Living away from home, you don’t always have access to your favorite childhood cultural delicacies. For me, Rasmalai, Gajar ka halwa or Shahi Tukrey are all love letters from home, that I want to open, again and again. And when the craving hits….oh man. But, the lazy ass that I sit on, makes me find a shortcut recipe for all those cravings. But Exhibit A – This Rasamali recipe!

To make this shortcut happen, I’ll admit I had to go through a painstakingly long journey, with tears, burst rasmalais, and failed experiments. Some feedback from family and my wonderful family over at IG, I can finally say I have a recipe that is as fool-proof as it gets.

About Rasmalai

Rasmalai is known by various names in South Asia, including rossomalai, or rasa malei. The traditional Rasmalai involves making cottage cheese (paneer) from scratch, shaping it into flattened discs, and dipping it in sweetened milk syrup, seasoned with spices like cardamom and saffron.

This version of Rasmalai that I use is a popular shortcut method, where you use milk powder mixture instead of making cottage cheese for the milk balls. It’s quicker, easier, and ready in 30 mins! That literally checks all my boxes: something quick, fancy, and yum!

It is one of the “quicker” South Asian desserts and if you follow the tips in this post, no one will EVER believe your Rasmalais are homemade. I will also troubleshoot the common problems that you face when making rasmalai with milkpowder.

Notes on Ingredients

You do require a couple of special ingredients that aren’t readily available in the pantry. But, you’ll find most of these in any South Asian grocery store.

• Milk Powder – You need full-fat milk for for this recipe. It is crucial! Skim milked powder or “less fat” powders will not work and your milk balls will likely burst. (ask me how I know) I’ve used Nido, Almarai. And some of you on IG have sent in your remakes with other brands like Olpers, Deep and Carnation with amazing results.
  
• Sweet milk Syrup – The syrup needs milk, sugar, and green cardamom powder. As a substitute, you can use whole green cardamom pods. You can also add saffron strands if you are feeling fancy.
  
• All-purpose flour – Called “maida” in Urdu, you only need a teaspoon of this. It helps with binding the milk balls together.
  
• Ghee – Ghee is clarified butter, and is found in most South Asian stores. You can buy a small tin of ghee, or make ghee at home with butter using my friend Henna’s Homemade Ghee recipe. Ghee is solid when cold and liquid when warm. You need ghee at room temperature where it is semi-solid.
  
• Egg – You need a large cold egg. It is important you use refrigerated egg for this recipe, this hack will help you with crack-free milk discs. (Yes, this is different from most baking recipes which require room-temperature eggs.)

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Step By Step Instructions

Rasmalai has two components. One is the milk powder discs and the other one is the sweet milk syrup. The common thing to do is to put the syrup on the stove to cook, and in the meantime prepare the milk discs.

• Cooking the sweet milk syrup
• Making the milk ball discs
• Cooking the milk ball discs in the syrup.

STEP 1 – Boil milk, sugar and cardamom powder in a wide base pot at low heat and let it simmer on the side.

STEP 2 – In a bowl, add dry ingredients to make the milk balls and mix.

STEP 3 – Make a well or a ditch in the center of the dry mixture

STEP 4 – Add an egg and ghee to the ditch and beat.

STEP 5 – Use the palm of your hands to mix the ingredients and knead them just long enough until everything is combined well. The dough will be sticky and shiny.

STEP 6 – Use a teaspoon to portion out the milk discs.

STEP 7 – Place the roughly portioned milk balls onto a plate

STEP 8 – Wash your hands and completely dry them. Now roll out the portions into flat discs in the palm of your hand.

STEP 9 – Make discs of all the dough portions. The discs should be smooth, shiny, and crack-free. (see tips)

STEP 10 – Drop the milk balls gently into the simmering milk.

STEP 11 – Your milk balls will initially sink and then rise on top of the milk

STEP 12 – Cover the ras malai with a lid and let it cook at low flame for 15 mins. Checking in at 5 mins intervals.

PROTIP: Do not stir the milk with a spoon after you’ve added your rasmalai discs. Your spoon should only enter the pot once you are ready to take the rasmalais out.

STEP 13 – Once you see the milk balls have expanded and turned whitish in color, cover the lid again and let it simmer at medium flame for another 5 mins.

STEP 14 – Turn off the heat and let the ras malai cool down.

Gently transfer the rasmalais onto the serving dish. Garnish with sliced pistachios and almonds. Refrigerate for about 6 to 8 hours and serve cold.

Tips for Perfect Rasmalai Discs

Making the sweet milk syrup is a straightforward beginner level task, so that is never the issue anyone runs into. But yes, making and shaping the rasmalai milk discs does require a couple of pointers. The goal is to make smooth crack free milk discs to create as perfect a rasmalai as possible.

• MOISTURE CONTROL
  The bowl you make your dough in should be completely dry and moisture-free. Remember to dry your hands completely before kneading or shaping the discs.
• QUALITY INGREDIENTS
  Use good quality full fat milk powder and good quality baking powder (more often than not, expired products are the culprit of bad results). I say it again here to emphasize, you need FULL FAT milk powder for both, Rasmalais and Gulabjamuns.
• SIFT THE DRY INGREDIENTS
  Sifting the dry ingredients avoids any clumps or impurities from passing through. and gives you more uniform rasmalai
• TEMPERATURE
  This recipe requires the rasmalai dough to be cold. To achieve this, once you mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl, keep the bowl in the freezer for 5 mins. And use refrigerated egg as well. This will give you a sticky dough which is crack free when shaped into discs.
• A WIDE BOWL
  This will help you mix the dough ingredients, and make it easier for you to knead the dough with your palms.
• MILK SYRUP TEMPERATURE
  And lastly, make sure your sweet milk syrup is simmering at low flame when you add your rasmalai discs. Adding rasmalai to very hot milk will make the eggs in the dough curdle and break your rasmalais.

Recipes FAQs

Similar Desserts

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Rasmalai

A quick version of the traditional South Asian dessert, made with milk powder discs, cooked in a sweet milk syrup and garnished with nuts.

Course Desserts

Cuisine Indian, pakistani, South Asian

Diet Halal

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 15 rasmalais

Calories 51kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

For the Milk Balls

• 3/4 cup good quality milk powder I used Nido
• 1 tbsp ghee clarified butter
• 1 tsp Maida or White flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg cold

For the Millk mixture (ras)

• 1 Litre full fat milk
• 1/2 tsp elaichi powder green cardamom powder
• 1 cup sugar
• Sliced almonds and pistachios for garnish

Instructions

• In a wide saucepan (pateeli), add milk, sugar and cardamom powder. Keep it on low heat and allow to simmer. Cover it with a lid, and let it simmer on the side.
• In a bowl, add milk powder, baking powder and white flour. Use a spoon and mix well. Put the bowl in the freezer for 5 mins.
• Take the bowl out, and make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Now add ghee and a cold egg. Beat the egg with a fork.
• Use the palm of your hands to knead the dry ingredients into the egg and form a dough. Your dough will be sticky and thats fine.
• Use a teaspoon to roughly portion the dough into 1 teaspoon servings on a plate.
• Now use the palm of your hands to roll the dough into discs.
• Drop the discs in the simmering milk at low heat and cover the pan with the lid. Let the rasmalai cook for about 15 mins.
• After 15 mins your rasmalai balls would have doubled in size. Increase the heat to medium and cook for another 5 mins.
• Turn off the heat and let the rasmalai sit in the pot till it comes down to room temperature.
• Gently transfer the rasmalai onto the serving dish and chill it in the fridge.
• Garnish with sliced almonds and pistachios. Serve cold

Notes

The goal is to make smooth crack-free milk discs to create as perfect a rasmalai as possible. Here are a couple of tips to help you with that (for detailed tips, see post)

• The bowl you make your dough in should be completely dry and moisture-free. Remember to dry your hands completely before kneading or shaping the discs.
• Use good quality full-fat milk powder and good quality baking powder (more often than not, expired products are the culprit of bad results). 
• Sifting the dry ingredients prevents any clumps or impurities from passing through. 
• This recipe requires the rasmalai dough to be cold. To achieve this, once you mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl, keep the bowl in the freezer for 5 mins. And use refrigerated egg as well. This will give you a sticky dough that is crack-free when shaped into discs.
• Use a wide bowl to mix and knead the rasmalai discs
• Use a wide base pot to cook the rasmalais to avoid crowding
• And lastly, make sure your sweet milk syrup is simmering at low flame when you add your rasmalai discs. Adding rasmalai to very hot milk will make the eggs in the dough curdle and break your rasmalais.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rasmalai | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 114mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post Rasmalai Recipe with Milk Powder appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

What is Kheer?

Kheer is essentially a South Asian milk-based pudding. Rice kheer also known as chawal ki kheer (in Urdu) is made with rice. But other variations of kheer exist, like the lesser-known tapioca kheer.

Because of the simplicity of the recipe, it is popular for both, regular weekend dessert nights and for elaborate festivities like Eid, Diwali, and dinner parties. Kheer Puri is also a popular Sunday brunch option, where cold kheer is served with crispy fried puris. My mom also loves adding khara masala keema to this Sunday brunch.

If you follow me on Insta, then you know your girl loves a good silky smooth dessert in summer. And a cold nice kheer, malai kulfi, and rose honey milk cake are my top 3 go-to heat-killers!

Ingredients

The traditional stove-top Rice kheer uses only sugar, rice and milk and is simmered at low flame for hours to allow the milk to cook down and give it depth and flavor. I use sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to achieve the same depth of flavor but in less time.

• Rice – I use regular basmati rice for kheer. Long grain and other variations don’t matter for this recipe.
• Green cardamom – I add whole pods but you can use 2 to 3 pinches of green cardamom powder instead if you want.
• Three milk sources – Full-fat milk, Sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. (more on substitutes down below)

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Substitutions

So the basic trio of milk, rice, and sugar is of course mandatory for this recipe. Let’s talk about the other 2 milk sources.

Sweetened Condensed Milk – Use a combo of more sugar and heavy cream instead.

