With Holi just around the corner, we bring you special recipes to celebrate the festival of colours. 

Rose Petal and Pomegranate Ice cream

(serves 6)

Ingredients

• 4 large pomegranates
• 500 ml fresh cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh rose petals, chopped

Method

• De-shell the pomegranate, reserving just the seeds and discarding the rest of it.
• Place the pomegranate seeds in a blender and blend well. Sieve this juice using a strainer. It works even better if a muslin cloth is placed over a strainer. Discard the seeds and reserve the pomegranate juice.
• Pour the juice in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
• Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes till it has reduced to about one cup. Take it off the flame and let it cool completely.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the fresh cream for a few minutes, until smooth. Pour in the pomegranate juice, sugar and rose petals.
• Whisk for 7 to 10 minutes till all the ingredients are well blended.
• Pour this mixture into a freezer container with a lid and freeze for 4 – 6 hours.
• Then scrape thru the semi set ice cream and refreeze it for 4 – 5 hours or till it has completely set. Scoop out and serve in individual dessert bowls.

Photograph: Courtesy John Fladd/Creative Commons

Rose Petal Kulfi

(serves 8)

Ingredients 

• 1 litre double toned milk
• 200 gm condensed milk
• 1 ½ cup fresh rose petals (shredded)
• 3 tbsp skimmed milk powder
• 100 ml fresh cream
• 1 tbsp rose water
• A pinch of salt
• 1 ½ tbsp rice flour

Method

• Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat.
• Place the rice flour and the skimmed milk powder in a cup. Pour a little warm milk over it. Mix it well.
• Pour this into the boiling milk and stir continuously for a minute till the milk has thickened. Take it off the flame.
• Pour in the condensed milk along with rose water and a pinch of salt. Mix well for a few minutes.
• When it has semi-cooled, stir in the rose petals. Mix well.
• Pour this into 8 kulfi moulds or into a freezer container with a lid.
• Place it in the freezer for 5 – 6 hours or till completely set. Unmould and serve cold.

Jalebi

(serves 16)

Ingredients

• 225 gm refined wheat flour
• 20 gm besan (1 heaped tbsp)
• 1 ½ tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 60 ml natural yogurt
• 60 ml water for making the batter
• 50 ml lukewarm water
• 1 ½ tbsp oil for the batter
• Oil for deep frying

For the sugar syrup:

• 300 ml water
• 400 gm sugar
• 2-3 drops orange food colour

Method

• Place the yeast in a small bowl. Pour half of the lukewarm water over it. Mix well, cover and set aside for 5-7 minutes till it gets activated.
• Once the froth comes on top, the yeast is activated and ready to use.
• Add in the remaining lukewarm water and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, place the refined wheat flour, besan, corn starch, diluted yeast mixture. Mix well.
• Add in the yogurt and blend well to ensure that there are no lumps.
• Pour in a little water at a time and beat it well to make a smooth batter. Cover and set this aside for 10-15 minutes.
• In the meantime, place the sugar and water in a pan. Bring it to a boil, and then simmer for 12-15 minutes stirring from time to time till you get a one string consistency.
• Add in the orange food colour and mix well. Now heat oil in a pan.
• Place the jalebi batter in a piping bag or a zip lock bag and gently cut the end of the piping bag to make a small hole to enable a thin stream of the batter to come out.
• Hold the bag over the hot oil and begin to pour it in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction to get evenly round jalebis.
• Let these cook over low flame for 3-4 minutes on each side until light brown in colour. Drain them off the oil and place them directly into the warm sugar syrup.
• Ensure that you dip each jalebi into the sugar syrup fully and drain out after a minute. Serve warm.

Gitanjali Gurbaxani is a well-known author and food consultant. Email her at gitanjaligurbaxani@gmail.com and view her website at www.gitanjaligurbaxani.com.

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