Category: Dessert

Dessert

Gulab Jamun – Soft, Syrupy, and Straight From the Sweetest Dreams

Puspa


🍯 Because Some Sweets Deserve a Soak in Syrup

Golden on the outside, soft and milky inside — Gulab Jamuns aren’t just a sweet dish, they’re an emotion.
They melt in the mouth, soak into your soul, and feel like a hug with every bite.

Made from khoya or milk powder, deep-fried till perfectly browned and dropped into rose-scented sugar syrup — they’re always a celebration.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Makes 10–12 jamuns):

For the dough:

1 cup milk powder

¼ cup maida (all-purpose flour)

1 tbsp ghee

A pinch of baking soda

2–3 tbsp milk (for kneading)


For the sugar syrup:

1½ cups sugar

1½ cups water

2–3 cardamom pods

A few drops of rose water (optional)

A few strands of saffron (optional)

Ghee or oil for deep frying




🍩 How to Make It – With Patience and a Sweet Hand

1. Make the Syrup

In a pan, mix sugar, water, cardamom. Bring to a boil.
Simmer for 8–10 minutes till slightly sticky (not one-string). Add rose water/saffron. Keep warm.

2. Prepare the Dough

In a bowl, mix milk powder, maida, soda, and ghee. Add milk little by little to make a soft, smooth dough. Don’t over-knead.

3. Shape the Jamuns

Make small, crack-free balls. Keep them covered so they don’t dry out.

4. Fry Low and Slow

Heat oil/ghee on low flame. Fry the balls gently, stirring often, till golden brown all over. This takes time — let them cook through.

5. Soak & Serve

Drop hot jamuns into warm syrup. Let them soak for at least 1–2 hours.
Serve warm, at room temp, or slightly chilled.



❤️ Why Gulab Jamun Will Always Be the Showstopper

Classic for weddings, birthdays, festivals

Melts in the mouth, not just in your hand

Made from pantry staples, but feels luxurious

Because nothing feels as sweet as one more gulab jamun

Dessert

Besan Ladoo – Melt-in-Mouth Gold Made with Ghee & Memories

Puspa


🪔 Because Every Festival Begins with a Ladle of Ghee and a Handful of Besan

Before there were fancy sweets, there were laddoos.
No packaging. No machines. Just a big kadhai, golden roasted besan, lots of ghee, and a home filled with the smell of celebration.

Besan Ladoo is one of those sweets that makes its way into every festival box, wedding tray, or school tiffin.
It’s not showy — but it’s so satisfying.

And when you make it from scratch?
You know it’s not just a sweet.
It’s a ritual.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Makes 10–12 ladoos):

1 cup besan (gram flour)

½ cup ghee (start with ⅓ and add more if needed)

⅓ to ½ cup powdered sugar (adjust to taste)

½ tsp cardamom powder

1 tbsp chopped nuts (optional – cashews, almonds, pistachios)




🍯 How to Make It – Slowly, Lovingly, & With a Lot of Stirring

1. Roast the Besan

In a heavy-bottomed kadhai, melt ghee. Add besan and roast on low flame, stirring continuously.
It will go from raw, to nutty, to aromatic — and turn deep golden. This takes 15–20 mins. Patience is flavor here!

2. Cool Down Slightly

Switch off the heat and let the mixture cool just a bit. It should still be warm, not hot.
Add cardamom powder and chopped nuts (if using).

3. Add Sugar & Mix

Now add powdered sugar and mix well until smooth. The mixture will look like golden dough — soft, rich, and sticky.

4. Shape the Ladoo

Grease your hands and shape into round ladoos. If it’s too soft, chill for a few minutes before shaping.

5. Set & Store

Let them set for 30 mins. Store in an airtight container for a week (if they last that long).



❤️ Why Besan Ladoo Feels Like Home

Ghee-roasted, nutty, and rich

Just 4–5 ingredients

Perfect for festivals, gifting, or “just because”

Because some sweets are made by hand, not machines

Dessert

Nariyal Ladoo with Jaggery – Two Ingredients, One Pure Bite

Puspa


🥥 When Sweetness Comes from the Earth, Not a Box

No refined sugar.
No preservatives.
Just fresh coconut and jaggery — slow-roasted in a pan until they turn into little balls of joy.

