Recipes for Indian Sweets please.?

Question

I love Indian sweets. Asian ladies used to make them and bring them into where I worked. I would love to be able to make some but have no idea what they are called to find recipes. I seem to remember they are made of semolena. Please can somebody give me a very easy recipe for me to try making some at home. Thank you.

Answer 1

Baklava is very good and decent on calories/fat.  This is a recipe I have looked up, it is almost the same as mine, I will come back and edit then put mine here when I find it.

Simple Baklava

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch of salt

1 stick butter, melted, divided

3 tablespoons honey

12 sheets phyllo dough

Instructions

Special equipment: 2 mini-muffin tins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the almonds, walnuts, apricots, bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt in a

food processor. Run the machine until the mixture is very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a

small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and the honey and stir to combine.

On a dry work surface place 1 sheet of phyllo. Using a pastry brush and the remaining melted butter,

lightly cover the entire sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Cover the first sheet with a second

sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Continue until there is a stack of 6 sheets of phyllo.

Cut the stacked phyllo rectangle into 12 equal pieces (Cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and widthwise

into 3 pieces.)

Gently press each cut piece of phyllo into the mini-muffin tin cups. Press 1 tablespoon of the nut

mixture into each of the phyllo cups. Gather the ends of each of the phyllo squares and twist to

make a sachet shape. Continue shaping the remaining sachets in the other mini-muffin tin. Bake until

the edges of the phyllo are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the

baklava sachets and transfer to a serving plate.

Answer 2

Sheera (or Halwa) is a typical Indian sweet dish made with semolina (known as either “rava” or “sooji” in India). It is sweetened with sugar and flavored with aromatic spices, nuts and raisins. Sheera can be eaten for breakfast, served with afternoon tea or eaten as a dessert. It is very easy to prepare and simply heavenly to eat. It is the quintessential comfort food and always a favorite in my house.

If you don’t have semolina, you can always use good old Cream of Wheat. It works just as well and tastes great (just buy the PLAIN instant, 1 minute or 2½ minute varieties). Rava or sooji is easily available in every Indian grocery store and comes in coarse, fine and superfine varieties (all will work but will have varying textures).

SHEERA (Sweetened Semolina with Raisins & Nuts)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup semolina (rava, sooji or Cream of Wheat)

¾ cup sugar (to taste)*

3 tbsp butter (unsalted) or ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup milk (can use 2%, 1% or even skim milk)

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted

¼ cup cashew pieces, toasted

2-3 cardamom pods (lightly crushed)

pinch of saffron

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

METHOD:

In a large flat skillet on medium high, heat the butter and add the semolina when just melted. Keep stirring continuously so as not to burn until the semolina turns light brown in color and a nutty fragrance is emitted. Also, add the raisins. This may take up to 5-6 minutes. Simultaneously on another burner, in a saucepan on medium, gently bring the milk to a low boil. Add the saffron and let steep for 5 minutes. Add the warmed saffron milk slowly, while stirring, to the toasted semolina, raisin and butter mixture so as not to form any lumps. Stir to combine well, reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir and add the sugar, nuts, freshly grated nutmeg and the cardamom pods. Cover and let cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

VARIATIONS:

For a different flavor try adding an over ripe mashed banana to the sheera just after adding the warmed saffron milk.

*You can also making this dish using Splenda for Cooking and Baking.

Answer 3

Why dont you look trough the Web in Google or Yahoo: gastronomy + India + sweets + desserts. You will find hundreds of recipes. I recommend you, BBCs cooking page in the international edition. It is superb. Just get into the Indian section, or search rough the browser for "Indian pastrys", or "Indian sweets". RP.

Answer 4

uhm u can go to google and search up LADDO but to warn u...they are VERY high in sugar...and contain alot of fat.

sooo limit how much u eat..

Answer 5

Here are two cool videos on you tube by India residents on how to make Rasmali.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kitRy8U1P...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqLzqg662...

Answer 6

hi there,  here are few indian sweets that my co-workers bring once in awhile

Semolina Pudding:

1 cup semolina (or cream of wheat)

1/4 cup sugar or more to taste

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

3 cups water

1/2 tsp.cardamom powder, chopped nuts (like cashewnuts and almonds) and raisins

Method:

Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a pan on medium level till it is hot. Add semolina. Stir well and fry on low heat for 7 minutes or till the semolina is lightly roasted. Keep aside

Mix the sugar, cardamom and water in a vessel. Bring to boil and keep on medium / low heat uncovered for 2 minute(s) stirring periodically.

