Laddu - A Gluten-Free Indian Cookie that Doesn't Require an Oven

Laddu is a gluten-free Indian cookie most commonly prepared in small balls (laddu literally means small ball in Sanskrit).  Although laddu can be spiced with anything, mine were flavored with orange, cardamom, and a touch of nutmeg and were drizzled with a chocolate coconut ganache.

Laddu are prepared differently than most American cookies.  The process begins by roasting chickpea flour with ghee or butter (use ghee if you can get it as it will give the cookies a richer flavor).  You then mix in the spices, honey for sweetness, and a touch of powdered milk.  Roll the batter into balls and you're done - no need to touch the oven.

Laddu has a Mexican wedding cookie-like texture - it's hard on the outside, but when you bite into it, it crumbles in your mouth as if you were eating a ball of refrigerated cookie dough.

Diwali Sweets - Diwali Cupcakes with Carrot Halwa and Gulab Jamun

 

In my next post, I'll be announcing the winning charity for Cupcake Project 4.0, revealing the cupcake recipe that you'll receive if you donate, and telling you how to donate.  But first, join me on a trip to India for Diwali.

These Diwali cupcakes are a twist on traditional Diwali sweets.  One of my readers, Pia BRoy, requested Diwali cupcakes on my Facebook page.  I told her that I would be happy to make some incorporating her favorite Diwali sweets.  She replied that her top Diwali sweets are carrot halwa and gulab jamun - so, Pia, I bring you the Diwali sweets-inspired carrot halwa cardamom cupcakes topped with carrot halwa and a gulab jamun. 

Close your eyes as you eat these and you can imagine yourself in India for Diwali.  It's easy for me since I was there in '94.  Diwali is the Indian festival of lights, and when they say lights, they mean LIGHTS! Our July 4 celebrations don't hold a candle to Diwali (mainly because - at least when I was there - there was no one stopping people of any age from lighting fireworks in the street).  There were so many fireworks that it looked like the entire city (I was in Chennai, formally known as Madras) was on fire.  Our bus driver could only see two feet ahead of him as he tried to maneuver around cows, people, cars, and carts.  I did not envy him!

Open your eyes after you've taken your first bite so that you can peek inside the Diwali cupcakes and see the light texture and scattered orange carrot halwa flecks.

Gulab Jamun - Indian Syrup-Soaked Donut Holes

Gulab jamun are the Indian version of donut holes.  But unlike the donut holes that I would mooch off of my brother's soccer team while they were having halftime meetings, gulab jamun are not finger foods.  Imagine, if you will, hot Krispy Kremes fresh out of the fryer, soaked in sugar syrup, and then served on top of some extra syrup.  That, my friends, is gulab jamun.  Gulab jamun are little syrup sponges (in this case a cardamom, syrup) your arteries will hate you for, but that you won't be able to resist (if you feel guilty, you can remind yourself that they aren't as fattening as deep fried cupcakes or cupcakes wellington). 

Carrot Halwa (Gajar Halwa)

There's an Indian restaurant that I used to go to weekly where everything on the lunch buffet was orange;  there was the bright orange tikka masala, assorted curries in pale orange, and even the biryani had an orange tint to it.  While most other Indian places in town served kheer (rice pudding) for dessert, this one served warm orange mush.  It was this soothing porridge eaten in the company of good friends that somehow made returning to my cube of terror (this was before my life as a cupcake blogger) tolerable.  I had no idea what made the mush orange or gave it its exotic flavor. I hoped (but never asked) that it wasn't just lots of artificial color.

The orange mush was carrot halwa (gajar halwa) and I now know how to make it myself!  The exotic smell turned out to be cardamom and ghee simmering on the stove, and when I smelled it in my own house, I breathed it in deeply and lamented that I didn't have a whole orange buffet to go with it.

Bhapa Sandesh Indian Cupcakes: Happy Blogoversary to Me

One year ago today, I posted the first cupcake on this blog. It was an Indian-inspired chai cupcake. By total coincidence, one year later, I am posting another Indian cupcake.

