INSTANT KHOYA O PAURUTIR MISHTI

 Those of you are following my work for a couple of years now may know that my take on home style sweets is the simplest. I do prepare  sweets & desserts on a regular basis at home but with fewer ingredients requiring less skills. Basically I lack skill, artistry,  just as I lack minimal sense of science, mathematics, good literature. I have less affinity towards learning. What I do is bypass all my shortcomings and take in hand something that suits my ability, that needs less of my sweat, skill, artistry, brain exercise. Take the example of this sweet with bread, instantly made khoya, coconut sugar, green cardamom powder, kewra water; I was so relaxed doing it! Yesterday evening, from 7:40pm to 8:45 pm I engaged myself doing this INSTANT KHOYA O PAURUTIR MISHTI. My moulds lay dormant in the dark corner of a kitchen drawer. One thing is they were not a good buy, the second is I lack patience.

Yesterday, back from my old neighbourhood with a fresh Jasmine Plant, I took shower and had food. Yes, I need three good meals a day besides that evening "cha-biskut." Else, the purpose of my life is lost. There is cooking some Thai sticky rice at this moment in a neighbourhood home; I can smell. All of a sudden I am craving for "fyana bhaat." I can do it anytime; it is a family love. The problem is I have limited amount of chinigura / kalijeera rice in stock, I do not wish to run out of it. It is unlikely that I will visit the desi neighbourhood right on 2nd June. I am planning a rice dish tonight with the ponni variety of rice, in retaliation of all those insult on an art called "biryani" [all in good humour]. If it tastes good, I shall share the picture in public, may not blog now. It is a very beautiful, cool, breezy morning. The clouds are inviting me to nowhere; I wish to be with them at this time.

On such a day I wish to go out for a long walk, let me see if I can finish quick with my blog post on this vegetarian sweet.

Yesterday, before starting with this sweet making exercise, I was in deep slumber. Most of the days I try to avoid it but yesterday I was tired walking in the sun, though had to take train way back home. The carriage got heavy; four small bottles of sugar free iced tea that particular 7-Eleven has in offer, a jasmine pot, white bread required for the sweet to be made and it was 3:30pm. I slept till 7pm, had a big "cha er dokan er biskut o cha". My biscuit stock is almost finished, the challenge is to resist myself buying them often. The brother has limited having it, then he prefers biryani after brushing his teeth. "na veg biryani te amader ruchi nei karo." Why I could sleep till late in the evening? Because I was confident that I can prepare the INSTANT KHOYA O PAURUTIR MISHTI without taking any stress. We did the vegetarian sweet with few ingredients like white bread, instant reduced milk, coconut sugar, green cardamom powder, screw pine essence. Cristine had more work after that; she had to prepare Tuna Sandwiches for the three of them. "ami korbo o na , khabo o na."

I was drinking chilled tea at 10pm and had dinner with, with, with; nothing but "badam bata, millet o tomato-shosha kuchi."

This morning, I had a noodle bowl, now feeling bloated. Thinking of going out before having millet with mutton and "shojne, aloo, beguner jhal. Walking helps me feel good, such an atmosphere should not be missed.

 Our mother loves such soupy noodles or rice bowls, fond of oriental food. The husband & wife had full fledged differences in all spheres; oriental vs moghlai, hollywood-tollywood vs bollywood-tollywood. Okay, they loved sports & reading in general. Our mother lost Shakespeare in her "shuchi bai spree." I do not allow myself that; Cristine is a necessity because I am not a "doshobhuja."

INGREDIENTS FOR THE INSTANT KHOYA / MAWA / SEMI-SOLIDIFIED MILK :

POWDERED MILK : 4-5 TBSP

FULL CREAM MILK : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 2TBSP

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SWEET :

THE INSTANT KHOYA / MAWA / SEMI-SOLIDIFIED MILK

BREAD SLICE : 8-10

FULL CREAM MILK : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

COCONUT SUGAR : 4TBSP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1 TSP

KEWRA WATER / SCREW PINE WATER : 2-3 DROP

DRY FRUITS OR NUTS TO GARNISH!

PROCEDURE :

Cristine did cut and discard the sides of the breads which she threw before I could say anything. I then tore them and took in a blender.

 I had then added 1/2 small tea cup of liquid milk to it and blended at low power to get a paste. You must pause in between while doing so.

For the instant khoya; I mixed together the powdered milk, full cream milk and ghee / clarified butter.

I microwaved it at high for 1 minute; paused, stirred and again microwaved it at high for a minute or little less.

I had let it cool a bit and added the bread paste to it. I roughly mixed the two.

 I heated a non stick pan on stove top, added the mixture to it. I stirred it at low heat for 2-3 minutes and added the coconut sugar & green cardamom powder.

I folded in well, added the screw pine / kewra water and asked Cristine to stir it until the moisture dried 80%. This may take 7-8 minutes.

 Cristine transferred it to a plate, allowed to cool a bit. Then, I kneaded it well for 2-3 minutes.

Then I had washed and dried my hands. I applied a drop of ghee on my palms to grease.

I tore off smaller portions to shape them into simple sweets.

 Later, Cristine joined me in the venture. We will garnish the top with a choice of dried fruit or nut.

They always will taste best when eaten fresh but we have to refrigerate. My home is moody, they will have when they wish.