Today something really nice happened after a long time. My first thoughts were those of my dad, my baba. My dad was enormously invested in every aspect of my upbringing, be it helping me put together projects, staying up nights with me before exams or getting the best of the sweets and pastries in town to celebrate my success. In fact, when I go back home I still find my report cards (1st to 10th), all merit certificates neatly stacked in a file till today. It’s just that he is not around. The immensity of emotions, feelings and love that I feel he would have felt had he been here today is something I cannot put down in words. My dad passed away 13 years back but I almost feel like I am in school and I have done really well in a test and waiting for baba to get home in the evening and acknowledge my success. I miss him. My eyes swell up with tears as I write this but I know for sure he is around!!!
These are some words which I wrote couple of weeks back on a Friday when I got some well-deserved appreciation. And then I was sick and was struck with pneumonia and kicked in almost ten days’ worth of down-time. So this post should not be about food at all, especially because all I could cook and eat was lentil soup (dal) and rice. Some good friends brought us dinner couple of days. However, around the next Friday when I was just done with my course of antibiotics and was barely strong enough to befriend the stove, I was there in the kitchen. And I made this feel-good, nostalgic dessert which reminds me of home, mom and all things good. Chhanar Malpoa or Ricotta Cheese Dumplings soaked in a Warm Sugar Syrup laced with Cardamoms, Cloves and Saffron. Yes, we are talking now!!!
And another good reason why I cannot get enough of this dessert (even though I don’t need an excuse to eat dessert): this was one of the many desserts served at my wedding reception. I don’t remember eating it on that day, but the accolades it got from friends and family did play a part in all the fond memories I have of that special day.
Ingredients:
- Sooji (Cream of Wheat) – 1 cup
- Maida (All Purpose Flour) – 1 cup
- Sugar – 1 3/4 cup
- Milk – 2 cups
- Oil – ¾ cup
- Ricotta Cheese – 4 tbsp
- Condensed milk – ¼ cup
- Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
- Cardamom – 1 tsp
- Cloves – 1 tsp
- Saffron – 1 tsp
- Water – 2 cups
- Pistachios – 2 tbsp, broken
Directions:
- In a bowl, mix together sooji, maida, milk and couple of smashed card for two hours.
- Mix together the ricotta cheese, ¾ cups of sugar and condensed milk with the above mixture. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture well.
- To make the syrup, heat 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water along with the cardamom, cloves and saffron till it comes to a boil and then let it simmer for 10 mins.
- In a shallow pan, heat oil. Take a ladle full of the mixture and slowly drop it into the pan.
- At this point, turn down the heat and let the pancake get slightly browned on one side before flipping it. When you are flipping it, make sure to flip it gently.
- The edges should crisp up and both sides should be slightly browned. Once done, remove from heat and soak in the sugar syrup for 5 mins.
- Serve warm garnished with pistachios.
