Almond Fudge (Badaam Paak)

Badaam paak is a North Indian sweet commonly served on auspicious occasions.  I made it recently for a Diwali celebration.

Most recipes include the following ingredients, though the proportions vary.  Some versions also include desiccated coconut (for additional sweetness and texture) and milk powder.

Makes 32 2-inch squares

Ingredients

16 ounces unsalted butter (4 sticks)

20 ounces semolina (sooji)

1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom

1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

2-3 generous pinches saffron

18 ounces almonds, coarsely chopped

20 ounces sweetened condensed milk

2 ounces pistachios, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottom pot on medium heat.

2. Sauté semolina, cardamom, nutmeg and saffron until mixture is fragrant and light golden brown.  This will take 15-30 minutes depending on the pot and the heat.  Semolina can burn quickly so stir constantly and pay attention to the mixture closest to the bottom of the pot.
3. Add 16 ounces almonds and stir for 2 minutes.  Then add condensed milk and stir until well mixed.
4. Divide mixture into two 9x9 inch metal baking pans.  Use the back of a spoon to distribute the mixture evenly.

5. Sprinkle with remaining almonds, pistachios and poppy seeds.  Press with the back of a spoon to ensure that nuts and seeds adhere.

6. Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.  While still warm, use a sharp knife to cut into squares or diamonds.

7. Store in an airtight container lined with wax paper.  Will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks and in the freezer for 6 months.

Cracked Wheat Pudding (Lapsi)

Lapsi is a sweet North Indian pudding or porridge similar to the semolina pudding (siro or sooji halwa) I featured previously on this blog. It seems to be most common in Gujarat but is also made in nearby Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Lapsi is often prepared for Divali and other auspicious events such as birthdays, anniversaries, when opening a new business, or moving into a new home. In Hinduism, it is also made as prasad (Sanskrit for gracious gift), a religious offering to a deity which is then distributed and consumed.

Broken wheat is not refined, and as such maintains the nutrients that are present in whole wheat. It is a complex carbohydrate so particularly suitable for those with diabetes.

There is also a savory lapsi made with spices, chillis, and vegetables which I have never tried.

Serves 12-16

Ingredients
10 ounces unsalted butter ( 2 1/2 sticks)
2lb cracked wheat (also known as dalia, crushed raw wholewheat berry, broken wheat, bulgar)
1 cup fine sweetened dessicated coconut (if you can only find shredded coconut, pulse in a food processor until fine)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
4 tablespoons golden raisins
8-11 cups water
1/8 teaspoon orange color powder
3 pinches saffron
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
slivered almonds and/or chopped pistachios, for garnish

Directions
1. In a large pot, melt butter. Saute cracked wheat and coconut over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until fragrant. Do not increase heat as wheat may burn and become bitter.
2. Add fennel seeds and raisins and saute for a further two minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and add 8 cups of water. Be careful as the hot cracked wheat might splatter.
4. Add orange color and saffron and mix well. Cover pot and return to medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
5. Taste the lapsi to see if it has cooked. It should be neither chewy or mushy. If uncooked, add 1 or 2 cups of water and cover. Cook for 10 more minutes.
6. Again taste the lapsi. If it has not cooked, add 1/2 to 1 cup water and cover. Lower the heat if necessary. Cook for 5 minutes. Repeat until the lapsi is cooked.
7. Add sugar, cardamom and nutmeg. Note that lapsi will not cook further once sugar is added.
8. Garnish with almonds and pistachios and serve warm.
9. Lapsi can be stored in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for three months. To defrost leave in the fridge overnight. To reheat, add a little water and microwave in a covered dish or heat on the stovetop.

Gram Flour Fudge (Monthar)

This is one of my favorite Indian mithais (literally ‘sweets’). It seems to be Gujarati in origin since most of my Indian friends have never heard of it. Like so many mithais, its basic ingredients are a combination of flour, sugar, butter and milk. While often too sweet and rich for the Western palate, mithais are widely enjoyed by South Asians in the homeland and diaspora.

They are traditionally eaten on special occasions, and are not really equivalent to daily desserts which have become a modern custom in North America. Often, families will make platters of various kinds of mithais and send them to neighbors and friends in anticipation of Divali, Eid or other festive occasions.

Growing up in Calgary, we had a family friend who was renowned for her monthar. She would make it in great slabs studded with nuts and saffron threads. While I was away at college and graduate school, this was a favorite treat for me to pick up on my trips home. I’d usually freeze the whole batch, and defrost one square at a time.

