Whip Up These Delicious Mithai Recipes This Raksha Bandhan

With Rakhi knocking our doorstep this weekend, mithais seem to be vital part of the celebration. Keeping in mind the old traditional sweets that we have been filling up our bellies for years, these are a few new interesting takes on the dishes.

Using recipes suggested by Chef Swasti Aggarwal, Food Strategist at Foodhall India, try making coconut ladoos, basundi and pistachio praline for your lovable sibling.

The confluence of western sweet dishes with the Indian touch are the unique properties of these mithais. In the light of the above, please find attached the recipes for the same.

Coconut Laddoo

Image courtesy: subhamskithen.com

These healthy laddoos are known as 'avani avittam’ in South India, ‘kajri purnima’ in Madhya Pradesh, ‘narali purnima’ by the fishermen of Maharashtra.

Cook Time: 1hr 5 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh coconut (grated)
• 1 ½ cup milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp
• Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp ghee
• Desiccated coconut for garnish

Method:

• In a pan heat ghee and sauté coconut for ½ a minute.
• Add milk and stir until the milk thickens. This should take about 15 minutes.
• Add sugar and cardamom powder to this and continue to cook.
• Once the mixture firms up in around 30-40 minutes, remove from fire and allow it to cool.

Make small balls out of it and roll it into the desiccated coconut. Chill and serve.

Basundi

The Western region of India calls it basundi, while the North Indians devour this dessert and have named it Rabri.

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 ltr milk
• 50g sugar
• ¼ tsp saffron
• 1 tsp chirongi (charoli seeds)
• 1 tsp almonds (slivers)
• 1 tsp pistachio (slivers)
• 2 tsp cardamom,
• Elaichi powder

Method:

• Boil the milk on slow heat till it condenses to 1/3rd.
• Add sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, and dry fruits. Let it cool and then refrigerate. Serve chilled

Pistachio Praline Parfait

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 6 people

Ingredients:

For The Pistachio Praline:

• 100g caster sugar
• 55g unsalted
• Pistachios
• Baking parchment
• Vegetable oil for greasing
• For the parfait:
• 2 large free-range eggs, separated
• 50g caster
• Sugar
• Half a vanilla pod
• 200ml double cream
• For the raspberry sauce
• 100g sugar
• 200g raspberries
• 1tbsp lemon juice

• Grease a sheet of baking parchment and put it on a tray. Crush the pistachios in a pestle and mortar – you want this lumpy not a fine powder.
• Heat a little of the sugar on a gentle heat in a pan once it melts add a little more and move the pan around to help it melt. Do not use a spoon to stir it. Continue until all the sugar has melted and it turns a lovely brown caramel colour.
• Add the pistachios and pour out onto the baking parchment. Don’t worry if it’s not all smooth you will be smashing it up once it has set. Please be aware this is very hot and sticky so don’t touch it.
• Once it has cooled and set hard, smash it into chunks by placing it in a bag and smashing it with a rolling pin.

For The Parfait

• Line a 450g loaf tin with a double layer of cling film, leaving a bit of overhang. Put the egg yolks, 50g caster sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod in a large bowl, then whisk with an electric mixer or a balloon whisk until thick and pale.
• In another bowl whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it gently into the egg yolk mixture using a balloon whisk. Whisk the egg whites in another bowl with clean beaters or a clean balloon whisk until very stiff, then gently fold them through the creamy yolk mixture with the whisk.
• Gently fold through the broken pistachio praline, pour it into the tin and cover lightly with the overhanging cling film and freeze for around 8 hours.
• When ready to serve, remove the parfait from the freezer and leave to soften for a few minutes. Unwrap the cling film on top and use it to lift the parfait from the tin.
• Invert onto a serving platter, then peel off the cling film. Dip a palette knife in a mug of just-boiled water to warm, wipe dry, then use the flat of the knife to smooth away the marks from the cling film. Leave for 10 minutes to soften, then slice.
• Serve scattered with fresh raspberries, extra pistachios, and the raspberry sauce.

For The Raspberry Sauce

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• Put the 100g sugar in a saucepan with a splash of water and heat very gently until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring the mixture up to the boil and bubble for 5-10 minutes until it has reduced and become syrupy. Stir in the raspberries and cook for a few minutes until the berries have almost completely broken down.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat, then push the raspberry syrup through a sieve into a mixing bowl (discard the seeds). Set aside to cool completely.