The Indian Vegan Kitchen (42 page)

5. Chill in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. Garnish with cashews, pistachios, and coconut. Serve cold.

GF, LF

In India, fruit salads are eaten more like a snack than a dessert and are often called fruit chaat. Chaat masala and lemon juice add a little zip to this fruit salad.

1. In a serving bowl, mix together all the fruit.

2. In a separate small bowl, mix together orange juice, lemon juice, salt, and chaat masala. Pour over the fruit. Mix gently. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

3. Before serving, garnish with walnuts. Serve cold.

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add milk and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add flour mixture. Beat mixture; when dough becomes tough to work with, stir in the remaining flour with a large wooden spoon.

3. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Shape each into a 6-inch log. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut dough logs into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are light brown. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and cardamom powder. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture. Beat mixture; when dough becomes tough to work with, stir in the remaining flour with a large wooden spoon.

3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press an almond, if using, into the center of each cookie or make a little depression with a tip of your finger.

6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are light brown. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

G F

Almond
halwa
(
badam halwa
) is one of the richest
halwa
in terms of taste, flavor, and calories. It’s like marzipan, creamy and delectable. A little bit goes a long way—¼ cup is a good portion. Serve in small bowls. For convenience, use almond meal, if available. Or, grind the raw almonds in a spice grinder to a fine powder (you can grind it in a blender but it takes longer and will not come out as fine).

1. In a bowl, mix sugar and water. Set aside.

2. Mix oil and almond powder in a medium nonstick skillet. Stirring constantly, roast on medium heat until golden brown.

3. Carefully add the sugared water (stand back, as the water will bubble and can spill over). Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until water is absorbed.

4. Transfer to a serving container and sprinkle with cardamom powder. Garnish with slivered almonds, if desired.

GF

Almond meal is now readily available, and is convenient to use. However, it is relatively expensive. I typically grind slivered almonds in a coffee grinder; it does not take much time, is less expensive, and I can grind it finer than the purchased almond meal. Almond
barfi
is nutritious and delicious, for a dessert.
Vark
is silver foil, added for decoration, and is optional.

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

2. In a large skillet, combine sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, bring to a boil, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage. (To test for the soft-ball stage, pour a drop of syrup into the plate with water; the syrup should turn into a ball right away. Pick up the ball and roll between your fingers. It should easily roll into a soft ball. It should not be sticky on your fingers or brittle. (Or, cook to 200ºF on a candy thermometer.)

3. Remove from heat. Add almond powder and mix well. Cool for 8 to 10 minutes, mixing occasionally to prevent drying. The almond mixture will thicken as it cools. The mixture should still be warm but cool enough to touch.

4. Stir the almond mixture thoroughly and pour onto a clean, dry counter or a pastry board. It will have dough-like consistency. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes and form a smooth flat ball.

5. Place flattened ball in center of parchment paper. Put another sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll out to ⅓-inch thickness with a rolling pin. Remove the top parchment paper.

6. If using silver foil, carefully place on dough. The silver foil is very delicate and it will stick to the
barfi
immediately. Once placed, it cannot be removed.

7. Cut dough into 1-inch vertical strips, then cut 1
½
-inch diagonal strips, making diamond shapes. Carefully remove the
barfi
from the parchment paper and place in a single layer on a plate or tray.

8. Allow the
barfi
to air-dry for 20 to 30 minutes before storing in an airtight container. The
barfi
can be served immediately, kept at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated for a month, or frozen for later use.

The easiest way to explain this dessert is that they look like doughnut holes—but of course taste completely different.
Gulgule
are often made as communion food for
pooja
(prayer) during festivals. I often make these at
Diwali
(festival of light) time during one of the
poojas
.

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, and fennel seeds. Add water and make a stiff batter. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

2. While batter rests, heat oil in a
karahi
/wok on medium heat or electric fryer to 300ºF. Oil is ready when a small amount of dough dropped into the oil slowly rises to the top.

3. Drop 1 teaspoon of batter into the oil. Quickly drop several additional teaspoons of batter into the oil in a single layer. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, until the
gulgule
are golden brown.