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon orange food color powder
1 lb unsalted butter (4 sticks)
1lb gram flour (also called besan or chickpea flour)
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 cup almonds and pistachios, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Boil sugar, water and food color until 240F on a candy thermometer. It can also be tested by dropping a small amount on a plate. It will form a soft ball when it is at the right temperature.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and using a spoon carefully skim off as much of the foam as possible. Then decant the butter, discarding the milk solids that have settled on the bottom of the pan. Return butter to pan.
3. On medium heat, add flour and sauté until golden brown. This can take 10-20 minutes so be patient.
4. Increase the heat slightly and slowly add evaporated milk, stirring constantly.
5. Add the syrup mixture and remove from heat. Add nutmeg, cardamom and saffron and stir well.
6. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, and then stir the mixture until it thickens.
7. Spread in a 9 x 9 inch pan and sprinkle with nuts. Using the back of a spoon, pat down gently to ensure the nuts are properly attached.
8. When cool, cut into 1 inch squares.
9. Store in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or the freezer for 3 months.

Semolina Pudding (Siro or Sooji Halwa)

In a previous posting I mentioned semolina pudding (also called siro or sooji halwa) which is a common treat in South Asia. This pudding can be served for breakfast, as an appetizer (sometimes with papadums), or as a dessert. I recently made this in celebration of Divali.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole milk (can substitute 1% or 2% milk)
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 pinches of orange food powder or several drops of orange food color
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup semolina
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup evaporated milk (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
2 tablespoons chopped almonds

Directions
1. In a deep pot, bring milk, sugar and color to a boil over medium heat.
2. At the same time in another pot over medium heat, sauté semolina in butter until light golden brown. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Remove semolina from the heat. Wearing oven mitts, carefully add boiling water (the semolina will bubble and splatter). Stir well.

4. Quickly add nutmeg, cardamom and saffron to warm milk and mix well. Return semolina to heat and add warm milk mixture. Stir until the mixture thickens.

5. Add evaporated milk and continue to stir well until mixture is the consistency of pre-baked cornbread batter.
6. Garnish with nuts. You can also garnish with shredded coconut, white poppy seeds and/or raisins.
7. This dish can be frozen for up to two months. To defrost, place in fridge overnight. Reheat over low heat by adding several tablespoons of water and stirring well. Alternately, add water and reheat in the microwave.

Pistachio Shortbread

Pistachios are native to Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and the first archeological record of their consumption dates to 6760BC in what is present day Jordan. They were brought to Italy from Syria during the reign of Tiberius in the first century. The word derives from Persian and comes to English via Latin.

While Iran still leads in international pistachio production, the United States is a close second. Until the 1970s, most pistachio consumed in the U.S. were imported from Iran. After relations between the two countries deteriorated starting in the 1970s, Americans started growing these nuts on plantations in California.

Pistachios are often eaten whole – salted or roasted - and are a popular flavoring in sweets such as ice cream, cookies and puddings. They are even more common in confections from the Middle East and South Asia including baklava and burfi among many others. These nuts are also traditionally used to make mortadella, an Italian pork sausage flavored with spices, nuts and herbs, and widely used in savory dishes from India, Iran and North Africa.

Research shows that pistachios significantly reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase antioxidant level in humans. In rats, they increase HDL (good) cholesterol without decreasing bad cholesterol.

This recipe is my adaptation of nan khatai, an Ismaili shortbread previously featured on this site.

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

3/4 cups white sugar

1 egg

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup semolina

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

1-2 tablespoons milk
pistachios, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease or line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, semolina, baking powder, cardamom, nutmeg and pistachios. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add egg and mix well.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. It may take a few minutes to incorporate all the flour. Add milk to soften the dough.
5. To form cookies, roll 2 tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands to form a circular disk (thicker in the middle than at the edges). Place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly.

6. To decorate, gently press a pistachio into the center of each cookie.
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes until you see a hint of color. Do not bake until golden brown. Remove immediately to a wire rack to prevent further baking. Once cool, cookies should break easily but not be crumbly. If the cookies are crisp, then they were over-baked.

Rose Milk Fudge (Burfi)

I made this burfi (as well as the treat featured last week) in celebration of Divali, the Hindu New Year or Festival of Lights. According to Hindu belief, followers of Lord Rama honoured his return to Ayodhya with rows of lamps (deepavali in Sanskrit) after a fourteen-year exile during which he triumphed over King Ravana who had kidnapped his wife Sita. Divali is the shortened form of the word deepavali.

There are many other significant events associated with Divali in Hinduism as well as Jainism and Sikhism. Divali is observed as a celebration of the victory of good over evil and the uplifting of spiritual darkness. It also marks the end of the harvest season, and is associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Traditionally, Divali marked the end of the fiscal year.

During Divali people light candles, set off fireworks, eat sweets and dried fruit, and give gifts (especially new clothes) to children. Many families create a rangoli at the entrance to their house.

