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RECIPES: 5 Scrumptious Parsi Desserts That'll Sweeten Your Soul Too

RECIPES: 5 Scrumptious Parsi Desserts That'll Sweeten Your Soul Too
SodaBottleOpenerWala

The beauty of an Indian dessert often lies not in the intricate recipe but in the significance of its offering. This holds especially true for Parsi desserts.

“On birthdays, my mother-in-law will come with some sev and dahi. When I was pregnant, we distributed the famous conical ladvo, which you only get at specific sweet marts,” says Akshata Karkaria, bakery and R&D chef at SodaBottleOpenerWala.

“People seem to know about Parsi desserts, but if you haven’t got a Parsi friend, it’s likely that you haven’t tasted the real thing,” she told HuffPost India. “It’s all fun: the Parsis, their food and their desserts. Often, it will be made like your grandmother did, or your aunt did. With it will be a little story. I love it! It is unfortunate that most people don’t get a slice of the fun.”

Fortunately for those who’re dying to dig into some sweet Parsi goodness, Karkaria has shared five of her favourite Parsi recipes below.

(A Parsi-style semolina kheer served on festive occasions)

Image courtesy: SodaBottleOpenerWala

Ingredients

Ghee: 50 ml

Semolina: 200 gm

Milk: 750 ml

Water: 250 ml

Rosewater: 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder: 5 gm

Sugar: 200 gm

Charoli (also known as chironji): 15 gm (for mixing inside)

Charoli, sautéed raisins and roasted almond flakes for garnish.

Method

Slightly warm ghee in a non stick pan.

Add semolina, and roast for few seconds.

Add milk, water and sugar cook until you get the desired consistency.

Finally add cardamom powder, rosewater and charoli.

Serve in bowls and garnish with sautéed raisins, charoli and flaked almonds.

(Makes about 12-15 portions; an exotic alternative to caramel custard)

Image courtesy: SodaBottleOpenerWala

Ingredients

Full fat milk: 2 litres

Sugar: 200 gms

Eggs: 6 (+ 2 yolks);

Kulfi: 2 pieces

Condensed milk: 100 ml

Fresh cream: 200 ml

Rosewater: 20 ml;

Vanilla essence: 10 ml

Green cardamom powder: 5 gm

Nutmeg powder: 5 gm

Almond powder: 50 gm

Charoli (chironji dana): 50 gm.

Method

Preheat oven to 165C.

Heat the milk until it is reduced to half.

Lightly beat the eggs and sugar.

Take the milk of the heat and lightly beat in all the other ingredients except the charoli/chironji dana.

Put back on low heat until all the ingredients have dissolved.

Pour into ramekins or one large mould.

Sprinkle the chironji dana on top.

Bake in a bain marie (hot water bath) at 165°C for about 40 minutes or for 1 hour and 10 minutes for a large mould.

Leave to cool. Refrigerate.

(A sophisticated Parsi answer to the pavlova)

Image courtesy: SodaBottleOpenerWala

Ingredients

Egg whites: 6

Icing sugar: 250 gm

Ground almonds: 70gm

Chopped dates: 75 gm

White chocolate chips: 70 gm

Desiccated coconut: 70 gm

Method

Preheat oven to 190C.

Beat the eggs whites for 1-2 minutes, gradually adding the sugar a little at a time.

Fold in the rest of the ingredients.

Pipe little 3-inch rounds onto a silicon mat and bake at 190C for 25-30 minutes.

Once ready you can drizzle on some chocolate.

(A staple on festive occasions, often served with yoghurt)

Image courtesy: Rita Kapadia; parsicuisine.com

Ingredients

Sev (vermicelli): 250 gm

Sugar: 225 gm

Cardamom powder: Âľ tsp

Nutmeg: ÂĽ tsp

Raisins: ½ cup

Charoli (chironji): ÂĽ cup

Sliced almonds: ÂĽ cup

Rosewater: 1 tbsp

Ghee: 1 cup + 5 tbsp

Method

Make a syrup with the sugar and spices, using about 400 ml water in a deepish pan on moderate heat. Keep aside.

In another pan, add about 5 tbsp of ghee. Sauté the raisins, charoli and sliced almonds separately; make sure the raisins attain the desired plumpness and the almonds and charoli take on enough colour. Set aside.

In the remaining 1 cup of ghee toss the vermicelli around—be careful not to over handle but also do not let it stick to the bottom or burn. Do this till it is a nice golden colour.

Put the roasted vermicelli into the sugar syrup and cook it until it is soft but not soggy. You can increase the heat if the syrup isn’t getting absorbed fast enough. It should not be on the gas too long as it tends to get soggy. This is the tricky bit as it tends to get overcooked. It needs to be checked on constantly and taken off at the right time.

Pour into a bowl. Sprinkle with the rosewater and the nuts and raisins.

Serve it with sweet dahi.

(A Mumbai teatime favourite)

Image courtesy: SodaBottleOpenerWala

Ingredients

Butter: 400 gm

Sugar: 400 gm

Eggs: 10

Vanilla essence: 5 ml

Flour: 300 gm

Oats: 300 gm

Baking powder: 5 gm

Mawa: 500 gm

Milk: 250 ml

Seeds: 250 gm

Honey: 150 ml

Method

Preheat oven to 175°C.

Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.

Beat the eggs until nice and fluffy, and fold into the butter and sugar mixture.

Beat in the mawa, honey, flour, baking powder and milk.

Pour into greased mould (about 10-inch diameter) or cupcake cases and sprinkle seeds on top.\

Bake at 175°C—for about 15 minutes if in cases and 25-30 minutes if in one big mould.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.