Agra Petha

Ingredients
1 kg. firm white pumpkin
800 gms. sugar
2 tsp. calcium hydroxide (kitchen lime)
1/2 tsp. alum powder
1 tsp. rose water
3-4 drops kewra essence
2 cups water
Method
Dissolve alum in 1/2 cup water, keep aside. Dissolve lime in 1 litre water, strain with a
clean cloth, twice if required.
Peel pumpkin, discard seeds, mushy centre. Cut into 1"x2"x1" rectangular blocks or as
desired.
Prick all over with a metal skewer or fork. Put pieces in lime water. Soak for 30-35
minutes.
Drain, wash under clean running water for 2-3 minutes. Put in a bowl, sprinkle alum
water, shake to coat all pieces evenly.
Drain, boil pieces in a large heavy pan, till a little soft and exuding water. Make a syrup of
sugar and water, till 2 1/2 thread consistency (refer syrup method)
Put drained pumpkin pieces in syrup, boil till syrup becomes thick again. Keep covered
with a mesh, overnight.
Drain, boil syrup again till thick, add pieces, reboil for 3-4 minutes. Drain out excess
syrup, sprinkle essence and rose water. Cool completely, refrigerate.

Almond Seera

Ingredients
1 cup coarse wheat flour
1-1/2 cups blanched almonds (refer note)
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
1 tsp. cardamom powder
1/4 tsp. saffron strands crushed
1 tbsp. warm milk
1-1/4 cup ghee
8-10 blanched almonds chopped into slivers or halved
Method
Rub and dissolve saffron in milk, keep aside. Dry and powder blanched almonds, saving
10 for garnishing.
Melt ghee in a large heavy pan. Add flour, stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add almond powder, stir fry till golden and aroma exudes. Take care to stir continuously.
Add water, stir and cook. Add sugar, and cook further, stirring gently.
When ghee starts to exude, add cardamom and saffron. Stir, and take into serving dish.
Garnish with chopped almonds. One may put it in hotcase to keep hot, reheat in
microwave, or in a pan.
Note: To blanche almonds soak in water for 5-6 hours, peel skin, dab and air on clean
towel, till dry. Powder or use as required.

Festive Pedas (Basic Recipe)

Ingredients
1/2 kg. soft white khoya
2-1/2 cups (approx.300gms) sugar powdered
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tsp. cardamom seeds semi crushed
1 tbsp. slivered or crushed pistachios
Method
Grate khoya with a steel (not iron) grater. Add powdered sugar and mix well.
Put mixture in a large heavy or nonstick pan. Heat first on high for few minutes.
The on slow till done. Make sure to stir continuously, while on heat.
When mixture thick and gooey, add cardamom. Mix well, and take off fire.
Allow to cool, gently turning occasionally. Use cookie moulds, or shape pedas with palms
into patty rounds.
Mix pistachios and cardamom seeds and press a bit on top of each. If using moulds, first
sprinkle some at bottom.
Take some mixture and press into mould. When set well, invert and carefully, unmould.
Note: Above is the basic recipe.
Any colour ( yellow, orange, green, cochineal), essence (pineapple, orange, pista,
chocolate), topping (almonds, walnuts, cashews), can be added. To above recipe add
any of following for varied flavours: cashew powder 1/2 cup, cocoa 2 tbsp.(then increase
sugar by 1/2 cup), walnuts powdered 1/2 cup, etc. Add when the mixture is half cooked.

Karanjia

Ingredients
For Filling:
1/2 cup coconut flakes fine
1/2 cup khoya
1 tbsp. poppy seeds (khuskhus)
1 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tbsp. crushed almond
1/4 cup sugar ground
10 to 15 raisins
Method
For Cover:
Roast khoya to a light pink by stirring continuously over low heat. Cool and break in fine
crumbs with fingers. Mix flour and ghee well. Add enough water to make soft pliable
dough. Keep aside.
For Filling :
Roast coconut flakes lightly. Cool. Mix all other ingredients. Check for sweetness. Make
small (4 ") rounds, not too thin not too thick.
Place 1 tsp. filling in one half of round. Fold over the other half, sealing in the mixture.
Seal edges by twisting or pressing together. Make all in t he same way.
Dry on clean cloth for 30 minutes. Deep fry in hot ghee on low till light brown on both
sides. Drain and cool completely before storing. Note: You may use a karanjia mould forfilling them if available.
For Cover:
1 cup plain flour (maida)
1 tbsp. ghee
water to knead

Lapsee

Ingredients
1 cup wheat germ (dalia)
1 1/2 cup sugar or 2 cups jaggery
1 cup ghee
1 tbsp. chopped almonds & pistachios mixed
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. cardamom powdered
Method
Warm ghee in a heavy pan, add wheat germ.
Stir and cook till germ is golden in colour and aroma exudes.
Meanwhile melt sugar or jaggery in 1 cup water.
Keep aside hot.
Boil and add remaining water to roasted wheat germ.
Stir gently now, and cook till the grain of the germ is soft on pressing.
Now add sugar or jaggery, add cardamom and chopped dry fruit.
Stir and simmer covered, stirring occasionally.
Cook till ghee separates along the sides. Serve hot.
Note : Freeze and thaw as required. Before serving, take in pan, sprinkle some hot
water, Heat while stirring, till ghee again separates.