I’ve been celebrating Divali for many years now. I usually invite friends over for dessert. This year I also made some savory treats which I will feature on this blog in the coming weeks.


Makes 30 pieces

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick or 1/4 pound) unsalted butter
1 lb (roughly 500g) ricotta cheese (full fat or partly skimmed)
1 cup granulated sugar
5 drops of red food color (add more for a deeper pink)
1-2 teaspoons of rose water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
2 ounces almonds, chopped
2 ounces pistachios, chopped

Directions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add ricotta cheese and cook for 8 minutes.
2. Add sugar, food color, rose water, nutmeg and cardamom. Stir for a further 6 minutes.
3. Add powdered milk and mix for a further 4 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into a metal brownie pan (6 x 10 inches). Sprinkle with nuts and press them into the mixture.
5. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.
6. Cut into rectangular pieces before serving. Will last for two or more weeks in the refrigerator.

Tree Sap Fudge (Goondh Paak)

Before you dismiss this recipe, remember that maple sugar is also tree sap.

This recipe uses one of the most unusual ingredients that I’ve featured on this blog – gum arabic. Also known as gum acacia or meska, this is the hardened tree sap from two species of the Acacia tree. Although cultivated in Arabia and West Asia since antiquity, European colonialism saw a strong rise in gum arabic production in West Africa. It is been highly prized for its properties as a binding agent and emulsifier, and one that is not toxic to humans. After African independence, it also became cultivated in East Africa - between the 1950s and 1990s Sudan accounted for 80% of world production. Today Chad, Nigeria and Sudan produce over 95% of worldwide exports.

Gum arabic has been used for many industrial applications including photographic gum printing; watercolour paint production; and production of pyrotechnics, shoe polish, and lickable adhesives. It is also a common ingredient in processed food – just check the ingredient lists on marshmallows, gum drops, chewing gum, soft drinks, M&Ms, confections, syrups and ice cream. Some readers may remember the contention that Osama bin Laden controlled significant gum arabic production in Sudan, and that the West should boycott the item. This claim was later refuted by the U.S. State Department.

Gund paak is a rich, though not cloyingly sweet, dessert. Although it uses whole wheat flour, it also contains a generous amount of butter and is thus best consumed in moderation.


Makes 64 pieces

Ingredients
10 ounces almonds, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 pounds (8 sticks) unsalted butter
4 ounces of gum arabic (also known as gum acacia) or gum substitute in small pieces
5 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon powdered orange food color (optional), available in South Asian food stores
1 pound jaggery, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 ounces pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. In a small bowl mix 8 ounces of almonds, cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. In a large cooking pot, melt butter on medium. Test temperature by placing one piece of gum arabic into the butter. It should bubble and float to the surface as a white popped form. If it doesn’t pop, then the butter is not hot enough; if it becomes browns, then the butter is too hot.
3. Once the temperature is correct, fry the gum arabic in 6-10 small batches . Remove with a slotted spoon and dry and cool on paper towels. When cool, mix with the almond mixture. Set aside. [See above photo of friend gum arabic]
4. Add flour to the same butter. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes golden brown in color. If you stop stirring, it will splatter as hot air bursts through the flour mixture. You may also burn it.
5. Add food color and jaggery, and keep cooking until the jaggery melts.
6. Add the evaporated milk and the almond/gum mixture and continue to cook for 5-7 more minutes.
7. Transfer to a deep, large baking sheet (11x16) and spread evenly using the back of a metal spoon. Sprinkle with pistachios and remaining almonds, and use the spoon to embed the nuts into the mixture.
8. Cool to room temperature and then cut into 64pieces using a pizza cutter. Store in fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for several months.

Peanut Biscotti (Jugu Cake)

This is a recipe from my father’s childhood. It comes from the Nanwalla Mithai shop, a store that sold Indian sweets in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The shop was owned by members of the Bohra community, an Indian Muslim immigrant community that had settled in East Africa. Jugu cake is similar to Italian biscotti, except that it is not double-baked.

Jugu is the Swahili word for peanut. Contrary to popular belief, peanuts are legumes and are not technically nuts. They are native to South and Central America and were domesticated in Peru almost 8,000 years old. The cultivation of peanuts spread through European colonialism. The Portuguese were responsible for introducing them to China and Africa, and they were brought to the United States through African slaves. Dothan, Alabama is responsible for fifty percent of all peanuts grown in the United States.

In addition to consumption of whole peanuts, they are commonly processed into peanut butter and peanut oil. Peanut meats or shells are also used in the production of paint, insecticide, furniture polish, plastic, cellulose, glue, animal feed and fertilizer.

