If you like Gulab Jamuns, you will definitely like these. These are almost the same recipe as Khoya Gulab Jamun with a filling of dry fruits inside. Change the shape to make it look different from regular Gulab Jamuns. I made them oblong, you can always make them bigger and round if that appeals you more.
Barfi, borfi or burfi is a dense milk based mithai, originating from India. The name though is a derivative of the Persian word barf, which means snow. I have not come across any sweet in the middle east that tastes close to Burfi, therefore I could not find out the reason behind the name. But, one thing is for sure, that the use of cardamom and saffron does prove the Persian influence in initial creation of this marvelous dish.
You never realize until you leave India that getting decent Khoya Burfi from a sweet shop would ever be a big deal. And trust me, the best of shops have sold us the most crappy burfis ever and don’t forget the high prices.
For quiet some time I have been trying to make my own Khoya burfi but they would for some reason not be perfect. I was not getting the exact measurement for each ingredient to make sure the final product comes out to be perfect.
And, just then I remembered this guy who made the simplest and nicest Khoya Burfi outside my father’s workshop. In fact, his pakoras and his Khoya burfi were very popular and though my father was his regular customer, at times he would just run out and my father has returned empty handed from his store. Oh yes! I also loved his aloo papdi. I think those childhood memories and flavors always linger on your tongue and mind and we mostly run around to get those flavors back and have our children experience and love things the way we did.
This Khoya Burfi recipe is from that store, though the guy who made is no more, nor is my father but the memories are so beautiful that I would cherish them for as long as my heart beats.
Bengali sweets happen to be one of the best sweets in India. They offer a wide variety from Rasgullas to Mishti Doi and most people who like Indian sweets always love these sweet sugar dipped treats.
Malai Chum Chum is a very popular Bengali sweet made with Paneer or homemade Cottage Cheese. It is a delicious Indian dessert that cannot be resisted since they are amazingly delicious to look at and delectable. These chum chums are soaked in sugar syrup and in between are filled with rich and creamy Khoya filling.
Mr. Parveez loves Malai Chumchum and he would always buy them from his favorite Indian sweet shop here. There were few other ones as well and he loved them all. Few years back we moved houses and we went pretty far from the area of our favorite Indian area. So, the visits to the sweet shop weren’t as frequent and Mr. Parveez though deprived never complained and neither did he ever ask me to try.
Actually there is a funny story to him asking too. As a newly married wife, every now and then I would try to make dishes that we have tried at different restaurants. I still don’t know why I did that, probably just wanted to amaze my husband …LOLzzz. But instead of impressing him, he asked me to stop. The problem was that making the dishes we eat at restaurant would be close to what we eat outside, but the charm of enjoying a meal outside would be lost. So, as much as I wanted to try making some of these sweets, I would not attempt and just get the sweets from the sweets store whenever we would be in that area. Few years ago we moved to our new house, and the house is pretty far for us to visit that sweet store as often as we would like to, and the closest Indian market does not sell sweets of the same quality unless we buy frozen and we all know frozen loses the taste.
And that’s how I decided to make my own. Initially when I started making Rasgullas because that makes a base for all the bengali sweets, or most of them. The Rasgullas need a little tactic that makes sure they are spongy and can absorb the sweetness from the sugar syrup. That’s the first thing you need to master and as easy as the recipe looks and seems, they aren’t that easy. It took me around 5 trials to master them.
For Malai Chumchum, make rasgullas and once done have to be cut into half and add khoya mix . The middle part is khoya mixed with sugar and a little spice to enhance flavors. You can always a little bit of food color to make the dish look nicer. Garnish with silver leaf and crushed nuts.
You can always make them 4-5 days in advance. Refrigerate and serve chilled.
Jodhpur, my beautiful hometown and land of sweetness and colorful people. One of the most popular sweet is Maave ki Kachori. The crunchy outer crust and slightly sweet inside dipped in the sugar syrup.
