Rajasthani sweet recipes from mawa kachori and more

Known to be a dry state with the great sands hiding the remnants of the surviving royals, Rajasthan has some unique sweets, some doused in sugar syrup but most rich in dairy. The state also boasts dry fruits and a lot of ghee-rich desserts that are simply too mouth-watering to not try. In this article, we have easy-to-make recipes for Rajasthani desserts like the mawa kachori, kalakand, and the famous ghee-fried ghevar.

1. Mawa Kachori

Ingredients

• 250 gm all-purpose flour
• 120 gm sweetened khoya (mawa)
• 60 ml mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, and cashew nuts)
• A pinch of saffron strands
• Salt, as per taste
• 2 tsp ghee, for dough (more for frying)

Instructions

1. Add a pinch of salt and enough water to the flour and mix. Then add the ghee to it, and knead well to form a thick dough. Set aside to rest, with a towel over the dough for one to two hours.
2. Add the nuts to a mixer grinder and grind into a coarse consistency.
3. Add the nuts to a bowl with the sweetened khoya, mix and form small balls, two to three cm each.
4. Divide the rested dough into equal portions, about golf ball size, and roll each portion into a circle about 8-10 cm in diameter and place one khoya-nut ball in the center.
5. Bring the edges together, pinching to seal and flatten the ball slightly between your palms.
6. Heat ghee in a deep pan over medium heat and carefully slide two to three kachoris into the hot ghee.
7. Fry on medium heat, occasionally turning them, and fry until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oil, draining well onto paper towels.
8. While still warm, sprinkle with crushed saffron strands and garnish with chopped nuts. Serve warm, either plain or dipped in sugar syrup.

2. Ghevar

Ingredients for making Ghevar

• 250 gm all-purpose flour
• 120 ml ghee
• 120 ml milk, chilled
• 200 gm sugar
• 1 tray of ice cubes
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Dry fruits, for garnish
• Oil or ghee, for frying

Instructions

1. Add ghee to a large bowl and rub a big-sized ice cube or smaller ones into the ghee for five minutes, until it becomes creamy.
2. Add the flour to the cold and creamy ghee and mix thoroughly, then gradually add the chilled milk while using your hand to mix.
3. Measure one cup of icy cold water, around 225 ml, into the bowl and mix well to form a batter.
4. Add another cup of chilled water and using a fork or spatula, or just your hand, mix the batter well, with vigorous motions for five minutes to get rid of all lumps.
5. Add the lemon juice to the batter and stir again. The batter should be thin but not watery. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill thoroughly.
6. Heat oil or ghee in a four-inch or more deep, wide pan to reach 190°C, and while it heats. Place the batter next to the stove and have a slotted spoon and paper towels ready.
7. Pour batter from a height in a circular motion, then create a hole in the center while pouring. Let the batter cook until it stops bubbling. Reduce heat and cook until golden brown.
8. Carefully remove and drain on paper towels, while you prepare the syrup.
9. Take a pan and add sugar with 60 ml water and heat until a syrup with one-thread consistency forms. Rub between fingers and stretch to test. Add cardamom powder and mix.
10. Dip each ghevar in the hot syrup until coated. Lift up carefully and place on a serving plate while still warm. Garnish with chopped dry fruits and let them cool before serving.

3. Kalakand

Ingredients

• 2 liters full-fat milk
• 100 gm sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar (for curdling milk)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp ghee, for frying
• For garnish: Finely chopped pistachios and almonds

Instructions

1. Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium, and add lemon juice or vinegar while stirring. Continue until the milk curdles completely.
2. Then line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the curdled milk through it. Gather the edges of the cloth and squeeze to remove excess whey. Let it hang for 15 minutes.
3. Return the whey to the pan and simmer on low heat, stirring constantly, until reduced by half and thick. The mixture should be coating the back of a spoon.
4. Crumble the chenna into the reduced milk and add sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well and continue cooking on low heat, while stirring.
5. Cook until the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and is very thick. Then grease a tray with ghee and transfer the mithai to the tray. Spread evenly with a spatula.
6. Let the kalakand cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle chopped nuts. Press down gently to embed.
7. Allow the mithai to cool outside fortwo to threehours, then cut into squares or diamonds and serve.