Now add the water mixture. Stir well. Bring to boil and turn heat on low immediately. Keep on low heat, stirring periodically (after every minute), till the mixture is dry.

Sprinkle chopped nuts and raisins. Serve with a dollop of ice-cream.

Temple Sweet Pudding:

5 cups rava or coarsely ground wheat flour or cream of wheat or semolina

5 cups ghee

5 cups sugar

Method:

Heat ghee and add the rava or the flour. Fry, stirring constantly, till each grain is brown. Add sugar little by little and continue cooking till ghee separates and the sugar is blended. No flavoring must be added. Serve hot

Rasmalai:

2 quarts milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

5 whole cardamom pods

1 teaspoon fine grained semolina

3 to 4 drops rose essence

1 quart half and half

1/8 teaspoon cardamom seeds

1 tablespoon shelled, unsalted pistachios

Directions:

Make the chena with the milk and lemon juice according to the directions in the preceding recipe with this difference. Hang up the milk curds for 2 hours instead of 1/2 hour. Knead thoroughly. Make a ball and set it aside. Put the 3 cups of sugar, 6 cups of water, and the cardamom pods in a deep 9 1/2 to 10 inch skillet or saute pan. Bring to a fast simmer over a medium flame. Once the sugar has dissolved completely, turn the heat to low and let the syrup simmer gently for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Flatten the ball of chhena and add the semolina as well as the rose essence to it. Knead for 5 minutes, making sure the semolina and rose essence are well mixed in. Now make 20 crack-free balls, rolling each with just a little pressure between the palms of your two hands.

Bring the syrup to a simmer over a medium flame. Drop the balls into the syrup. Bring to a simmer again. Adjust the heat so the syrup simmers gently for 5 minutes. During this period, move the balls around and turn them over occasionally, using a very gentle touch. Make sure you do not damage the balls. Turn the heat up and bring the syrup to what might be described as a furious simmer. The syrup should look like a mass of tiny moving bubbles, but it should never boil over. Sprinkle the balls with 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. During this period, the balls should swell up.

Uncover, sprinkle the balls with another 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook, simmering furiously for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the balls to an empty bowl. ( the syrup can now be discarded. ) Pour the half and half over the balls and let them soak in it for 3 hours.

Take the balls gently out of the half and half with a slotted spoon and put them in another bowl. Pour the half and half into a skillet or saucepan and boil it down until you have about 2 cups left. Turn off the heat. Crush the cardamom seeds finely in a mortar and mince the pistachios. Add the crushed cardamom, the minced pistachios, and the one tablespoon of sugar to the reduced half and half. Pour this half and half over the chhena balls. Allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and serve cold, as a dessert along with the creamy sauce.

Shrikhand:

1 quart whole milk yogurt

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 tsp. cardamom powder

few strands saffron

1/2 tbsp. pista & almond crushed

Method:

Tie yogurt in a clean muslin cloth overnight. (6-7 hours).

Put the yogurt into a bowl, add sugar and cardamom and mix.

Rub saffron into 1 tbsp. hot milk, in a small bowl, until the color spreads and dissolved and add to the yogurt

Empty into a serving bowl, and garnish with nut crush.

Chill for 1-2 hours before serving

Rice Kheer:

1/2 c Rice

4 c Milk

1/4 c Raisins

3/4-1 cup Sugar

1 tsp. Cardamom seeds

1/4 c Shredded blanched almonds

6-8 drops Rose water

1/2 c Water  

Method:

1.Wash and drain the rice. Soak in 1/2 c water for 1/2 hour. Boil the rice in the same water until it is coated and the water dries up. Add the milk and simmer on low heattill rice is well blened and consistency is that of porridge. Stir occasionally at first and then constantly when the milk begins to thicken, to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

2.  Add the sugar, almonds, ground cardamom, and raisins and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

3.  Remove from the heat and set aside. Sprinkle with the rose water.

4. Serve warm or chilled in dessert bowls.

Answer 7

http://www.recipes-indian.com/Category/S...

many recipes here