Basbousa

This is a really simple baked dessert. It is very similar to sheera or halwa in taste as it is basically sweetened semolina. However, baking the dish gives it a lovely moist cake like texture.

I used almonds but you can use cashews or pistachios to decorate the top.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
3/4 cup semolina
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. yogurt
1/2 cup milk

Almonds for garnish

For the syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
a squeeze of lemon juice

In a mixing bowl combine the semolina, all purpose flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter and oil. Mix until crumbly. Add the yogurt and milk and whisk into a thick batter. Pour batter into a round 7" pan greased with a little oil. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 300 F.

In the meantime boil the syrup ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and let the syrup cool. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and score the top in the shape of diamonds.

Press an almond in the center of each diamond. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Pour the syrup over the top and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and cut along scored lines to form diamonds. Tastes great hot or chilled.

Enjoy!

Kashata Za Nazi (Coconut Cake)

Very similar to coconut barfi that I make frequently. One big (and nice) difference is that this dessert uses water instead of whole milk called for in the coconut barfi. The end result if flakier than the recipe that uses milk. We really liked this lighter version.

In fact I think this is the way I will make coconut barfi in the future. If you like coconut barfi you should try this one.

Recipe adapted from here

You will need
2 cups desiccated sweetened coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
green food coloring
1 pod cardamom, shelled, and seeds crushed to a powder
ghee to grease the pan

Grease a pan with some ghee and keep aside. Soak the coconut flakes in 1/2 cup water and keep aside. Meanwhile heat sugar, water in a thick bottomed pan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer until the syrup is thickened. Add a drop of food coloring and the powdered cardamom. Swirl the pan to combine. Add the coconut flakes along with the soaking water, almost all the water should have been absorbed.

Let the mixture cook on medium low heat until the syrup is almost gone. At this time the mixture should leave the sides of the pan easily and try to stick together to form a ball. Transfer to the greased pan and pat down to form a uniform top.

Let it cool for 5 minutes. Using a blunt knife cut into squares. Let it cool completely before storing.

Should last for a couple days outside in summer longer in winter. Should last for a couple weeks in the refrigerator.

Tilgul for Sankrant (Sesame seeds and Peanut wadi)

Today is Sankrant. It is the day the sun begins its journey from the southernmost point as seen from the earth towards the north. It is celebrated on the 14th of January every year. Sankrant is the rare Hindu festival that is celebrated by the Solar calendar.

My earliest memories of Sankrant, is memory of tilgul. The smell of roasted sesame seeds and peanut with cardamom. In Goa, it is also a memory of a big event on the social calendar. Women dressed up in fine sarees visiting their neighbors to exchange tilgul and other sweets. It is a memory of happy times.

This is my grandmother's recipe. The resulting tilgul is melt in your mouth soft and smells really good. I have never enjoyed the jaw breakers that are made in the name of tilgul. My mother, and my grandmother before her, used jaggery. I use white polished sesame seeds. You could use the unpolished brown sesame seeds too.

You will need
2 cups sesame seeds, roasted and ground coarsely
1 cup peanuts, roasted and ground coarsely
1 cup packed jaggery
1 tbsp. ghee (clarified butter)
2 tbsp. water
6 cardamon pods

Prepare a baking sheet with edges or similar flat surface by rubbing it with a little ghee. Keep aside. Shell the cardamom pods and pound the seeds. Keep aside.
Heat the jaggery, ghee and water in a pan until the sugar melts. Let it come to a boil. As soon as it starts to bubble turn off the heat. Add the powdered sesame seeds, peanuts and cardamom. Mix well. Transfer it to the baking sheet. Using the moistened bottom of a glass pat down the mixture in a level 1 to 2 inch thick layer. Cut it into 2 inch squares and let them rest for 15-20 minutes. Using a spatula remove the squares and store in a air tight container. The tilgul last for 2-3 weeks.