Instant Burfi- Indian and Pakistani Fudge

This recipe is another from Cooking Where Cultures Meet by Sylvia Mangalam.

1 can condensed milk
1/4 cup butter plus one tablespoon
3 cups instant non-fat dry milk granules
3 cups ground almonds
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ruh kewra *

Open the can of condensed milk. Set in a pan of water on a very low heat, so that it warms gradually while you are working on the rest of the recipe. Do not let it burn.

Have ready a large mixing bowl and a buttered 8" X 8" or larger pan. Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a large frying pan with sides 2" high. Warm butter gradually until it just starts to bubble. Keep the heat low.

Add the dry milk, and stir briskly and constantly until the milk turns a creamy golden colour-it will be too hot to hold in your hand. Watch it carefully. Dry milk burns very easily.  If a little patch turns light brown on the bottom, squash it into the rest. If it turns black or dark brown remove.

When done, pour out immediately into the waiting mixing bowl. Put 1 tablespoon butter into the pan, and add the ground almonds. You may work on a slightly higher heat here, as the almonds do not burn quite as easily. But they do turn brown all at once, so you must watch them and keep stirring. After one minute add the icing sugar and continue stirring.

When the mixture is really hot and golden but not at all brown, add to the milk in the mixing bowl.

Stir. Immediately add the warm condensed milk and the ruh kewra. Stir an knead until everything is smooth. Quickly pat it out into buttered pan and chill. It may be cut and wrapped when cold.



*According to Mangalam: "Ruh kewra/kewra essence is flavouring extract made from a flower. Used in desserts. My memory of the Ruh Kewra pronunciation is "roo kee or da" I love it. Ruh kewra is available in Indian stores. Taste after adding this, and if you really like it, add a little more drop by drop. It is delicious, but too much is unpleasant". (I used vanilla but plan to make this recipe again once I have a chance to buy the ruh kewra.

Global Village Market Haystacks

This is the recipe for the yummy haystacks sold at Global Village Market in Hamilton, Ontario. This shop is in Westdale near the McMaster campus. Penny Palmer, the owner, opened Global Village not too long ago. I miss the coffee, I really think it is the best I've ever had!  It was Emily, Penny's daughter who gave me the recipe, and even wrote in that soy milk could replace regular milk since at the time I was trying to be a vegan.

1/2 cup margarine (I used real butter)
1/2 cup milk (can use soy milk)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp cocoa

Bring to a boil for one minute
take off heat and let cool for a few minutes
Add
1 cup coconut
2 cups quick cooking oats

Sylvia's Lentil Soup

I lived with my grandmother in Salmon Arm a few summers ago after she broke her hip. Her neighbor, Sylvia, was an amazing cook and used to run over with the most delicious food - including lentil soup. This recipe is based on her description to me of how to make it. I wouldn't say it always turns out quite like hers but it is really good and I make it all the time because it so easy and healthy.

1 onion chopped
3-4 cloves garlic minced
2 carrots chopped
2 celery sticks chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans green lentils (or about 1.5 cups dry lentils rinsed)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tbsp rosemary
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar

1) Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Add vegetable broth, lentils bay leaves and rosemary. Bring to a boil and then simmer until lentils are soft (about 1 hr if using dried lentils, 15 minutes if using canned lentils.

2) Remove bay leaves.

3)Blend half of soup and return to pot. Sylvia explained to me that this thickens the soup and releases the flavor. Add sugar and soy sauce.

4) Enjoy!

Noodle Kugel

This recipe is from Sylvia Mangalam's Cooking Where Cultures Meet and is quite delicious. Mangalam draws on her family's Russian background and on South Indian and Pakistani cooking in this unique book. Her husband is from Kerala, India. Mangalam learned about South Indian and Pakistani cooking while living in Lahore.

The Noodle Kugel recipe is Russian.  Mangalam writes: "Mama used to make this in her little one-burner cast-iron stove top oven. It can be made just as well in a regular oven, in a bread pan."

3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 lemon, grate rind only
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
2/3-3/4 lb cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1/2 cups raisins
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 lb broad noodles

Beat eggs, flavourings and honey. Add to this the cottage cheese and combine well. The mix should be lumpy. Add raisins, nuts, noodles and fold together. Bake at 325F for 1 hour. Serve with yogurt.

Option: This can be a savoury dish as well. Instead of these sweet items (honey, raisins and nuts and vanilla), substitute 1 fried onion, 1 cup grated sharp cheese,  and/or bits of ham, bacon, friend cabbage or carrots, soybeans or other beans. In either case, this is very good cold as a finger foo, or slathered with yogurt, sour cream or jam or in the case of a savoury dish, mustard or horseradish.

Rhubarb Streusel Cake

Rhubard is in season! This recipe is from my mum's friend, Barb.

Beat together:

1/2 cup soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tspn vanilla

Mix in dry bowl:

1 tspn baking powder
1/tspn salt
1 1/4 cups flour

Add together:

1/2 cup milk
dry ingredients

Put into greased 9X9 baking dish.

Top with three cups diced rhubard.

Streusel Topping:

3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn cinnamon
1/4 tspn ginger
1/3 cup cold butter shaved (or soft butter cut in)
1/2 walnuts or pecan pieces (optional)
Mix until crumbly, add to top.

 Bake at 375 F for 50-55 minutes.