Gulkand-e-khaas

'Desserts', when I thought of choosing this 'cherubic word' for my first event, I was elated, excited and anxious at the same time. In my menu list, you will always find (always mean always, just at any point of time! :P) desserts and sweets as toppers among all other varieties. The mere reason being that since I started cooking, this was the only area that allured me the most, and also contributions received from my darling hubby who has a colossus sweet tooth. :) I remember preparing halwa or kheer every other day just after my marriage because I hardly knew anything apart from these two. As days passed by, I felt his blase indifference with the same stereotyped 6-7 recipes, so finally I had to pull my socks on, wear the gearing cooking helmet, and upgrade myself (like upgrading your lappy or PC after a new version emerges) for a brand new start. I surfed hundreds of recipes, from Tarla Dalal's to Sanjeev Kapoor's, from Manjula Aunty's to Nisha Madhulika's, and believe me, I realized that preparing sweets was much easier than reading Anatomy books. My mother makes a lot of traditional sweets and I used to ask her every now and then from Manila as how to begin, what should be the gas mark, how much to roast and so on. The classes (both online and on call) were rigorously heading on and I became a voracious eater (I don't like calling myself a 'reader') of recipes, gulping each and every one that came on my way, absorbing the basics and then crusading new ingredients that riffed through my mind. In this red-letter journey, I have experimented the most on milk and milk powder, and there are around 15 recipes that can be materialized in a jiff, using the microwave. Most of the recipe pics are stacked up in my personal folder, and I keep postponing the thought to post them every time I have a glance at. But yes, I'll soon announce an event that can at least button me to post them in a series. For now, there is an authentic, windy recipe which also has a quick, microwavable version. The flavor is nonpareil and the aroma spectacular.

GULKAND-E-KHAAS

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 40-45 minutes

Serves: 4

Health Meter:

Milk is counted to be one of the major sources of Protein and Calcium. For those who are worried about the fat content can surely switch to the slimmed/low fat version. This is perhaps one of the best things to consume for kiddos, pregnant women, lactating women and diseased or weaker constitutions.
Rose is world-known not only for its fragrance but the cooling properties it comforts within. Besides being an ornamental pleasure to the eyes, it is also an important ingredient in many sweets, imparting its aroma and calmness.
This recipe is a special treat for summers when the heat melts your body and you crave for soothing delights to freshen up your worn out cells. It is suitable for anyone and everyone. Those who intend to skip refined sugar may replace it with honey/jaggery for the guilt-free natural sweetness.

Ingredients:

1. Milk: 1 litre

2. Sugar: 6 tbs or as per taste/ Honey/ Jaggery

3. Cardamom Powder: a pinch

4. Gulkand/ Rose Marmalade: 6 tbs

Method:

1. Take milk in a big heavy bottomed pan/wok.
2. Let it boil on high flame and then simmer for about an hour with occasional stirring till it reduces to 1/4 the original amount.
3. Keep scrapping the cream (malai) that layers out on the sides of the pan; this will help in improving the texture and consistency of the pudding.
4. Towards the end, start stirring frequently to avoid any milk sticking to the bottom and burning.
5. When the milk is thick and creamy, add in sugar/crushed jaggery and cardamom powder. Simmer for 2-4 minutes with regular stirring till the sugar/jaggery dissolves.
6. Let it cool completely.
7. Now refrigerate for 2-3 hours till it goes chilled.
8. Just before serving, spoon in 6tbs of gulkand/rose marmalade and give a stir.
9. Serve chilled with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and plop into the creamy, rosy delight.

Suggestions:

1. In absence of gulkand/rose marmalade, this can simply be enjoyed as it is. In fact, this is nothing else but 'Rabdi with Gulkand'. :)
2. You can also push in some nuts/dry fruits if you wish.
3. Be extremely careful after the milk has reduced to 1/3 because it generally scalds at the bottom of the pan if you miss out even for a minute.
4. Never add gulkand/rose marmalade before the reduced milk has completely cooled down. 
5. For a quick microwave version, refer to this recipe of Rabdi. Use this in place of reduced milk and just add rose marmalade to it at the end.
6. If using honey, add it towards the end with the rose marmalade, and not during cooking.

 

 The recipe takes off to:
My event: Cakes, Cookies and Desserts,  Holi Hai and Beat the Heat at My Cook Book,  

Midweek Fiesta at Food Corner, Just 4 Fun by Sobha,
Walk Through Memory Lane by Gayatri hosted by Roshan,
For U Mum  by Nupur, Summer Spunk at Tomato Blues,
Healthy Morsels- Pregnancy at Taste of Pearl City
Cook Eat Delicious Desserts by Raven hosted at Sensible Veg
Summer Splash by Kalyani hosted by Sangee,
Spotlight- Colorful Holi  initiated by Indrani and hosted by Chandrani,
 Color n Sweet - Holi Fest by Preeti,
I'm The Star by  Veg Food and Me