Eggless Gulkand Cupcakes

          I love cupcakes more than cakes. They are a perfect tea time snack, party snacks or an after meal dessert. So let me share a simple and an easy eggless cupcake recipe where I have flavored it with some Gulkand. It takes very little time to bake these yummy beauties. So do give it a try and enjoy with your loved ones. 

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp. Gulkand (rose petals preserve)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup yoghurt
• 2 drops of red food color 
• 1 tbsp. rose water
• 2-3 tbsp. powdered sugar or to taste
• dry rose petals and chopped pistachios to garnish (opt)
• 1 tsp. chopped pistachios

Frosting - 

• 100 gms. butter at room temperature
• 1-2 drops of red food color 
• 1 cup powdered sugar

          Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Keep aside.

          In a large bowl, whisk oil, Gulkand, yoghurt, rose water, food color and sugar till light and fluffy.

          Now add the dry ingredients, little at a time into the mix and fold it in gently. 

          Add the chopped pistachios and give it a stir. 

          Line a muffin tray and spoon in the batter till it is 3/4 full. Tap gently.

          Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Insert a skewer to check if it is done. Set aside to cool.

          Frosting - Whisk the butter and food color with a hand blender till it is light and fluffy. Fold in the sugar, little at a time and continue to beat till it is stiff and everything is well incorporated. 

          Transfer to a piping bag with a preferred nozzle and pipe in over the cupcakes. Garnish with pistachios and dry rose petals. Serve as desired.

Pasta Gulkand Kheer / Payasam / Pudding

          How about preparing something new this festive season for your family? So give a twist to the usual kheer and try this pasta kheer instead. Flavor it with Gulkand for an amazing sweet treat. I tried it for the first time and it simply turned out real yummy with a lingering aroma from the Gulkand, rose water and cardamom powder. Enjoy as it is with a garnish of chopped pista, saffron and dry rose petals or when desired. 

• 1/2 litre milk
• 1/2 cup pasta
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 2 tbsp. Gulkand
• 1/2 cup grated paneer
• 2 tbsp. milk powder
• 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 3 tbsp. chopped pistachios
• pinch of saffron
• pinch of dry rose petals (opt)

          Pressure cook the pasta in sufficient water along with 1 tsp. ghee for one whistle. Drain and keep aside.

          In a pan bring the milk to a boil and simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. Add the Gulkand, paneer, sugar, milk powder, 2 tbsp. chopped pistachios and cardamom powder.

          Mix everything well and add the boiled pasta. Continue to simmer by stirring at intervals till the kheer turns slightly thick and you get the desired consistency. Add the rose water and switch off the flame.

          Garnish with remaining pista, saffron and rose petals. Serve in individual bowls for an after meal treat. 

Gulkand Flavoured Cake

          This is just a simple basic eggless cake for you to try. I flavoured it with some Gulkand and rose water for some lingering aroma. Adding frosting is purely optional. Relish this yummy cake just as it is, as a dessert or as a tea time snack. 

• 1 cup plain flour 
• 3 tbsp. Gulkand
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. chopped pistachios 
• few cherries & rose petals to garnish

Frosting -

• 100 gms. butter at room temperature
• few drops of red food coloring 
• 1 cup powdered sugar

          Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt 2-3 times. Keep aside. Whisk the butter, oil, sugar and Gulkand well it everything is well incorporated.

          Add all the dry ingredients and mix well in a cut and fold method. Pour into a greased cake tin and bake at 190 degrees C. for 40-45 minutes.

          For the frosting - Beat the butter and food color till light and fluffy. Fold in the sugar, little at a time, till everything is well incorporated. 

          Transfer to a piping bag and pipe in over the cake as desired. Garnish with cherries, pistachios and rose petals. Cut into desired shape and enjoy.

Sabudana Paneer Modak

          Modak is a sweet dumpling that is offered to Lord Ganesha. Without it celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi is incomplete. They are traditionally prepared with rice flour and with a coconut-jaggery stuffing. 

           But let me share a modak recipe that I tried. It is made of sabudana (sago) and paneer. The stuffing is of gulkand, fresh grated coconut and chopped pistachios. The end result are these yummy modak that can be offered to Lord Ganesha this festive occasion. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1/4 cup sabudana (sago), soaked for 4-5 hours
• paneer made from 500 ml. milk
• 2 tbsp. milk powder
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 2-3 tbsp. sugar or to taste
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk

Stuffing - 

• 1 tsp. gulkand
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 tbsp. chopped pistachios
• 1 tbsp. tutti frutti
• pinch of saffron

          For the stuffing - mix together all the ingredients (except saffron) and keep aside.

