Sweets have always been an integral part of our culture, and during festive seasons, they hold an even more special place in our hearts. One can hardly resist the temptation of devouring a plate full of gujiyas, rasgullas, malpuas, and other mouth-watering sweets during festivals like Diwali, Holi, and Eid.
The love for sweets is not just limited to these festivals, as people across the world have a sweet tooth that they like to indulge every now and then. Be it a birthday party, a wedding, or even a casual get-together, sweets always manage to add that extra sweetness to the occasion.
Moreover, sweets are not just a treat for our taste buds, but they also have a significant cultural significance. They are often offered to deities during religious ceremonies and are considered an auspicious symbol of good luck and prosperity.
So, if you're someone who loves to indulge in sweets, make sure to savor every bite and relish the rich flavors that these desserts have to offer.
Three chefs have shared some amazing recipes with us for our readers-
- Ras Gujiya by Chef Kush Koli, Head Chef, SAGA, Gurugram
- Authentic Malpua with Rabri by Chef Ashish Singh, Corporate Chef, Dhansoo cafe, Gurugram
- Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, Partner, CHO- Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar, New Delhi of Exotic Colorful Mushroom Dimsum Gyoza.
Ras Gujiya by Chef Kush Koli, SAGA, Gurugram
Dough
• 1 cup whole wheat flour –
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup bps water
• 2tbps ghee
Stuffing
• 1 cup khoya
• ½ tbps ghee
• 10-12 almond
• 10-12 cashew
• 10-12 pista
• ½ tbps raisins
• 1/3 cup powder sugar
• ½ tsp green cardamom powder
• Oil for frying
Sugar syrup
• Grain sugar – 25 gm
• Water – 4 cup
• Cook both togther and make syrup.
Method:
For dough
• Keep all-purpose flour & wheat flour, salt in a boil.
• Melt ghee and add into the bowl.
• Gently mix all above till bread crumb like texture.
• Add water in 3 parts & make a dough.
• Keep aside for resting.
For stuffing
• Grate khoya. Then melt ghee in a pan, add khoya crumble & cook on a slow flame till khoya starts gathering together.
• Let it cool at room temperature & mix chopped nuts, sugar.
• Mix well.
Assembling & shaping
• Divide the dough in equal parts.
• Flat the dough like chapatti
• Fill in mixture with the help of Gujjia shells, seal & keep aside.
• Deep fry it and soak into the sugar syrup.
Malpua By Chef Ashish Singh, Dhansoo Cafe, Delhi
This Malpua is a healthier version of the desi malpua. It doesn't have any sugar and is made with honey, semolina, banana and saffron.
Ingredients
For the Batter
• Milk-1 cup
• Semolina-1/2 cup
• Sugar-1/2 cup
• Banana-1 pc
• Refined flour-1/4 cup
• Fennel seed-1gms
Honey Syrup
• Honey-200 gms
• water-100 ml
• Cardmom powder-1 pinch
• Saffron-0.2 gms
Rabri
• Milk-500ml
• khoya-150gms
• Pista-15gms
• Sugar-75gms
Method-
• 1.Make the Honey syrup by mixing 200 gms with water in a pan add crushed cardamom powder and saffron strands.
• For the rabri add milk to the pan reduce it to half. when you get the layer on the top after that simmer it for half an hour now add khoya, sugar and saffron simmer it gain for 15 minute let it be cool in and add pista to it.
• To make the batter for the malpua, add flour and semolina to a large bowl.
• Add crushed fennel seeds, sugar, pinch of salt and mashed banana and mix well.
• Start adding milk, little by little and whisk to form a smooth batter.The batter should have no lumps.
• It should be a thick batter of pouring consistency. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat oil or ghee in a wide pan on medium heat. You don’t need to submerge the entire malpua in oil. Pour a small ladle full of batter into the hot oil.
• The batter will form a round shape on its own, you don’t need to shape it.Lower the heat to low-medium and fry the malpua until golden brown from both sides. When you are frying one side, splash oil over the other side (which isn’t dipped in oil) with a spatula so that it gets little cooked too at the same time.
• Flip and then completely fry the other side.
• Remove the malpua from oil carefully, drain the oil.
• Dip the malpua in prepared honey syrup (make sure honey syrup is warm, if its cold just place on low heat to warm it up before soaking the malpua). Soak each side for 30 seconds.
• Serve the Malpua with rabri and garnish with pista flakes.
Eight Mushroom Dimsum Gyoza By: Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, CHO- Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar
Filling Mixture
• 50ml Refined oil
• 40gms Amul butter unsalted
• 40gm Ginger chop
• 80gm Soaked shitake mushroom chop
• 30gm Monkey head mushroom
• 50gm Straw mushroom
• 50gm Enoki mushroom
• 30gm Nameko mushroom
• 100gm Maitake mushroom
• 200gm Button mushroom
• 80gm Water chestnut chop
• 80gm Soaked black fungus mushroom chop
• 30gm Black bean sauce
• 3gm Salt
• 5gm Veg broth
• 3 gm White pepper
• 3 gm Breakfast sugar
• 40ml Sesame oil
• 30gm Veg oyster sauce
• 50gm Spring onion chop
METHOD:
1. Chop all the mushrooms and make the mixture. Heat the wok on a range with putting some oil & butter, add ginger, sauté them. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts, cook them well for about 5 mins. Add all the seasoning and sauces except spring onion and mix well, add spring onion in the last once removed from the Gas.
Dimsum Skin
• 40gm Potato starch
• 200gm Beetroot
• 170ml Water
• 100gm Wheat starch
METHOD:
• Make a paste from beetroot and water and strain the water using muslin cloth. Now boil the beetroot water and mix in the prebatch mix of potato and wheat starch. Mix them well when it’s hot, make a ball, and keep aside. Make the small batch at a time and make dumpling.