Evaporated milk – I use evaporated milk to adjust the thickness and the sweetness of the kheer once it’s cooked while enhancing the flavor. You can use any milk alternative that you have at hand. The following are great substitutes for evaporated milk:

• Milk powder mixed with milk to make a thicker milk alternative
• Regular milk mixed in with chunks of khoya, or Indian mithai like barfi, kalakand
• Unwhipped Heavy cream
  

PROPTIP: Simply use heavy whipping cream and sugar and skip the evaporated milk and condensed milk entirely if you are out of one or the other. You will need 500ml of heavy cream for the recipe quantities mentioned on the card.

Instructions

Since this is a one-pot recipe, there aren’t any complicated instructions to follow. But I’ve put together a pictorial to show you what the kheer looks like in different stages of cooking.

STEP 1 – In a wide pot, boil the soaked rice at low heat in the water. This will take about 10 mins, during which time you don’t need to stir the rice

STEP 2 – Use a hand whisk to stir through the rice once the water evaporates and the rice has doubled in size.

STEP 3 – Add in milk and green cardamom and let the rice cook in the milk at medium to low heat.

STEP 4 – Your milk will form a crusty top while it’s boiling. This is normal. Whisk occasionally but you can leave the milk unattended for 5 to 6 mins at a stretch.

STEP 5 – After 15 to 20 mins, you will see a thick porridge-like consistency of the kheer.

STEP 6 – Add in your sugar.

STEP 7 – And add in your condensed milk. Now the kheer will liquefy again a little bit. This is normal. Let it cook for another 10 mins at medium to high heat. Whisk occasionally.

STEP 8 – Turn off the flame of the kheer and let it cool down. Now add evaporated milk as much as you like for your desired thickness and consistency.

Expert Tips

• Most recipes will ask you to either break the rice by hand after soaking them or grind them in a food processor. But my favorite hack is to use a hand whisk instead while cooking, which naturally breaks the rice grains and reduces an additional step.
• I used these cool clay pots that you see in the pictures to serve the kheer because that is how they are traditionally served. But the authentic clay pots need to be soaked in water overnight. If you use them, make sure you soak them overnight, or else they will absorb all the liquid from the kheer. Don’t ask me how I know that.
• Cooked Kheer might splutter slightly towards the end of its cooking, so just be mindful of that while stirring.

Garnish and Serving

Rice kheer is served cold. As the cooked kheer cools down, it forms a thin milky crust on top as it reacts with air. I personally am not a fan of this and I usually cover the kheer with a lid once its done cooking. But some of my family members like the crust, so they usually pour the hot kheer into a serving bowl immediately and allow it to cool in the bowl with the crust on top.

The best garnishes for kheer are chopped or sliced pistachios and almonds. I also like to add rose petals for a little pizazz. You can incorporate the nuts into the kheer itself and then some more for toppings, or only as toppings.

Equipment

In traditional South Asian kitchens, kheer is usually made in aluminum pots because they are usually heavy bottom and the milk doesn’t burn easily in aluminum pots. You can also use any heavy bottom pot made with stainless steel or Dutch Ovens. You can also use a girdle or a tava underneath the pot if your pot isn’t heavy base.

How to make Dairy-Free Vegan Kheer

As you can see this dessert heavily relies on multiple milk sources for flavor and cooking. You can easily make a dairy-free kheer by using milk substitutes like nut milk and soy milk. Use coconut cream in place of the evaporated milk and condensed milk. You may have to adjust your sugar quantities as this recipe uses sweetened condensed milk.

More Pakistani and Indian Desserts

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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Rice Kheer – Rice Pudding

A one pot traditional South Asian dessert, made with rice, sugar and milk. Garnished with nuts and served cold.

Course Dessert

Cuisine pakistani, South Asian

Diet Halal

Prep Time 0 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 405kcal

Author Wajiha

Equipment

• 1 heavy bottom stainless steel pot Or use a flatpan beneath your existence normal bottom large saucepans
• 1 hand whisk

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati rice soaked in water for atleast 20 mins
• 2 cup water
• 1 Litre full fat milk
• 2 cup white sugar or to taste
• 1 can condensed milk 375 gm
• 1 can evaporated milk (add more or less according to thickness preferred)

Garnish

• 2 tbsp sliced or chopped pistachio and almonds or any nuts you like
• rose buds or petals optional

Instructions

• In the pot, add rice and water. Simmer at medium flame until all the water evaporates and rice doubles in size. Use a hand whisk to stir the rice
• Add green cardamom and milk and let it simmer at low flame. Whisk with your hand whisk from time to time. This will take 20 mins
• Add sugar and condensed milk and cook for another 20 mins. Whisk to make sure the rice grains don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• You will see the rice grains will have broken down into smaller bits and the rice and milk would now be in a pudding consistency. Turn off the flame and let the kheer cool down.
• Now add evaporated milk. Add as much as you like for the consistency you prefer.

Notes

• To substitute Sweetened Condensed Milk – Use a combo of more sugar and heavy cream instead.
• To substitute Evaporated milk – I use evaporated milk to adjust the thickness and the sweetness of the kheer once it’s cooked while enhancing the flavor.  The following are great substitutes for evaporated milk:  a) Milk powder mixed with milk to make a thicker milk alternative. b) Regular milk mixed in with chunks of khoya, or Indian mithai like barfi, kalakand. c) Unwhipped Heavy cream
• Use a tava or pan below the pot if you see your kheer is burning at the edges
• Kheer which is near to completion, might splutter a little bit, just be mindful of that. 
• You can adjust how much-evaporated milk you want to add depending on how thick you want your kheer to be. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 431mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 357IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 339mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Rice Kheer – Rice Pudding appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Why You need to make these Chocolate Oat bars ASAP!

• You can use nutritious ingredients to create a SUPER Nutritious Chocolate bar and have a guilt-free treat!
• No need to fire up the oven when the craving hits
• Totally customizable according to your likes and of course how indulgent your feeling that day
• Comes together in less than 15 mins!
• Totally freezable with a long shelf life!
• They are great holiday gift idea!

Ingredients and Substitutes to make the No Bake Chocolate Bars

This super simple recipe uses some classic ingredients.

• Roasted nuts
  I used a variety of nuts for this recipe including pecan, cashew, walnuts and almonds. You can use any that you like or have at hand. The nuts that I used were salted as well so I didn’t add any extra salt in the recipe.
• Toasted Rolled Oats
  Some people have reported gastric discomfort with raw oats and it seems scientifically there is a debate IF raw oats should be consumed or not. So to be on the safe side, I toasted my oats for 5 mins in a pan at low flame. It also makes the oats crunchy! So that’s another plus for me. You can also use instant oats or steel cut oats, either ways, TOAST them!
• Peanut butter
  This recipe calls for an unsweetened smooth peanut butter because honey is going to provide the sweetness for the recipe. If you have sweetened peanut butter at hand, just reduce the honey quantity by half. I try using organic homemade peanut butter to make these bars extra nutritious. If you DON’T want to use peanut butter, here are some other options you can try:
  • Almond butter or cashew butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Coconut cream (the thick part only)
  • Regular cream if you don’t have issue with dairy
• Dark Chocolate
  I used special dark chocolate chips for this recipe instead of the regular semi-sweet ones by Hershey’s. But you can use any dark chocolate you have. Cooking chocolates and chocolate bars are great options to use as well! I personally love the dark unsweetened flavor, but feel free to use a sweeter version if that’s what you and your family likes.
  (The Darker your chocolate, the more nutritious and guilt free these bars are going to be)
• Honey
  Honey adds the sweetness and softness to the bars. If you are already using sweetened peanut butter and milk chocolate, you can reduce the quantity of the milk to 1-2 tbsp. The honey also adds softness to the bars, since all the other ingredients solidify in the fridge. So I would NOT recommend to skip the honey completely.
• Add ons
  The beauty of such recipes is that they are totally customizable. You can totally built it to your taste buds. Fun add ons can be: roasted flax seeds, orange zest, salted crushed potato chips, or you know go crazy!

How to make these Chocolate oat bars

Making the Chocolate Base – You need to get your chocolate and peanut butter melted to create a chocolate base. I do this by heating them up with honey in the microwave. But you can also do this step on the stove in a saucepan.

Adding the Crunch – Oats and Nuts – After your chocolate is melted, all you have to do is dump in your add ons like nuts, oats etc.

Setting the Chocolate bars – Pour the mixture into any baking tray lined with butter paper. I used a standard bread loaf pan. But you can use a square pan as well.

Toppings – Your last step is to make your bars look pretty. Add more chopped nuts on top or melted peanut butter. Refrigerate and cut in 30 mins!

Note: If you are bars have been in the fridge for longer,
allow them to thaw for 5 mins before digging in

How long can they stay in the fridge?

Since all the ingredients in this recipe have a good shelf life, your bars can easily live in the fridge for over a month. If you freeze them, they can last for over 6 months and beyond.

More quick treats on the blog

No bake Chocolate and peanut butter bars.
Caramel Tiramisu
No bake Vanilla Custard Biscoff Bars
No bake Blueberry Cheesecake

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No bake oats n nuts chocolate bars

An easy guilt free chocolate bar made with dark chocolate, nuts, oats and peanut butter

Course Desserts

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 20 bars

Calories 237kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 2 cups Dark cooking chocolate 340 gm
• 1 cup rolled oats see notes
• 1 1/2 cup roasted assorted nuts chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter see notes
• 1/4 cup honey
• a splash of milk if needed

garnish

• 2 tbsp chopped nuts
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp peanut butter

Instructions

• In a pan, toast whole oats until they turn golden brown. This will take around 5 mins. Set aside
• Line a bread loaf pan with butter paper and set aside.
• Add chocolate chips and peanut butter in the bowl. Heat it for 30 secs in the microwave. (see notes)
• Stir the peanut butter and chocolate around to mix them a little bit.
• Add honey and heat the mixture for another 30 secs in the microwave.
• Stir around everything until the chocolate is fully melted and you have a smooth mix. (do an extra 15 sec heat up if you need to)
• Add your assorted chopped nuts and toasted oats. Mix until well combined.
• Pour the mixture on to the baking tray and spread out evenly
• Sprinkle chopped nuts all over the bars.
• Heat honey and peanut butter in the oven for 15 sec. Mix them together and drizzle all over the bars.
• Refrigerate for 30 mins at least.
• Remove tray from fridge and cut the set chocolate into bars or squares.
• You can even wrap them up individually to store them in the fridge.