For Mr. Parveez it was love at first sight or love at first bite. He enjoyed it so much that every Jodhpur visit, Maave Ki Kachori was a must and if we had any one coming over, we would ask them to get it for us, which I would fry again and pour some warm sugar syrup on it ans serve. As much as we would appreciate the pain people would go through to bring/send these awesome sweets to us, but the only problem was that staying without refrigeration for so long would spoil the taste a little and we wouldn’t be able to enjoy more that 25%. So, with time, we had to give up on that.
The best Maava Kachori according the polls is made by Raawat sweet store and I once happened to have a few guests over , out of which one has been to Jodhpur and has tried maava Kachori from that sweet store. I was truly honored when the guest told me that mine would win if there was a competition. Its always great to receive compliments from my boys and as much as I know that they are honest when it comes to food, I still believe they appreciate my efforts at times and never complain if the dish hasn’t come out great.
And then finally one day I decided to try my own. Before I write the whole recipe, let me tell you this…I have never eaten or tried Maave Ki Kachori. I am just few of those “weirdos” who do not enjoy sweets made with sugar syrup and therefore when the thought came to my mind, it was actually an arrow in the dark. What I knew was that the filling has Khoya and nuts and slight taste of some spices. The biggest blessing is to have a husband who has amazing taste buds and therefore, it was easy to have him try the filling before I finalize it.
The first attempt had too much spice and it was hard to taste the khoya and sweetness. The second try had too little spice. The third one was perfect since I understood how and what to do. The khoya needs to have a little bit of clove but suggest that they shouldn’t be powdered and they should be mixed as is in the pan while cooking khoya and should be taken out leaving the flavor. Besides, cloves, its cardamom powder, cinnamon powder and Nutmeg powder.
When you start cooking the Khoya would melt in the pan and that’s good since it makes it easier to blend it with flavor of spices, and when it cools down, it automatically solidifies again. Sugar should be mixed only once its taken off the pan.
I have always loved Kaju Katli/ Kaju Burfi. I belong to the city, which is considered the heaven of sweets. There is no Indian popular sweet that you won’t find in my city.
Kaju Katli was always my favorite. The sweetness of cashews makes the kaju katli nutty, creamy and delicious. Earlier Mr. Parveez wasn’t a big fan of kaju Katli, but he would make sure that every time he would find them at a sweet store, he would buy some for me. Time went on, the boys tasted Kaju Katli and it was my older one who became a fan, so every time we were in India, I would buy enough to have him enjoy. On our way back home, I would always bring our favorite sweets including these yummilicious diamonds.
So, the last time I was in India, we had so much baggage while returning that I only got 1 Kg of Kaju Katli. We return and after unpacking while my older one was watching TV, I gave some to my older one to eat. A few minutes later comes in my second one and is all curious as to what my older one is enjoying so much. He gives it a try and we have another fan. He started munching on the Kaju Katli like chips and believe or not we finished the whole box in 4 days…LOLzzz.
Now, with kids who love Kaju Katli so much and living in a place where the sweet stores aren’t as good as India, I had to get down to experimenting and making my own. As much as I was excited about achieving success in making my favorite sweet, the best part was when Mr. Parveez tried them, he loved them too and he said that they actually taste better than any store bought burfi that he has ever tried.
Since then, there have been no more store bought Kaju katlis in our house ever. This recipe is easy to make and you will love them. Just follow the recipe properly and enjoy the wonderful homemade Kaju Katli.
Indian word jalebi is derived from the Arabic word zulabiya or the Persian zolbiya, another name for Luqmat al Qadi. This recipe was brought to Medieval India by Persian-speaking Turkish invaders. In 15th century India, jalebi was known as Kundalika or Jalavallika. The versions kept changing and ultimately the Mughals made it “Jalebi”, the way we all enjoy it today.
There is no Indian/ Pakistani/Bangladeshi I met who haven’t shown their love for Jalebis to me. Its heavenly, crispy, sweet and melts your heart. My hometown, Jodhpur makes the best Jalebis in this world. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to the most gorgeous city of Rajasthan, land of the last palace built in India and the land to Rao Jodhana, “Jodhpur”.