Nariyal Ladoo isn’t just a sweet — it’s a memory.
Of grandmothers grating coconut by hand, of festivals celebrated with simplicity, and of hands smelling like ghee and jaggery by the end of it.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Makes 10–12 ladoos):

2 cups fresh grated coconut (or frozen, thawed)

¾ cup jaggery (powdered or grated)

2 tbsp water

½ tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp ghee (for rolling or finishing)




🍲 How to Make It – With Slow Flame and Soft Hands

1. Melt the Jaggery

In a heavy-bottomed pan, add jaggery and water.
Heat on low until it melts and turns slightly thick and syrupy.

2. Add the Coconut

Mix in the grated coconut and stir continuously on low heat.
Let it cook for 6–8 minutes until the mixture comes together and starts leaving the pan.

3. Flavor & Finish

Add cardamom powder. Turn off the flame. Let it cool slightly.

4. Shape the Sweetness

Grease your palms with a little ghee.
Take small portions and roll into ladoos while warm.

5. Serve or Store

Let them set completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days.



❤️ Why Nariyal Ladoo Is Sweetness With Soul

No processed sugar

Made in one pan

Satvik, festive, and perfect for vrat too

Because sometimes, fewer ingredients mean more love

Dessert

Rosogolla – Spongy Pearls of Syrupy Bliss

Puspa


🍥 When One Sweet Becomes a Memory

White.
Soft.
Gentle.
But unforgettable.

Rosogolla is not flashy. It doesn’t crackle or crunch.
It melts. It floats. It absorbs syrup and affection alike.
Bengal’s pride, and every sweet lover’s soft spot.

Made with fresh chenna, shaped into round dumplings, and boiled in sugar syrup until they puff up like snowballs — this is a sweet you don’t just eat, you surrender to.


🛒 What You’ll Need (Makes 10–12 rosogollas):

1 liter full cream milk

2 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar) + 2 tbsp water

1½ cups sugar

4 cups water

Few cardamom pods (optional)

1 tsp rose water or saffron (optional for aroma)

Ice cubes for setting chenna



🥄 How to Make It – With Patience, and a Little Love

1. Make the Chenna

Boil milk, then turn off heat. Add diluted lemon juice gradually, stirring gently.
When curds separate, strain immediately through a muslin cloth.
Wash under cold water to remove sourness. Squeeze lightly and hang for 30 minutes.

2. Knead the Magic

Place the chenna on a plate and knead gently for 8–10 minutes until smooth and soft — like a dough.
Make 10–12 smooth, crack-free balls.

3. Boil the Syrup

In a wide pan, boil 4 cups water + sugar + cardamom.
Once it boils, add the chenna balls gently. Cover and boil for 15–18 minutes.
They will puff up and double in size.

4. Cool and Rest

Turn off heat. Let them sit in syrup until completely cool.
Add rose water or saffron at the end, if using. Chill before serving.



❤️ Why Rosogolla Always Wins Hearts

It’s soft, light, and guilt-free compared to fried sweets

Every bite is a balance of milk and syrup

It celebrates simplicity

Because even without richness, it feels luxurious

Dessert

Dry Fruits Ladoo – Sweetness That Needs No Sugar

Puspa

🌸 From My Mother’s Thali to Mine

Some sweets don’t come wrapped in gold foil.
They come in steel dabbas.
Tucked next to betel leaves, haldi, and that soft voice saying,
“Ek ladoo prasad mein rakh lena.”

Dry Fruits Ladoo is more than a sweet.
It’s what my mother made before the first Navratri sunrise.
No sugar. No flour. Just good things — slow-roasted, blessed, and rolled into energy.

She’d hand me one every morning before school, whispering, “Yeh vrat ka hai. Isme sab kuch hai.”
And it did — strength, simplicity, and love that didn’t need measuring cups.