Notes

• You can also heat the chocolate, honey and peanut butter in saucepan if you do not wish to use the microwave. Keep flame at low.
• You can use any oats you have at hand, but I’d still recommend to toast them before using.
• If you are using sweetened peanut butter and milk chocolate, reduce the quantity of honey to 2 tbsp.
• A splash of milk is only added in the ingredients as an option if your mixture turns too thick and you need to loosen it up.
• You can store the bars in the fridge or freeze. Just thaw for 5 to 10 mins before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 64mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g

The post Best No bake chocolate oat bars appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

What is Anday ka halwa?

Egg halwa or anday ka halwa (where “Anday” means eggs) is a traditional Indian/Pakistani mithayi or sweet that is made using eggs and other staples. Its very popular in Biharis immigrants, and Memons (subcultures Of South Asia). The memons call them Anday ka meesu or anday ka mesub. A different version of this halwa also exist, which is soft and eaten with a spoon. This particular version is crunchy, biscuity like in texture made by compressing cooked halwa crumbs together to form bars. Which is why some people also call it as “Anday ki barfi” where barfi means something set in a bars.

Ingredients for Egg halwa

A lot of my friends have told me that they find Anday ka halwa intimidating and they can never seem to get it right. So I’m here to simplify it for you. Half of this halwa is as good as its ingredient ratios, the other half is technique.

• The ingredients for this halwa are very basic staples present in everyone’s house.
• There are sadly no substitution options available for this particular recipe.
• Always make sure that your milk powder is not expired before using it for desserts.

Measuring eggs

This particular recipe requires eggs to be measured in cups rather than in number. To measure eggs, break 1 egg at a time and keep adding them to a 1 cup measuring cup. Stop when your measuring cup is full. The number of eggs for 1 cup can range between 4 to 6 eggs, depending on how large or small the eggs you have are.

IMPORTANT TIP: Sometimes you will need to use half an extra egg to fill up the cup to the brim. In such cases, always add the egg yolk first and then the egg white.

Making the halwa mix

Preparing for the halwa will take you hardly 5 mins. Dump all the ingredients in a blender and blend away to make a smooth streamless mix. OR you can dump all the ingredients in a bowl and use a hand blender as well. (Like I have in the picture below)

Stages of Cooking the egg halwa

This quantity of halwa can take somewhere around 45 mins to 1 hour to cook. HOLD ON! Before you close this tab, I know the process seems long and daunting but I assure you, there’s nothing more to it then stirring and I’ll give you hacks that can help.

Before you pour your halwa batter into a pot or a pan, put the pan on medium flame for a minute to heat it up. Bring the flame down to low and THEN add your halwa batter. Now all you have to do is gently stir it from time to time, making sure it doesn’t stick to the pot. Thats it.

These are the stages your halwa will go through:

STAGE 1 – First 10 mins – Your halwa will liquify and heat up as the sugar and ghee melts.

STAGE 2 – 10 to 20 min – Your halwa will start to thicken up again as the eggs start to cook.

STAGE 3 – 20 to 30 min – Your halwa will thicken up to the point that it will start to form bubbles that will pop on their own.

STAGE 4 – 30 to 40 min – The ghee from your halwa will separate and it will start to appear mildly crumbly.

STAGE 5 – 40 to 50 min – Your halwa will be fully crumbled, light yellow in color and will start reabsorbing the ghee

STAGE 6 – 50 to 60 min – Your halwa will start to change color as it reabsorbs all the ghee. This is the final stage, your looking for a nice almond brown color. That’s when you turn off the flame.

Setting, Cutting and Cooling

After turning off the flame, drop all the crumbs on a tray lined with butter paper and press it down with a spoon. I also use a spatula to press from the sides to create even edges.

CAUTION: Don’t touch the halwa with your bare hands! It is going to be super hot!

Sprinkle pistachio powder and cut in bars with a knife. After you cut them in a bar, your halwa needs to rest for another hour. I know I KNOW! I’m killing you in here! But trust me! The halwa needs to cool down properly before you eat it, otherwise it will be chewy and will stick to your teeth!

TIPS to make the best anday ka halwa

• Use a wooden spoon to stir the halwa
• DO NOT use a non-stick or granite pot/pan to make any desi (South Asian halwas). You can use aluminum, steel, or cast iron.
• A heavy bottom pan will always be prefered for halwas
• The wider your pot is, the quicker and easier it will be to make your halwa.
• Patience. This is definitely a slow-cooked dessert and you’ll need it if you want to ace this recipe.

ACTIVE vs PASSIVE COOKING

ACTIVE COOKING

If you are free and you plan on stirring your halwa gently from time to time, but pretty regularly, you can cook this halwa at medium low flame. It will be quicker to make but will need you to be stirring regularly and getting a proper arm workout. This is the method mentioned above and in the recipe card below.

PASSIVE COOKING

You can use a heat insulator like a flat griddle below the pot and let it cook at low flame. This is a passive cooking method. It will take longer to cook but you won’t have to stir constantly. You can just stir once in a while (once in every 5 mins) and keep doing your other tasks in the kitchen. The only time the halwa will need you attention will be towards the end of the cooking, at stage 5.

How to store anday ka halwa

Once your halwa cools down, store it in an airtight jar. It can sit out on your counter and can last for upto 2 months and even more so, but my halwa usually finishes within a month so I wouldn’t know.

Other Traditional Pakistani/Indian desserts

Shahi Tukray
Rasmalai
No-cook Malai Kulfi
Gajar ka halwa
Lab-e-Shireen

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ande ka halwa

A traditional South Asian or Pakistani mithai aka sweet, with a crumbly biscuit-y texture made with eggs and other staples

Course Desserts

Cuisine South Asian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Resting Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 20 bars

Calories 193kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 1 cup eggs see notes
• 3/4 cup ghee clarified butter
• 3/4 cup milk powder
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder see notes
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar

Other

• A tray lined with parchment paper.
• 2 tsp of pistachio powder.
• a wooden spoon
• a heavy bottom wide sauce pan.

Instructions

• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. (the baking tray should be atleast 10" by 10")
• Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (or use a hand blender and a bowl)
• Place a wide heavy bottom pan or pot on the stove and turn it on at medium flame for 2 mins. Once its heated up, reduce the flame to low and wait for another min.
• Pour your egg batter in the pot and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Make sure you touch the bottom of the pan every time you stir.
• The halwa goes through various stages while you are stirring. (see blog post)
• The halwa mix first becomes thin, then thickens up, starts to bubble. Towards the end, the halwa will leach out ghee and then re-absorb it.
• When the halwa is almost ready, it is going to reabsorb all the ghee that seperated and start changing color to brown.
• Once your halwa gets to an almond brown color, and a crumbly texture, turn off the flame and pour the crumble onto the prepared pan.
• Press the crumble down with the back of a spoon. (DO NOT TOUCH the crumble with hand, it’s going to be extremely hot).
• Sprinkle pistachio powder all over the halwa and use a knife to make small bars.
• Wait for the bars to completely cool down, takes roughly about 30 mins to 1 hour. (see notes)
• Store in an airtight jar.

Notes

• Add eggs 1 by 1 in a 1 cup measuring cup. See how many eggs you need to make 1 cup. It will range somewhere between 4 and 6. Focus on filling the cup to the brim, which might need half an extra egg sometimes.
• Put a handful of pistachios in a grinder to make a smooth powder.
• IF the bars aren’t allowed to completely cooled and eaten, they are going to be chewy and not hard enough.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 67mg | Sugar: 19g

The post Anday ka halwa – Egg halwa appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

What’s the Rose and Honey milk cake?

This Honey cake has all the rustic Persian flavors of nuts, rose water and honey. All the flavors are subtle and not overpowering at all. It’s made similar to three milk cakes or tres leches cakes. We first bake the honey cake, which has a nice golden color on top. Then we poke holes in it and drown it in some warm rose honey milk for an added layer of flavor and moisture. Topping it off with some whipped cream, crushed nuts and rose buds, for an added layer of texture and flavor.

THE ROSE AND HONEY CAKE – INGREDIENTS

The ingredients needed for the cake are fairly basic and simple, other than the addition of honey and rose water.

• The Cake – The cake needs two set of ingredients. The dry ingredients including all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. The wet ingredients including honey, eggs, milk, oil, white + brown sugar, rose water and vanilla essence. You can use any type of brown sugar / molasses here and skip the white altogether for more brown. But definitely don’t skip the brown sugar, it’s essential to the flavor.
• The Honey Milk syrup – The milk in this recipe is slightly different than the combo normally used in standard tres leches cakes. For this recipe you will need honey, brown sugar, whole milk, evaporated milk, table cream and rose water. You can use any cream available to you.
• The whipped cream – The topping includes whipped cream. I used regular heavy cream and whipped it up. I didn’t add any sweetener though, as a personal preference. But you can add some flavoring or color if you like. A few tablespoons of pink rose syrup would go so well with this recipe.
• Garnish – For this cake I went with salted grinded cashew nuts and rose buds because I love how that small amount of salt from the cashews give that little oomph to the dish. You can use any nut of your choice, like almonds, pistachios or walnuts. You can also decide if you want to use sliced nuts, ground nuts or chopped. OR You can also use a whole bunch of assorted nuts and take it to the next level! My cousin’s kids loved it with some chocolate shavings on it though, just saying.

Ingredient Alternatives

How to make the Rose & Honey Milk Cake

The cake has 4 components

• The rose and honey cake
• The rose and honey milk
• The whipped cream topping
• Garnish

Baking the Honey Milk Cake – Step by Step

The cake in itself is super easy to whip up. You just need a whisk, an ovenproof dish of 13′ x 9′ inch and 2 bowls!

