Christmas isn’t Christmas without a coma-inducing amount of food and sweets. The Goan Catholics, the East Indians and the Anglo-Indians have led the charge in this regard, and created a recipe-book worthy of sweets, without which the festive season feels incomplete. So, roll up your sleeves and try making some of these Indian treats.
Marzipan
Ingredients
Cashewnuts, finely powdered, 250 gm
Sugar, powdered, 400 gm
Egg white, 1
Rose or almond essence, 1/2 tsp
Water, 1/2 cup
Food colours of your choice
Marzipan moulds to make shapes
Method
Grind the cashew nuts into a fine powder and keep aside.Beat up the egg white in a pan.
Add 1/2 cup water and powdered sugar to the pan and mix well.
Place the pan on medium flame and let the sugar dissolve.
After sugar melts keep stirring for four minutes only.
Add the grated cashew nuts. Mix well and cook on low flame for another three minutes. Add the essence.
Remove from flame and spread the marzipan mixture on a flat dish.
Knead the mixture lightly when still warm and divide into four to five parts.
Add food colours of your choice. Mould the marzipan using rubber moulds or shape into fruits.
Kulkuls
Ingredients
All-purpose flour, 1/2 kg
Baking powder, 1/2 tsp
Cold butter, cubed, 1 tbsp
Eggs, large, 2
Powdered sugar, 1/4 cup
Coconut milk, 1 cup
Oil, 2 litres (or enough for deep-frying)
Granulated sugar, 1 cup
Water, 3 to 4 tbsp
Method
In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder well.
Add the butter, little at a time, mixing gently until the butter is pea-sized.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the flour-butter mix.
Add powdered sugar and coconut milk and mix, creating a soft dough.
Form the dough into small sized balls.
Grease the back of a fork with some oil. Flatten the ball of dough and press it onto the back of the fork, forming a rectangle the length of the back of the fork tines.
Starting at the bottom end of the fork, roll the dough up the tines and off the fork and into a tight curl.
Place the curl on a plate and work on the remaining dough similarly.
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
When hot, fry the kulkuls. Keep turning them until they are light golden brown in colour.
Drain and cool on paper towels.
Put the granulated sugar and water in a separate pan and cook until the sugar is fully melted.
Add the cooled kulkuls to the sugar syrup and coat well. Remove and allow the curls to sit on a plate until the sugar crystalises.
Milk creams
Ingredients
Sweetened condensed milk, 790 gm
Cashew nuts, finely ground, 230 gm
Ghee, 1/2 tbsp
Vanilla essence,
1/2 tsp
Method
Add the sweetened condensed milk, ground cashew nuts and ghee in a big non-stick pot and
mix.
Cook on high until it starts to boil, then reduce the fire and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Keep stirring all the time so it doesn’t burn.
When the mixture is not sticky anymore, it’s ready.
To check, take a little piece of it and roll it between your fingers.
Add the vanilla essence, mix well and turn off the flame.
Pour the mixture on a plate (greased with a little ghee) and let it cool down.
Make the shapes using moulds. Let the Milk creams dry completely, before storing them in an air-tight container.