In D' company...

Chennar Payesh

Ingredients

• ½ cup chhena, made from skimmed cow’s milk
• 1 litre (5 cups) skimmed milk
• ½ cup SugarFree
• 5-6 almonds, blanched and chopped
• ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
• 7-8 pistachios, blanched and chopped

Method
Boil the milk in a deep non stick pan, reduce heat and let it simmer till it is reduced to half the original quantity.
Add sugarfree and cook till it dissolves.
Mash the chenna in a bowl. Add it to the milk and simmer for two minutes.
arnish with almonds and pistachios and serve chilled.

Sandesh

Ingredients

• 8 cups (1.6 litres) milk
•  ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup (65 gm) Sugarfree
•  A pinch of green cardamom powder
• 12 pistachios, blanched and finely chopped

Method
Bring milk to a boil in a deep, thick-bottomed non-stick pan. Add lemon juice and stir till the milk curdles. Strain, and immediately refresh the chhenna in chilled water.
Put chhenna in a piece of muslin and squeeze till all the water is drained out.
Knead chhenna well, with the heel of your hand. Add Sugarfree and cardamom powder, and knead again.
Cook in a non-stick pan on medium heat for eight minutes. Remove from heat and divide into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and make a dent on the top.
When cooled, place a pistachio in the dent and serve.
Makes 12 sandesh and serve fresh.

DIMER JHAAL

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (dim), boiled and peeled
• 3-4 tbsp Nutralite
• 2 medium potatoes, (boiled, peeled and quartered)
• 1 tsp paanch phoran
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
•  1½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp poppy seed (khus khus) paste
•  Salt to taste
• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Fresh coriander sprigs for garnishing

Method
Heat Nutralite in a non-stick pan. Add potatoes and sauté till lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Add eggs in the same pan, sauté till lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add paanch phoran and green chillies and sauté for half a minute. Add onions, mix and sauté, till golden.
Add tomato, mix well, and cook till it turns pulpy. Add ginger-garlic paste, mix and cook for two minutes.
Mix chilli, turmeric, cumin  and coriander powder in a bowl. Add some water, mix well to make a paste and add this to the pan. Mix well, cook for two to three minutes.
Add poppy seed paste and mix well. Add one cup water and stir to mix. Add the salt and mix well.
Add the fried eggs and fried potatoes, mix well and simmer for five minutes. Add the garam masala powder and mix well. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
l Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve hot.

— Recipes courtesy Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Kesari Malai Peda
Ingredients
4 cups skimmed milk l A few strands of saffron l A pinch of citric acid l 2 tsp cornflour, dissolved in 2 tbsp of milk l ¼ tsp green cardamom powder l 10 tsp Sugar Free Natura Diet Sugar l 8 almonds, chopped
Method
Bring milk to a boil in a deep pan and simmer till it reduces to half its original quantity. Add saffron and mix well.

• Mix citric acid in two tsp water, add to thickened milk.
• Add dissolved cornflour and stir continuously till the mixture thickens.
• Add green cardamom powder and mix well.
• Take pan off the heat and stir in Sugar Free Natura Diet Sugar and set aside to cool.

Divide the mixture into eight equal portions and shape them into round pedas.
Sprinkle almonds over the pedas and serve.

— Recipe courtesy Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Makhana Kheer

Ingredients
1 cup phool makhana l 2 cups milk l 3-4 green cardamom powder l 10-12 cashews, blanched and sliced l 1 tbsp raisins l 4 tbsp sugar
l A pinch of saffron l 2 to 3 tsp ghee
 
Method
Heat 2 to 3 tsp ghee in a pan. Add phool makhana and cashews. On a low flame, roast 1 cup phool makhana and 10 to 12 cashews in ghee till the makhanas are crunchy. The cashews will also get golden. l Stir often while roasting them. Remove, keep aside. l Heat 2 cups milk/500 ml in a saucepan.

Stir at intervals, so that the milk does not scorch from bottom. Let it boil. Whilst the milk is getting heated up, reserve cup makhana and add the remaining in a grinder or blender jar. l Add cardamom seeds from 4 cardamom pods along with a pinch of saffron strands. Grind to a fine powder. When the milk comes to a boil, then add 3.5 to 4 tbsp sugar or per taste. l Add the ground powdered makhana.

Then the reserved cup makhana. Stir very well. l Simmer till the makhane softens and the milk thickens a bit. l Add cashews and raisins. Serve makhane ki kheer hot, warm or chilled.

— Recipe courtesy Chef Suvaranjan Banerjee – executive chef, The Lalit Ashok