NOTE: You can also use a stand mix or an electric beater if
you prefer that over hand whisking.

You have to mix all the wet ingredients together like, eggs, sugar, honey, milk, oil, essence and rose water to make a nice honey colored liquid mix.

Then you mix all the dry ingredients togethers, like salt, all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder.

AND that’s it! You pour the liquid mix into the dry ingredients and whisk to make a smooth cake batter.

Bake the cake for 25 mins at 175C. You’ll see a nice golden top when its done. Insert a knife or a toothpick in the centre to check if the cake is done. Take it out and start making the rose honey milk.

NOTE: You do not need to grease the tray if you are using a standard pyrex dish

Making the ROSE AND HONEY MILK

We are going to pour this milk while the cake is still hot and not cooled completely. So once your cake is baked and out of the oven, make the honey milk straight away.

Add all ingredients mentioned for the honey milk in a saucepan and heat it up at medium flame. Stir everything around to make sure everything is mixed in well. You will see tiny bubbles erupting on the edges of the saucepan, right before it boils. Turn of the flame right then. Your milk mix is ready!

How to assemble the milk cake

Now all you need to do is poke as many holes as you can in the warm cake (this is where I channel all my anger, just saying) and pour in your warm honey milk all over it. Sometimes it takes a little time for the milk to absorb, but that ok, the whole milk WILL get reabsorbed!

Now set your cake on the counter to cool down and come down to room temperature. Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours at least.

TIP: Use the back of a tablespoon to create interesting texture of the cream
all over your cake. You can also use a piping back and create a design instead.

When the cake is all chilled out, it’s time to put this masterpiece together. I whipped up some regular heavy whipping cream that you normally get from the grocery store. Whipped it up without any added sweetener to it and dumped it all over the cake.

Tips to make the perfect honey milk cake

• Make sure none of your baking products are expired, like baking powder and baking soda.
• Your milk and eggs should be at room temperature.
• Whisk the cake batter properly to avoid any lumps.
• Do NOT use a smaller tray than mentioned.
• Pour the honey milk over the cake while its warm for the best results

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long does this milk cake survive in the fridge?
  You can easily keep this cake for upto 10 days in the fridge. IF you are baking in advance, you can also bake the cake and freeze before taking it out on D Day. Just let the cake thaw for a bit and microwave it for 1 minute to get it all warm again to receive the milk syrup.
• My cake is too dry, what happened?
  If you’ve accidentally overbaked the cake by keeping it a little longer, your cake might become a little dry. Just add 2 tbsp of extra cream in the honey milk mixture to compensate for the slight dryness.
• Can I exclude the rose water?
  Rose water adds a layer of flavor in the recipe, if you don’t like the taste or do not have it at hand, you can exclude it. You can also use almond essence instead.
• Can I make this in a regular baking dish?
  Yes you can. If you are going to use a regular baking tray instead of a pyrex, just use butter paper underneath so that your cake releases easily when you transfer it into your serving dish.
  
  

More Cake recipes on the blog

Lotus Biscoff cake with cream cheese frosting
Zebra Marble Cake
Chocolate chip blondies

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Rose And Honey Milk Cake

A beautiful combination of a honey cake made into a poke style cake with subtle flavors of nuts, and rose water.

Course Desserts

Cuisine Fusion Food, South Asian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 20 servings

Calories 364kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

Honey Cake

• 3 large egg room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tsp rose water optional
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour sifted
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder

Honey milk

• 1½ cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup cream any unsweetened cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rose water optional

Topping

• 2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp salted cashew nuts coarsely ground
• Dried edible rose buds for garnish optional

Instructions

Honey Cake

• Preheat oven at 350° F or 175° C.
• In a large bowl, add all purpose flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk everything together and set aside.
• In another bowl, add both sugars, honey and eggs. Whisk until smooth. Add oil, oil, rose water and vanilla essence. Whisk until you get a smooth liquid.
• Pour the liquid in flour mixture and whisk to create a lump free cake batter.
• Pour the cake batter in the 9′ x 13′ inch oven-safe dish, no greasing needed.
• Bake for 25 mins or until the top is slightly golden or a knife tip inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Take the cake out and let it rest for 15 mins.
• Poke holes all around the cake generously with a fork or a skewer.

Honey Milk

• Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat the milk till you see small bubbles on the edges of the milk. Turn off the flame.

Assembling

• Pour the warm milk mix all over the warm poke cake, allowing the mixture to be fully absorbed.
• Cover the cake with cling wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
• Whip the heavy whipping cream (without sugar) until soft and fluffy
• Bring out the cake and cover it whipping cream. Create swirls with the back of a spoon.
• Top with chopped cashews and edible rose petals or rose buds.
• Dig in.

Notes

For perfect results, use ingredients at room temperature, specially eggs and milk.

You can use any nuts of your choice and skip the rose water if you want, although it adds a nice subtle layer of flavor

substitutions chart given in post.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g

The post Rose and Honey Milk Cake appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

This one is a crowd pleaser! And I love how well in advance I can make it for get togethers! Put everything together in a pan…freeze! I’ve even made it a week in advance for a dinner!

Some of the ingredients may not be easily available around you, for which I’ve also given substitutes in the end.

Steps to put together this delicious Ice cream Cake

Before you start, I have to warn you, Have enough room in your freezer for 3 bowls. (pleaseeeeee abide grasshopper)

This dessert is made of 3 layers repeating:

• A coffee dipped Lotus cookie layer
• A saucy cookie butter layer
• A perfectly balanced ice cream layer that ties the whole thing together

Biscuit layer

So for this biscuit layer, you need biscuits ofcourse! But work wise, all you have to do is make coffee! hehe. Just dissolve some instant coffee powder in warm water. And stick it in the freezer to cool down. You want everything to be as chill as possible in the recipe before you are ready to be assemble. We’ll bring this out once we are ready to assemble.

Biscoff sauce layer

If you’ve had biscoff cookie butter before, then you KNOW how thick it really is. I add warm milk to the cookie butter and whisk it. This makes the cookie butter sauce and becomes easily pourable. Cover this and stick it in the freezer too.

Ice cream Layer

While our coffee and sauce cools down, we are going to prepare our ice cream base.

First up, whip up condensed milk and cream cheese together for about 5 mins. After 5 mins it will look frothy and airy, and will also double up in volume. Stick this in the freezer too for 15 mins.

Bring out your whipping cream and whip till it gives you stiff peaks. Bring back the condensed milk mixture and add it to your whip cream. Gently whisk it together on the slowest possible setting of the electric beater. Or you can also use a spatula to fold the condensed milk in.

Now its time to assemble.

Assembling the Biscoff Ice cream cake

Bring the sauce and coffee out and let the show begin! I am using a 12 x 4 inch pan but you can also use a standard 9 x 5 bread loaf pan. I started by adding 3 ladles of ice cream on the base of my pan. Dropped about 4 tbsp of sauce on top of it.

And then dipped my lotus biscuits in cold coffee and placed it on top of sauce.

NOTE: Lotus biscoff cookies are very soft once they touch moisture. When you dip in coffee, just dip and remove immediately. DON’T let your biscuits sit in the coffee. Dip and remove, dip and remove.

Once you reach the top, give your loaf a good tap on the counter to get rid of any air pockets. Cover the pan with cling wrap and keep it in the freezer overnight.

To de-mold the cake, just flip it on the serving tray and run a warm towel around it. And then press the pan in the centre with your thumb. Sometimes it doesn’t work in one go, in which case repeat the process.

Drizzle leftover biscoff sauce all over your bar and some cookie crumbs or really any topping that you want to do.

Substitutes for ingredients if you live in Pakistan/India

• Philadelphia cream cheese – You can use Yogurt instead of cream cheese. Just put the yogurt through a tea strainer or a cheesecloth to get rid of all the water and use it.
• You can use Candi biscuit instead of Lotus if you live in Pakistan.
• You can skip the Lotus sauce and use chocolate sauce or caramel sauce instead.
• If you can’t find whipping cream, get a hold of regular tetra pak cream and whip it up in a cold steel bowl.

Other similar recipes that you may like

Lotus Biscoff cake
No-bake Vanilla custard biscoff bars.
Malai kulfi log (Indian / Pakistani ice cream in a giant log)
No-bake Blueberry cheesecake
Dairy free – No churn, pineapple and coconut ice-cream
No-bake Chocolate and peanut butter bars

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Lotus Biscoff Ice cream Cake

A twist on the traditional ice cream cake, made by using Lotus cookies and Biscoff spread

Course Desserts

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 day day

Total Time 1 day day 30 minutes minutes

Servings 15 servings

Calories 400kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

Required materials

• A standard 9 x 5 inch bread loaf pan I used a 12 x 4 inch pan
• 4 bowls.
• A hand whisk and an electric whisk.
• Space in the freezer

Ice cream layer

• 3/4 cup Cream cheese 134 gms
• 2 cups Heavy whipping cream 450 ml
• 1 1/4 cup Condensed Milk a 400 gm can

Biscuit layer

• 2 Packets of Lotus Biscuits 500 gm
• 2 tbsp Instant Coffee powder
• 1 1/4 cup Water

Biscoff sauce layer

• 1/2 regular Biscoff cookie butter jar. 200 to 250 gms
• 3/4 cup Milk

Instructions

Biscuit Layer preparation

• In a bowl, add instant coffee powder and warm water. Mix until the coffee granules dissolve completely.
• Stick the bowl in the freezer while working on the next steps.
• Set your cookies aside for assembly

Biscoff Sauce Layer

• Take out biscoff cookie butter in another bowl.
• Heat milk in the microwave for a minute at high.
• Pour the milk on the cookie butter and hand whisk it to make a smooth sauce.
• Cover and keep the bowl in the freezer as well while proceeding to next step.

