Modern Sunth Panjiri Energy Truffles

Traditional Panjiri flavours get a contemporary makeover in these bite-sized truffles. Made with roasted makhana, ragi, nuts, seeds and warming spices such as sunth and cardamom, these treats retain the familiar character of Panjiri while offering a modern presentation.

Makes approximately 20–24 small truffles

Ingredients

For the Roasted Base

Roasted makhana – 1 cup

Ragi flour – ½ cup

Almonds – ½ cup

Cashews – ½ cup

Pistachios – ¼ cup

Melon seeds (magaz) – ¼ cup

Pumpkin seeds – ¼ cup

Flaxseeds, lightly roasted – 2 tbsp

Desiccated coconut – 2 tbsp

Ghee – 2–3 tbsp

For the Spice Blend

Dry ginger (sunth) powder – 1½ tsp

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Grated nutmeg – a pinch

Saffron – a few crushed strands, optional

Black pepper – a tiny pinch, optional

For Sweetness and Binding

 Choose one:

8–10 soft Medjool dates, or 12 regular soft dates

Additional warm ghee – 2–3 tbsp, as needed for binding

For Finishing

Roasted makhana powder

Finely chopped pistachios

Toasted pumpkin seed crumble

Dried rose petals

Edible silver leaf, optional

Method

1. Roast the Ragi

Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the ragi flour and roast over low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring continuously until aromatic. Set aside.

2. Roast the Nuts and Seeds

Roast the makhana separately until crisp.

Lightly roast the almonds, cashews, pistachios, melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and desiccated coconut until fragrant.

Allow everything to cool slightly.

3. Grind

Pulse the roasted makhana, nuts and seeds into a coarse mixture.

Avoid grinding everything completely smooth—a little texture gives the truffles a more interesting bite.

4. Combine the Ingredients

Combine the roasted ragi flour and coarse nut-and-seed mixture.

Add sunth ( dry ginger pdr), cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and black pepper, if using. Mix thoroughly.

5. Sweeten and Bind

For the date version: Blend the soft dates into a smooth paste and knead them into the warm mixture. Add a little ghee if needed.

For the jaggery version: Add the powdered jaggery and 2–3 tablespoons warm ghee. Mix until the mixture holds together when pressed between your fingers. Add a little more ghee only if necessary.

6. Shape

Take small portions of the mixture and roll them into bite-sized truffles.

7. Finish

Roll the truffles in roasted makhana powder or finely chopped pistachios.

Finish with pumpkin seed crumble, dried rose petals and a small piece of edible silver leaf, if desired.

 

 

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Panchamrit

Panchamrit is traditionally prepared as part of religious and festive offerings, with recipes varying across regions, families and traditions.

Ingredients

Full-fat milk – 1 cup

cow ghee – 1 tbsp

Raw honey – 1 tbsp

jaggery powder – 1 tbsp

Curd – 1 tbsp

Fresh tulsi leaves – 1 tsp

 

Method

In a clean bowl, add the milk and curd. Mix gently until combined.

Add the ghee, honey and jaggery powder.

Stir until the ingredients are evenly combined. Allow the mixture to rest briefly if needed for the jaggery to dissolve.

Add fresh tulsi leaves just before serving.

Serve fresh as part of a festive offering or prasad.

Serving note: Panchamrit is best served fresh. If not consumed immediately, refrigerate it appropriately.

 

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Sablé Cookie Ring

Ingredients

All-purpose flour – 100 g

Butter, softened – 60 g

Icing sugar – 35 g

Cornflour – 10 g

Vanilla essence – ½ tsp

Salt – a small pinch

Almond powder – 15 g, optional

Chilled milk – 1–2 tsp, only if needed

For Decoration

Icing sugar – for dusting

Finely chopped pistachios – 1–2 tbsp

Thin almond slices – 1 tbsp

Edible rose petals – a few

Small edible flowers – as required

Silver sugar pearls – optional

Method

Cream the softened butter and icing sugar until smooth and pale. Do not over-whip.

Add vanilla essence and mix.

Add flour, cornflour, almond powder and salt. Mix gently until a soft dough forms. Add chilled milk only if needed.

Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.

Roll the chilled dough to approximately 4–5 mm thickness.

Cut out large rounds and remove the centre to create rings.

Place on a lined baking tray and chill for another 10–15 minutes.

Bake at 170°C for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

Cool completely before handling.

Dust with icing sugar and decorate lightly with pistachios, almonds, rose petals and edible flowers.

Assembly

Place the decorated Sablé cookie ring on the serving plate.

Place the vermicelli cup in the centre.

Fill with chilled Cardamom Shrikhand.

Finish with pistachios, almonds and saffron.

 

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Kanha Ki Katori

  

 

Vermicelli Cups with Shrikhand

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15–20 minutes

Soaking time: 30–60 minutes

Serves: 4–5

For the Vermicelli Cups

Vermicelli – 180 g

Butter – 55 g

For the Cardamom Sugar Syrup

Sugar – ¼ cup

Water – ⅓ cup

Whole cardamom – 2

For the Shrikhand

Hung curd – 200 g

Powdered sugar – 2–3 tbsp

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Saffron – a few strands

Warm milk – 1 tsp

Pistachios – for garnish

Almonds – for garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Melt the butter and add the vermicelli. Mix until evenly coated.

