangles to make 5 more baklavas.
7. Deep-fry the baklavas in hot oil until golden colour. Drain on absorbent paper
8. Drizzle with honey and serve hot.

COCONUT BURFI

Ingredients
1 cup fresh coconut, grated
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
a few drops saffron yellow colour(optional)
2 teaspoons ghee
Method
1. In microwave safe bowl, mix together the ghee and fresh coconut and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, stirring once after 1 minute.
2. Add the milk, sugar, cardamom powder and yellow colour and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, stirring once after 1 minute.
3. Remove and spread the mixture onto a greased thali with a 125 mm. (5") diameter and allow it to set for 1 hour.
4.Cut into rectangles and store in an air-tight container.
This recipe is my sister's speciality.She makes it on Rakhi without fail.