Badam (Almond) Katlee

Ingredients
250 gms. almonds (soaked overnight)
200 gms. sugar powdered
few tbsp. milk
silver foil (optional)
Method
Drain and change water from almonds. Peel almonds, keep aside.
Wash once more, to remove any traces of brownishness. Grind to a fine paste, using as
little milk as possible.
In a heavy large skillet, mix paste and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, using a large
handled spoon or spatula.
Take care of splattering in initial stages. Also, do not stop stirring, or the mixture burnt
and stuck to bottom of skillet will spoil the taste.
When a soft lump is form, which leaves sides of skillet easily, take off fire.
Grease a clean work surface and a rolling pin with melted ghee.
Put lump on it, roll quickly while still warm, to 1/5" thickness.
Apply silver foil, and press lightly with foil paper. Mark out long diamond shapes with a
sharp knife.
When almost cool, remove carefully with a sharp edged wide spatula. Cool completely
before storing in layers between sheets of butter paper.

Sevai Kheer

Ingredients
1 litre milk
1/2 cup fine vermicelli broken to 1" bits
1 tsp. ghee
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
15-20 strands of saffron, crushed in 1 tsp. hot milk
10 almonds, blanched and thinly slivered
10 pistachios, unsalted, thinly slivered
Method
Heat ghee in a heavy deep pan.
Add broken vermicelli, stir till lightly roasted.
Add hot milk, stir gently to bring to a boil.
Reduce heat allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add sugar, stir till dissolved.
Add cardamom, saffron, cardamom, almonds and pistachios.
Mix and take off fire.
Serve hot and wholesome.

Badam Doodh

Ingredients
2 cups milk
10 almonds
few strands of kesar
2 tsp sugar (more as per you taste)
Method
Blanch the almonds, peel and cut into thin slices, lengthwise.
Soak kesar in 1 tbsp warm milk for 10-15 minutes.
Bring milk to boil.
Add soaked kesar, sugar and almonds.
Let it simmer on slow flame for a min.
Stir well.
Pour into cup, from a height.
This way a lot of froth will form on the milk.
Serve piping hot.

Apple Shake

Ingredients
1 apple, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2 glass milk
4 tbsp sugar
Method
Run apple, milk and sugar in mixie, till apple is crushed completely.
Chill the shake.
Pour into glass, from a height, so froth forms.
Serve cold.

Mithai Khaja

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup maida (plain flour)
1/2 cup jaggery
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tbsp. ghee
ghee to deep fry
Method
Heat the water and jaggery till all of it dissolves in the water.
Strain and cool a bit. Mix the cardamom powder and ghee in the flour.
Knead the flour with the jaggery water. The dough should be stiff but pliable.
Break into approx. 20 parts. Knead each with palm and roll into 4" rounds.
Make many tiny slits with knife or fork on each on both sides.
Keep them aside on a clean cloth for an hour or so to dry a bit.
Deep fry in hot ghee on low flame till light golden in colour.
Drain and cool for a while. The khajas will become crisper and harder as they cool.Store in airtight container after cooling completely

Anarsa

Ingredients
4 cups rice
3 1/2 cups sugar powder
3 1/2 cups ghee
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/3 cup milk (approx.)
Method
Wash and soak rice in plenty of water.
Change water everyday, repeating process for 3 days.
Now, drain all water, and spread on a clean cloth for 3-4 hours.
Grind to powder and sieve. Mix in sugar, press and keep aside for 2 hours.
Sprinkle milk little by little, kneading mixture into a soft pliable dough.
On a clean plastic sheet, sprinkle a few poppy seeds.
Take a ping pong sized ball of dough, press onto sprinkled seeds.
Rotate and thin out dough with the hand, forming a 4" sized round.
Heat 3-4 tbsp. ghee in a frying pan. Let in one round, seeds side up.
Shallow fry on low flame, till golden brown. Drain and keep aside.
Repeat for remaining dough, add more ghee as required.
Cool very well for 5-6 hours before storing in airtight containers.

