Rose Cham Cham#Foodieextravaganza

Festival season is on and you will find varieties of Indian desserts, mithais or sweets confectioners in all textures, shapes, and color. All these colorful decadent treats are irresistible. I have already posted a Rasgulla recipe on blog check the recipe.

Today I'm posting a new flavor of Cham Cham which is a stuffed sandwich, has a Rose flavor and color. Cham Cham or chom chom is a Bengali delicacy. These pink cham chams are delicately laced with the flavor of cardamom and rose water.

What's the difference between a Rasgulla and a Cham Cham?

Rasgullas are round and fluffier they are not stuffed. While cham chams are oval/ rectangular in shape and are stuffed with a filling. The outer covering /raw materials are identical though, its all about how you make them. Traditionally most Bengali sweets the basic process of making are the same. The state of West Bengal in India is famous for its milk sweets like Rasgulla, Sandesh and other curdled milk mithais.

Serves 5 
Ingredients

For The Chena / Soft Paneer / Cottage Cheese
1 Liter Full Fat Milk
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice or White Vinegar
For the Sugar Syrup
1 Cup Sugar
3 Cups Water
1 Teaspoon Corn Flour or All Purpose Flour
For The Filling
To Make The Homemade Instant Mawa / Khoya
½ Cup Full Fat Milk Powder
1 Tablespoon Milk
4 Teaspoons Condensed Milk
1 Tablespoon Desi Ghee
2 Drops Rose Essence
A Drop Red Food Color

Method
To Make The Chena/ Fresh Paneer

Boil whole milk in a heavy bottom pan, stirring continuously so that the milk does not stick at the bottom of the pan. Once it comes to a boil, switch off the flame let is rest for 2 - 3 minutes.
After two to three minutes. Add lemon juice gradually and keep stirring and let the milk curdle. Let it cool down and allow the milk to separate.
Place cheesecloth on a mesh strainer and strain the water. Rinse it under running water to remove the sourness of lemon juice and squeeze off the excess liquid. You can also hang it so that all the excess water drains off. Then take the chena in your hand and squeeze out remaining water slowly.
Let it sit until we make the sugar syrup.
To Make The Sugar Syrup

In a large pan mix sugar and water. Allow the sugar to dissolve and bring to a boil.

As the syrup is cooking let's work with the Chena.

Take the chena into a plate and add the corn flour, knead until smooth for 5-6 minutes. 

Make it lump free and smooth dough, the small piece of dough when roll should be crack free. So knead it really very well.

Divide this dough into 5 equal parts/balls 

Make rectangular shape / oval shape cham cham. You can also make any other shape you like. Roll this well first and then shape it rectangular.
To Cook The Cham Cham 
Once the sugar syrup boils and the sugar melts.

Gently slide in the prepared cham cham to it, cover and cook for 8 minutes on high flame.
After 8 minutes open the pan, flip each cham cham and cover and cook again for another 8 minutes on medium high flame. After 8 minutes, switch off the flame and let it rest with the lid on, cool it down completely. 

Let the cham cham remain in the sugar syrup for about an hour or more. They should cool down completely before you fill them.

To Make The Filling / To Make The Homemade Instant Mawa / Khoya

Check the recipe of the traditional method of making Mawa / Khoya on this blog.

Mix all the given ingredients well together. 

In a heavy pan add the prepared mixture and cook it for 2 -3 minutes on medium low flame. Keep stirring continuously till it thickens and start to form a ball.

It should be soft so do not cook it too long. Remove this into a plate and let is cool down. 

Add the rose essence, food color and mix well to get a uniform color. Our filling is ready now. Divide this into 5 equal parts, roll each into a rectangular shape smaller then the cham cham.

Remove the cham cham's on a wire mesh place it on a large plate to catch all the sugar syrup or else the counter top will become messy. Let all the syrup drain for about 5 minutes.

Take each cham cham and slit it halfway through lengthwise. Fill in the stuffing and decorate with sliver warq or nuts or glazed cherries. Rose Cham Cham are ready.  

Serve & Enjoy! Rose Cham Cham taste best when chilled. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
My Notes

Use full-fat milk for this recipe
If you have ready store bought mava/khoya then grate - a100 to 150 grams of it this well just add 2 - 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and mix well, taste for sweetness add more according to your taste, add essence and food color. 

Labels: Sweets & Desserts, Indian, Festival Sweets, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Paneer, Mawa, Homemade

For Foodie Extravaganza our theme this month is Simply Desserts!

Food Lust People Love: Clementine Pistachio Upside Down Cake 

Karen’s Kitchen Stories : Butterscotch Pots de Creme 

Sneha’s Recipe: Rose Cham Cham 

Magical Ingredients: Dried Fruits and Nuts Roll 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Pumpkin Parfaits

Gajar Halwa With Khoya/Mawa#Foodieextravaganza

Gajar Halwa is a carrot based mouth watering popular dessert rich in taste. Gajar Halwa is traditionally eaten during all the festivals in India and made especially in winter when red carrots are widely available.
This is my hubby and son-in-law's favorite. I make this halwa at least thrice in winter.

1 Cup = 200 Ml Cup
Ingredients
1¼ Kg Red Carrot
250 Ml Milk
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Heaped Tablespoons Milk Powder

2 Tablespoons Desi Ghee
300 Grams Homemade Khoya/Mawa

¼ Cup Chopped Cashew nuts
¼ Cup Raisins
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder

Method

Wash and clean the carrots, peel it, and then grate into the bowl using the thin grater.
In a thick bottom kadai add the carrot and ghee, cover and cook on medium low flame for 10 to 15 minutes stirring in between till the carrot is cooked and has a shine. 

