Tag: dessert

Sago Kueh (Sago dessert)

Sago Kueh (Sago dessert)

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Southeast Asian desserts are delicious, delicately flavoured and not as sweet as South Asian ones. They are lighter as well, mostly made from sago, sticky rice or jello. This particular dessert, Sago Kueh, has the lovely flavour of pandan and rose.

Ingredients

Sago 2 cups

Water 3 cups

Rose syrup or Roohafza 5 tbsps

Sugar 1/2 cup

Pandan leaf or kewra leaf 1

Dessicated coconut 2 cups

Method

Boil the sago with the pandan or kewra leaf till the pearls turn transparent. If needed, add more water.

Add the rose syrup or Roohafza and sugar. Continue to cook, stirring intermittently, till the syrup thickens.

Remove the pandan leaf and pour into a greased glass baking dish and steam for 20 minutes. I used the steaming option on my microwave.

Cool and chill in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.

Slice into squares and toss it in the dedicated coconut. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Orange Kesari

Orange Kesari

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 2 Comments

Fresh oranges from the garden make this traditional Indian dessert delicious. The sugar cuts the tartness of the orange and citrusy taste goes well with semolina and ghee.

Ingredients

Semolina 1 cup

Orange juice 1 cup

Water 1/2 cup

Sugar 1 cup

Orange zest 1 tsp

Ghee 2 tbsps

Cashew nuts 10

Saffron few strands

Method

Dry roast the semolina in a heavy bottomed frying pan and keep it aside.

Add a teaspoon of ghee to the same pan and fry the cashew nuts till they are brown. Keep it aside.

Add the sugar, orange juice, water and saffron to the same pan and stir till the sugar dissolves. Add the zest. Bring to a boil.

Add the roasted semolina, stirring all the time.

Add the ghee and roasted cashew nuts.

Stir well till the water evaporates and the semolina is cooked.

Serve hot.

Eggless fudge brownie

Eggless fudge brownie

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

This fudgy brownie is light, but does not compromise on taste. The yoghurt and sugar give the fudgy texture to the brownie.

Ingredients

Dark chocolate 125 g

Cocoa 1/2 cup

Drinking chocolate 1/2 cup

Butter 85 g

Sugar 1 cup

Hot water 1/4 cup

All-purpose flour 3/4 cup

Baking powder 1/2 tsp

Corn flour 2 tbsps

Salt 1/2 tsp

Yoghurt 1/4 cup

Method

Melt the butter, chocolate, cocoa and drinking chocolate in a microwave at 30-second intervals till it becomes a smooth thick sauce.

Add the sugar to the hot water in a bowl and whisk for four minutes.

Add the chocolate sauce and whisk well.

Add the all-purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt and mix with a folding action. Do not over mix.

Add the yoghurt and mix it in.

Put into a greased tray and bake in a 170 degree C oven for 25 minutes.

Cool overnight in the refrigerator and slice into squares.

Lemon tart

Lemon tart

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

This is a dessert that goes well with a heavy meal of meat or chicken. It is light and tartness of the lemon custard is really good after a curry or steak. Use fresh lemons and the custard can be made earlier. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Ingredients

Pastry pie crust

Zest of two lemons

Sugar 3/4 cup

Corn flour 2 tbsps

Water 2 tbsps

Butter 120 g

Lemon juice 3/4 cup

Condensed milk 1/2 cup

Method

Make the pastry pie crust according to the recipe given here. Divide the dough into two halves and use just one half. The rest can be frozen for use later.

Line a greased pie dish with the rolled pie crust and pierce the bottom with a fork. Line the crust with aluminium foil and add fry rice to weigh down the crust. Bake in a 180 degree C oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and rice and bake for another five minutes.

Add a teaspoon of sugar to the zest in a pestle and grind to a paste.

Dissolve the corn flour in the water and keep it aside.

In a saucepan bring the butter, lemon juice, sugar and the zest paste to a boil. Continue to boil for four minutes, stirring all through.

Add the corn flour and simmer for three minutes, stirring continuously. It will thicken.

Take it off the heat and add the condensed milk. Stir well. Cool for 15 minutes.

Pour the lemon curd into the baked pie crust and refrigerate for two hours.

Slice and serve.