Suraya Karjeker: Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot Pudding)

Because I had leftover milk solids, and because one good Indian dessert deserves another, I decided to also knock out some carrot pudding.  I like to think I'm being a little bit healthier by eating something with a ton of vegetables in it, but I'm not quite sure it counts once you coat them in sugar and cream.  Nevertheless, this is a delicious end of a meal, and I love to serve it warm with extra nuts on top.  I could also probably get on board with some vanilla or cinnamon ice cream on the side.

Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot Pudding)
From Suraya Karjeker

5 ounces ghee
2 pounds carrots, peeled and grated
8 green cardamom pods, crushed, seeds and pods separated
1 cup water
1⅜ cup granulated sugar
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (7.6-ounce) can Nestlé table cream
8 ounces milk solids (khoya/mawa), finely grated
1 ounce pistachios, roughly chopped
1 ounce blanched slivered almonds

In a large pot, heat the ghee, add the cardamom seeds, and stir for 2 or 3 minutes over a medium-low heat.  Add the shredded carrots and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 7 minutes.  Cover and cook the carrots until they are nearly cooked and dry, 10 to 15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare a syrup by boiling the water and sugar plus the cardamom pod skins until syrupy, about 10 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup.  Skim the cardamom pods out and discard.

Add the cardamom syrup along with the evaporated milk and table cream to the carrots and cook until the mixture is almost dry (ghee is beginning to come out of the mixture), about 50 to 60 minutes.  You will need to stir the mixture more often as it thickens to prevent burning, stirring almost constantly near the end of the cooking time.  Add ¾ of the milk solids, almonds, and pistachios.  Stir well and remove to a serving dish, using the remainder of the milk solids and nuts as garnish.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Cook with Manali: Gulab Jamun (Rose Berries)

Every time I go to an Indian food buffet, I'm always scoping out the gulab jamun dish.  Even before I get my first plate of food.  If there is none, you're pretty much guaranteed that I won't be returning.  Luckily, this seems to be a standard dessert these days.  Because who doesn't like fried dough soaked in sugar syrup?  Answer: no one.  At least no one honest.

Note: The recipe below calls for 1½ teaspoons rose water in the syrup, and according to a good friend at work, this amount of flavoring is more of a Bengali thing.  If you're aiming for more of a northern Indian take, I'd probably back it down to just ½ teaspoon.

Gulab Jamun (Rose Berries)
Adapted from Cook with Manali blog

4 ounces milk solids (khoya/mawa), finely grated
¼ cup cake flour (maida)
Pinch ground cardamom
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ tablespoons melted ghee, plus additional for forming dough
1 to 2 tablespoons warm whole milk, as needed to knead the dough
Oil, for frying

Chopped pistachios, for garnish

For the sugar syrup:
1½ cups granulated sugar

2 cups water
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ teaspoons rose water

¼ teaspoon pandanus essence (kewda/kewra) (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together grated milk solids, cake flour, ground cardamom, and baking powder. Mix until well combined.  Add melted ghee to the bowl.  Use your fingers to mix the ghee with the milk solids mixture.  Start adding warm milk, little by little, until it all comes together as a dough. Don’t knead the dough too much; just bring it all together to a smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to a wide pan, add the sugar, water, ground cardamom, and lemon juice.  Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let the syrup simmer for 6 minutes.  Stir in the rose water and pandanus essence (if using), remove pan from heat, and set aside. Keep the syrup warm.

Now give a quick knead to the dough.  Coat your hands with ghee, and make small balls, about 15 grams each, working with soft hands and squeezing the ball between your palms to shape it.  Form a smooth round ball with no cracks.  Repeat with the remaining dough until you have formed 14 balls.

Heat oil in wide kadai or pan on medium heat.  Heat the oil for 5 minutes on medium heat and then lower the heat to medium-low.  The oil should be 300°F.  Add the dough balls to the oil, and fry until golden-brown, approximately 7 minutes.  Keep rotating the dough balls regularly with a spoon so that they get cooked evenly.  Once they are dark brown in color, remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels for 1 minute.

Drop the fried balls in the warm sugar syrup.  Let the balls soak in the syrup for at least 30 minutes.  Garnish with pistachios and serve warm or cold. You may also decorate them with edible silver leaf (chandi ka vark).

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Let's Dish: Irish Soda Bread

I had some grand plans for St. Patrick's Day, but it snuck up on me.  I was going to do a from-scratch corned brisket and all, but that takes about 10 days of advanced planning that wasn't meant to be.  And normally bread isn't exactly a short-term notice kind of thing, but this bread scores in two ways: it's quick and it's amazingly delicious.  No yeast, just buttermilk and baking soda for lift.  It smells scrumptious and tastes even better slathered with melting butter.

Note: I added 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter since I could only find low-fat buttermilk.

Irish Soda Bread
From Let's Dish blog

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1¾ cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.  Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently a few times. Form the dough into a ball and then press into the prepared pan so that the dough resembles a large disk. The dough should reach the edges of the pan, but may spring back slightly.  Cut an X into the dough with a sharp knife, about ¼ of an inch deep. Cover the pan of dough with another round cake pan turned upside down.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, covered, then remove the top pan and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more or until the crust is dark golden brown.

Sanjeev Kapoor: Kelphulachi Bhaji (Banana Flower Stir Fry)

When I walked into my local fabulous grocery and saw these big red flowers for sale, I was immediately interested.  Turns out they were banana flowers, and I bought some without already having a plan for what to make with them.  I figured maybe a curry of some sort.  Turns out banana flowers are used in mock fish curries (I assume because of their texture?), but then I looked further and saw multiple references to a banana flower stir fry.  This dish is actually a pretty delicious use of banana flower, which to me tastes a little like a green banana (because it basically is?).  While not something I'll make every day, this was definitely a fun experiment with a new ingredient.

