Krishna Janmashtami marks the birthday of Lord Krishna and is one of the most revered and celebrated festivals in Hinduism. Also known as Gokulashtami, the festival is celebrated by ardent devotees of Lord Krishna by singing devotional songs, observing fasts, decorating temples, and preparing a bhog (offering) for Bal Gopal whose endearing and mischievous nature and love for milk and cream are have been woven into stories and passed down through generations. This is why we have handpicked and listed the recipes of three sweets from The Tastes of India Podcast (Hindi): Indian Recipe Food Podcast & Cookery Show on Audible that will elevate your celebration and ensure you spread smiles and sweetness just like Lord Krishna.
Makhana Kheer
Ingredients:
- 2 cups makhana (fox nuts)
- 1 litre of boiled milk
- 1/4th cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped almonds
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cashews
- 1 tablespoon of raisins
- ½ teaspoon of cardamom (elaichi) powder
- 2 teaspoons of clarified butter (ghee)
Preparation
- Start with heating one teaspoon of ghee in a pan. To this, add 1 tablespoon of cashew and finely chopped almonds and roast them nicely
- Once the cashews and almonds are slightly golden in color add 1 tablespoon of raisins to this, and turn off the flame once the raisins are plump
- After this, roast the 2 cups of makhana in 1 cup of ghee for about two to three minutes and set it aside
- From this take one and a half cups of roasted Makhana in a grinder and nicely grind it
- The quantity of makhana you want to grind entirely depends on your preference, you can use 1 cup or even less if you wish
- Boil the milk with the remaining half a cup of roasted makhana for about 5 minutes and add the coarsely ground makhana to it
- Let it boil and once you feel it has attained some consistency add the roasted dry fruits to this and cook on low flame for some more minutes
- To this add sugar and green cardamom and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with some more dry fruits and serve hot or cold!
Doodh Peda
Ingredients
- 2 litres of full cream milk
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of elaichi powder
- Ghee
Preparation
- Boil full cream milk in a saucepan, preferably with a thick bottom on a high flame
- The milk has to be boiled until it becomes half of its previous quantity and creamy in texture. One must be mindful of not letting the milk form a residue or burn at the bottom of the saucepan
- The cream formed as the milk boils at the sides of the saucepan must be scrapped and added back to the existing milk
- As the milk gets creamier, add one cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of elaichi powder
- This concoction has to be initially mixed on a low flame for around 5-8 minutes and then has to be stirred occasionally
- Once the milk has thickened you can turn off the flame, and set it aside in a container
- Once it has cooled down to form a thick consistency, grease your hands with ghee – take a lump of this milk preparation, and shape it into the form of cookies
- The shapes and designs you want to give your pedas are entirely up to you, so don’t hold back from getting creative
- Allow the pedas to rest for 4-5 in a refrigerator before serving them
- Pedas can be eaten if refrigerated for 8-10 days following the day of preparation
Pro Tip: Don’t worry even if it is slightly runny, it will thicken once it cools down.
Malpua
Ingredients
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups of milk
- 1 tablespoon of chopped cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon of raisins
- 1 tablespoon of chopped dry coconut
- 4 crushed cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds (optional)
- 3 cups of water
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of green cardamom powder
- Saffron
- Cooking Oil
Preparation
- Take 1 cup of all-purpose flour into a bowl and pour milk into it slowly to knead this into a soft batter [Do note that all the milk must not be added at once but in portions]
- To this batter, add 1 teaspoon of green cardamom powder, 1 tablespoon of raisins, and 1 tablespoon of chopped dry coconut and mix thoroughly. After this leave the batter to rest for at least half an hour
- Get your hands on a boiling pot and add 3 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar to it, boil till it forms a syrup by stirring continuously
- Once you take the sugar syrup off the heat add the 4 crushed cardamom pods and set it aside.
- Most people prefer to add saffron as a garnish for enhanced flavor and color to the syrup. Once the malpua batter is done resting, take a small ladle of it and pour it into hot oil to fry
- Fry the malpua on both sides till golden brown and do it scrupulously so that it does not burn
- The malpua has to appear gold-brown at the center and lightly brown at the edges.
- Transfer the fried malpua into the sugar syrup immediately if you wish to consume it right after preparation
- The fried malpuas can be consumed for two days after preparation once stored but not beyond this.
Pro Tip: Resting the batter well is the key to preparing golden brown, crispy malpuas
For more such recipes, tune into The Tastes of India Podcast (Hindi) : Indian Recipe Food Podcast & Cookery Show on Audible.