Sitaphal Rabdi

Ingredients
1 cup sitaphal pulp
2 litres whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
4 almonds
4 green pistachios, unsalted
1/4 tsp. saffron strands
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tsp. chopped fragrant red rose petals
Method
Crush almonds and pasta coarsely, or cut into thin slivers.
Boil milk in a clean heavy pan.
Simmer for ten minutes, after it starts boiling.
Stir occasionally while boiling.
Add sugar, stir till dissolved.
Take off fire, add saffron, cardamom, almonds, pastas.
Cool to room temperature.
Add sitaphal pulp, chill for 3-4 hours till very cold.
Put in individual serving bowls sprinkle very few chopped petals to garnish.
Serve chilled.

Jalebi

Ingredients
200 gms. plain flour (maida)
20 gms. gram flour (besan)
200 gms. sugar
few drops yellow colour
2 tbsp. milk
ghee to deep fry
a plastic easy squeeze bottle
Method
Sieve 100 gms. maida and besan together. Make a batter using warn water.
Keep aside for 24 hours. Add remaining maida and food colour and more warm water if
required.
The batter should fall easily when poured - Not too thick not too thin, keep aside.
Make syrup of the sugar by adding water and boiling.
Add the milk and all the scum to form while boiling. Make one string syrup. Strain.
Fill bottle with batter. The nozzle should have a hole the thickness of a knitting needle.
Heat ghee well in a shallow frying pan and form jalebis in the form of concentric circles
about 2 inches on the outside.
Fry till crisp, drop into hot syrup. Drain with a perforated spoon, serve hot.

Sesame Diyas

Ingredients
1 cup flat white, black or mixed sesame seeds
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
Method
Heat sugar in a very thick pan.
Stir gently, to make sure it melts evenly.
When fully melted, add in sesame and cardamom, mix.
Take off fire, mix well, by holding pan down, and folding with a spatula.
Grease hands generously with oil, take a blob at a time.
Mould over diya mould as for chocolate cereal diyas.
Repeat for all mixture, while it is still hot and mouldable.
Allow to cool and stiffen, before prying out.
Fill if desired with chocolate curls or transparent sweetened gelatine, in put wicks.

Almond Diyas

Ingredients
200 gms. almonds, soaked, peeled
120 gms. sugar powdered
few drops yellow colour
Method
Grind almonds to a very fine paste.
Mix sugar and almond paste, in a heavy pan.
Put to heat, cook, while stirring continuously.
Take care not to let it stick to bottom and burn.
Cook till a soft lump forms, and begins to leave sides of pan.
Take off fire, allow to cool till mixture is handlable.
Take half mixture, add yellow colour, mix till well blended.
Shape into diyas either freehand, or with help of mould as in other recipes.
Fill cavity with yellow mixture, smoothen surface with back of spoon.
Cover outer surface with silver foil, or decorate as desired.
Allow to cool either in cool dry place or in fridge till well set.
Decorate or store in airtight container.

Fudgy Diyas

Ingredients
1/2 cup walnuts crushed
1/2 cup cashews crushed
1-1/2 cups biscuits (marie or glucose), crushed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
Method
Put sugar, cocoa, butter in a nonstick pan.
Cook while stirring, till well dissolved.
Take off heat, mix in all other ingredients.
Allow to cool till it can be handled.
Grease palms, shape into diyas, as for other recipes.
Cool well till firmed, fill if and as desired.
Store in airtight container.

Marbled Diyas

Ingredients
1/2 recipe Coconut diya mixture
1/2 recipe Fudgy diya mixture
Method
Make both mixtures simultaneously or following immediately.
While both are still quite warm, break large lumps of them, in a plate.
Mix with a light but firm hand, till a marble finished lump is got.
Quickly shape diyas over moulds or free hands, as desired.
Decorate or fill also as desired.
Cool till firm,store wrapped individually in airtight container.

Sandesh Diyas

Ingredients
1 litre milk
1/2 cup curds
2 slices well drained canned pineapple slices
3 tbsp. sugar
Method
Heat milk till it starts to boil. Beat curds, add, stir till curdled.
Add more curds if required.
Take off fire, pour into a colander, lined with a muslin cloth.
Hold cloth securely, was contents of soft cheese with running water.
Press out excess water gently. Transfer soft cheese into a pan.
Add sugar, heat very lightly, till sugar melts.
Take off fire, cool till warm. Run in a mixie till mixture is very smooth.
Take into a plate. Run drained pineapple pieces also, till well crushed.
Press out excess liquid, add to plate. Mix well, chill till stiff, shape into solid diya shapes.
Use a hollow mould if required. Paint to highlight with foodcolour if desired.
Chill very well, store in lidded container in refrigerator.