I wanted to make Indian cupcakes to go with my Taste & Create naan recipe('cause you know, you need a starch to go with a starch). The problem was that I couldn't find any good Indian cake recipes. I didn't want to simply bake an Indian-influenced cupcake like the chai cupcakes - I wanted to use an actual Indian cake recipe.

How Did I End Up Making Bhapa Sandesh?

To come up with an Indian cupcake recipe, I emailed my friend Nupur of One Hot Stove. I asked her what she would recommend. I expected maybe a suggestion or two. Nupur went above and beyond to make sure that I had the information that I needed.

First, she explained why I couldn't find many Indian cake recipes online: "Well, cakes in India are a Western import really. Typically, Indian kitchens don't even have an oven so desserts are made on the stove-top rather than oven-baked." She then went on to give me a slew of ideas for a variety of cakeish Indian desserts. Thanks so much, Nupur!!

The recipe that stuck out for me was bhapa sandesh from Bong Mom's Cookbook. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Sandeepa of Bong Mom's Cookbook made the recipe for her one year blog anniversary! She said on her blog, and I repeat to you, "All joyous occasions in India are celebrated with something sweet and so here is 'Bhapa Sandesh' or Steamed Sandesh for all of you on the Blog turning One."

What is Sandesh?

I had to turn to Wikipedia to answer the question, "What is sandesh?" Sandesh is "a sweet that is made in West Bengal state of India and in Bangladesh... It is created with coconut and sugar. Some recipes of Sandesh call for the use of chhana (curdled milk) or paneer instead of coconut. Some people in the region of Dhaka call it pranahara (literally, heart 'stealer') which is a softer kind of sandesh, made with mawa and the essence of curd."

The bhapa sandesh that I made did not have coconut, nor did it use chhana or paneer. Instead, it used ricotta cheese. It did have mawa (dried milk powder), but I'm not sure if that made it a heart stealer variety or not.

Did the Bhapa Sandesh Indian Cupcakes Steal My Heart

The bhapa sandesh Indian cupcakes didn't quite steal my heart. I liked them, but they were by no means my favorite cupcakes. I found them to be a bit too rich. They seemed like an Indian version of a ricotta cheesecake.

The bhapa sandesh Indian cupcakes did, however, steal the hearts of some of my other tasters. People seemed to enjoy the moistness and the mango flavor. In fact, my friend Ran just left this cupcake-related comment on my mango frosting recipe post: "These were some of my favorite Stef cupcakes in some time. Fantastic flavor and moisture levels. A perfect summer cupcake!"

The Bhapa Sandesh Indian Cupcake Recipe

As noted above, I got the recipe from Bong Mom's Cookbook. I am reprinting it with my notes and modifications below.

Makes about 12 cupcakes. You may get more or less depending on how tall you make them.

• 2 C whole milk ricotta cheese (If you've got a little time, make your own ricotta.)
• 1/2 C sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 C milk-mawa powder (You should be able to find mawa at any store that sells Indian groceries.)
• 10 drops tea masala extract (My tea masala extract was a gift from Nupur so it seemed fitting that I would use it in a recipe she recommended. If you don't have any on hand, you could easily use some of Chockylit's chai spice mix that I used in my first chai cupcake post.)
• Chai Spice Mix Recipe (if needed)
  2 t whole fennel, 2 t whole cloves, 1 T ground cardamom, 2 t ground cinnamon, 2 t ground ginger
  1. With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
  2. Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices.
  3. Mix to combine.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix ricotta, sweetened condensed milk, and mawa in a bowl to a smooth consistency.
3. Add chai extract or chai spice mix.
4. Spray cupcake liners with non-stick cooking spray. I've never had to do this before, but it really helped in this recipe. When I didn't spray, the cupcakes completely stuck to the wrappers.
5. Fill an oven proof dish with 2-3 C water and place in the bottom rack of the oven.
6. Fill cupcake wrappers about 3/4 full. The cupcakes don't rise much, so just fill a little bit lower that you want them to end up.
7. Make sure the water has come to a boil and then put the cupcakes on the top rack of the oven.
8. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
9. Let them cool and then place in the fridge to chill.