Ice cream layer

• Whip condensed milk and cream cheese with an electric hand mixer for about 5 mins or until it gets soft and fluffy.
• Keep in fridge till ready to assemble dessert.
• Whip the whipping cream at high speed until you see soft peaks and the cream is stable
• Add the whipped cream cheese and condensed milk in the whipping cream. Use the electric beater to combine everything together at low speed. Do not over beat once everything is mixed together.
• Keep mixture in the fridge if you aren’t ready to assemble immediately.

Assembling

• Bring everything out of the fridge/freezer.
• Start by adding a layer of Ice cream base on the bottom of the loaf pan. I used 3 ladles of ice cream mix for each layer. Spread out the ice cream base as evenly as possible.
• Drizzle the biscoff sauce all over the ice cream base. I used 4 to 5 tbsp of sauce for each layer
• Dip Biscoff cookies in the cold coffee and line on the top of the sauce. Don’t let the biscuits be dipped for very long. Just dip and remove immediately.
• Repeat all the layers of the dessert, preferably ending with the cookie and coffee layer.
• Cover the loaf with a cling wrap and keep in the freezer for 18+ hours.
• When you are ready to dish out, remove the loaf from the freezer and invert it on top of the serving tray.
• Run a towel dipped in hot water all around the edge and bottom of the loaf pan for a minute. Pick up loaf from the edge and press in the centre of the loaf. Repeat again if the ice cream cake doesn’t slide out.
• Once the ice cream slides out, Stick it back in the freezer for 10 mins to allow the edges to harden up again.
• Top it off by drizzling leftover cookie butter sauce and some Biscoff cookie crumbs.
• Slice and serve.
  

Notes

Substitutes

You can use strained yogurt instead of cream cheese
You can use caramel or chocolate sauce instead of lotus

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 242g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 700mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 41g

The post Easy to make Lotus Biscoff Ice cream cake appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

I’ll be honest, I don’t make the fully indulgent kind of ice creams at home simply because I don’t think that is a good use of my time. The time, effort and cost of the products that go into making a normal standard ice cream at home makes no sense to me. I can get a store bought ice cream which tastes the same and costs the same easily.

Now dairy free or low-sugar ice creams are a whole other deal. These ice creams are definitely on the more expensive side plus there is no in between. Either it’s all out dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar free variety or none at all. Where do people like us go? Who are ok with using real cookie dough in a cookie dough ice cream but just want a non-dairy base? Like I want the best of both world you know? lol OK now I am rambling. Point is, I like this ice cream because the guilt factor is practically zero!

Also, you can use this recipe for practically any fruit you like!

I love how this Pina-Colada ice cream becomes a summer favorite in our house! My husband loves a well chilled dessert to beat the heat. I usually churn out icecreams or make my rice kheer (rice pudding) on a nice summer evening.

Easy steps to make this Pineapple Coconut Ice cream

So every good home-made ice cream needs a 24 hour notice, and I’m telling you now, this is one treat you don’t wanna rush. This recipe has 2 components, A pineapple sauce and a Coconut cream. 1 day before you need the ice cream, you should

• Keep coconut cream in fridge overnight.
• Make pineapple sauce and keep in the fridge to chill.

Making your Pineapple sauce

For this recipe, we are going to make our very own condensed milk substitute, which is this pineapple sauce. Puree your pineapples in a blender and add them in a saucepan, along with food color, sugar and a pinch of salt. I added brown sugar. But you can use any sugar you want.

Here are a couple of Sugar substitutes that you can use:

• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Coconut Sugar.
• Agave nectar

I used canned pineapples but you can use fresh pineapples as well. Cook the pineapple puree down for 5 mins at medium heat. Then add coconut milk and let it cook for another 20 mins at medium flame. Your mixture should reduce to about 2 cups.

Use a strainer to remove the pineapple pulp from the thick pineapple sauce.

Now you can refrigerate both the sauce and the pulp to use later.

Whipping the Coconut cream

The second component of this recipe is whipped cream. This will add air and volume to your ice cream and give it the texture. To whip the coconut cream perfectly, you need to give it time to chill completely. Refrigerate your cream overnight. (can’t emphasise this enough)

I did a lot of research for which brand of coconut cream is the best for whipping and the internet gave me like 10 11 options. But here’s the thing. None of those options are available in my local grocery stores and well, they are definitely on the expensive side. So I just wanted to make this icecream with a standard of-the-rack coconut cream and see if it works. and guess what it does! So just grab any coconut cream you can get your hands on and we’ll make it work.

When you refrigerate your cream overnight, you will see that the liquid from the cream has separated from the thick cream. Your coconut cream can either be clumpy like feta cheese or smooth like yogurt, depending on the brand that you use. Both are workable! don’t worry.

Best tips to ensure the perfect whipped cream

• Make sure you’ve chilled your cream well in the fridge. Overnight is ideal.
• Keep the bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 15 mins in which you will whip your cream.
• If you live in a hot humid climate, use a larger bowl, fill it with ice and cold water. Place your bowl of whipping cream on this ice bath and then whip it up.

Remove the solid bits of cream or paste from the can carefully and place it in your cold bowl. And start whipping. If your cream is very granular and clumpy, add a little left over liquid to make your cream workable. Beat it for a good 5 min at high speed until it becomes light and fluffy. It doesn’t need to be very stiff.

Assembling the ice cream base

When your whipped cream is ready, add your pineapple sauce and pineapple essence into the whipping cream and beat for another 3 to 4 mins. Your ice cream base is ready. Transfer the base into the container you want to set your ice cream in. Make sure its big enough to allow some extra room for expansion.

Put an airtight lid on your container and Freeze the ice cream in the freezer for about 3 hours. Take out the ice cream from the freezer. It will be set from the sides and still runny in the centre. Now we are going to whip it up once again. This step breaks the ice crystals and gives you a smooth ice cream eventually.

After you’ve whipped your ice cream, add in the pineapple pulp that we had saved. I also added coconut shavings which I really like!

Add a layer of cling film on top of your ice cream and THEN put the lid. We need to minimize air contact as much as we can.

Tips to prevent icecream from getting icy

• Always add a layer of cling wrap on top of your icecream, and then add the container lid.
• Always add pineapple essence or any essence that you are using when in the last step.
• Never add fresh fruits into the ice cream toppings. It will leach water and ruin your ice cream base. You can add fresh fruits to your ice cream while you are serving.

Serving the Ice cream

When you are ready to serve, take out the icecream and let it sit in the fridge for 10 mins before scooping it out! Top it off with some fresh pineapples to add an even more intense pineapple kick

How long can the ice cream stay in the freezer?

Homemade ice creams are best consumed as soon as possible, no matter what ice cream base recipe you use. This one is no different. 2 weeks is a good span of time to utilize it. You can also make shakes out of it.

More fruit / veggie desserts on the blog:

Gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding)
Apple/ Cinnamon latte
No-bake Blueberry Cheesecake
Date and Melon Shake

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Dairy free no-churn Pineapple and Coconut icecream

A dairy free substitute for lactose intolerant friends.

Course Desserts

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Litre of Icecream

Calories 3311kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 2 cup coconut cream
• 2 cup coconut milk
• 2 cup chopped pineapples 200gm
• 2 tsp pineapple essence
• 2 pinch of salt
• Yellow food coloring optional
• 1 cup of coconut sugar or any that you prefer
• 4 tbsp of coconut shavings optional

Instructions

• Puree the pineapples in a food processor.
• Add the puree in a sauce pan, along with food color, sugar, and salt. Simmer the mix at medium flame for 3 to 4 mins.
• Add coconut milk to the sauce pan. And let it cook at medium flame for about 15 mins. Your mixture should reduce to a total of 2 cups.
• When your mix is ready, turn off the flame. Use a strainer to separate thick sauce from pulp. Cover both the liquid and the pulp with a cling wrap and keep in the refrigerator to chill overnight (12 to 24 hrs)
• Also keep a can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight as well. (12 to 24 hrs)
• Remove the cream can from the fridge. Remove the thick cream from the can carefully, trying to get as little liquid as possible. You will see watery liquid set at the bottom.
• With an electric beater, beat the coconut cream until light and fluffy.
• Fold in the pineapple sauce into the cream and beat for another 3 to 4 mins.
• Transfer the ice cream base into an airtight container, big enough to contain the ice cream and still have at least 1/4th free space to allow the icecream to expand.
• Keep the icecream into the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.
• Bring out the ice cream after 3 hours when half of the mix is solid and half is still liquid, and beat it with a blender to break all the ice crystals.
• Now add pineapple pulp all over ice cream and sprinkle coconut shavings.
• Cover and let it sit in the freezer for final hardening. Preferably overnight.
• Enjoy the next day.
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1litre | Calories: 3311kcal | Carbohydrates: 270g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 263g | Saturated Fat: 233g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 2922mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 193g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 176mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 27mg

The post Dairy free No churn Pineapple coconut ice cream appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Ironically, it’s usually the most popular and easiest recipes that are HARDEST to nail! you know? everyone has had these foods sooo many times that by now, they already have a certain taste they enjoy.

Chocolate ice cream is no different. Its right on top of the list of popular desserts amongst kids, toddlers,and adults. Which is why I was super careful before putting this recipe up. I wanted to get it JUST right! The perfect balance of sweet, and bitter that comes through from chocolate and the smoothness to die for.

Here you are , with a step by step break down, and a few pearls of wisdom to make the BEST Ice cream.

STEPS to make the perfect silky smooth Chocolate Ice cream

Ingredients

The ingredients, as you can see are super basic! But before I move ahead, here are a couple of things I wanted to highlight.

Cocoa Powder

Using the right Cocoa powder makes or breaks a recipe. The Cocoa powder I use for this recipe is specifically the Dutch processed Cocoa powder. I won’t go into too much detail. All you need to know is that Dutch-style cocoas are alkaline and impart a more intense color to the recipe. They have a flavor that’s earthy and deep.

The brand that I personally use is called Hintz. Its a German company and is easily available here in the Middle East. The other brand that is also easily available worldwide, is the Cadbury’s Cocoa powder. Both of these cocoa powders are great for pretty much any type of cooking or baking. If you can’t find these specific brands, just look for words like “Dutch processed”, “Dark” or , “Alkalized”. IF the labels read any of these things, you have the right cocoa powder.

