Taruna Bakshi shares healthy and easy recipes for the festive season.

Hara Chana Burfi

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry green chickpeas
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp ghee (for roasting)
• 250 gm khoya
• ¾ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1½ tsp cardamom powder
• 2-3 tbsp finely sliced pistachio
• 2-3 tbsp slivered almonds
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Method

• Wash and soak the green chickpeas in water for 5-6 hours. You can also soak them overnight. Drain the soaked chickpeas and grind them to a paste, which is not too fine.
• In a heavy bottom cooking pan or wok, heat ghee and add the chickpea paste. Roast it for a minute on high flame, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and roast it till the colour begins to change and the raw smell is gone.
• Add a few tbsp of milk with cardamom powder, 2 tbsp pistachio and 2 tbsp almonds. Keep cooking on low heat for another two minutes or till the milk is absorbed but the mixture is not dry. Keeping the mixture moist is important. Remove the pan from the heat. Keep aside and cover it.
• In another heavy bottom pan, roast mawa on low heat without adding any ghee. Roast till the colour changes to golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Add mawa and sugar to the roasted chickpeas and mix till everything is well incorporated.
• Remove the contents in a plate or tray (9 inches x 7 inch) and using a spatula spread it around and even it out. Garnish with the remaining pistachios and almonds. Cover with a cling wrap and keep the tray in the refrigerator for the fudge to set, so that you can slice it with ease. Once it is set, cut the fudge in slices and serve.

Note: In case you intend to use fresh green chickpeas for this recipe, the approximate weight is 370 grams.

Paneer Kheer

Ingredients

To make paneer

• 1 l milk
• ¼ cup regular yogurt

For kheer

• 1 l milk
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp shredded date palm jaggery (or any sweetener of your choice, adjust amount)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp assorted nuts (optional)

Method

To make paneer

• Whisk the yogurt and set aside. Bring milk to a boil and reduce the heat. Add the yogurt. Keep stirring the milk gently till the whey separates from the paneer. If you feel the need for adding more yogurt, add little by little till the whey separates.
• Line a sieve with muslin or cheese cloth and strain the paneer. Discard the whey. Wash the paneer twice in case you are using lemon juice or vinegar to curdle the milk. Tie the ends of the cloth and leave it over the cheesecloth or hang it over a faucet for 10-15 minutes to get rid of all excess water. Set aside.

Note: Use yogurt to make paneer as the yield is better in quantity and quality. Feel free to use white vinegar or lemon juice (start with a tbsp full and add another only if required).

For kheer

• Bring the milk to boil in a heavy bottom cooking pot. Reduce the heat and allow the milk to simmer till it is reduced to half. Keep stirring to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom. Keep scraping the milk from the sides of the pot and adding it back into the pot.
• Take the reduced milk off the heat (keep stirring) and after five minutes stir in the jaggery. Place it again on heat and cook for 5-7 minutes on low heat.
• Crumble the paneer and add it to the reduced milk along with cardamom powder. Cook again for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts of your choice.
• Cool the kheer and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note: The kheer will thicken as it sits (it is faster if you chill it in the fridge), so do not be tempted to cook it anymore than the suggested cooking time.

Taruna Bakshi lives in Mumbai and is the creator of the food blog Easyfoodsmith.

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