By Varda Sharma

In India, no occasion is complete without nibbling on sweets. Here are four easy to make traditional Indian sweets that will help in ushering the New Year on a sweet note:

Gulab Jamun (makes apporx. 60)

Ingredients:

4 cups- Milk powder

1 cup- ghee

1 cup-maida

I pinch soda bicarb

For syrup:

3 cups- sugar

6 cups- water

Few strands of saffron

Method: Mix milk powder, ghee, maida, soda bicarb and make a soft dough with milk. Keep aside the dough for 2 hours covered with muslin cloth. If dough becomes dry, soften it by adding few drops  of milk. Make small balls and deep fry on low flames till golden brown. Keep aside.

For syrup: Boil sugar and water in a large pan and make syrup of one string consistency. Add saffron. Slowly put the fried balls and bring it to boil. Cover. While serving add few strands of pistachios.

Paneer Burfi (makes approx 55 pieces)

Ingredients:

Paneer (made out of 4 litre of milk)

Powder milk- 2 cups

Butter- 125 gms

Sugar- 2 cups

Method: Boil 4 litres of milk. Make paneer either by adding few drops of lemon or curd. When the milk has curdled well and the water has separated drain water and hang paneer in a muslin cloth till all water has drained well.

In a pan add mashed paneer, butter and sugar and stir on a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir constantly. Add powder milk and stir for another 10 minutes. Add green cardamom powder and  chopped pistachios. Grease a plate with little ghee and put the paneer mixture on it. Flatten it with the help of a greased spoon. Let it cool. Cut into desired rectangular or diamond shape.

Balu Shahi

 Ingredients:

Maida- 4 cups

Baking powder- ¼ tsp

Soda bicarb- ½ tsp

Ghee (melted)- 1 cup

Yoghurt (dahi)- 50 gms

For Syrup:

Sugar- 5 cups

Water- 4 cups

Method: Sift flour, baking powder and soda bicarb together in a bowl. Add melted ghee and yoghurt. Mix well. When fully mixed add approx 2 tsp water and knead to make a soft dough. Cove and keep aside for 15 minutes. Divide into 30 equal sized balls. Flatten slightly to make pedas. Press slightly in the middle with thumb. Deep fry these balls on medium flame for 5 minutes. Reduce flame to very low and continue frying for about 15 minutes. Increase flame to medium and fry till golden brown. Keep aside these pedas and allow to cool.

Now make syrup by boiling water and sugar. Boil for around 20 minutes. Immerse Balu Shahis in syrup for about 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle strands of pistachios.

Besan Ladoo

 Ingredients:

Besan- 2 ½ cups

Wheat flour- 1 cup

Semolina (sooji)- ½ cup

Ghee- 1 cup

Castor sugar- 1 cup

Method: Take a deep pan. Add besan, wheat flour, semolina and ghee and stir on low flame till golden brown and there is a deep aroma from besan. Note that the flame has to be kept on very low as besan turns brown very quickly.

Remove from flame and let the mixture cool. Add sugar and make ladoos. Add strands of almonds (optional).