Chocolate

The chocolate that you want to use is totally up to you. If you prefer milk chocolate, go ahead and select that. You can opt for bitter dark chocolate or for a more balanced flavor, use semi sweet chocolate, like I did. You can use block or choco chips, really anything you can get your hands on. If you want to add more finesse to your ice cream, go for Belgian dark chocolate. It will instantly elevate your ice cream to luxurious levels.

Step 1 – Making the chocolate Ganache

For the ganache, we are going to add milk, a little bit of cream, salt, coffee and cocoa powder in a saucepan. I let it simmer for 4 to 5 mins at medium to low flame. The thing with a good ganache is patience. Don’t increase the heat or else you’ll end up splitting your ganache or it may become too grainy.

The salt and coffee enhance and bring out the chocolate flavour even more.

Once you have a smooth chocolate sauce ready, reduce the flame to low. If you are still doubtful that your sauce has lumps, just pass it through a strainer and put it it back in the saucepan just to be safe.

Then add your chocolate chips. It will take roughly 5 to 7 mins to fully melt. Give it time. And make sure your ganache turns out smooth and nice. Once your happy with your ganache, turn off the flame and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let it sit out till it gets to a room temeprature.

NEVER KEEP HOT GANACHE IN THE FRIDGE DIRECTLY. Sorry for yelling ok 😛

Keep your ganache in the fridge for 4 to 5 hours after it has cooled down to room temperautre.

Sometimes Ganache can split or become grainy. It happens to the best of us. And that will be problematic for a good ice cream. But don’t worry, if it does happen, here are a couple of things you can do to bring it back. 

How to fix a split or grainy ganache instantly

• If your ganache has just split, add warm milk 1 tbsp at a time and whisk constantly. (NOT HOT , just warm). But try not to use more than 7 tbsp.
• Sometimes ganache cools down to form a grainy ganache. In that case, place your ganache in the microwave for 30 secs, and whisk. And then another 30 secs and whisk again. Your ganache will most probably come back together. IF not, you can do another 30 sec increment again. Then again cover the ganache, cool it down and refrigerate.

Step 2 – Making the Ice cream base

After it has been 4 to 5 hours since your ganache has been in the fridge, move on to your heavy cream. We only used a very little amount of cream for the ganache, we have almost 500ml still left. Bring out the remaining cream and whip it till it becomes light and fluffy.

Bring out the ganache and fold almost all of it it into the cream. I left a little bit of ganache to use as a topping for later.

After folding the ganache in, transfer the ice cream base into a container, ideally with a lid.

Cover the ice cream with a cling wrap such that it touches the ice cream base and no air touches the icecream. THEN add the lid and freeze overnight.

Serve with any toppings of your choice, like chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce or nuts!

How long can the ice cream last in the freezer?

I always mention the shelf life whenever I make homemade ice cream. Home made ice creams don’t have preservatives and are not very high in fat content. So they don’t last as long in the freezer as a commercially produced ice cream does. The longer your ice cream stays in the freezer, the more hard it will get over time. Ideal freezing timeline for any home made ice cream is around 3 weeks. But I’m sure You’ll finish it wayyy before that! I have faith in you!

How to make this Chocolate Ice cream completely vegan aka guilt free

I know that half of the charm of making your own ice cream at home is the ability to control the ingredients. Here are substitutions you can make to make a dairy free, sugar free vegan ice cream

• Milk – Use nut milks or soy milk instead of regular milk. Ideally almond milk or coconut milk are best.
• Cream – Instead of regular heavy cream, use coconut cream. Chill it in the fridge and remove the heavy thick layer of cream on top of the can and whip it in a cold steal bowl. It will whip up beautifully just like a regular whipping cream.
• Sugar – Use coconut sugar instead of regular sugar.
• Chocolate – Use 100% Dark chocolate instead of semi sweet one.
• Use cocoa powder which is gluten free, like Hintz

Similar recipes that you may like

Pineapple and Coconut Ice cream
Lotus Biscoff Ice cream Cake
Pakistani Ice cream aka Malai Kulfi
Chocolate and Peanut butter bars
Easy chocolate chip blondies

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Chocolate ice cream

A home-made rich and decadent chocolate ice cream recipe.

Course Desserts

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 350kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 250 gms of dark chocolate
• 3/4 cup milk
• 550 ml of heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Dutch processed Cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder

Add ons (optional)

• 1 cup chocolate shavings.

Instructions

• In a saucepan, prepare the chocolate milk for ganache. Add cocoa powder, milk, sugar, coffee, salt, and 1/3 cup of the total 550 ml of cream.
• Let the mix simmer at medium low flame. Whisk it for 5 to 10 mins or until everything is dissolved. Pass the chocolate milk through a sieve just to be sure there are no lumps of any sort.
• Put the chocolate milk back in the saucepan and reduce the flame to low. Add chocolate chips or chunks in the chocolate milk and allow them to melt
• Simmer for 5 mins or until the chocolate is fully melted and you have a smooth chocolate ganache.
• Turn off the flame and cover the chocolate ganache. Allow the ganache to come down to room temperature. THEN place it in the fridge for at least 4 to 5 hours to cool down.
• After 4 to 5 hours, bring out the remaining whipping cream and whip it till your cream gets fully airy and fluffy.
• Bring out chocolate ganache and fold it into the cream with a spatula. Leave a little ganache behind to use as chocolate topping later.
• Pour the ice cream base into a container. Add leftover chocolate ganache in between layers or on the top.
• Cover the container with cling wrap over the ice cream. Make sure the cling wrap sticks to the ice cream base. Then use a lid to cover it.
• Freeze overnight.
• Serve the next day with any toppings of your choice.

Notes

Read blogpost to find out how to fix a ganache that splits or becomes grainy.

Also substitutes for a dairy free ice cream available on the blog post.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g

The post Easy creamy Chocolate Ice cream appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

The world is no stranger to malai kulfi. If you’ve EVER visited an Indian or a Pakistani restaurant in your life, you would’ve definitely seen some form of kulfi on the dessert menu. It’s the Indian/Pakistani equivalent of vanilla ice cream. And just like vanilla ice cream, this is the most basic kulfi recipe out there. And you can create a sea of flavors with this same ice cream base.

You can use this kulfi base to create a wide array of flavored kulfi by adding crushed bits in to the recipe. Here are a couple of pet favorite flavors for you to try.

Flavors you can create with a basic malai kulfi recipe.

• Chocolate kulfi – Add 1 cup of chocolate shavings in the kulfi base.
• Almond / Pistachio kulfi (any nut kulfi) – Add chopped almonds / pistachios / walnuts in the ice cream base. Chopped or powder.
• Crunch kulfi – add chopped up hardened caramel in the kulfi base
• Rose kulfi – introduce 2 tbsp of rose water in the kulfi base and top it off with rose syrup (like rooh afzah or jam-e-shireen)
• Rose pistachio kulfi – Shown in picture above
• Chocolate crunch kulfi – Chocolate shavings and caramel crunch bits.
• Toffee crunch kulfi – Toffee bits and caramel crunch bits.
• Kulfi falooda – Add the plain version of this recipe on falooda noodles and drizzle rose syrup on top.

Basically, anything you can chop and add to kulfi base or sprinkle on top can become a flavor.

This Malai Kulfi is my go-to dessert to make in summer. Other Summer favorites in my house are the classic Rice Kheer (rice Pudding) and Smooth chocolate Ice cream. They are made almost every weeks rotation.

Traditionally any kind of kulfi is made by slow cooking the milk to reduce its volume, and then adding sweeteners and aromatic ingredients to it. This malai kulfi recipe is a no-cook recipe, where you don’t need to spend hours waiting for the milk to reduce. Let me walk you through the steps.

Steps to make the easiest creamiest Malai kulfi ever

Making the kulfi base

All the ingredients are pretty upfront. But lots of people wonder what kinds of cream they can use in this recipe. So here’s the answer. You can use all kinds of cream for this recipe EXCEPT heavy cream. You can use fresh cream, tetra pak cream or creams that come in cans.

To make this kulfi base, it will probably take you 5 mins tops! Just add all the ingredients in a blender and blend away! You can also use a hand held blender to do it.

Cover the kulfi with cling wrap or a lid and place it in the freezer for 6 to 7 hours to become semi-frozen.

Choosing the nuts or toppings.

Even though I am making a basic malai kulfi, almost all kulfis have a nut topping on them to make them look pretty. I’m using pistachios which is the most popular choice for kulfi toppings.

I prepared my pistachios 2 ways

• Half of my pistachios went into the chopper to make them powder-ish.
• The other half, I chopped coarsely.

Preparing the bread pan/molds for kulfi

• I am using a 12 x 4 inch bread loaf pan. But you can also opt for the standard 9 x 5 loaf pan.
• My loaf pan was non-stick so I didn’t need to cover or coat it with anything and used it as is.
• IF your loaf pan is NOT non-stick, you can layer it with foil or wax paper to line your pan.
• I will not recommend using cling wrap to cover the loaf, because it tends to crease up and will ruin all the edges around your frozen kulfi when you take it out.

When it has been 6 to 7 hours already, prepare your bread loaf pan. Cover the base of your loaf pan with the powder-ish pistachios to create an even carpet like look. You can create as thick or as thin a carpet you want. This will give you a nice smooth pistachio layer on top when you flip the kulfi over.

You can also make this kulfi in regular popsicle molds or kulfi molds. In which case, you can line the bottom of the popsicle with pistachio powder.

Pouring the kulfi for the final freeze.

After 6 to 7 hours, your kulfi base will be semi-frozen. Which means it will be frozen from the sides and still liquid in the centre. This semi-frozen state is crucial to make a smooth creamy kulfi with no ice-crystals.