The Mango Whipped Cream Frosting

I topped the cupcakes with my mango whipped cream frosting. Many of the cupcakes sunk in the middle during baking. No need to worry if this happens to you on this or any other cupcakes. You can always fill in the sinkhole with something yummy. In this case, I filled the hole with some extra mango pulp.

My Gratitude

I've loved my first year of blogging. I actually can't believe that it has only been a year. Thanks to everyone who has read and left such kind comments over the year. If you are just starting a blog, I encourage you to keep going with it. I hope you'll find it to be just as rewarding as I have.

Naan Recipe: If You Can Make Pancakes, You Can Make Naan

Naan is one of my favorite components of an Indian meal. Sometimes when I go to an Indian buffet, I'll hit the buffet one last time for naan only so that it is the last flavor in my mouth when I walk out the door.

What is Naan?

Naan is an Indian bread that is similar to pita, but so much better (don't even try to debate it with me)! It is traditionally made in a tandoor (a clay oven), but I made this naan recipe in a cast iron skillet.

Why Did I Make a Naan Recipe?

My Taste & Create partner this month was Heaven is Chocolate, Cheese, and Carbs (is that not the coolest blog name ever?). She had a naan recipe on her blog and I was all over it. What made picking the naan recipe extra fun was that it came from Cooking 4 All Seasons and HICCAC made it last month as her entry for Taste & Create. It's like a continuing chain of Taste & Create love.

How Did the Naan Recipe Compare to Naan I've Tried at Indian Restaurants?

I won't say that this naan recipe was better than that of the naan I get at my favorite Indian restaurant. I will, however, say that it was just as good. It was also not that hard to make. You may recall that my last attempt to use yeast was a complete failure. The failure was due in part to using the wrong kind of yeast and not warming the milk. This time, I followed directions and it was a breeze. If you can make pancakes, you can make naan.

The Naan Recipe

As mentioned above, this recipe came from Cooking 4 All Seasons via Heaven is Chocolate, Cheese, and Carbs. I am reprinting it with my notes. I also left out the sesame seeds that were in the original recipe because I didn't think they were necessary.

• 3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t instant yeast (It is VERY important that you use instant yeast. I used Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast which according to this lengthy discussion on Chow is the same as instant yeast.)
• 1 1/2 C warm milk - not above 100F (I wanted to make sure that temperature didn't lead to problems so I used a meat thermometer and tested the milk temp before use. I made my milk 90 degrees.)
• 1 t sugar
• Butter to taste

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the milk.
2. Let rest approximately 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast/milk mixture.
4. Mix in the salt.
5. Knead until soft and elastic.
6. Cover with a damp towel and leave in a dark place to rise until doubled, about two hours. (Am I the only one who can't tell when dough has doubled? It looked bigger so I went with it. Maybe I should measure next time?)
7. Remove the dough from the bowl, degas gently then divide into ten even balls.
8. Roll out into triangles, dusting lightly with flour as needed. I discovered that the thinner you roll it out the better. (Being the non-perfectionist that I am, I did not make triangles. I made whatever shape things happened to roll out into - mostly amoeba shaped blobs.)
9. Heat up a frying pan. (I used a cast iron skillet. I also liberally buttered the skillet.)
10. Generously brush one side of the dough with water and begin to cook with that side down on medium heat.
11. Brush the other side with water.
12. The dough should bubble a bit as it cooks. Leave it on the heat for a few minutes, then flip it to cook the other side for a shorter amount of time.
13. Move to a plate.
14. Generously butter. Enjoy.

Will There Be Naan Cupcakes?

There will not be naan cupcakes, but there will be Indian cupcakes. I baked them today and haven't yet frosted them. I had a few issues with them, but the jury isn't out yet. I'll give the whole story soon.