Eid spread: Coconut and kulfa dreams

Serve these homemade delicacies on Eid and spread love with every bite of mithai and every spoon of creamay dessert.

Nida Waqar August 09, 2013
The much awaited feasting time of the year has finally arrived! Congratulations to all of you brave people out there for being patient through Ramazan. Now, it’s time to let loose and give in to your cravings.

While your Eid trolley may have the essential Eid items (sandwhiches, kababs, cake), there are always recipes you can try out that will impress your friends and family. Read on to see these dessert recipes that are sure to win you tonnes of praise from your loved ones.
Kulfa inspired, crunchy delight

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups milk.

2. One cardamom.

3. 2-3 strands of saffron.

4. Condensed milk 2tbsp.

5. Corn flour, to thicken.

6. 225g cream cheese.

7. 20g instant gelatine powder.

8. 75g sliced almonds- about 3/4th cup.

9. Dehydrated fruits, optional.

10. Sugar, as required.

11. 1 large pack Marie biscuits or any digestive biscuits and 3 tbsp butter for the base.

Dehydrated fruits. These add a fruity, chewy flavour and texture. Photo: Nida Waqar

Method:

-     Make the base for the dessert by finely grinding the biscuits and melted butter in a food processor. Spread and press it tightly in your serving dish and put it in the freezer to set.

Crushed digestive biscuits for the base. Photo: Nida Waqar

-    Boil the milk with an unopened cardamom clove and saffron for five minutes on medium heat. Add condensed milk and sugar and cook for five minutes or more. Add the almonds and fruits. To make the mixture thick, add corn flour dissolved in water; this will give you a custardy consistency.

-    Put it in a bowl to cool down for a bit; however, while the water is lukewarm add cream cheese to it.

Kulfa flavoured custard set to cool. Photo: Nida Waqar

-    Dissolve 4-5 tbsp in hot water and add it to the custard.

-    Pour over the biscuit base and put it in the fridge to set.

-    Garnish with whipped cream before serving.

The end result of the Kulfa inspired dessert. Photo: Nida Waqar

Serving style 1: It can be served like this. Photo: Nida Waqar

Serving style 2: To make it look fancy, serve like this. Photo: Nida Waqar
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What is Eid without some soft, crunchy, homemade mithai? Read below for an easy to make coconut mithai.
Coconut mithai: Chewy blocks of Pakistani candy goodness 

Ingredients:

1. 200g grated coconut.

2. Half cup milk.

3. 300g condensed milk.

4. Cardamom clove 2-3.

Method:

-    Heat two tbsp of oil in a non stick pan and fry the cardamoms for a minute or two, then add coconut and milk to it.

-    When the colour turns off white, add condensed milk to the mixture.

-    Keep stirring till the mixture starts to get sticky.

Coconut mixture in a dish lined with baking paper to mould it. Photo: Nida Waqar

Take it out and shape the mixture into balls or small tikkis; roll in grated coconut and cool and you are done!

The mixture shaped into balls and ready to serve. Photo: Nida Waqar

 

Want to keep it simple? Serve like this. Photo: Nida Waqar

Final product: Photo: Nida Waqar

Please note:  You can also line a dish with baking paper and press firmly onto it. Once cooled, cut into cubes and garnish with almonds or cashew nuts.

Tip:  Incase your coconut is not grated very finely or for some reason your mithai isnt getting the halwa type of consistancy, add 2-3 tbsp cornflour dissolved in half a cup of milk and cook till its dried up and the cornflour thickens up and gets it all together.
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Sick of eating already? No worries - try this cardamom drink recipe, that is certain to help you digest all the food you have devoured.
Cardamom simply delicious drink:

Ingredients:

For three glasses you will need:

1. 3 and 1/2 glass water.

2. Three cardamoms (open).

3. Sugar to taste. I usually use 2-3 tsp per glass.

4. Juice of one large lemon, a little more than 1/4th cup.

Method:

-    Cook the water, sugar and elaichi on medium heat for at least 15 minutes, covered.

-     Strain and cool.

-    Add the lemon juice and chill.

-    Serve with mint leaves and ice cubes in the glass.

Hope this helps- happy cooking and Eid Mubarak!
WRITTEN BY:
Nida Waqar A mother, a homemaker and an aspiring chef. She tweets @https://twitter.com/Nidolicious
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

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