Take the bowl of semi-frozen kulfi base out and whip it with an electric beater. Make sure that all your frozen kulfi is broken and whipped into the liquid. This step helps in 2 ways:

• This second beating introduce air into your kulfi making it lighter.
• This step also helps in minimizing ice-crystal formations

If you want to introduce any added flavoring bits to your kulfi, this is the time to do it. Add your fillers and whip for 30 secs. Since I made basic malai kulfi, I didn’t add any fillers to it. When your kulfi is whipped, pour it into the kulfi base.. Chocolate chunks or more pistachio etc, add it your base and whip for 30 secs.

Pour you kulfi base in the prepared pan. Add more pistachio powder if you want to. Cover the pan with a cling wrap. Press the cling wrap down on the kulfi to make sure the wrap touches the kulfi base and all the corners are perfectly sealed.

NOTE: Covering the kulfi with a tightly sealed cling wraps helps in avoiding direct air contact in the freezer. This also helps in prevent ice crystals.

De-molding and dish selection

For a large kulfi log like mine, try to find a serving dish that is larger than the mould and has at least 1/2 an inch of depth to catch any melted kulfi in it.

To de-mold the kulfi from a loaf pan:

• Bring the kulfi out of the freezer and let it thaw for 5 minutes. If you live in a warm tropical country, you can skip this step.
• Remove the cling wrap from the kulfi and invert it into the serving dish.
• Dip a kitchen towel in hot water in rub it all over the inverted loaf pan for a minute.
• Pick up the loaf from the edges and press right at the centre of the pan with your thumbs. The kulfi should slide right out.
• IF the kulfi doesn’t slide out, repeat the warm towel step again and try again.
• Put the kulfi back again in the freezer for 10 min to allow the edges to solidify.

De-molding kulfi from individual molds.

• Simply run the molds under tap water for 30 secs and the kulfi should slide out.

Add some chopped pistachios and serve. Use a sharp knife to cut slices.

How to prevent ice crystals in a kulfi

All the steps that I’ve explained above eventually lead to a creamier, crystal free kulfi. But here’s a quick recap

• Crystal formation happens when the time that an ice-cream takes to freeze it very long. Double freezing the kulfi helps in reducing the time it takes for the kulfi to freeze in the final step, as it already is a very low temperature. The quicker the icecream freezes, the lesser the crystal formation happens.
• Whipping the kulfi a second time, not only breaks the ice-crystals, but also introduces air into the ice cream. Which makes it more fluffy, light and the texture becomes a lot like store-bought ice-cream
• The second enemy of any good crystal free kulfi / ice-cream is air. Minimizing air contact once the kulfi is in the freezer is crucial to get the perfect texture. The best way to minimize air-contact is by covering the kulfi with a cling wrap directly on top of the kulfi, so that the cling wrap sticks to the ice-cream base. And THEN placing it in the freezer.
• You have to keep in mind however, that home-made icecream that do not use a churner will only last for a month in the freezer. Over time they tend to deflate. Unforutantely, this is a reality for all home-made icecream as they aren’t churned with a professional industrial grade churners.

How long can the kulfi survive in the freezer?

Home-made kulfis or ice creams usually should be consumed within a month as they may lose their texture over time. Always cover the left over kulfi with cling wrap or foil before placing it back in the freezer.

Similar recipes that you may like

Dairy free sugar free Pineapple and coconut ice-cream
Simple budget friendly Shahi tukray recipe
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Sooji ka halwa (semolina pudding)

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Quick Kulfi Bar

a contemporary no-cook take on the traditional Malai kulfi aka Indian / Pakistani ice cream.

Course Desserts

Cuisine South Asian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Freezing time 1 day day

Total Time 1 day day 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 380kcal

Author Wajiha

Equipment

• 1 electric beater
• 1 loaf pan

Ingredients

• 400 gm Condensed milk 1+1/3 cup
• 400 gm evaporated milk 2 cup
• 400 gm thick cream 1+3/4 cup
• 2 slices of fresh bread with corners cut off
• 1 tsp green cardamom powder elaichi powder
• 2 tbsp rose water optional
• 1/4 cup PIstachio powder
• 1/4 cup Chopped almonds and pistachio

Instructions

Preparing the Kulfi Base

• In a bowl add all the ingredients except pistachio powder and nuts.
• Blend everything together with a hand blender to get a smooth kulfi base. (you can also do this step in a blender).
• Cover the bowl with a cling wrap.
• Put the bowl in the freezer for 6 to 7 hours. (the corners of your bowl should be frozen and the centre still liquid)
• Preparing loaf pan.
• Put your pistachios in a chopper and make almost like a pistachio powder.
• Take out your non-stick bread loaf pan size and sprinkle the base the pistachio powder generously.

Assembling the Kulfi

• Take out the kullfi base and whip the base with an electric beater. Break all the ice crystals properly and cream a smooth base again. You can also add chopped nuts, etc at this point in your base if you want to.
• Pour your kulfi base into the prepared loaf pan.
• Place a layer of butter paper or cling wrap directly on top of the kulfi to avoid any air contact. Make sure to seal all the corners of the loaf properly.
• Place the load back in the freezer and let it chill overnight.

De-moulding the Kulfi

• Remove the frozen kulfi from the freezer and remove the cling wrap.
• Place it inverted on the tray you want to serve your kulfi in.
• Dip a kitchen towel in hot boiling water. Run the towel all around the loaf pan, including the sides and base for 2 to 3 mins.
• Lift the mould up (it is still inverted) and press the center of the base with your thumbs. This should release the icecream of the pan and drop it onto your serving dish. If the ice cream doesn’t drop, repeat the wet towel procedure once more and try again.
• Once your ice cream is released, sprinkle some more chopped nuts of your choice on top and serve immediately. You can also drip some rose syrup on top.
  

Notes

To place the kulfi back in the freezer, cover it with cling wrap and place it back directly in the serving tray. OR transfer to an airtight container and freeze again.

You can also use the same recipe to make individual molds kulfi.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 153mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g

The post No-cook Malai kulfi with condensed milk appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

What are gulab jamuns?

For those readers, who are new to Pakistani / Indian food, here’s a little something about Gulab Jamuns. They are a super popular Pakistani/Indian dessert, made for special occasions and festivities. “Gulab” means “Rose” and “Jamun” are the Black plum or Java plum, or a South Asian berry. So the name came into being, because Gulab Jamun are small plum sized round balls, fried and then dipped in rose flavored sugar syrup. These type of Pakistani/Indian desserts are called “Mithai”.

Traditionally, Gulab Jamuns were made with milk solids, which we brown folks know as “khoya”, made by simmering milk at low for hours until only the milk solids remain. Some would buy ready-to-use khoya from the market and make the jamuns. But, since the availability of khoya is restricted in most places outside of India/Pakistan, there came another quick method to make it. This quicker method uses milk powder instead of milk solids to make the balls. The milk powder Gulab Jamun recipe is super easy, and with the tips mentioned, even a beginner cook can ace them!

Gulab Jamuns are up there with Rice Kheer (rice pudding) and Shahi Tukras (bread pudding) as classic South Asian desserts that literally no one says no to!

Notes on ingredients you need

To make the gulab jamuns, you simply need to prepare 2 things: the fried milk balls and the sweet sugar syrup aka Sheera to dunk the balls in.

Milk dough balls

The right consistency of the milk dough balls is the key to perfect gulab jamuns. IF you have a smooth, soft dough mixture, rest assured, you will have a smooth soft perfect Gulab Jamun.

For milk dough balls you will need:

• Milk Powder – You need full fat milk powder for this recipe. Whichever brand you decide to use, just make sure its NOT skimmed milk powder. For North America, you can find milk powder in any Indian/Pakistani grocery store or even mainstream stores like Wallmart etc. Use new milk powder, not more than 6 months old.
  
• Thick Yogurt – This is my special ingredient that takes your gulab jamun to the next level. Greek yogurt is best. Thick part of your regular yogurt works too. Incase your yogurt is watery, just use a small tea strainer and strain your yogurt for 5 mins to get rid of any extra liquid it packs.
  
• Semolina – Also known as Suji or Rava. Make sure to use the granulated kind and not the powder. The normal Suji would simply be labelled as Semolina. The powder would specifically mention Semolina Powder, which you want to avoid.
  
• White flour – All purpose flour and regular white flour, both will work.
  
• Egg – Use cold egg right outta the fridge. Unfortunately, you cannot substitute egg in this recipe
  
• Ghee – This is clarified butter. You need room temperature ghee for this recipe. Room temperature ghee would look different in different regions or house temperatures. It may appear solid, semi solid or liquid to you. Don’t worry about the “state”in which your ghee is. As long as its your room temperature, you are good to go.
  
• Baking Powder – Use fresh baking powder, preferrably not more than 6 months old.
• Cardamom powder – This is an optional addition to the dough. IF you feel you are very sensitive to smell, you can add a pinch of cardamom powder to the dough
  
• Neutral Oil or ghee for frying – You can use any neutral oil to fry the milk balls. You can also use ghee or a combination of both.

Sweet Sugar Syrup

We need a nice thin sugar syrup for this recipe. You will need

• Sugar – Regular white sugar is used in this recipe
• Green cardamom – This adds flavor and aroma to the milk balls, while covering up the egg smell
• Rose water – This is another aromatic used in this recipe. You can skip it if you don’t have any
• Food color – I use a pinch of yellow food color to tint the syrup. You can use saffron too

How to make Gulab Jamuns with milk powder

Learn to make gulab jamuns in 4 easy steps. I’ve made a long detailed style Stories on Instagram talking and troubleshooting Gulab Jamun. You can click here to see the video HIGHLIGHTS

Step 1 – Making the dough balls

• Start by adding all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together with a spoon.

EXPERT TIP:
To ensure a smooth and lump free dry mix, use a sieve to sift the dry ingredients into the bowl before mixing it

• Make a small well in the center of the bowl and add the wet ingredients.
• And now we knead. The dough is going to be super sticky so I like to do the “kneading” with a spatula or the back of a spoon, but you can use your hands to do this, if you like.

