Sweet Tooth!

How many variants of milk burfi do you suppose exist? On last count, close to a million it would seem. I love the versatility of this ingredient – from soaps to cream to Ganeshas, everyone wants a piece of the action. I love my milk based sweets – from Payesh, to Rasogulllas, to Kalakand – it all works for me.

Of all the dry fruits, the one that has fascinated me the most has been figs. As children, the fact that it came tied in a rope like thing gave this a rather raw and rustic feel. I also loved the texture when one bit into it, soft and crunchy.

Imagine my happiness when both these ingredients combined. Of course, a milk burfi by any other name etc. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
Milk – ½ litre
Figs – 4 numbers
Sugar – 1 and ¼ cup
Ghee – 5 tablespoon
Rava – ¼ teaspoon
Besan – ¼ teaspoon

Method
Heat 1 tablespoon Ghee and roast the besan and rava. Chop the figs into small pieces. Boil milk, sugar with roasted rava and besan. Add chopped figs. Stir continuously and add the rest of the ghee till the mixtures begins to leave the side of the vessel. Switch off the gas and stir till it becomes thick. Spread on a greased plate. Cool and cut into pieces.

I like them as generous large pieces, saves the effort of having to eat multiple numbers of them!

You say Po-Tayto, I say Po-Tah-To

Now how wrong can one go with potatoes? Need to create illusion of quantity? Ta Da, Potatoes! Need to get some cheer to greens? Ta Da, Potatoes! Need to add to the sin content of food? Ta Da, Potatoes again! Very fun and ever versatile, the aloo adds much cheer to any meal.

But potato in a mithai? Yes yes, it is possible now. And what is more it is a hybrid version of a Gulab Jamun and a Modak. Suitably curious? Here is the recipe.

Potatoes and Coconut Stuffed Jamun
To make 12 pieces

Ingredients
For the base
Potatoes – 250 grams (approximately 3 of them)
Maida – 1 tablespoon
Ghee – 1 tablespoon

For the filling
Grated Coconut – ½ cup
Sugar – ¼ cup
Dryfruits (cashewnut, raisins, dates) – chopped ½ a cup
Cardamom powder aka Elaichi

For the syrup
Sugar – ¾ cup
Kesar (Saffron)
Cardamom powder (Elaichi)

Oil for frying

Method
Boil the potatoes and mash well. Knead with maida and ghee and keep the prepared dough in the fridge (placed inside a foil) for 15 minutes.

For the filling, cook the grated coconut sugar and dry fruits. Add the cardamom flavour and mix well. Cook till the sugar has melted completely.

Now take the potato dough and make equal sized balls out of it and fill with the coconut mixture. After stuffing roll these into cylindrical shape (like the long Gulab Jamun) and deep fry till it becomes golden brown (what else!)

Make the sugar syrup and add the flavouring into it (elaichi and kesar), dip each of the fried jamuns in the sugar syrup for about 2 minutes or so. Remove and place it on serving plate and to add some more colour and sin, garnish with dry-fruits.

Word of Caution: this is not a sweet that you can keep for too long. So make sure to not make too many of them for you would need to consume them quickly. Alternatively, hunt for those sneakers and hit the treadmill!