1,000 Indian Recipes (322 page)

1.
Finely chop 4 to 5 of the lychees and set aside. In a food processor or a blender, process the remaining lychees to make a smooth purée. Mix in the cornstarch and process once again to combine.

2.
Transfer the lychee purée to a medium nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, let cool, then chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

3.
In a food processor or a blender, blend together the chilled lychees and the softened vanilla ice cream, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze, about 2 hours. To serve, place rounded scoops of the ice cream in a serving platter and top with the chopped lychees.

Variation:
Purée half the lychees and finely chop the remaining half. Mix together and serve over scoops of store-bought vanilla ice cream.

Pistachio and Cardamom Ice Cream Dessert

Pista Illaichi ki Baraf Malai

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Pistachios and cardamom—two popular flavors in Indian desserts—add fragrant and colorful interest to simple vanilla ice cream to make a dessert that can be put together on the spur of the moment, or when you are running short of time.

This dessert also works well with fruit-flavored ice cream or frozen yogurt, such as strawberry, raspberry, or banana.

¹
⁄
₂
cup shelled raw pistachios

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

2 drops green food coloring

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1.
In a food processor or a blender, process the pistachios until coarsely ground. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons for garnish, and leave the rest in the work bowl. Then add the ice cream, green food coloring, and cardamom seeds to the food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze, about 2 hours.

2.
To serve, place rounded scoops of ice cream in a serving platter and top with the reserved pistachios.

Variation:
Put scoops of vanilla ice cream on a platter. Mix 2 drops of green food color in 1 tablespoon milk and sprinkle it over the ice cream. Top with the chopped pistachios and ground cardamom seeds.

Saffron and Almond Ice Cream Dessert

Kesar Badaam ki Baraf Malai

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is another popular Indian dessert flavor combination that tastes great over vanilla ice cream. The saffron lends a delicate flavor and color.

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon saffron threads

2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk

¹
⁄
₄
cup sliced raw almonds

¹
⁄
₄
cup shelled blanched raw almonds

2 tablespoons shelled raw pistachios

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1.
In a small bowl, soak the saffron threads in the cream (or milk) about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, dry-roast the sliced almonds, stirring, over medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Let cool and reserve for garnish.

2.
In a spice or coffee grinder, grind together the blanched almonds, pistachios, and ground cardamom seeds to make as fine as possible. (Or grind each separately, then mix together well.) Place rounded scoops of vanilla ice cream on a platter, top with the ground nut and seed mixture, and drizzle with the saffron milk. Scatter the dry-roasted almonds on top, and serve.

Milk Fudge
(Burfee)

Burfee
are bite-sized, rich confections, served as a dessert after a meal or as a tea-time snack along with
samosas
(deep-fried trangular pastries) and
pakoras
(chickpea fritters). Think of them as you do fudge in America.

Burfee
is made with thickened milk and flavored with spices, nuts, and sweet vegetables. Even though the term
burfee
is a catch-all for a variety of
burfee
fudges, there are many distinct recipes, each different in flavor and technique. Types of
burfee
range from dense and chewy to light and crumbly, and are ubiquitous in Indian sweet shops. Naturally, the homemade versions tend to be simpler and not so brightly colored.

You can serve the
burfees
on a platter or cut large pieces and serve them in a pool of puréed fresh fruits.

Basic White Milk Fudge

Saadi Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

This is at the base of a good number of my
burfees
—a simple recipe that I've made easier and much more accessible for the American kitchen.

This recipe may be halved, but I suggest making it all.
Burfees
stay fresh in the refrigerator more than a month and make great hostess gifts during the holiday season. Layer in an airtight container, with a plastic sheet or wax paper separating each layer.

6 tablespoons (
³
⁄
₄
stick) unsalted butter

2 pounds part-skim ricotta cheese

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pure (not artificial) vanilla extract

6 to 8 (4-inch) square silver leaves (optional)

1.
Heat the butter in a large, heavy wok or saucepan (not nonstick) over medium-high heat until melted. Add the ricotta cheese and cook, stirring often, over medium heat for the first 2 to 3 minutes, then over medium heat until all the liquid evaporates, 20 to 25 minutes.

2.
Add the condensed milk and vanilla extract and continue to cook until all the liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 10 to 12 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, mix in the nuts and other flavors of your choice (see the variations under
Flavored Milk Fudge
).

3.
Place on an 11- by 8-inch baking or any other tray or dish with raised edges and, with a spatula, flatten into a smooth
¹
⁄
₂
- to
³
⁄
₄
-inch-thick layer. Garnish with the silver leaves and refrigerate until somewhat firm, at least 2 hours. (Warm burfee is very soft and does not retain its shape or cut well.) Cut into 1-inch or larger squares, rectangles, or diamonds. Transfer to a platter and serve, or layer in airtight containers with wax paper separating each layer and store in the refrigerator.

Basic White Milk Fudge with Cream

Malai Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

A recipe from my friend Bharti Dhalwala, this fudge is made with whipping cream instead of butter. It has a much smoother texture than
Basic White Milk Fudge
. However, they can both be used interchangeably.

¹
⁄
₂
pint heavy cream

1 cup sugar

1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

¹
⁄
₂
to 1 teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1.
In a large nonstick wok or saucepan, boil together the cream and sugar over medium-high heat until it bubbles vigorously.

2.
Add the ricotta cheese, dry milk, and cardamom seeds, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, mix in the nuts and other flavors of your choice (see the variations under
Flavored Milk Fudge
).

3.
Finish making the burfee according to the directions for
Basic White Milk Fudge
, starting from Step 3.

Flavored Milk Fudge

Kisum-Kisum ki Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

Start with the recipe for
Basic White Milk Fudge
or
Basic White Milk Fudge with Cream
. Cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan in Step 2, then add any of the following flavors. Finish the burfee as explained in Step 3 of
Basic White Milk Fudge
.

Basic White Milk Fudge with Pistachio Bits Pista Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

Speckled with bits of brilliantly green pistachios, this is a very basic
burfee
.

1 recipe
Basic White Milk Fudge

¹
⁄
₂
cup shelled raw pistachios

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1 drop rose essence

1.
Soak the pistachios in the boiling water, about 1 hour. Drain the pistachios, place on a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the thin, softened skins. The pistachios will now be brilliant green. Cut each nut in half or quarters. Reserve.

2.
Prepare the
Basic White Milk Fudge
recipe through Step 2. Then mix all the ingredients into the fudge and set the burfee as explained in Step 3.

Saffron Milk Fudge Kesari Burfee

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

It would truly be a shame to call this burfee a mere variation of anything. With its tell-tale threads of saffron and lovely yellow-orange color, it is appealing in its own right and deserves a singular place on the table.

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon saffron threads