EXPERT TIP:
After more than 2 dozen trials, I concluded, that for the perfect gulab jamun, we need to use ghee (clarified butter) at room temperature and cold yogurt and cold egg, while making the dough

• Your milk dough would look something like image 3, sticky and wet. If your dough looks dry and crumbly at this stage, add 1 extra teaspoon of thick yogurt and mix to get to this consistency.
• Once you reach this stage, cover the dough and refrigerate for 10 mins to let it rest.

• After taking the dough out of the fridge, take out 1 heaped teaspoon dough and roll it out in a ball with the palm of your hands
• If your dough is still super sticky, then grease your hands with ghee to roll out the balls.
• I usually get 15 to 17 balls rolled out with this dough. And I make 2 small ones for testing.
• Roll out all the balls and place them on a plate, ready to be fried.

NOTE:
Gulab Jamuns expand once in oil and than once more when dipped in the sugar syrup. So, keep that in mind while rolling out the balls, to avoid making them too big.

Step 2 – Making the sugar syrup aka sheera

The sugar syrup or “sheera” is usually thick and has some specific consistency demands in most gulab jamun recipes. I’ve made this syrup recipe the simplest way possible, where you don’t have to worry about any of that.

PROTIP:
To save time, you can get your sugar syrup started while your milk dough rests in the fridge.

• Simply add all the ingredients for the syrup in a wide sauce pan or pot and cook at medium heat until you see all the sugar dissolve.
• Once your sugar dissolves, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let the syrup simmer uncovered.
• Your syrup needs to be thin and watery. IF somehow you left the flame at high, and your syrup has reduced too much, add some extra water to thin it out again.

NOTE: Select a wide pot/pan to make the syrup, because your gulab jamuns are going to be added to this pot, and you want ample room to allow the gulab jamuns to expand and cook.

Step 3 – Frying the dough balls

To fry the dough balls, you need another wide pot with enough oil for deep frying. You need the oil to be between 80 to 100 C. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, thats fine. Here’s a test you can do to check if your oil is ready.

• One by one, add all the balls in the oil and use a wooden spoon to create a sort of whirpool effect in the oil to allow them to rotate around.
• Don’t touch the milk balls directly and simply swirl the oil until they stop expanding.
• Once the gulab jamuns have reached their maximum size, use the wooden spoon and constantly move them around for even browning. This takes somewhere between 3 to 5 mins.

• Once they get to nice golden brown color, or the color that you like, use a skimmer to remove the gulab jamuns onto a plate or directly add to the syrup pot

Step 4 – Cooking dough balls in syrup

• Directly add the gulab jamuns into the syrup to avoid an extra plate to clean up.
• Now you can increase the heat to high for the syrup and cover the pot with a lid.
• Allow the gulab jamuns to cook in the syrup for 5 mins at high flame. During this stage, they will expand some more and soak up all the liquid.

• After that, reduce the flame to low and cook for another 10 mins covered. This ensures that all the sweet syrup has penetrated the gulab jamuns completely and there is no raw centre.

• Turn off the heat and let the gulab jamuns rest in the syrup for a while. They are extremely soft right now. Allow them to stabilize a little bit before cutting into them.

The perfect gulab jamun has a smooth evenly browned outer layer with a soft and juicy centre that hold its shape.

Serve the Gulab jamuns warm or cold, garnished with sliced almonds and pistachios, some dried rose buds for extra flare.

Expert tips in a nutshell

• Use wide pan for both frying and making the syrup.
• Your oil should be atleast 1 inch deep in the pot
• Minor cracks or mild uneven browning is not something to be worried about, these flaws auto-correct themselves once they hit the sugar syrup.
• Gulab jamuns expand twice, once in oil, once in syrup, keep that in mind while make the dough balls
• The gulab jamuns need to be added while they are hot in the sugar syrup, don’t wait too long between frying and adding the jamuns to the syrup.
• Always use fresh baking powder and milk powder when making gulab jamuns

FAQS & Troubleshooting

Can you smell the eggy-ness?

Not at all. The rose water, green cardamom and ghee all act as aromatics and you cannot smell the egg even a little bit. But, if you think, you have a sensitive sense of smell, you can add a pinch of green cardamom powder to the milk dough.

Can I use the left over oil/ghee later?

Absolutely. The brilliant thing about gulab jamun dough is that it doesn’t leave any residue in the oil it is fried in. So you can absolutely use it later for all sweet and savory recipes. I usually end up using it to make regular every day food.

Why do my gulab jamuns disintegrate when they hit the frying pan?

That will happen if you use skimmed, low fat milk powder or powdered tea creamers. Always use full fat milk powder for any Gulab Jamun recipe that you try. Please check labels carefully before using milk powder for gulab jamuns. Almari, Mawa, Nido (full fat) are good brands to use.

Why did my gulab jamuns remain raw in the centre?

The balls remain raw in the centre when the sugar syrup or sheera doesn’t penetrate it completely. This happens if you didn’t cook your gulab jamuns long enough in the syrup or the syrup was too thick for the gulab jamuns to absorb it properly.

Why are the there cracks on my gulab jamun

Minor cracks in the gulab jamuns aren’t a problem. They stabilize once they cook in the sheera. But yes major cracks happen if your dough was too dry. With this recipe, you shouldn’t have that problem. But if you feel your doughis dry and crumbly, you can add a teaspoon of yogurt and bring it back together. Only add more yogurt if you feel you dough is super dry. Another thing you can do is pass the dry ingredients through a sieve to ensure your mix has no lumps.

My dough breaks is crumbly and not sticky like yours

Add a teaspoon of yogurt and mix to bring it back together.

My gulab jamuns deflate after hitting the sugar syrup

Gulab Jamuns deflate for 2 reasons, if they have too much moisture or if the milk powder, baking powder is expired. Moisture should not be a problem with this recipe. Your baking powder and milk powder shouldn’t be more than 6 months old.

Can I apply the tips on this post for another recipes?

The dough tips are specific for the dough, however the tips on frying method you can apply on any other recipe. Remember to always ask the recipe writer of that specific recipe you are following to help you out.

My dough is still sticky after I take it out of the fridge.

That can sometimes happen if your yogurt had a lot of water or simply because of minor seasonal fluctuations. Don’t worry thats totally normal. Simply grease your hands to shape the dough if you are unable to do so with ungreased hands. If you are still unable to shape them, then sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of all purpose flour and mix the dough to make it less sticky.

Can we make bigger or smaller gulab jamuns than shown here?

Yes, you can. You can make smaller ones ranging from 20 to 25 or 10 large ones.

Can I half or double this recipe?

Yes absolutely! Use grams when you are going to half the recipe.

More like this

Instant rasmalai with milk powder
Gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding)
Sooji ka halwa (semolina pudding)
Shahi tukda (bread pudding)

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Gulab Jamun with milk powder

A popular Pakistani/Indian sweet, made by frying milk dough balls in oil and dipping in a sweet rose flavored sugar syrup.

Course Dessert

Cuisine South Asian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 16 balls

Calories 157kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

For Syrup

• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 green cardamoms choti elaichi
• 1 tablespoon rose water optional
• A pinch of yellow food coloring optional

For Milk balls

• 1 cup full fat milk powder 100 gm
• 1 large egg – cold 54 gm
• 1 tablespoon ghee clarified butter
• 1 teaspoon white flour maida
• 1 tablespoon semolina suji
• 1 tablespoon thick yogurt cold
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• A pinch of cardamom powder elaichi powder (optional)
• Oil or ghee for deep frying

Special Equipment

• 2 saucepans or pots wide and deep, one to hold sugar syrup, and the other for deep frying balls.

Instructions

• MILK BALLS
• In a wide bowl, add all the dry ingredients for the balls, preferrably passed through a sieve.
• Mix all the dry ingredients together with a spoon
• Make a well in the center of the bowl, add ghee, yogurt and egg.
• Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to "knead" the ingredients together. You can also use your hands if you like, but the finished dough is going to be super sticky and wet.
• Once the dough is ready, cover the dough and refrigerate for 10 mins.
• Bring out the rest dough and take heaped teaspoons to make small dough balls. Grease your hands if the dough is still sticky.
• Roll out all dough balls and place on plate, make 1 or 2 small tester balls as well. Set aside.
• SUGAR SYRUP
• In a wide pot or sauce pan, add all the ingredients for sugar syrup and cook at medium flame till the sugar dissolves.
• Once the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat to lowest possible, and let the syrup simmer, while you fry the milk balls
• COOKING the gulab jamuns
• In another large wide saucepan add oil or ghee enough to be an inch deep in the pan.
• Turn on the flame/heat and once the oil is warm, reduce the heat to low.
• Do a test run, add a small milk ball in the oil. It should sink and slowly rise up without getting scorch mark from the bottom. If it turns brown immediately, your oil is too hot.
• Add all the balls into the pan.
• Use a wooden spoon and stir the oil in the centre of the pot creating a whirpool effect, without touching the balls, to keep them rotating in the pot.
• When the gulab jamuns stop expanding, use the spoon to constantly move the balls around for even browning. This should take 3 to 5 mins.
• After the gulab jamuns turn golden brown, use a skimmer to move the balls and directly into the sugar syrup (which is still simmering at a low flame)
• After adding all the gulab jamuns to the sugar syrup, turn up the heat till the syrup starts bubbling. Cover the pot and let the gulab jamuns cook in the syrup for 5 mins.
• Reduce flame after 5 mins to low and let the balls simmer for another 10 mins.
• Turn off flame and let the balls cool down a little
• Serve warm, garnished with chopped nuts and rose petals.
  

Notes

• I am not a fan of the taste or smell of Saffron in my gullab jamuns so I use food color instead or sometimes skip it altogether. You can use Saffron if you like
• Use cold yogurt and egg, while room temperature ghee is ideal.
• A detailed FAQ is on the blogpost.
• Use greek yogurt if you can, for regular or watery yogurt, strain it for 5 mins to remove any excess liquid

Nutrition

Serving: 1ball | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 45mg | Sugar: 32g

The post Gulab Jamun with milk powder appeared first on Butter Over Bae.