Rabri

Rabri is an Indian and Pakistani sweet dish. Rabri is mostly made in north, central and western India. Basically rabri is thickened sweetened milk having layers of malai or sor or cream in it. It’s flavoured with cardamoms, saffron with the addition of dry fruits like almonds and pistachios. This version of rabri is called as Lachha Rabri in Hindi.

The preparation is easy but takes time. Milk is continuously simmered and evaporated on a low flame till it reaches a semi thick consistency. Rabri is usually prepared in a kadai as the broad shape of the kadai helps in evaporation of the milk faster .Preparing rabri is easy but you have to give it attention. There is no short cut method to this traditional recipe.
Rabri can be served warm or chilled. You can also serve rabri with Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, Malpua, Baked Rasgullas and Falooda. Rabri tastes good with pooris too. For the multipurpose use and taste of it, Rabri stands out as the best dessert for me.

Ingredients:
• Full cream milk – 2 litre
• Sugar – 4 tbsp or as per taste
• Cardamoms – ½ tsp powder
• Saffron strands -15 ,crushed
• Rose water – 1 tsp
• Almonds – 15 – 20
• Pistachios – 50 gm (optional)
Method:
1. Take 2 litre full cream milk in a thick bottomed kadai .Heat the milk on a low to medium flame, till the milk starts to froth or form a layer of malai on top.
2. When you will see the malai floating on top, then with a spatula, gently move the cream layer. Bring it towards the side of the pan and stick it to the pan.
3. Keep simmering the milk and collect the cream layer on the sides.
4. Meanwhile soak almonds and pistachios in hot water for 20 minutes, and then remove their peels.
5. Slice or chop them and keep aside. Do keep a check on the simmering milk when soaking as well as slicing the almonds, pistachios.
6. This process of collecting the cream layer has to be done many times. Continuous simmering of the milk will bring the cream on top and you have to bring and stick it to the sides. In between also stir the milk gently on occasions, so that the milk does not get burnt from the bottom. If you do too much stirring then you won’t get layers of cream in the rabri
7. Once the milk reduces to half, add 4 tbsp sugar or as per taste.
8. Stir gently after adding saffron, cardamom powder. After adding saffron, a gradual change of colour to yellow happens, as the milk keeps on reducing.
9. Continue collecting the malai and bringing it to the sides of the pan, also do stir the milk gently after you bring the cream towards the sides of the pan. To prevent milk from getting browned or burnt from the bottom, you have to stir the milk continuously.
10. When the milk gets reduced to 1/3 of its original quantity, switch off the flame.
11. The cream layer will be collected on the sides’.
12. Stir gently, add the sliced almonds and pistachios and 1 tsp rose water .Stir gently again.
13. Garnish with some whole almonds and serve rabri hot or warm.

Chakum Chukum got featured in a Bengali-English Durga Puja Special e-magazine +Jhaal Muri
Check the e-magazine here: http://www.jhaalmuricorner.com/jhaalmuripuja2015.html

Pineapple Jam

Most common breakfast items are bread and jam. And when it comes to jams, one would always prefer homemade jam , rather than those available in the market because all readily available jams have preservatives. So,  if we can make jams at home with seasonal fruits, it can be far more tastier and healthier option too. One can make it less sugary depending on taste. 

Ingredients :

• Pineapple – 1 medium size 
• Sugar -2 ½  cups or as per taste 
• Lemon Juice – 2 tbl sp
• Jaifal (Nutmeg)  powder – ½ tsp 
• Pineapple essence – 1 tsp (optional, I don’t use it a natural pineapple flavour was good enough for me)

Method:

1. Peel and chop pineapple cubes. Take them in a blender and make them into a coarse puree or smooth puree (as you wish).
2. Now pour them in kadai, add in sugar and mix well.
3. Heat it up, cook them for 15 to 20 mins or so, till the sugar is dissolved and get little thick consistency.
4. Now add nutmeg powder and mix well.
5. Switch off the flame and add the lemon juice. Mix well 
6. Allow it to cool down completely.
7. Now take a clean dry glass jar and store this jam in it.
8. Enjoy with bread, biscuits and chapatti.

Nimki

Durgapuja is just a few days away. Without ‘kucho nimki’ or ’Namakpare’, plates of sweets during Bijoya Dashami looks incomplete. So those who are still thinking of making some Nimki do it fast and store it before the actual Puja celebration starts.

Ingredients:

• Maida (Refined Flour) – 1 cup
• Salt  - ½ tsp or as per taste 
• Oil – 2 tsp 
• Water – 1/3 cup or as required

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl sieve the Maida (flour). Add salt, ajwain and oil in the flour. Mix everything into flour.
2. Add little water at a time and start kneading the dough.
3. Once kneaded keep the dough aside to rest for 10 mins.
4. Make balls of equal size from the dough
5. Take a Maida dough ball on rolling board and roll into round 6-7 inch wide roti.
6. Cut different shapes using a knife - diamond, parallelogram, rectangular   or square shape.
7. Heat oil in a kadai. Check if oil is hot enough by adding a small piece of Maida dough.
8. Once the oil is ready add the roti slices to oil and deep fry it till it turns golden in colour.
9. Once fried, take the nimki out and place it on kitchen paper towel for soaking extra oil.
10. Your nimki is ready.