Okay, so I’ve been on this huge Indian food kick lately. I’ve mastered some savory dishes, but the desserts? Intimidating! But, I decided to dive in and try baking some classic Indian sweets. Here’s how it went down:
The Great Dessert Selection
First, I had to pick what to make. Gulab jamun? Nah, too much frying. Rasgulla? Seemed complicated. I settled on a few that seemed doable for a beginner baker like me:
- Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot pudding – because who doesn’t love carrots?)
- Coconut Barfi (Simple, and I had all the ingredients!)
- Baked yogurt(Bhapa Doi)
The Carrot Chaos (Gajar ka Halwa)
I started with the Gajar ka Halwa. The recipe said “finely grate” the carrots. Let me tell you, grating a mountain of carrots is WORK. My arms were burning! I might’ve taken a few “taste-testing” breaks, you know, for quality control.
Then came the simmering in milk and ghee. The smell was amazing, all warm and spicy with cardamom. I kept stirring and stirring, feeling like a proper chef. It took forever for the milk to reduce, but finally, it started to thicken up. I tossed in some chopped nuts and a sprinkle of sugar. Done!
Coconutty Success (Coconut Barfi)
Next up, the Coconut Barfi. This one was way easier. Just mixing desiccated coconut, condensed milk, and a touch of cardamom. It felt like playing with playdough, seriously. I pressed it into a pan, popped it in the fridge to set, and cut it into little squares. Super simple, super tasty.
Baked suprise(Bhapa Doi)
I am not a big fan of sweets, so i wanted to find something a little bit sweet. I chose baked yogurt. I added yogurt, condensed milk and cream, whisked and baked them. The process was done.
I also added a little bit of cardamom.
The Taste Test!
The moment of truth! The Gajar ka Halwa was warm, sweet, and comforting, with a nice crunch from the nuts.
The Coconut Barfi was chewy and delicious, perfect with a cup of * baked yogurt was creamy and yummy.
Honestly, I was pretty proud of myself. It wasn’t perfect, but it was homemade, and it tasted pretty darn good!
So, yeah, that was my adventure with baked Indian desserts. It was a bit messy, a bit challenging, but totally worth it. Now I’m thinking, what should I bake next?