Its a funny connection, but Mr. Parveez’s family hails from the Mughals. We would still like to find details of the connection but for now we only are aware that the family are indirectly the descendants of the Mughlia Dynasty. My husband considers himself the rebirth of one of the Mughal rulers and looking at his taste for food and lifestyle choices and the way he treats the guests, I quiet firmly agree to it…LOLzzz. Since he married me and I am from Jodhpur, he always reminds me of how the Mughal rulers had a crush on women from Marwar. We all know about Maharani Jodha, but the Mughal family had another queen from Marwar and that too from my hometown, Jodhpur. The queen to King Jahangir and Mother to King Shah Jahan was from Jodhpur as well.
Vibrant colors of Jodhpur keep you cool and the warmth of the beautiful people melts your heart. The city where Ghee flows like river and a popular joke among people is that people of Jodhpur are always “Ghee Positive”. Coming back to Jalebis, sweets make morning breakfast in Jodhpur. The most popular breakfast is Doodh Jalebi or Doodh Fini.
When Mr. Parveez and I got married, I knew has a sweet tooth and believe it or not, living in Jodhpur, I cannot eat jalebis. It shocks many, including my better half, but I think I just don’t like any sweets that swim in sugar syrup. Anyways, I told Mr. Parveez during our first visit to Jodhpur after marriage that Doodh Jalebi is a popular breakfast. He thought I was just bluffing and smiled as if he did believe me. To his surprise, that was the first breakfast served to him since everyone knew he likes jalebi and my poor husband thought, “Yeah I do like them but only as dessert and not as the main course. I still remember his face and I still can’t stop laughing at his situation.
Anyways, the jalebi were definitely something to die for, or may be not, but definitely something that would make your trip to Jodhpur very sweet. So, those days, I could have never even thought of trying to make Jalebi at home. Years later, living away from home and seeing 3 men looking for the taste of India in pathetic Jalebi made by the Indian sweet stores here, I decided to venture and make my own.
I never have any leftovers when I make these Jalebi and most of the time they finish in a jiffy when they are fresh. So, if you are making them beforehand, I suggest you make extra. Jalebi are best when consumed fresh. These can stay upto a week, if refrigerated and for 2 days on room temperature.
Indians can move out of India, but their love for their country and food never goes away. Most Indians travel to India to meet their country to relive their days and enjoy their respective cities, meet family and friends and to enjoy their favorite foods, most importantly street foods and sweets.
Most friends who travel home always bring back loads of sweets with them, including us. We always get our favorite sweets from India. There are some wonderful sweets that I get from Rajasthan and some awesome delicacies that Mr. Parveez gets from Bangalore/ Bengaluru.
One of the mawa’a sweets that I loved from childhood is the half chocolate and half mawa’a. I still enjoy eating them when I am in India, and not just me, Mr. Parveez and boys enjoy them equally. The only problem we faced is that since the sweet is made from milk solids, we could never carry them with us, since milk products, unless they are sealed pack which isn’t possible from our favorite sweet stores.
Living in another country and not having the privilege of enjoying sweets and other foods as much as we would like to, and that pushes people like me to try and cook our favorite dishes at home.
And, one fine day I tried making our favorite burfi at home and they came out pretty good and almost same as what we get from our favorite stores. The recipe is pretty simple and the steps are also easy to follow. You just have to make sure that you cook on low heat so the khoya is cooked evenly and doesn’t ooze out any oil. The layers can be set by placing the chocolate burfi on the mawa’a burfi by brushing little water to help glue them together.
A very easy recipe and definitely comes out wonderful.
Banana split is always a special treat for Ice cream lovers. When we talk of Ice cream and children, chocolate flavor is the first thing that comes to our mind.