🛒 What You’ll Need (Makes 10–12 ladoos):

1 cup seedless dates (tightly packed)

½ cup mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)

¼ cup desiccated coconut

2 tbsp raisins

4–5 figs (anjeer) (optional, for richness)

½ tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp ghee (optional, for shine)




🔥 How to Make It – With Devotion, Not Rush

1. Roast the Goodness
Lightly dry roast the nuts on a low flame for 2–3 mins. Let them cool. Coarsely chop or pulse in a mixer.


2. Prep the Dates & Figs
If dates/figs are firm, soak in warm water for 5–10 mins. Drain and chop roughly. Blend into a coarse paste (not smooth!).


3. Mix the Energy
In a pan, add 1 tsp ghee. Add dates paste, stir for 2–3 mins. Add nuts, raisins, coconut, and cardamom. Mix everything well.


4. Let It Cool Slightly
While still warm, grease your palms and shape into ladoos.
If they’re not binding, add a touch more ghee.


5. Store the Blessing
Keep in an airtight container. Stays good for a week — if they last that long.





❤️ Why I Love This More Than Any Mithai

No added sugar, just nature’s sweetness

Full of warmth, energy, and sattvic ingredients

Feels like fasting, but tastes like feasting

You can eat it as prasad, dessert, or a 4 pm pick-me-up




🛕 Navratri Tip from Ma:

Make a big batch before Ashtami. Offer one on the thali with flowers and tulsi.
And always eat one before you start your day — with or without fasting.

Dessert

Fruit Custard – A Bowl of Cold, Creamy, Childhood Joy

Puspa

🍨 Chapter One: The Fridge That Held Magic

You remember the bowl.
Steel or glass. Covered in cling film.
Hiding in the fridge like a secret.
Waiting till after dinner,
Until mom said, “Okay, just one bowl.”

That was fruit custard.

A rainbow of chopped fruits.
Cold, creamy custard, pale yellow and vanilla-kissed.
No drama. No oven.
Just sweet, cold spoons and quiet smiles.

🛒 The Things That Make the Magic (Serves 3–4):

2½ cups full cream milk

2 tbsp custard powder (vanilla flavor)

3–4 tbsp sugar

1 cup chopped seasonal fruits like:

Banana

Apple

Mango

Grapes

Pomegranate

(Strawberries if you’re feeling fancy)

🍳 How to Make It – The Slow Chill Method:

1. Make the Custard Base

Take ½ cup cold milk. Stir in custard powder — no lumps allowed.

Heat remaining milk + sugar in a pan. Once warm, slowly pour in the custard mix, stirring constantly.

Simmer 3–4 mins till it thickens gently.

Turn off heat. Cool completely.

2. Chill That Bowl

Once the custard is room temp, refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.

3. Add the Rainbow

Just before serving, mix in chopped fruits.

Don’t add fruits too early — they might get soggy or brown.

4. Scoop & Serve

Pour into bowls. Garnish with nuts, saffron, or just the memory of summer.


✨ Why Fruit Custard Is My Forever Dessert

Because it’s not loud, but it’s loved

Because it’s every childhood birthday party in one bowl

Because it’s light enough to eat after a feast

Because it brings color to a plain day

💡 Puspa’s Tips:

Don’t add citrus fruits like oranges or kiwi — they can curdle the custard

Want it richer? Add a little cream once cooled

Want to level up? Add a few soaked sabja seeds or jelly cubes

Serve in shot glasses for a cute party idea!

Dessert

Mango Lassi – The Chill Queen of Indian Summers

Puspa

✨ Intro: No Story. Just Vibes.

Creamy. Dreamy. Mango magic in a glass.
That’s Mango Lassi for you.
Born in Punjab. Loved everywhere.
Takes 5 minutes. Feels like a tropical hug.

🥭 What You’ll Need (aka The MVPs):

1 cup ripe mango pulp (Alphonso = gold)

½ cup thick curd (fresh, not sour)

¼ cup chilled milk

1–2 tbsp sugar (adjust the sweetness of your soul)

A pinch of cardamom powder

Ice cubes (yes, please)

Saffron strands & crushed pistachios (extra glam — optional)





⚡ How to Make It (5 Steps to Chill):

1. Toss mango, curd, milk, sugar, cardamom into a blender.


2. Blend until smooth, creamy, and irresistible.


3. Taste. Smile. Adjust sweetness if needed.


4. Pour into tall glasses.


5. Top with saffron, pista, and a paper straw for extra swag.






🍹 Pro Tips (From One Lassi Lover to Another):

No fresh mangoes? Use canned pulp (but go easy on sugar).

