The Indian Vegan Kitchen (41 page)

Laddu
is a round ball that looks quite a bit like a chocolate truffle. The most common
laddu
is
boondi laddu
. It is made with
besan
(chickpea flour) that is fried into tiny balls, soaked in syrup, and formed into balls.
Halwai
makes the best
boondi laddu
versus homemade, that is. Then there are
laddu
made with whole wheat flour (
atta
) or
besan
(chickpea flour). These
laddus
, although available at a
halwai
shop, are often made at home using family recipes.

Halwa
varieties are limitless. The most popular
halwa
is made with cream of wheat and is served in temples as communion. The best way to describe
halwa
is a very thick pudding. The majority of
halwas
use ghee and milk as the main ingredients. Carrot
halwa
, mung bean
halwa
, and Almond Halwa (page 203) are some of the most popular
halwas
.

Kheer
literally translates to “pudding” but should not be confused with Western pudding, as it has a very different taste and texture. Indian
kheers
are primarily made with milk and are not in the scope of this book. Anything can go into a
kheer
, rice being the most common. You can make
kheer
using soymilk, if desired.

Other Mithai:
There is an array of
mithai
that do not fall into the above four categories, such as Indian Funnel Cakes (page 200), a pretzel-shaped dessert soaked in syrup,
gulab jamun
(milk balls swimming in syrup), and
rasagulla
(fresh cheese boiled in syrup).

Chirote
, also called
khaja
, is a layered, flaky, and crunchy pastry. These are fun to make, serve, and eat. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, these elegant, blossom-like pastries look beautiful on the table. They are lightly sweet, as the only sugar is the powdered sugar on the top.

 

1.
Prepare dough:
In a bowl, mix flour and shortening until the flour becomes a little crumbly and the shortening is well blended. Gradually add
½
cup water. Gather the dough in your hands. If the dough is dry or crumbly, add 1 more tablespoon of water and mix. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes, or until dough becomes smooth and soft. Divide dough into 3 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Cover with a towel and let rest for about 10 minutes.

2.
Prepare filling:
In a small bowl, combine rice flour and cardamom powder. Set aside.

3. In a separate microwave small bowl, melt the shortening and set aside. (You may need to remelt shortening as you work.)

4. On a clean counter, roll out one of the dough balls, dusting with flour as needed, to an 11-by- 16-inch sheet. Using a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of melted shortening (about 1 tablespoon) on the top of dough sheet. Sprinkle a thin layer of rice flour (about 1 tablespoon) on the shortening. If necessary, spread the flour evenly with your fingers.

5. Starting from one edge roll the dough into a tight scroll. (From the beginning, roll tightly, keeping the roll as straight as possible.) Starting from the center toward the ends, gently squeeze the scroll, stretching and compacting it into a 20-inch rope. Cover and set the rope aside. Shape the remaining 2 balls.

6. Cut each pastry rope into 13 to 14 pieces (about 1
½
inches long). Place each piece cut side down and press gently on the top with your palm, making a flat disc. With a rolling pin, gently roll each disc into a 2
½
- to 3-inch circle. Cover with a dry cloth.

7. Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a
karahi
/wok or a flat skillet on medium heat. (Or use electric skillet and heat oil to 300ºF.) The oil is ready when a small amount of dough dropped in oil rises to the top right away.

8. Carefully slide in several
chirote
at a time in a single layer. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, turning only once or twice, until light brown on each side. Using a slotted spoon, remove pastries from oil and drain on paper towels.

9. Sift pastries with a generous amount of sugar.

10. Continue frying and powdering the pastries in batches. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

GF

Chikki
is typically made with peanuts and is similar to peanut brittle in appearance. However,
chikki
is traditionally made with jaggery (page 20) and has a very different taste and texture to brittle. Jaggery is now readily available in most Indian grocery stores. You can substitute brown sugar, if desired (see Variation).

1. Preheat a large nonstick fry pan on medium heat. Add the peanuts and dry-roast, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, until light brown. Remove onto a plate.

