India’s cuisine is diverse and eclectic, and its desserts are uniquely local in preparation but with global appeal. From kheers to gulab jamuns and everything in between, Indian desserts are an especially fun way to cap off a meal. So if you’re planning a dinner party for some function or festival, or just because, consider following the best Indian dessert recipes and adding fun to your menu.
Gulab Jamun
Gulab jamun is one of the most popular Indian desserts out there, a rich and indulgent dessert, perfect for special occasions and celebrations.
Ingredients:
- 227 gms Khoya, unsweetened
- 3 tablespoon Maida
- ⅛ teaspoon Sodium bi carbonate cooking soda
- 2 Elachi
- 350 gms Sugar
- 350 gms Water
- 6 Saffron strands
- 2 Rose essence drops
- Oil/Ghee - As needed for deep frying
Directions:
- Bring khoya to room temperature if it's frozen. Crumble it with your hands and measure it.
- Take khoya, maida, and cooking soda in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Slowly add water (add carefully as less is needed) and make a smooth dough without any cracks. No need to knead hard, just gather with your hands so that it forms a smooth dough without lumps.
- Keep aside for 5 minutes and make equal-sized balls. The balls should be smooth outside, but do not roll so tightly applying pressure. Just roll softly but until smooth.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup with water, sugar, powdered elachi and saffron, and bring to boil for 8 to 10 minutes on medium flame.
- In between you can fry the rolled jamuns in hot oil. Keep in low flame and add the jamuns and keep rolling them with the use of the ladle inside the oil so that it gets evenly cooked and fried to deep golden brown in color. Fry only few at a time.
- Drain in a kitchen towel and immediately add it to hot syrup. Let it get soaked well. Add essence lastly if desired.
Rasgulla
This is a light and spongy dessert that’s best served chilled, and works especially well as a refreshing end to a spicy meal.
Ingredients:
- 1000 ml whole milk
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice or add as required
- 400 gms sugar
- 1000 ml water
- 1 tablespoon milk – optional
- 1 teaspoon sooji (rava or cream of wheat) or all purpose flour or cornstarch
- 1 to 2 tablespoon rose water
Directions:
Making Chenna
- Take milk in a pan and keep it to boil on a low to medium heat. Keep on stirring the milk at intervals so that the froth is not formed on top and the base does not get browned or the milk solids get stuck to the bottom.
- When the milk comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to its lowest. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice. First add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and stir. If the milk has not curdled completely, then add 1 tablespoon more. Keep the lemon juice handy with you.
- As soon as the milk curdles, switch off the heat. The milk should curdle completely with the green watery whey. If the milk does not curdle, then add ½ to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice more.
- Now pour the curdled milk in the cheese cloth/muslin lined strainer or bowl. Gather the muslin from the sides and rinse the chenna or coagulated milk very well in running water.
- Now squeeze the muslin with your hands very well, so that excess water is drained from the chenna. Place a heavy weight on the chenna for 7 to 8 minutes. You can also hang the chenna for about 30 minutes.
Making Rasgulla Balls
- After 7 to 8 minutes, remove the cheesecloth from the chenna.
- Add 1 teaspoon sooji or rava or semolina. You can also add all purpose flour (maida). Adding either of them helps to bind the mixture.
- First mix the sooji with chenna and then begin to knead to a smooth ball.
- Now pinch small portions from the chenna and roll them between your palms to a smooth round ball. Set aside.
Making Sugar Syrup
- In a large pan, take 2 cups sugar and 4 cups water.
- Keep this pan on stovetop and heat the sugar solution. Stir so that the sugar dissolves.
- Add 1 tbsp milk and stir.
- Once the sugar solution becomes hot, the impurities begin to float on the top. You can either remove it with a spoon. Or strain the impurities in a cheese cloth/muslin lined strainer.
- Now from the purified sugar solution, reserve ½ cup in a cup or mug. This ½ cup of sugar solution we will be adding to the cooking rasgulla. Reserve another 1 cup of the sugar solution in a serving bowl.
Cooking Rasgulla
- The rest of the 2.5 cups of sugar solution you add it back to the same large pot and bring it to a boil on a medium high heat.
- Slide the rasgulla gently into the sugar solution.
- Cover immediately with a lid and let them cook. Keep the heat to a medium or medium high.
- First place the rasgulla in a bowl or cup of water. If the rasgulla sinks to the bottom its cooked. Once they are cooked, switch off the heat and keep the pan down on the countertop.
Soaking Rasgulla In Sugar Syrup
- Now take each rasgulla with a spoon and place it in the bowl containing the 1 cup of sugar solution. Cover and keep aside.
- Let the sugar solution in which the rasgulla were cooked, become warm. Then add this to the serving bowl containing the rasgulla.
- Once the whole mixture has cooled down, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rose water.
- Stir gently and allow them to be soaked in the sugar syrup for 30 minutes.