          Drain the sabudana completely and mash them slightly. Mash the paneer too. In a pan stir  together all the ingredients (except milk) for 2 minutes.

          Now add the milk and continue to stir continuously till it leaves the sides of the pan and comes together. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool down a bit. 

          Now take a modak mould and fill it with the sabudana-paneer mix. Make a cavity in the centre and fill it up with some of the stuffing.

          Make similar modak with the sabudana-paneer dough and the stuffing. Garnish with some saffron and tutti frutti and offer them to Lord Ganesha.

                        For the stuffing - mix together all the ingredients and keep aside.

                        In a pan stir together all the ingredients (except milk) for 2 minutes.

                        Add the milk & continue to stir till it leaves the sides of the pan.

                       Switch off the flame and allow it to cool down a bit. 

                             Take a modak mould & fill with sabudana-paneer mix. Make a 
                             cavity in the centre & fill it up with some of the stuffing.

                          Garnish with saffron & tutti frutti & offer them to Lord Ganesha.

Gulland (Rose Petals Preserve)

          Gulkand (Rose petals jam/ preserve) comes handy when you have to add some flavor to your sweet dishes. So make this instant version at home and store in an airtight container for later use. 

          Add to your lassi, halwa, shrikhand, kulfi. phirni, kheer, smoothie, pudding, ice cream, etc. and take them to another level. Gulkand has many health benefits and is also treated as a medicine to treat various ailments.

• 3 cups rose petals
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder

          Rinse the petals and let it dry. Transfer it to pan along with the sugar. Stir on a medium flame till the sugar melts. Add the honey and cardamom powder.

          Continue to simmer by stirring continuously till the moisture is absorbed. Switch off the flame and let it cool down, before storing in a clean jar for later use. 

                        Rinse the petals and let it dry. 

                     Transfer it to pan along with sugar. Stir on a med. flame till sugar melts. 
                     Add honey & cardamom powder. Simmer by stirring continuously till 
                     moisture is absorbed. Switch off flame and let it cool down, before storing
                     in a clean jar for later use. 

Baked Gulkand Flavoured Mishti Doi (Rose Flavoured Sweet Yoghurt - Bengali Style)

          This is a most irresistible Bengali dessert that is very easy and quick to prepare. It can be set overnight the traditional way, steamed or baked. Today I would like to share the baked version. Absolutely a hassle-free dessert, it is a pure bliss and a total hit at any in-house party. I gave a twist by adding some gulkand (rose petals jam) for a lingering rose flavor. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup yoghurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. condensed milk
• 2 tbsp. milk powder
• 3 tbsp. gulkand (rose petals jam)
• pinch of cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1 tsp. dry rose petals

          Blend together all the above mentioned ingredients till they are no lumps. Pour spoonful into ramekins and place them on a baking tray filled with some water. 

          Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C. for 12-15 minutes. Set it aside to cool before refrigerating for a couple of hours. Serve chilled.

                 Blend all ingredients till they are no lumps. Pour spoonfuls into ramekins &
                 place them on a baking tray filled with some water. 

                   Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C. for 12-15 min. Set aside to cool
                   before refrigerating for a couple of hours. 

                                Serve chilled.

Gulkand Lassi (Rose Petals Preserve Smoothie)

          A great combination of Gulkand (rose petals preserve) and yoghurt makes for a delicious and refreshing drink. Garnish with some chopped nuts, saffron and rose petals. Serve in individual glasses and have this flavored lassi chilled or with some extra ice cubes. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 2 cups yoghurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 milk pedas, crumbled / 2-3 tbsp. khoya
• 2 tbsp. Gulkand (rose petals preserve)
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp. rose water
• sugar to taste (only if required)
• few rose petals to garnish
• pinch of saffron to garnish
• some chopped mixed nuts to garnish

          Blend together Gulkand with the rose water. In a mixi jar, add the yoghurt, Gulkand, crumbled Pedas / khoya, water and cardamom powder. Sugar can be added if required.

          Blend into a smooth puree. Pour into individual glasses and garnish with the chopped nuts, saffron and rose petals. Serve chilled and enjoy this cool, refreshing and flavored lassi.

                                 Milk pedas...

In a mixie jar, add yoghurt, gulkand, crumbled pedas, water & cardamom 

                    powder. Sugar can be added if required.

Blend into a smooth puree. 

         Pour into glasses & garnish with chopped nuts, saffron & rose petals.