Note: I used Kashmiri chili powder instead of the hotter red chili powder called for (which is similar to cayenne in heat), but I'm also a hot pepper baby.  I also only used half of a serrano pepper instead of the 2 or 3 called for below.

Kelphulachi Bhaji (Banana Flower Stir Fry)
Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor

1 large banana flower
½ cup dried split mung beans (moong dal)
3 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 to 6 curry leaves
Pinch asafoetida (hing)
2 to 3 green chilies, finely chopped (such as serrano)
1½ teaspoons red chili powder (lal mirch)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Sea salt, to taste

1 teaspoon grated jaggery
¼ cup shredded fresh coconut
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Remove the outer redish leaves of the banana flower, separate the inner white stalks/flowers and use these flowers for this stir fry. Wash the thin white flowers, drain, and chop.  Keep the flowers soaked in water overnight.  Soak the mung beans in one cup of water for at least thirty minutes. Drain.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.  As they begin to change color, add the curry leaves, asafoetida, and green chilies.  Stir well.  Add the split green gram and sauté for a minute.  Add the banana flowers, mix well, and then add the chili powder, turmeric, salt, and jaggery.  Cover and cook until the banana flower is done.  Add the coconut and mix well.  Serve hot garnished with the cilantro.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Home and Plate: Boursin Creamed Corn with Pancetta

Let me just admit right now that this is basically just a continuation of my fascination with Boursin cheese.  Much like bacon, I'm starting to believe it makes everything taste better.  So I've been finding all sorts of dishes to stick it in, and I have yet to be disappointed.  This is a cheesy version of creamed corn, and it works beautifully.

Boursin Creamed Corn with Pancetta
Adapted from Home and Plate blog

4 ounces cubed pancetta
8 cobs fresh corn, husked and cut from the cob
1 bunch sliced green onions
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups heavy cream

½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (5.2-ounce) package Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin cheese 

Over medium-high heat in a large pan, fry the pancetta until it begins to crisp. Add the corn, green onions, and butter and stir until corn is cooked through, about 7 minutes.  Add the heavy cream and season with the salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to medium and stir the creamed corn until it has thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes.  Add the Boursin cheese and melt into the cream sauce.  Reduce further, if desired, until corn is as thick as desired.

Makes 8 servings

Molly Yeh: Praline King Cake

Every year around this time, I tell myself that I should make a king cake.  I even had the recipe all picked out.  But something about this time of year tends to make the days seem short and unpleasant (maybe it's the weather?), so it had never materialized.  I finally got my butt in gear this year, though, and now I'm sorry I waited.  Not a big fan of cinnamon, I decided a praline cake was the way to go.  This thing is fantastic - a not-too-sweet bread with a caramelized pecan filling.  And the ridiculous amount of sugar on top didn't even seem out of place.  Baby not included.

Praline King Cake
Adapted from Molly Yeh

Cake:
¾ cup warm whole milk (100°F-110°F)
2¼ teaspoons or one packet dry yeast
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt

Filling and topping:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons praline liquor (optional)
1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 plastic baby
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
Sanding sugar in yellow, green, and purple

Combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar and let proof. While yeast is proofing, whisk together the butter, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, flour, nutmeg, and salt.

When the yeast mixture is foamy, add that and the butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Using a dough hook, or kneading by hand on a floured surface, work the dough (adding flour as needed) for 5 to 7 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for two hours, until doubled in size. Begin making the filling as soon as the dough begins rising.

In a large sauce pan, melt together the butter and cream cheese. Stir in the brown sugar and praline liquor, if using, and continue stirring until the mixture starts to bubble. Remove it from heat, stir in the pecans, and then set it aside to cool while the dough finishes rising.

When the dough is finished rising, transfer it to a large piece of parchment paper and roll it out to a 9- x 13-inch rectangle. Spread the filling on evenly, leaving an inch along one of the long sides so that the filling doesn't ooze out. Starting opposite of that end, roll up the dough like a jelly roll, sticking the baby in somewhere in the middle.

Grease an empty 28-ounce can and place it in the center of a large baking sheet that's been lined with parchment. Gently wrap the dough roll around the can, seam side down, and pinch the ends well. Let rise for another half an hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Once the cake has gone through its second rising, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake is a nice brown color. Remove the can as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. Let the cake cool completely before decorating.

To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. If the consistency is too thick for your taste, add more milk a little bit at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Once the cake is out of the oven and cooled, pour on the the glaze and then sprinkle with colored sanding sugar.

Bakerita: Paleo Banana Upside Down Cake

My boyfriend's mom has been making this amazing cake for our Sunday night dessert, and while not usually a big fan of the whole Paleo thing, this cake was fantastic.  I greedily asked for the recipe and knew I had to make it myself.  While it doesn't rise up high like a regular flour cake, this thing tastes like a beautiful piece of banana bread, which is never a bad thing.  Served hot, with whipped cream on top, it's pretty spectacular.

Note: I used Justin's vanilla almond butter because it's amazing.

Paleo Banana Upside Down Cake
Adapted from Bakerita blog

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup coconut sugar
2 bananas, sliced

For the batter:
1½ cups mashed banana (3 to 4 bananas)
3 large eggs
⅓ cup almond butter or other nut butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon banana extract (optional)
⅓ cup Paleo baking mix or coconut flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or foil.

Combine the melted butter and coconut sugar. Spread in the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the banana slices over the coconut sugar. Set aside while you prepare the batter.

In a large bowl or mixer, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, banana extract, and nut butter until fully combined.  Add the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt to the wet ingredients and mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, and then carefully flip out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.