Category Archives: Mithai

Varango Halwa(Karachi Halwa)

Mithai

Ingredients

  • 1/2            cup corn starch
  • 1                cup tapioca
  • 2-1/2        cups water
  • 2-1/2        cups sugar
  • 2-1/2        cups butter
  • 1/4            tsp crushed elechi seeds
  • 1/4            tsp jiefer powder
  • 1/4            tsp saffron
  • 1/4            tsp orange colour
  • 1                lb nuts, slivered almonds, pistachio, cashew

Instructions

  1. Soak corn starch and tapioca overnight in 2-1/2 cups water in a large saucepan
  2. In the morning grease a 9in sandwich pan or a jello mould or small moulds.
  3. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with 1/5 of the nuts.
  4. Add the sugar and melted butter and the rest of the ingredients in the saucepan with the starch, except the nuts.
  5. Mix well and cook on med to high heat, stirring frequently.  The mixture will start to thicken and the butter will start to separate. Add  3/4 of the nuts, mix well and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously till the mixture thickens up and leaves the side of the pan.
  6. You can remove the extra butter, pour the cooked mixture into the prepared containers and let it cool completely.
  7. Turn the halwa on the serving dish and serve.
  8. This halwa tastes good a little warm.  Warm it in a microwave.

Oven Method.

  1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. When the halwa starts to thicken, put the saucepan in the oven, stir it every 10 min.  It will take about 45 minutes to cook.

Badam Pak(Powder Milk)

Mithai, Sweets

Makes 15 Pieces

Ingredients

  • 2             cups oil for frying 
  • 4             oz goond
  • 1             lb butter
  • 1             lb pacific powder milk
  • 1/2          lb coconut
  • 1             lb crushed almonds
  • 12           oz sugar
  • 1/2          tsp crushed cardomom seeds
  • 1/2          tsp ground nutmeg
  • 20           strands saffron
  • 1             can evaporated milk

For Decoration

  • 1/4          cup silvered almonds
  • 1/4          cup slivered pistachio
  • 1             tbsp white poppy seeds(kas kas)

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan on medium heat, heat oil and fry the goond, a little at a time.   The goond will puff up and float on the top.  Remove from the oil and drain in a colander.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and saute the milk powder and coconut till it is golden brown.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.
  3. Add the almonds, sugar, cardomom, nutmeg and saffron.  Mix well.
  4. Return the saucepan to the heat on medium heat, stirring well (for about 5 minutes) till the sugar melts.
  5. Add the evaporated milk and goond and stir well till the butter separates. You 
  6. Pour the mixture into a 10 x 12 baking tray.  Spread the mixture evenly.
  7. Sprinkle almonds, pistachio and poppy seeds.
  8. Let cool completely.
  9. Cut into squares or diamonds.

The Pak can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

It can be frozen too. 

Badam Pak(Goor Pak)

Mithai, Sweets

Goor Pak

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes 20 pieces

Ingredients

  • 1/4              lb goond
  • 1 1/2           lb butter
  • 1 1/4           lb whole wheat flour
  • 1                 cup powder milk
  • 1 1/4           lb crushed almonds
  • 3/4              lb goor
  • 1/4              cup water
  • 1                 tsp cardamom seeds crushed
  • 1/2              tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1                 tbsp kas kas(poppyseeds)
  • 1/4              cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4              cup slivered pistachio
  • 2                 cups oil for frying goond

Instructions

  1. In a frying pan heat the oil.  When the oil is hot add 1 tbsp of goond at a time.  The goond will pop up and it will be transparent. Turn it, making sure the goond is transparent on all sides.  Take it out of the frying pan into a colander and let it drain.  Leave it aside.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium hot heat, melt 1-1/2 lb butter and fry the whole wheat flour. The flour is ready when the butter starts bubbling and the flour is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the milk powder and stir it for a few minutes.
  4. Remove from the heat, add the cardamom, nutmeg, crushed almonds, goond and mix well.
  5. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat add chopped goor, remaining  and 1/4 cup of water.  Let it cook till the goor melts and the mixture starts to bubble, about 10 minutes.
  6. Pour the goor mixture into the flour mix and mix well.
  7. Over medium heat cook the mix for about 5 minutes stirring continuously.
  8. Pour the mix into a well greased 10 X 12 inch cake tin.  Spread it evenly.  Sprinkle kas kas, slivered almonds and slivered pistachios.  Roll it with a rolling pin to make it smooth, or smooth it with the back of a spoon let it set overnight.
  9. With a sharp knife cut into square or diamonds and serve.

The pak can be stored in an air tight container for a couple of weeks.

Pera(Penda)

Mithai

Pera is one of the popular Indian sweets prepared  for happy occasions, for example, when  announcing an engagement, birth of a child, or sent with an invitation to a wedding.

Pera is made with different milks cooked together with sugar and butter until it solidifies.  It is shaped into a ball and stamped with a design.

As kids we used to watch my mum make it and we used to help her stamp the design on it.  You can decorate it with nut in the centre or use different deigns to stamp it.  I use a pop bottle lid with the nuts, an empty thread spool and a fondant flower cutter. You may have a decorative wine glass, or a fancy cookie stamp.  It can be made into any size you like.  (between 1 oz to 3 oz is a good size)

You will find a lot of different recipes for pera, this recipe has been given to me by my friend Nargis, it takes longer to cook but is the best recipe I have found.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2             cups butter(3/4 lb)unsalted butter
  • 1                   can (370 ml) carnation evaporated milk
  • 250               ml creamer (half and half or whipping cream)
  • 1 1/2             cups sugar
  • 1/2                tsp cardamom ground
  • 1/4                tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4                tsp saffron
  • 4                   cups(1 lb) carnation milk powder
  • 1/4                cup almonds and Pistachio finely chopped 
  •                      (chopped)    

Instructions

  1. Melt butter, evaporated milk, creamer and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  About 10 minutes.
  2. Turn the heat to medium, add the powder milk, ground cardamom, nutmeg and saffron.  Mix well.
  3. Cook stirring the mixture  until the color changes to light brown and the mixture is half(almost 30 to 40 minutes).
  4. Remove it from the stove and let it cool until you can shape it.
  5. Shape it into a small 1” ball.
  6. Decorate it with pistachio or almonds, or decorate it with a stamp.