Mango Fool Sourced by the Telegraph

Patishapta

Bengali-style crepes with coconut filling

Makes 10-12, serves 5-6

Ingredients for crepes

• 100g flour
• 50g rice flour
• A pinch of sodium bicarbonate (optional)
• 200ml milk or more
• Ghee or oil for shallow-frying

Ingredients for coconut filling

• 1tbsp ghee or oil
• 100g fresh coconut grated
• ½ cup condensed milk
• 1tbsp cashew nut finely chopped
• 1tbsp raisins soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
• 4tbsp milk

Method

• In a bowl, take flour, rice flour, milk and sodium bicarbonate.
• Mix into a smooth batter, not too thick or thin. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• In a kadai or pan, heat 1tbsp ghee.
• Add grated coconut and stir-fry on low heat for 2 minutes
• Add milk and condensed milk. Mix well with the grated coconut.
• Add raisins and chopped nuts and stir-fry the mixture until the milk is absorbed.
• Remove from heat and cool.
• Place an 8- or 12-inch non-stick frying pan on medium heat
• Pour in 2tbsp batter and swirl the pan so that the batter coats the bottom evenly to make a thin pancake. Allow it to set.
• With a teaspoon, spread filling across one end of the patishapta.
• Starting with the end that has the filling, carefully fold the pancake over the filling and then roll it on to its other side.
• Remove from pan, do the same with the remaining batter and filling.

Thakuma’s Payesh Sourced by the Telegraph

Patishapta Sourced by the Telegraph

Litchir Kheer

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1½ ltr milk
• 60g sugar
• 2 tins litchi
• ½ cup litchi juice or syrup mixed with water to make half cup

Method

• In a pan, bring the milk to boil and keep stirring till it is reduced to half.
• Add the sugar, stirring all the while, till the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Reduce the milk further to make a thick caramelised custard. Remember to keep stirring.
• Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Then put into the fridge to chill.
• Just before serving, mix the litchi along with juice into the kheer. Pour into a serving dish or individual dessert bowls and garnish with rose petals.

Cook’s tip: Tinned litchis are the best for this dish.

Mango Fool

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• ½kg raw mango
• 150g caster sugar
• 500ml thick cream
• 250ml water
• Crushed ice

METHOD

• Wash, peel and cut mangoes into half. Remove the stone. Cut flesh into small bits.
• Place mango pieces in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil.
• When three-fourths done, add the sugar, mix well and cook till sugar dissolves and the mango is reduced to a pulp.
• Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Put the pulp in a bowl and then whisk in the cream.
• Check to see if it needs more sugar; if it does, whisk in some more.
• Put in the fridge and chill it.
• Serve in dessert bowls or small glasses.

Rakhi Purnima Dasgupta is the owner of Calcutta-based restaurant Kewpie’s

Thakuma’s Payesh

My grandmother’s rice pudding

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 2½ ltr milk
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 50g sugar (more if needed)
• 100g almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts, chopped
• 2 green cardamom pods, powdered
• 2 bay leaves
• 50g basmati rice
• 50g chopped nuts (for garnish)
• Rose petals (for garnish)

Method

• Pour the milk and condensed milk in a large pan or dekchi and bring to a boil.
• Wash and dry the rice.
• Add the rice and bay leaves to the boiling milk.
• Stir from time to time till the rice is done.
• Add sugar and chopped nuts, stir and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
• Sprinkle the powdered cardamom over the payesh and remove from heat.
• Once the payesh is cool, place in the refrigerator to chill.
• To serve, place in individual dessert bowls or plates and garnish with nuts and rose petals.

Litchir Kheer Sourced by the Telegraph

Pantua

(Makes 20)

Ingredients

• 750g chhana or paneer
  
• 150g suji or semolina
  
• 2tsp ghee
  
• ½kg ghee or oil for frying
  
• 3 black cardamoms peeled and the seeds crushed
  
• 250g milk solid or khowa khir
  
• 1½kg sugar
  
• 1l and 1 cup water
  
• 1tbsp large-grained sugar
  

Method

• Knead the chhana and suji with 2tsp ghee to make a smooth dough.
  
• Sprinkle with large-grained sugar and knead again lightly.
  
• Divide the dough into 20 portions and roll into balls.
  
• Combine the milk solid and crushed cardamom seed to make tiny balls and stuff each of these balls into the centre of the channa and suji balls.
  
• Make a thick sugar syrup by boiling ½kg sugar in 1 cup of water.
  
• Make a thin sugar syrup with 1ltr water and 1kg sugar.
  
• Heat ghee in kadai until piping hot (about 200°C) and fry the chhana balls a few at a time until well-browned.
  
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
  
• Keep the temperature of the ghee constant.
  
• Put the pantua in thin sugar syrup for about 1½ hours.
  
• Remove and place in the thick sugar syrup for serving.