Revisiting traditional Indian Sweets

What is there for meetha (sweet) is the oft asked question in our house - most times the response would be" there is cake" (as one is regularly trying out new bakes). All good... most days there is fair amount of enthusiasm, not ecstatic but kinda ... yeah ok ... but the instant it is revealed that its a 'barfi'(fudge) or 'laddoo' or even 'kheer'(rice pudding), the face lights up and the joy is unmistakable.

This bias - guess is pretty understandable as we have grown up with traditional 'mithai'(sweets). Dessert for a lot of us is still synonymous with our  'desi meetha' ( notwithstanding what Cadbury's may want us to believe), the 'rasgullas' and 'gulab jamuns' that we grew up on. However much one's palate is exposed to the puddings and cobblers and pies - ahh nothing to beat our Indian sweets.

The traditionalist in me is not enthused at this new age gifting - of chocolates and cupcakes at  occasions like weddings and diwali. Arrey please don't go to such lengths - the good old khoya barfi (milk fudge) works just as well.

 Sweet course at the end of a meal, is a universal concept - for us it might be a laddo or a peda and elsewhere in the world, it could be chocolate mousse or a key lime pie, or tiramisu or what have you.
 As a kid the most common western pud that we ate was the then ubiquitous ... caramel custard but this was typically an after meal sweet dish. Most unlike a laddu, which one can surreptitiously gulp down whenever hit by a craving for 'meetha' ... good any time of the day... as a pick me up, or even as an accompaniment to my sugar free coffee ... carry them on a vacation- which I unfailingly do, even when visiting the kids. Over the years they too (especially my son who has got our sweet tooth ) could be seen scouting for the big 'laddoo' dabba at the most unearthly hours.

Atta (whole wheat flour) laddu are still the most frequently made sweet. One, we enjoy them and most importantly they keep for a long time just the perfect food for those times when you have unexpected guests. The fact that they are home made ... never fails to impress people.

The gond (Edible Gum) laddoos with loads of dry fruits, an all time fave, are made mostly in winters.
The regular laddu have at the most a smattering of almonds.These laddus are open to a lot of variations... lotus seeds(makhana) fried in desi ghee and then crushed  can be added to the laddus, elaichi powder (cardamom powder)... just a hint is also great- pretty much adapts to a lot of add-ons be it nuts, seeds or spices.

The secret to a good laddu is, slow roasting and, the desi ghee (clarified butter ..and mine is always home made and which to no small extent adds to the flavor)

Whole Wheat Laddus (Atta Laddus)

500 gm whole wheat flour
200 gm desi ghee (clarified butter)
250 gms bura sugar
100 gm sliced almond
cardamom powder (optional)

Take a kadhai (wok) and add the whole wheat flour, desi ghee and sliced almonds.

Keep stirring this mixture on low heat- after sometime the ghee will melt and blend into the flour. One has to patiently roast the flour on a very low flame till it changes color and has a nutty roasted aroma.

Once the flour has been well roasted take it off the flame and let it cool down considerably ( just warm enough to bind the laddus well). Add the bura to the flour and mix it well. Then shape it into laddus. When totally cool store in an air tight container.

Besan ki barfi / Indian fudge - with a twist

I have grown up watching my nani making huge amounts of sweets and savory snacks (enough to feed an army). So did my mother though to a lesser extent, but by the time I grew up this trend had dwindled a lot. Old timers still lament about those good old days when everything was made at home and now they have to make do with packaged and processed stuff with all kinds’ of  chemical additives and preservatives.

For most of us who have grown up gorging on our desi mithai there is nothing to beat it. Making mithai at home might seem tedious but it is totally worth the effort, it tastes way too better not to have a go at making it yourself. As for me, I am into this new phase where homemade is the new mantra and I am  very bemused at how ultimately, we take comfort in  and go back to doing things that we grew up with.

This besan barfi is also known as the seven cup barfi, a popular Indian sweet. I have modified it a bit and gone easy on the ghee and sugar in keeping with today's times and here I am sharing my own version of it. I have added some whole wheat flour which gives it a better texture and adds a nice nutty flavor to it. The barfi turns out soft and fudge like and keeps well. It is very easy to make, doesn't take too much time, and tastes absolutely delicious. So here you go -

Besan ki barfi

Besan Ki Barfi

3/4 cup besan (chick pea flour)

1/4 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup desi ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup dessicated coconut

1 cup sugar (powdered)

1/2 teaspoon elaichi (green cardamom) powder

1 cup milk 

20 almonds thinly sliced

Grease a square pan or tray with ghee. Take a thick bottomed heavy kadai (wok) and pour in the ghee, besan and atta and roast the two on low heat. This roasting helps in removing the raw taste of the flour. Add in the dessicated coconut and half of the finely sliced almonds. Stir constantly till the mixture turns nice brown. This would take around 15 minutes.

Now add the powdered sugar and the milk and stir continuously to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom. Continue to cook till it starts thickening and begins to leave the sides of the pan and comes together, then switch off the burner.

Pour the hot mixture  into the greased pan and level it out with a spatula, then sprinkle the remaining sliced almonds on top.

Let it cool down then cut into diamond or square pieces and enjoy.

Indian fudge