-for any occasion
MANY PERSONS will share delicious Indian sweetmeats to their families, friends, neighbours and co-workers as a gesture of love and goodwill at this special time of the year. For this Phagwah season, and throughout the year, these delicious treats can be enjoyed in the home, or shared with families and friends.
Here are the recipes for preparing some of these mouth-watering treats.

GULAB JAMUN
Ingredients:
1 cup of milk powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (room temperature) butter
1/4 cup (room temperature) whole milk
Pinch of baking soda
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
4 coarsely ground cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon sliced almonds and pistachio
Oil for deep-frying
Method:

Syrup:
In a large pan, add water, sugar, and ground cardamom seeds, and bring to a boil.
Let boil for a minute, then remove it from the heat.
Stir the syrup until the sugar is dissolved.
Set the syrup aside.

Method:
Mix milk powder, flour and baking soda in a bowl.
Add the butter and mix well.
Now add milk to make soft dough. The dough will be sticky.
Let the dough sit for a few minutes. Milk powder will absorb the extra milk. If the dough is dry, add more milk to keep dough soft.
Knead the dough. Grease your hands with butter before working with the dough.
Divide the dough into approximately 20 equal portions, and roll them into round balls.
Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. The frying pan should have at least 1½ inches of oil. To ascertain right temperature of the oil, place a small piece of dough into the oil; it should take a minute to rise. If dough rises faster, oil is too hot; if dough just sits without rising, oil is not hot enough.
Place the gulab jamuns in the frying pan. Note: remember gulab jamuns will expand, so give them enough space.
It should take about 7 minutes to fry the gulab jamuns. While frying, keep rolling the gulab jamuns around so they are evenly browned. Fry until the gulab jamuns become dark brown.
Let the gulab jamuns cool off for a few minutes before placing them in the hot syrup.
The gulab jamuns should sit in the hot syrup for at least 20 minutes prior to serving. Gulab jamuns can be kept at room temperature for about a week, and for up to one month when refrigerated. Gulab jamuns can be frozen for months.

RASGULLA
Ingredients:
• 1/2 litre milk
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp Rose essence or cardamom powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 Cup sugar

Method:
In a pan, bring milk to a boil. Add lemon juice, stirring slowly and gently till cheese separates from the milk. Now turn off the heat and strain it through a strainer. Make sure all the water from the cheese is drained. Now knead it to make soft dough. Combine flour with it and knead again. Make small rounded balls from the dough, keep aside. The balls should not have any cracks in them. Now combine sugar and water in a saucepan and boil. Add cheese balls to the syrup and cook for about 30 minutes with lid partially covered. Add rose essence or cardamom powder and turn the heat off. Allow to cool and serve.

BARFI
Ingredients:
500g full cream powdered milk 16 oz (170g) tin Nestlé’s cream
10 oz granulated white sugar
1 tsp finely minced ginger
1 pinch each of ground elaichi (cardamom), cinnamon and clove
1/3 cup water
candy sprinkles to your liking

Method:
Mix milk powder and cream just enough to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rub the cream into the milk powder until it is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
In a big heavy pot, bring sugar, ginger and water to a boil. Add the spices.
Add the milk mixture to the pot and stir. Keep stirring until the mixture comes together in one clump and leaves the side of the pot as you turn. (This may be a little hard on the arms at this point, but it is important that the mixture not be too soft and crumbly.
Spread mixture into a greased cookie sheet and smooth the top. Add sprinkles.
Cut into squares before it is completely cool.