Add the milk and cook without the lid till the moisture evaporated . Keep stirring in between after every 3 -4 minutes.

Cook opened till the milk nearly evaporates.

Add the sugar 

and cook till sugar melts and moisture evaporates.

Now add the mawa, milk powder and cook stirring for about 3 -5 minutes. Then add the chopped cashews and raisins cook for 5 minutes, stirring again after every 3 -4 minutes. Add cardamom powder and give it a good mix.
                             

Served garnished with chopped cashew nuts, pistachio, raisins. Enjoy!!

Gajar Halwa is so yummy and delicious.

Lables: Carrot , Halwa, Mawa, Festival Sweets,Sweets & Desserts, Foodie Extravaganza Party, No Bake Desserts

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly food fest, where a group of bloggers all create and share a recipe around one of the monthly food 'holidays' as detailed in The Nibble. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook pageFoodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

Our host for hosting this month's event Sneha of https://snehasrecipe.blogspot.com/See all the other recipes for today's Foodie Extravaganza Event - National Carrot Day

Carrot Fries From Magical Ingredients 
Carrot Salad with Feta and Pistachios From A Day in the Life on the Farm 
Carrot Slaw From Palatable Pastime

Duck-fat Roasted Carrots and Parsnips From Food Lust People Love 

Gajar Halwa With Khoya/Mawa From Sneha's Recipe 
Pasta Salad with Roasted Carrots and Kale From Karen's Kitchen Stories 

Roasted Carrots with Vinaigrette From Making Miracles  

Khoya/Mawa Gujiya With Dry Fruits

Gujiya/Turnover is a classic North India sweet which is crispy, flaky pastry filled with khoya/mawa and nuts stuffing. Gujia is generally deep fried. This are traditional is sweet that is made for Holi or Diwali festival.

Measurement 1 Cup = 200 Ml Cup
Ingredients
Recipe For The Dough
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Desi Ghee
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup +1 Tablespoon Water 
For The Stuffing 
125 Grams Mawa/ Khoya Homemade
2 Tablespoons Fine Semolina/Rawa 
1 Cup Level Powdered Sugar
½ Teaspoon Green Cardamom Powder
1 Tablespoon Lightly Toasted Charoli - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Golden Rasins– finely chopped
20 Lightly Toasted Cashewnuts - finely chopped
20 Lightly Toasted Almonds - finely chopped
½ Cup Desiccated Coconut

Method

Dry roast the semolina on a pan till light pink, remove and keep aside.
In the same pan separately toast the cashewnuts, almonds and charoli lightly, remove and keep them in a plate. Then finely chop them.

Recipe For Dough 

Rub the ghee into flour with your hands well till it represents bread crumbs. Then first add ¼ cup water and start to knead into a stiff dough, add the other ¼ cup and make a stiff dough if necessary just a teaspoon to a tablespoon of water. 

This dough will not be smooth at all, but, do not worry just cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 45 minutes to an hour. In the meantime let's prepare the stuffing/filling.

Chop the dry fruit finely and mix in the desiccated coconut and cardamon powder.
Microwave the mawa on high power for a minute. Cool then add rest of the ingredients and mix well the filling is ready.

The dough has been rested and become smooth, knead it well again. make lemon size balls and roll it into a slightly thick puri 

then cut it with a round cutter or use a gujiya mold to make them slightly wet the edges with water  

then place a heaped tablespoon of filling . 

Cover it and seal it the edges by pressing it with your thumb, then with  with a fork make a design.

Like wise make all and let them rest covered with a damp cloth for 10 minutes.

In the meantime pour oil into deep frying pan and heat it till slightly hot and on medium low flame frying them 3 - 4 at a time or more if your pan is bigger till golden brown.

These are all fried, crispy flaky.

These are packed and ready to take for our trekker's Holi party on the hills. Enjoy

My Notes

Make sure you do not add a lot of water while kneading the dough -  the dough should stiff/hard.
Cook the khoya properly until it releases fat and become bit brown.
If you feel that the stuffing is dry the add few teaspoons of milk
Rest the dough properly and it will become easy to use.
You don’t need to apply any dry flour to roll the dough
Do not fry the gujiya on a high flame the flame should always be low. 

Labels: Desi Ghee, Desiccated Coconut, Almond, Cashewnuts, Charoli, Golden Raisins, Mawa, Homemade, Festival Sweets, Deep Fried, Turnover, Gujiya 

Mawa/Khoya Chocolate Barfi#Choctoberfest

This is a homemade Mawa/Khoya Chocolate Barfi , which is quick, easy to make and cost half the rate of the sweet shop. It's also made with pure ingredients and preservative free. Takes just 15 to 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients 

600 Grams Homemade Mawa / Khoya
1/3 Cup Level Cocoa powder
½ Cup Packed Caster Sugar
1/3 Cup Milk
Almond slivers for garnishing

Method 

Crumble the mawa or grate it.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the mawa on a medium low flame till it becomes soft and starts to melt. Make sure not to burn or brown it.

Add the milk and sugar. Mix well. Keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Cook this till it thickens, it took me about 8 minutes. 

Add the cocoa powder, stir it well, making sure there are no lumps and forms a smooth mix. 

Keep stirring continuously and cook for 2-3 minutes more or till it starts to come in the center.

Spread this on a greased pan and sprinkle almonds on top.

 Let it cool and keep in the fridge for a few hours till set.

Slice, share and enjoy!!

Labels: Choctoberfest, Mawa, Cocoa powder, Milk, Sugar, Festival Sweets, Barfi, Homemade, Preservatives free 
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