Want it thicker? Skip the milk.

Want it lighter? Add more milk.

Make it a slushie: freeze mango chunks and blend straight.


💛 Why You’ll Love It:

No cooking, no stress

Pure mango goodness

Instagram-worthy

Beats heat like a boss

Dessert

Sooji Halwa – The 10-Minute Indian Dessert Everyone Loves

Puspa

🌾 Intro / Story Section:

Some recipes come with rituals — and Sooji Halwa is one of them.

At home, it was the go-to for quick prasad, rainy evening cravings, or that “kuch meetha ho jaaye” moment after dinner. My mom always made it without measuring — just intuition, ghee, and love.

To me, Sooji Halwa is comfort in a kadai. It’s warm, easy, and always hits the spot.

🍯 Sooji Halwa Recipe

Serves: 3–4
Prep Time: 2 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins

🛒 Ingredients:

½ cup sooji (semolina)

⅓ cup sugar (adjust to taste)

2 tbsp ghee

1½ cups water (or milk for richness)

½ tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp chopped nuts (almonds, cashews)

1 tbsp raisins (optional)

A few saffron strands (optional)

👩‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Roast Sooji:
Heat ghee in a pan. Add sooji and roast on low heat till it turns golden and aromatic. Stir continuously to avoid burning.

2. Add Liquid:
In a separate pan, warm water or milk. Slowly pour into roasted sooji, stirring quickly to avoid lumps.

3. Sweeten It:
Add sugar and cardamom powder. Stir well. Cook till halwa thickens and leaves sides of the pan.

4. Garnish & Serve:
Mix in nuts, raisins, and saffron (if using). Serve hot.

💡 Tips:

Use fine semolina for smooth texture.

Roast sooji patiently — it defines the flavor.

Milk gives a richer halwa; water keeps it light and traditional.

❤️ Closing Note:

Sooji Halwa proves that you don’t need many ingredients or much time to make something that tastes like home. Just a little ghee, warmth, and love — and it’s done.

Dessert

Rice Kheer – The Sweetest Simplicity in a Bowl

Puspa

🌸 Intro / Story Section:

In my home, no celebration was complete without a bowl of kheer — creamy, fragrant, and sprinkled with slivered almonds. Whether it was a festival, a guest’s visit, or just a quiet Sunday, my mother would make kheer as a gentle act of joy.

I’d often sneak into the kitchen for a warm spoonful before it was chilled. The aroma of cardamom and slow-cooked milk still takes me back.

Rice Kheer is one of those rare recipes — simple yet rich, humble yet festive. It’s not just a dessert. It’s a memory.



🍚 Rice Kheer Recipe

Serves: 3–4
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins



🛒 Ingredients:

1 liter full cream milk

¼ cup basmati rice, rinsed and soaked for 30 mins

⅓ cup sugar (adjust to taste)

¼ tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios)

1 tbsp raisins (optional)

A few strands of saffron (optional)

1 tsp ghee (optional, for richer flavor)



👩‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Boil the Milk:
Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.


2. Add Rice:
Drain soaked rice and add to the milk. Simmer on low flame, stirring regularly so it doesn’t stick.


3. Cook Slowly:
After 30–35 minutes, the rice will be soft and the milk reduced. Add sugar and mix well.


4. Flavor It:
Stir in cardamom powder, nuts, raisins, and saffron if using. Simmer for 5 more minutes.


5. Serve:
Serve warm or chilled, garnished with more chopped nuts.





💡 Tips:

Stir often to prevent burning at the bottom.

Use full cream milk for a richer taste.

You can add condensed milk for extra creaminess (reduce sugar accordingly).





❤️ Closing Note:

Rice Kheer reminds me that the simplest things — milk, rice, sugar — can become magic with time and love. Try it once, and let it wrap you in warmth.