Desi-mal point of yum

Gulabi Pista Basundi
Ingredients for Basundi 

• Full fat milk 2 litres
• Sugar 1/2 cup (you can reduce by another tbsp)
• Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
• Saffron 7 to 8 strands (soaked in 2 tbsps warm milk)
• Pistachios 2 tbsp 
• Almonds 7-8 (blanched and peeled)
• Rose petals to garnish
• Sliver blanched almonds, chop pistachios and set aside. 
• Boil milk in a large heavy bottomed wide vessel on high flame. Then reduce flame and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring in intervals of two to three minutes. Add sugar. Keep stirring constantly. Allow milk to simmer till it thickens and has reduced to half. 
• Add cardamom powder, cook for a few minutes and to cool. 
• Garnish with almonds, pistachio and rose petals. 

— Recipes courtesy Rasovara 

Kaju Katli
Ingredients 

• 1 cup cashews
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ½  tsp elaichi powder
• 1 tsp ghee

Method

• Grind cashew until its fine powder. Sieve mixture.
• In a pan, add water and sugar. Stir syrup till sugar has dissolved.
• Add cashew powder, cardamom powder and continue mixing till the dough leaves the pan. 
• Add ghee and continue mixing till dough is formed. 
• Grease the back side of a thali with ghee, transfer mixture to the greased surface.  
• Roll out mixture into a thick round using a rolling pin. 
• Cut the dough into diamond shapes. 
• Kaju katli is ready to eat!

Shahi Malai Kofte
Make aloo kofte with two boiled potatoes, a cup paneer, 3 tbsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp cashew and raisins each and salt. Make into balls and fry golden. Dunk into gravy.

For gravy

• Bay leaf 1
• Cinnamon 1 inch piece
• Cloves 2-3
• Green cardamom 2-3
• Salt to taste
• Ghee 4 tbsp
• Whole dry red chillies 6-8
• Onion 1 cup (sliced)
• Ginger-garlic paste 2 tsp
• Khoya 100 gm
• Yogurt 1 cup
• Milk 1 cup
• Cashew paste 
• Saffron for garnishing

For paste:

• Blanched almonds 10-12 Cashewnuts 10-12 Poppy seeds 1 tbsp Melon seeds 1 tbsp Add kofte, salt, a cup of water, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and cook till the koftes are soft. Strain kofte and reserve stock. Heat ghee in the same cooker. Once the ghee is hot, add dry red chillies and fry for a few seconds. Add onion and fry until pinkish in colour. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another two to three minutes. Add cooked kofte and fry on high heat for three to four minutes. Add khoya, almond cashew paste and yogurt fry for two to three minutes.
• Add reserved stock and milk and simmer curry for three to four minutes. Cook on high heat until the curry reaches desired consistency. Adjust salt accordingly.