Coconut Sondesh - Narkoler Sondesh

This is a popular variant of the more common narkoler naroo. Instead of coconut and sugar or coconut and gur, this uses coconut, khoya and condensed milk. It is very easy to make for pujas or for party dessert.

Ingredients:

- Condensed Milk - 1 can

- Shredded coconut - small bag

- Khoya - 1/4th of the bar. Substitute - 1 cup powder milk

- Ghee - 2 tablespoons

- Elaichi powder - 4 to 6 ground small elaichi

Method:

1. Heat the ghee in a small skillet

2. Add condensed milk and cook until it becomes soft - medium flame, low heat

3. Add crumbled khoya,  cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add the coconut, and elaichi powder and keep stirring until the consistency is such that it sticks to the laddle

5. Remove from flame and let it cool for 10 mins

6. Shape it into balls or form it using Sondesh moulds

7. Garnish with crushed pistachio

Posted by: Chitra

Carrot cake

Posted by: Mala D


Baking is not indigenous to bengali cuisine but 200+ years of British rule changed many cultural & social ethos.The bhadralok of calcutta took eagerly to the English custom of high tea served along with a delectable spread of assorted cakes & cookies. After the Britishers left, the sizable Anglo-indian community also popularised western classical music & western food traditions through their tutorial classes & small eateries, though it remained a niche segment.
Point is, when you invite a Bong, don't just limit your desserts to roshogolla & sondesh. You can safely serve them cakes & pies. I should know: a lemon tart topped with lots of whipped cream would make me happy anytime:-)

Ingredients:
All-purpose flour: 260gms
Sugar: 150gms dark brown sugar,75gms white sugar(or to taste)
Refined oil: 160 ml
Eggs: 4 nos,medium-sized
Carrots: 3 large-sized ones,abt 350gms
Walnuts: 50-100gms
Baking powder: 2 tsp
Baking soda: 2 tsp
Cinnamon powder: 2-1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder: 1/2 tsp
Allspice powder: 1/2 tsp
Pure vanilla extract: 2 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp

Method: 
Keep eggs, brown sugar & carrots out at room temperature for atleast 2 hours prior to cooking. Wash the carrots thoroughly, scrape them & dry with a paper towel. Now grate them from the large side of the grater. Keep aside. Dry roast the walnuts in a skillet, cool them & then roughly chop them.

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius (350 F). Grease & flour 2 medium-sized round baking pans.
Arrange the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & all the spices in a large bowl. Pass them through a sieve1-2 times for proper mixing of all ingredients. Add the walnuts to this mix.
In a large bowl beat the eggs until frothy(1 minute), gradually add the sugar & beat until the batter is thick & light-coloured(3-4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream & then mix in the vanilla extract(1 minute). With a wooden spatula fold in the flour mixture until just well incorporated. Now add the carrots & mix everything properly.
Pour the batter evenly into the two pans & bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Take out & cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert it on the wire rack & cool completely.

Frosting: I like this cake without frosting. After all the whole point of baking at home is to be able to control extra calories! But those who can not do without frosting, here are the ingredients: for cream cheese frosting (keep them at room temp)
Butter: 60 gms unsalted butter
Cream cheese: 8 ounce/230gms
Powdered/icing sugar: 230 gms
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Method: in a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, sugar& vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth & creamy. Add the lemon zest. This batter makes two cakes thus you can make a four-tiered frosted cake. Remove the tops from both the cakes & divide into two rounds each. Apply frosting on each slice & top them over one another. Now frost the entire cake. You may also cover the sides with grated nuts &  decorate the top with marzipan carrots & leaves.

Chena Poda Pitha (Baked Cheese Cake)

Chena poda pitha, is a very popular dessert from Orissa. You will find it served in puja's, at dinner, for snacks or whenever you have some craving for sweets. The original was made from Chana, or curdled milk, but nowadays Ricotta cheese is the fasted way to make it.


Posted by: Deepa D

Ingredients:
Ricotta cheese: 1 lb -1 tub
Sugar: 1/2 of the tub
Butter: 1/4 cup of butter
Fine Sooji: 1 tablespoon

Procedure:
Mix the above in a mixing bowl and beat well with a beater or by hand
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit
Place the mixture in a buttered nonstick pan
Bake for 3 -3 1/2 hrs until the top turns brown. Keep checking to ensure it does not get burnt.
Remove and let it cool.
Cut into pieces of desired size.

Bon appetit!

Sujeer paayesh (semolina kheer) - sooji dessert custard

Posted by: Mala D

Bengalies are famous for their "sweet tooth". Infact people from other communities often complain that we even make our curries & lentils sweet by adding sugar to them! Semolina kheer takes far less time to cook than rice kheer & is not as common as semiya kheer.

Ingredients:
Semolina: 3 tablespoons
Milk: 1 litre full cream
Sugar: 75 gms
Date palm syrup/ jaggery: 100gms
Fried cashew nuts: 12 nos
Desi ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:
Boil milk in a saucepan. In a deep & wide vessel, heat ghee & fry the semolina till the raw smell goes away. Now add about 750 ml of milk & stir continously to avoid the formation of lumps. After 5 minutes, add sugar & mix thoroughly. When kheer looks almost done (about another 3-4 minutes), add the date palm syrup, stirring throughout. Check the sweetness. Add more if required. Close the flame. Decorate with fried cashew nuts. As the paayesh tends to thicken when cooled, add the remaining 250 ml milk to adjust the consistency: it's thicker than seviyan but thinner than rice kheer.

Note: this kheer is made using date palm syrup which gives it a unique taste & flavour. Infact Bengalis eagerly wait for the winter so they can have their favourite "patali gur" sweets. It's available in ethnic Bangladeshi stores. Syrup form is better than jaggery as it never lets the milk curdle.