North Indian Recipes for Pregnant and delivered female:

This desserts originates from Rajasthan (North India). There is a lot of frying in Ghee as well as dry roasting involved in this dish. You should have two heavy bottom pans, one for dry roasting, and the other of Ghee frying.

Ingredients

500 gm. chapatti flour

500 gm. ground sugar or 'boora'

350 gm. clarified butter or 'ghee'

50 gm. puffed lotus seeds or makhane (white stuff

30 gm. edible gum resin or 'gond' – badam pisin

1 tsp. cardamom powder

2 tbs. peeled melon seeds- vellari vidai

1 tbs. unsalted pistachios(chopped finely)

2 tbs. almonds( chopped or sliced)

2 tbs. cashew nuts(chopped)

Preparation method

1. Dry fry puffed lotus seeds in a wok or kadahi, until lightly brown. They will be crisp when cold. Break them roughly with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Do not powder them. Keep aside.

 

2. Break gum resin coarsely by placing it between two folds of a towel and pounding gently with a rolling pin. You must not powder it. It should be coarse and granular.

  3. Heat ghee in a wok or karahi/kadhai.  

4.

Deep-fry gum resin on medium heat, stirring it up all the time, to ensure that every single piece is fried. Un-cooked gum is sticky! It fluffs up to almost double very quickly, within seconds. Lift it out of the ghee, as soon as it fluffs up. Otherwise, it will burn and get bitter. Keep aside on a plate

 

5. Heat remaining ghee again. Fry flour in it, until it is light brown and emits 'roasted' aroma. Ghee separates from the flour when it is ready

  6. Turn heat off. Add fried gum to the flour and continue stirring  

7. Add rest of the ingredients (sugar, cardamoms, melon seeds, pistachios, almonds, cashew nuts) and mix well

  8. Allow to cool until is it can be touched by hand comfortably  

9. Take small handfuls in your palm and roll them into balls or laddoos, approximately 1 1/2 -2 inch in diameter

  10. Store in an airtight boxPanjiri:Gaund (or Gond) is a natural edible gum. Gaund provides heat to the body and is usually eaten in cold winter months. It is also given to the nursing mother to help with lactation and provide nutrients for the baby. The main ingredients for panjiri are whole-wheat flour, nuts,

Gaund, and sugar. Will make 20 pieces. Ingredients:1 cup whole-wheat flour

1. 1/3 cup clarified butter (ghee)

2. 1/2 cup Gaund (edible gum)

3. 1/4 cup tablespoons melon seeds

4. 3/4 cup tablespoons coarsely ground almonds

5. 1/2 cup puffed lotus seed (makhana)

6. 1 teaspoon powder ajwain (carom seed)

7. 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder

8. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar

9. 1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Break Gaund (edible gum) coarsely. Keep aside.2. Break the makhana (lotus seed) in about four pieces. Keep aside.

3. Wash the melon seeds with water. Before draining the water, discard the seeds that are floating on top.

4. Next in a frying pan, dry roast the melon seeds on medium heat. Note: Stir the mixture continuously. They will lightly splatter while roasting (like popcorn). Take out and keep aside. When all seeds almost stop splattering they are done. The seeds should not get brown in color to avoid overcooking.

5. In the same frying pan, add one tablespoon of ghee. When it melts, add the makhana and roast them on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they become crunchy. Note: Stir the mixture continuously. The makhana should not become brown in color. Otherwise, they will be overcooked.

6. Transfer them with melon seeds.

7. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in the same frying pan on medium heat. Add the Gaund and stir-fry them until they puff up like popcorn. Note: Stir the mixture continuously. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. Note: This will absorb all the butter. Take it out over paper towel.

8. Use the same frying pan and put the ghee and whole-wheat flour and roast the flour on medium heat until the flour becomes light golden brown

9. Add the ground almonds, ajwain and ginger powder to the roasted flour and roast for another 5 to 6 minutes until the flour becomes medium brown in color and you start to smell the aroma.

10. Note: Stir the mixture continuously with a spatula to prevent burning. Cooking on high heat will not allow the mixture to fully cook.

11. Add all the remaining ingredients: Gaund, melon seeds, and makhana. With flour mixture. Mix it well and roast for another minute.

12. Remove from the heat and keep the mixture aside.

13. Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. When the syrup comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it simmer until the syrup is about half thread consistency or 220 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.

14. Mix the flour mixture with syrup and pour it over 8″ greased plate quickly before the mixture dries.

15. After the panjiri dries break the in pieces.

16. The panjiri can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks.

Notes:

1. If panjiri is not being made for the nursing mother you don’t have to add ajwain and ginger powder (The ajwain and ginger add a slightly bitter taste to panjiri).

2. If you want to make ladoos from the mixture, add 2 tablespoons of warm ghee and sugar without making the syrup and form them in ladoo shapes.

3. Gaund and melon seeds are available in Indian grocery stores.