Press the buttered vermicelli firmly into cupcake moulds, creating a compact base and sides.

Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup by combining sugar, water and whole cardamom in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 5–10 minutes.

Remove the vermicelli cups from the oven and lightly spoon or brush the warm cardamom syrup over them. Avoid oversoaking if you want to retain some crunch.

Allow the cups to cool and absorb the syrup.

For the Shrikhand, whisk the well-drained hung curd until smooth and creamy.

Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and saffron soaked in warm milk. Mix well.

Once cooled, carefully remove the vermicelli cups from the moulds.

Fill each cup generously with chilled Cardamom Shrikhand.

Garnish with pistachios, almonds and saffron strands.

Serve chilled.

Tip: Ensure the hung curd is thick and well-drained so that the Shrikhand remains creamy and does not make the vermicelli cups soggy.

 

 

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Ukadiche Modak/ Traditional Modakam

  

Ingredients

For the filling

2 tbsp water

1 cup grated jaggery (gud)

2 cups fresh grated coconut

1 tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp chopped cashews

For the dough

1 cup water

1 tsp ghee

A pinch of salt

1 cup rice flour

Instructions

Start with the filling. Heat a pan over medium flame and add the water and grated jaggery. Let the jaggery melt completely.

Add the grated coconut and cook for around 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously. Add cardamom powder, ghee and chopped cashews and cook for a few more minutes. The mixture should remain slightly moist rather than becoming completely dry. Take it off the heat and set aside.

Now prepare the dough. Heat one cup of water in a pan and add a pinch of salt and the ghee. Once the water comes to a boil, add the rice flour and quickly mix it in one direction using a spoon.

The mixture will look lumpy at this stage. Cover it and let it steam for about a minute, then switch off the flame.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and knead it while it is still hot. This is important for getting a smooth, lump-free dough, so don’t wait for it to cool completely before kneading.

Divide the dough into 8-10 equal portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Take one ball and roll it out like a small puri.

Place some of the coconut-jaggery filling in the centre. Now comes the fun part — shaping the modak. Pinch the edges with your fingers to create little pleats or petals, then bring them together and seal the top into a pointed end.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

For steaming, place a banana leaf on the steamer plate and arrange the modaks on top. Steam them for around 10-15 minutes.

Serve the modaks hot after bhog.

 

 

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Homemade Tahini Recipe

INGREDIENTS

 1 cup hulled sesame seeds

3 tbsp or more extra virgin olive oil,see Note

 

PREPARATIONS Heat a clean, dry cast iron or heavy duty skillet over medium high heat and add the sesame seeds. Stir frequently until they begin to turn golden brown and then stir constantly. Be careful, sesame seeds burn very easily. Once they're toasted, let them cool a few minutes then add them to a food processor. Start by adding 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Process the mixture into a paste, scraping down the sides. Add more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency (*see Note) Store the tahini in an airtight jar in the fridge and it will last for several months.  Stir it thoroughly before you put it in the fridge because once it's chilled it's difficult to stir.   This makes a little less than 3/4 cup tahini paste, depending on how much olive oil you use. NOTES
 The texture may be slightly gritty, which isn’t a problem, you won’t notice it when you use it to make hummus for example. But if you want it a little smoother you can a high-powered food blender.

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Baba Ganoush

 

 

INGREDIENTS

3 medium eggplants(about 2 pounds)

3 cloves garlic, *skins on

1/4 cup tahini

Homemade Tahini Recipe see my next post

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin pdr

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish

pinch of smoked paprika

warmed pita wedges, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, snap peas, broccoli and cauliflower florets, etc. , for serving 

 

Preparations

Place the oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking. 

Poke the eggplants all over with the tines of a fork, slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, lightly brush the eggplant halves with olive oil, and place each half on the parchment paper with the cut side down.  Place the garlic (with skin on) next to the eggplants.  The garlic will be done before the eggplant; remove as soon as the skins are browned, 15-20 minutes, and remove/discard their skins.  Continue to roast the eggplants until they are extremely tender, another 20-30 minutes (depending on size of eggplant).

Remove the eggplant from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.  Then turn the halves over and use a spoon to scrape all of the flesh out (discard the skins).  Place the flesh in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl for about 20 minutes so that the excess water in the eggplant can drain.  This step is critical for avoiding a sopping wet dip.  You can also press down a bit on the flesh to remove as much liquid as possible.  Discard the liquid.

Place the eggplant, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and salt in a food processor and process until fairly smooth but not completely pureed, scraping the mixture down from the sides of the bowl as needed.  Taste and add more lemon juice and/or salt as desired.  Continue to process until the mixture is smooth or just the slightest bit chunky, however you prefer (traditionally baba ganoush is not completely smooth, it has a bit of texture).  Stir in the chopped parsley.

*A note about salt:  Eggplant is naturally bitter and adding a generous amount of salt not only improves the flavor of the dip but helps curb the bitterness of the eggplant.  Transfer the baba ganoush into a serving bowl.  With the back of a spoon, make a swirl in the top of the baba ganoush, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika and parsley.  Serve immediately with toasted pita wedges, flatbread, or your favorite crunchy vegetables

 

 

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