Almond Kesar Kulfi and Chanar jelabi for SNC Anniversary Celebration

                                     Almond Kesar Kulfi                                                                                                     

 Preparation time: 5 ~ 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hours
Freezing time: 6 ~ 8 hours
Serves: 5 ~ 6
Adapted from  shrutisrasoi for SNC Challenge

Ingredients:
1 litre milk or 2 - 12 oz can evaporated milk ( I used evapourated milk)
½ tin condensed milk
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp almond meal (optional)
1 ½ tbsp cornflour
¼ tsp cardamom powder
⅓ cup chopped Almonds or pistachios
¼ tsp saffron
¼ tsp rose water

Method:
1. Boil 1 liter or 2 cans evaporated milk in  heavy bottom pan. Take half cup of boiling milk  separately.
2. Mix cornflour in ½ cup milk with out any lumps and keep aside.
3. In the remaining boiling milk, add condensed milk and sugar. Mix and bring it to a boil again.
4. Turn the heat to medium - low and keep scraping the cream (malai) from the sides of the pan,  which will give thick texture to the mixture.
5. Mix almond meal with ¼ cup of boiling milk in seperated bowl and the same to the milk at this  stage( Optional or ) and continue cooking until milk reduces to ¾ quantity.
6. Pour the cornflour mixture into the milk mixture and stir continuously to avoid lumps.
 Stir well until the mixture becomes thick.
7. Scrape the sides in between. Finally cardamom powder, saffron and chopped nuts. Remove  from fire and allow it to cool. Add rose water. Mix well.
8. Now pour the mixture into kulfi molds or in a small bowl, cover with the lid and freeze for 3 to 4 hours. ( If you are pouring it to small bowl, then plastic wrap the bowl, that cling wrap should touch the surface of the kulfi mixture. This will help to avoid ice forming).
9. Freeze it for 6 ~ 8 hours or until use.
10. When the Kulfi is completely set, keep the mold under tap water for a second and then slowly pull out the kulfi or keep the bowl in waterand gently transfer to the plate. Serve immediately.
  

                                  Chanar Jelabi / Paneer Jelabi                                                                                                      

Preparation time: 30 ~ 40 minutes ( includes paneer preparation + rolling jelabis)
Cooking time: 15 ~ 20 minutes
Yield: 25 ~ 28 mini jelabis as in picture depends on size and shapes)
Adapted from cuisinedelights for SNC Challenge

Ingredients:  

4 cups whole milk
4 ~ 5 tbsp lemon juice or 1 large lemon
2 tbsp maida / all purpose flour
A pinch of baking powder
½ tsp cardamom powder
Milk as needed fo kneading
Oil for deep frying

For sugar syrup
1 cup sugar
¾ cup water
½ tsp cardamom powder
Few strands of saffron

Preparation:
For Paneer: ( Check here for step by step picture)

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Add lemon juice and let it curdle. Mix and continue boiling  till the whey water is clear and the paneer is separated.
2. Now strain the paneer using muslin cloth. Then wash it in running water to wash any traces of  lemon and squeeze well to remove extra water. you can also hang the paneer in muslin/ cheese  cloth for about 30-45 minutes to drain the water.

For Shaping the chanar in to jalebi and to preparing syrup:
3.In a plate, transfer the freshly made paneer, all purpose flour, baking powder, cardamom powder.
4. Using your palm,  knead the mixture for about 7-8 minutes to get smooth dough.  If mixture is  too dry, sprinkle few drops of milk. Rest it for 5 minutes.
5. In the mean time,  add sugar and water in a pan. Mix and heat the mixture to boil.  Lower the  heat to minimum setting to get sticky syrup as we prepare for gulab jamun.  Add crushed  cardamom and saffron mix well and Keep it aside.
6. Now knead the dough again, divide the dough equally into small balls. Then roll them into thin  tube and then twist the ends of the tube to form a pretzel shape or coil shape.

For Frying:
7. Then heat the oil in medium heat and deep fry the jalebis in batches. When it cooked and change  it color, remove from the oil.  Drain excess oil and then add the fried jalebis to the prepared syrup  while it is still warm.
8. Let it soak for a while, about 2-3 hours. The jalebis will absorb syrup and will increase in size.
 Then serve it warm or cold as desired.

For Kulfi, Jelabi Cake.

9. Place the kulfi on the plate and decorate it with jelabis as you wish. Serve this yummiest treat on  Diwali...