Recipes for Festive desserts this Durga Pujo for you and your loved ones

As Durga Pujo rolls around the corner, it’s time to cook and prepare a batch of sweets for your loved ones even if it's just for yourself or your family. A bowl or a piece of warm or chilled Bengali desserts or mishti during Durga Pujo must and you’ll know exactly what goes into its making and add, subtract, or substitute ingredients to your liking. We have recipes for Rajbhog, Bhapa Doi, and Lyangcha in this article, for more check out our other recipes on our website.  

1. Rajbhog

(Makes 10 pieces)

content

For the Paneer Balls:

• 1½ liters milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp semolina
• A pinch of saffron
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp crushed dry fruits (cashews, pistachios, almonds)

For the sugar syrup:

• 300 gm sugar
• 2 liters of water
• 2 tbsp saffron water

Instructions

1. Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pot, on medium heat, and stir occasionally to prevent it from burning and forming milk skin on top.
2. Once it starts boiling, add the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low. Stir occasionally until the milk curdles. Turn off the heat once the water and milk solids separate. 
3. Strain the milk solids through a colander, squeezing out most of the water. Reserve the nutritious whey to cook or bake something else.  
4. Rinse with water to get rid of the lemon juice in it and again squeeze out the water from it, not too hard, you need a little water content. Squeeze just enough to get rid of the wetness. 
5. Hang in a muslin cloth to let the excess water drip off for 20 minutes. 
6. While the cheese gets ready, use your fingertips to crush the saffron strands in a teaspoon of milk and set aside to infuse. 
7. Remove the cheese and knead it for 5 minutes to get a smooth yet grainy dough. Then add the semolina, saffron milk, and cardamom powder. Knead for 5 more minutes to get the dough.
8. Pinch out a small ball and flatten it with your palms. Add the dry fruits to its center, then use your fingertips to pinch shut, the edges and roll them into a ball with a flawless surface. Check for cracks, and fix them if any. Repeat with the rest of the dough and the filling.
9. Take a wide saucepan, add the sugar, water, and saffron water, and bring to a boil on medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve, the saffron infuse the liquid, then reduce the heat. 
10. Drop the prepared balls in the bubbling sugar syrup and cover with a lid, letting it simmer for 15 minutes. The balls will double in size so make sure to use a wide vessel for the syrup.
11. Keep aside to cool then refrigerate or serve warm with a few saffron strands as garnish. 

2. Bhapa Doi

(Serves 10)

Ingredients 

• 800 gm yogurt
• 400 gm condensed milk
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 pinch saffron strands
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tbsp almonds, chopped
• 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped

Instructions

1. Soak a pinch of saffron in a ¼ cup of warm milk, chop the pista and almonds, and set aside.
2. Take a mixing bowl, and add the yogurt, saffron milk, condensed milk, and cardamom powder. Whisk to get an even mixture with a smooth and pourable consistency.
3. Apply ghee to a big heatproof bowl and pour the yogurt mix into it. Sprinkle the chopped nuts and some saffron on top.
4. Cover the bowl with a sheet of foil to avoid condensation falling into the yogurt.
5. Fill a steamer with water and let it boil. Carefully lower the bowl into it and steam on medium heat for 20 minutes.
6. Switch off the heat and let it stand for 2-3 minutes. Then remove it from heat and let it cool. 
7. Once the concoction is cool, refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
8. After the curd sets, shake it a little to loosen it and unmold it on a serving plate, scooping out or slicing it into portions as needed. Garnish with nuts. 

3. Lyangcha

(Makes 10 pieces)

Ingredients

For the dough

• 125 gm chhana
• 1 tsp sooji
• A pinch of baking powder
• 1 tbsp maida
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• ½ tbsp ghee

For the sugar syrup

• 200 gm sugar
• 235 ml water
• 3-4 cardamom pods

Instructions

1. Boil sugar in water, in a saucepan first to make the sugar syrup. Once the sugar dissolves, strain to discard any impurities. Crush the cardamom pods, add them, and keep boiling until 

You achieve one-string consistency. This takes 8-10 minutes. Keep aside. 

2. Take the channa on a plate and knead until it is soft with no lumps. Add sooji, maida, ghee, baking powder, and cardamom powder, and knead until it releases oil and is smooth. 
3. Cover the bowl and let it set for 15 minutes. Once rested, divide it into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. Then roll them into cylinders, exactly like how a Lyangcha looks. 
4. Heat any refined oil, for deep frying, you can add a tablespoon of ghee for flavor, in a kadhai, until it reaches its smoking point. Then reduce the heat.
5. Carefully release each dough cylinder into the hot oil. Fry until the lyangcha turns a beautiful shade of sienna brown.
6. Drain them from the oil, and transfer them to the now warm sugar syrup. Let them soak the syrup for 2-3 hours. 
7. Garnish with chopped nuts of your choice and serve warm or cold.