Mithai Recipes With a Twist

We all love desserts. Specially the ones which hold a promise of a twist to tingle our taste buds. This festive season, Wicked Spoon Confessions has teamed up with two incredible chefs, who have shared recipes so innovative, you might just try making them all.

Don't believe us? See the recipes shared by Chef Mukul Jha- Executive Chef, Four Points by Sheraton, Navi Mumbai.

Lemon Rasgulla

Image Courtesy: Flickr Creative Commons  (for representation only)

Ingredients:

• Cow Milk for softer rasgullas – 1 ltr
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Water – 4 cups
• Lemon juice – 5-6 medium lemons
• Lemon essence- few drops

Method:

• Take a vessel and heat cow milk and then add lemon juice.
• Milk will break and turn into ‘chenna’ and will look like spongy lumps.
• Strain water and hang in a muslin cloth for 30—45 minutes.
• Now take a plate and smash the chenna with few drops of lemon essence and make a smooth paste. You can do it in mixer.
• Now make small balls  from the chenna paste. 
• Take a large vessel and add the sugar and water and turn on the gas to make syrup.
• When the sugar starts melting, put the chenna balls into the syrup. Boil the balls for 25 – 30 minutes.
• Garnish with lemon peel strips.

  
Note: For a twist one can use jaggery instead of sugar.


Carrot Halwa Mithai

Image Courtesy: Flickr Creative Commons  (for representation only)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Carrot, grated
• 1 cup milk
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon sliced pistachios
• 1 tablespoon broken cashew nuts
• 1/4 cup ghee

Method:

• Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small pan to roast the cashew nuts until golden brown and crisp. Keep them aside.
• Take heavy bottom pan, add the remaining ghee with heat on medium. Add the grated carrot and stir for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the milk to this mixture and allow it to come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, simmer the heat and allow the carrot to cook in the milk until all the milk gets absorbed. When majority of milk gets absorbed and carrot looks moist add the sugar to the carrot halwa and cook until all the sugar is dissolved and gets well combined with the carrot
• Now stir in the cardamom powder, roasted cashewnuts and the pistachios and stir on medium heat for a couple of minutes.
• Take a greased tray and pour the mixture and allow it to set for couple of hours. Garnish it with cardamom powder and other roasted dry fruits

Chocolate Barfi

Image for representation only

Prep Time: 16-20 minutes
Cook time: 26-30 minutes
Serves: 4
Level Of Cooking: Medium

Ingredients:

• Cocoa powder 2 teaspoons
• Khoya/mawa 2 cups + 1 tablespoon
• Sugar 1/2 cup
• Liquid glucose 1 teaspoon
• Green cardamom powder a pinch

Method:

• Cook the khoya and sugar together in a large non-stick kadai on low heat, stirring continuously till the sugar dissolves and the khoya starts to melt.
• Add the liquid glucose and continue to cook for about twenty minutes, stirring continuously, till the mixture thickens and begins to leave the sides of the kadai.Add the cardamom powder and mix well.
• Divide the mixture into two parts. Add two teaspoons of cocoa powder to one part and mix well.
• Transfer the cocoa mixture onto a greased six-by-eight-inch aluminium tray and spread it evenly. Leave to cool to room temperature and set.
• Spread the remaining khoya mixture on top of the chocolate layer and spread it evenly. Set aside to cool.
• Cut into twenty squares or diamonds and serve with the chocolate layer on top. Makes 20 pieces/400 grams.

Drooling, by now? We plan to sweeten the deal with Motichoor & Rabdi Bake recipe by Chef Nishant Mitra, Chef and Owner of Eddies Bandra.

Motichoor & Rabdi Bake

Image for representation only

Prep Time: 11-15 minutes
Cook time: 16-25 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Level Of Cooking: Medium               

Ingredients:

• Motichoor ke ladoo - 4-6(store bought 100% pure ghee)
• Full cream milk - 1 litre
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Condensed milk - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 2 tbsp or sugar free (You can adjust the sugar according to your liking )
• Saffron (kesar) a few strands
• Almond and pistachio slivers for garnishing

Method:

• Heat full cream milk in a heavy bottom pan.
• When the milk comes to a rolling boil, simmer the heat and let it cook on low heat till it is reduced to half.
• Add cardamom powder, sugar and condensed milk cook again till the milk is thickened and has reduced to almost ¼th of the original quantity.
• Remove the rabdi from heat and let it cool completely.
• Crumble the ladoos and make a layer of motichoor in a desired shape in oven proof bowls.
• Just 15 minutes before serving, pour the rabdi mixture over motichoor and sprinkle sliced almonds and pistachio on top.
• Bake in a hot oven at 200 degree c (400 degree f) for 3-8 minutes.
• Serve cold or hot.
• If you like your Rabdi smooth you can churn it once in a blender.