2. Lightly oil a plate or cookie sheet and set aside.

3. Put some cold water in a plate and set near the stove.

4. In the same fry pan, add water and jaggery. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Within a few minutes, the syrup will start to bubble and thicken. Pour a drop of syrup into the plate of water; the syrup should turn into a ball right away. Pick up the ball and roll between your fingers. It should be easy to roll into a soft ball. It should not be sticky on your fingers or brittle. (Or, cook mixture to 260ºF on a candy thermometer.)

5. Remove from heat, add the peanuts, and stir to coat.

6. Pour mixture onto a greased plate. The peanuts should spread themselves. If necessary, spread the peanuts in a single layer using a butter knife. Cool completely.

7. Break
chikki
into about 1 to 1½-inch pieces. Store in an airtight container.

1. Follow steps 1 to 3, as above.

2.
To make syrup:
Combine corn syrup, water, and brown sugar on medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as needed to avoid burning. The syrup will start to bubble and thicken. Pour a drop of syrup onto the plate with water; the syrup should turn into a ball right away. Pick up the ball and roll between your fingers. It should be easy to roll into a soft ball. It should not be sticky on your fingers or brittle. (Or, cook mixture to 280ºF on a candy thermometer.)

3. Remove mixture from heat. Add the peanuts and baking soda and lightly stir to coat the peanuts. Follow steps 6 and 7, as above.

Imagine my delight when I discovered funnel cakes at the Iowa State Fair . . . and my disappointment when I bit into them. Don’t get me wrong—I love funnel cakes, but they’re just not
jalebi
. Hot
jalebi
is, by far, my favorite dessert. Crunchy on the outside and filled with syrup on the inside, they are one of the most popular sweets in India. Like doughnuts in America, they are available fresh and hot in the morning for breakfast.

Jalebi
batter is typically fermented overnight with a buttermilk base. In contrast, these instant—and vegan—
jalebies
require no fermenting, no overnight prepping, and of course no milk product. But they are just as good if not better than most
jalebies
I’ve had. It may take you a while to master the traditional
jalebi
shape, but don’t worry, any shape will work.

1. Use a cone-shaped thick pastry bag and cut about
¼
-inch at the bottom of cone to dispense the batter. Set aside. (Or, use a thick plastic storage bag prepped as above.)

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, besan, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Add water and mix with hand mixer (about 50 strokes) or electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add melted shortening and lemon juice and mix gently with a large spoon. Mixture should fall from spoon in a ribbon-like flow. (If needed, add 1 more tablespoon of water and stir well.) Let sit for about 10 minutes.

3.
While batter rests, prepare syrup:
In a small skillet, combine sugar and water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. The syrup will reach about 210ºF on a candy thermometer. Let cool slightly.

4. Heat 2 inches of oil in a
karahi
/wok or a flat skillet on medium heat. (Or use electric skillet and heat oil to 325ºF.) The oil is ready when a small amount of dough dropped in oil rises to the top right away.

5. Transfer the batter into the pastry bag. Twist the top for easy dispensing.

6. Squeezing the batter directly into the hot oil, make a 2-inch circle and cross over it like a pretzel. Continue making 3 to 4 pretzel shapes, joined together in a strip. Fry as many
jalebi
as you can in a single layer. Fry 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels for about 2 minutes.

7. Add
jalebi
to the warm syrup (about 150ºF on a candy thermometer). You might need to heat the syrup periodically to keep it warm. Soak for 2 to 3 minutes until the syrup is absorbed into
jalebi
. Remove
jalebi
with tongs, draining excess syrup.

8. Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftover
jalebi
in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

GF

Coconut and bananas give this dessert a tropical appeal. The nuts add a nice crunch.

1. In a small skillet, combine coconut milk, sugar, and cornstarch until well blended. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, until the milk is bubbly and thickened. Set aside.

2. Peel and cut the bananas in half.

3. Heat oil on medium heat in a nonstick fry pan. Add the bananas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning the bananas to brown all sides.

4. Transfer the bananas to a serving platter and pour the coconut cream over the warm bananas.