Makes 5 dozen

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola or corn)
1 1/2 cups milk
3 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 cups shelled, unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. In a medium bowl beat one egg, vanilla extract, oil and milk. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and peanuts. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and form a dough.
3. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each into a 10 to 12-inch log. Place the logs on greased cookie sheets and flatten them so they are approximately 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. [see the above photo]
4. Beat the other egg and brush it along each flattened log. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Cool for 5 minutes, and with a sharp knife cut the baked logs at a 60-degree angle into 1 1/2 inch wide cookies. Cool to room temperature and serve with tea or coffee. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Cardamom Chocolate Shortbread (Nan Khatai)

Growing up, nan khatai were one of my favorite treats. I couldn’t resist their rich, buttery sweetness, especially hot from the oven. I remember sneaking tastes of dough from the bowl behind my mother’s back (in the days before I was concerned about raw eggs and salmonella). My mom mostly made plain nan khatai, decorating each with a fingerprint of green food coloring. An aunt later introduced us to the chocolate swirl nan khatais which are a delicious alternative.

Given the similarity to European shortbread, I decided to do some web research which revealed that since the 17th century shortbread-like cookies were made in Western India and were popular among European sailors. Later cookies were also imported from England. However, during the swadeshi movement for Indian self-reliance, such cookies were produced locally in tandoor ovens. Nan khatais are believed to have originated in Surat, a large port city and district in Gujarat. These confections are particularly popular in Bombay, which has a large Gujarati population. They are also common in Pakistan.

Online I found a reference to nuncatie, a variation of nan khatai, which was given two possible etymologies: from a Persian word meaning the “bread of Cathay or China” or from the Persian words nan (meaning bread) and khat (meaning six, referring to the six component ingredients – flour, eggs, sugar, ghee (butter), leavening and almonds).

This version of the peripatetic nan khatai comes to you from Chicago by way of Canada and Kenya.

Makes 48 cookies

Ingredients
2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg (optional, see note below)
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup semolina
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
2 tablespoons cocoa (optional)
whole almonds (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease or line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, semolina, baking powder and cardamom. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add egg and mix well. You can omit the egg or replace it with 2-4 tablespoons of whole milk. If you do, the baked cookies will have a crackled (instead of smooth) surface.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. It may take a few minutes to incorporate all the flour. Don't feel obligated to use all the flour if your dough is becoming dry. Add milk to soften the dough again.

5. To form cookies, roll 2 tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands to form a circular disk (thicker in the middle than at the edges). Place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly.
6. To decorate, gently press an almond into the center of each cookie.
7. If you would rather make chocolate nan khatais, place 1/4 of the dough in a small bowl and add cocoa. Incorporate cocoa by kneading. Take dough in the proportion of 1:3 (chocolate to unflavored) and roll both pieces into tubes of the same length (the chocolate tube will be much thinner). Roughly braid the tubes and roll the nan khatai in your hands until the doughs swirl. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly.
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes at 300 F, until you see a hint of color. Do not bake until golden brown. Remove immediately to a wire rack to prevent further baking. Once cool, cookies should break easily but not be crumbly. If the cookies are crisp, then they were over-baked.

Rose-Scented Coconut Squares (Topra Paak) Recipe

This is a perfect treat for Valentine’s Day. It is sugary sweet, smells like roses and pink! It is also ideal for sweethearts with food allergies or restrictions (it is gluten, dairy, egg and nut free).

I remember making this confection as a child with my dad. He grew up on the Indian Ocean in Dar es Salaam, the port city of Tanzania. Much of the coastal cuisine he grew up with contained coconut meat or milk since palm trees were ubiquitous. In the coming months you’ll see other recipes from his childhood featured on this blog – watch for Coconut Chicken Curry in March.

The last time I made these squares, I accidentally used sweetened coconut. The sugar syrup crystallized around the already sugary coconut and was too saccharine – even for me…


Makes 32 squares

INGREDIENTS

1 pound unsweetened desiccated coconut
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
3 teaspoons rose water or 1 teaspoon rose extract
1 teaspoon cardamom
red food coloring

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil sugar and water until the syrup is slightly thick and reduced by approximately half.
2. Add the coconut and mix well. Add rose flavoring and cardamom, and mix well.
3. Slowly add red food coloring, one drop at a time, until the mixture is light pink color.
4. Press into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan and cool for 30 minutes.
5. Cut into squares or diamonds and let cool completely.

Variations for this sweet abound. For a richer, more fudgy square you can use milk or condensed milk instead of water. You can also decorate the top with pistachios, almonds, poppy seeds or edible silver paper. I prefer mine unadorned. You can also use a different food color. I would suggest green – perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.