Mr. Parveez and I loved taking walks to a wonderful Ice cream shop near our first home and that’s when we got the hang of Banana split. Though our life before children, we would get a scoop of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. After our boys joined our Ice cream lovers club, the scoops changed to chocolate only. Usually, the chocolate Ice cream would be finished by my boys, and Mr. Parveez and I would enjoy the Banana…I guess joys of Parenthood…LOLzzz. Now, this was only when we went out for ice creams. At that time, I couldn’t even imagine that I would be making so many varieties of Ice creams myself, some day.
And, then one day I started with my Ice cream experiments. Initially my Ice cream recipes contained egg. Though the Ice creams came out fantastic, but somewhere I felt they weren’t just as good as I desired them to be. Also, the fact that I knew they contained eggs made me feel that I was eating raw egg…LOLzzz. Not just that, I could never decide if I could actually smell the egg or was it just in my mind. So, with all that confusion, I decided my Ice creams had to be egg free. I started experimenting more, and after numerous failures came up with a recipe as good as store bought. I did come down to the conclusion that for that perfect creaminess Gelatin or Agar Agar has to be used in the recipe. I used Halal Gelatin, but if you are using the vegetarian substitute, Agar Agar can be used in same amount as Gelatin.
After that, one day I felt the mom in me felt that my kids weren’t consuming enough fruits and I started coming up with various ideas of making them eat more fruit. This is when I decided that I should serve then Banana split when I give them Ice cream on weekends. And thus, this Ice cream recipe. Enjoy!!!
I have mentioned in my other food stories of how my better half, Mr. Parveez has loads of stories of his different food flavors that he has experienced since childhood.
One of his childhood favorites were Khajas. Khajas are also known as Chirotis down south. Now, let me get this straight, I had never tried khajas before, so when Mr. Parveez told me the story about Khajas, the explanation was, “Its has layers, its fried and its sweet”. According to him the details good enough but imagine getting these details for something you haven’t seen or tasted.
But, when Mr. Parveez demands something, I have to try and do everything to make it for him. Cooking for him, specially what he demands give me immense happiness. I get a kick out of it….LOLzzz.
So, basically I was still clueless as to what he expected and just went ahead with what I understood and the result was a disaster. They were too soft, chewy and absorbed too much oil and were nothing close to what Mr. Parveez desired. But, I can’t give up so easily, therefore there was a second try and this time I made sure I do proper research before a try.
Mr. Parveez always called them “Khajas”. While doing my research, I found that they are widely known as “Chiroti”. Reading various regions making it, I not only understood how to make them, but also got an idea of so many variations in them.
This recipe that I am sharing is fool proof and very easy. Loved by kids and adults. Do try it.
My older son, Aryaan and I have always loved Kaju katli / Kaju Burfi . We, in Rajasthan call Kaju Burfi, Kaju Katli and I always find myself explaining everyone that when I say katli, I am referring to Burfi.
So, with every trip made to my hometown, Jodhpur, Kaju katli was one thing we had to eat very often… and then one trip coming back home, we carried few kgs of kaju katli with us to enjoy our favorite sweet for a few more days while getting over our home sickness [yupp, believe it or not, we all get home sick after returning from India]. One day my younger son, Kiyaan saw his elder brother munching on Kaju katli and thought of giving it a try…and that’s when I saw almost half a kg of kaju katli vanish like a bag of chips….LOLzzz
And that is when I decided that I need start making Kaju Katlis at home and I started. You can always search for the recipe on this website and trust me, its one of the easiest recipes and it might come out much better than a lot of stores you have tried them from. This recipe was so good that my boys prefer it to any kaju katli they have ever tasted …Lucky me!!!
So after, my experiment of making kaju katli perfectly and not to forget, Mr. Parveez preferring my kaju katli over the ones in India, I thought of taking the next step and make badaam katli.
The main difference I believe between katli and burfi is that katli being a little thinner adds a lot of mild flavor and crispness to the taste of sweet. The thin texture, believe it not makes enhances the flavor of the almonds and is easier for your taste buds to differentiate between the flavor of almond, milk powder and sugar. Easy to make, very flavorful and wins hearts!!!
