November 5, 11:25Aaj Tak

How to make royal milk cake at home from 2 liters of milk so it resembles confectionery

Milk Cake, which is sold in stores during sacred festivals such as Diwali and Bhai Dooj, is one of the most beloved sweets. The external price of these items can reach 700–800 rupees per kilogram, but there is no guarantee that they are free from impurities.

During this festive period, instead of buying an expensive sweet from the store, you can easily make milk cake at home that will have a grainy texture, be juicy inside, and have a rich brown color on the outside, using only 2 liters of milk, and it will look like a professional confectioner's product. Below is the simplest instruction and secret tips for preparation.

How to make milk cake:

Required ingredients:

• Whole milk: 2 liters

• Sugar: 1–1.25 cups (approximately 200–250 grams)

• Lemon juice or cardamom powder: half a teaspoon (to give the milk a slight graininess)

• Pure clarified butter (ghee): 3–4 tablespoons

Secret techniques for a grainy and perfect texture:

The true characteristic of milk cake is its grainy structure. When the milk has reduced by almost half from boiling, several drops of lemon juice or cardamom must be added. This will cause very fine grains to form in the milk, which will be soft rather than hard.

Slow cooking and caramelization: After the milk and sugar have been boiled, it is crucial to simmer the mixture slowly and constantly in a thick-bottomed pot. This process gives the milk cake its beautiful brown hue and pleasant aroma.

Preparation instructions:

Take a large, thick-bottomed pot and pour 2 liters of whole milk into it to bring it to a boil. Stir occasionally so that the milk does not burn to the bottom.

When the milk has reduced by half of its original volume after boiling, gradually add the lemon juice or cardamom solution, stirring gently to form fine grains in the milk.

Next, cook over medium heat until the milk completely thickens to the consistency of mawa (khoya).

When the mixture becomes thick, add half a cup of sugar. Since sugar releases water, continue stirring until the mixture dries out again. Then add the remaining sugar, doing so in two portions, in the same order.

Now stir in 2–3 tablespoons of clarified butter. Adding ghee will give the milk cake a magnificent shine and richness, and it will also prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. As soon as the color of the mixture turns dark brown, turn off the heat.

Take a cake box or mold, grease it with a little oil. Pour the hot mixture into this mold and level the surface.

To make the milk cake juicy inside and perfectly formed on the outside, cover the box with a lid and wrap it in a thick towel or warm cloth, leaving it in a warm place for 5–6 hours (or in a turned-off microwave). (This allows it to cook through from the inside using its own heat).

After the specified time has passed, open the box and cut the cake into desired pieces.

Your incredibly delicious, pure, and grainy milk cake is ready! It should be stored in an airtight container.

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www.aajtak.inNovember 1, 15:11

How to make colorful rasgullas at home from milk, avoiding expensive store-bought sweets

With the arrival of the holiday season, many different sweets appear in homes. Although you have probably tried white rasgullas, having colorful and fluffy rasgullas on the festive table will delight everyone, from children to adults.

Commercial colorful sweets often contain harmful chemicals and dyes, which negatively affect health. Therefore, it is recommended to make rasgullas at home using fresh milk to obtain pure chhana and coloring them with natural dyes to get safe and fluffy treats. The simplest instructions and secret tips for preparation are presented below.

For preparation, you will need: 2 liters of whole milk (for making chhana), 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, 3-4 cups of sugar (for syrup), 4-5 cups of water, a few drops of natural food coloring (light pink, yellow, or green), as well as cardamom powder or kewra water for flavoring.

The main secret to getting soft rasgullas lies in the technique of kneading the chhana: it must be kneaded with the back of your hand for at least 7-8 minutes until smooth. The correct stage for adding color is as follows: after thoroughly kneading the chhana, it is divided into 2-3 parts, and 1-2 drops of different natural food colorings are added to each of these parts, mixing gently so that the color is evenly distributed when forming the balls.

First, 2 liters of milk are brought to a boil, and then curdled using lemon juice. The curdled milk is strained through cheesecloth and rinsed with clean water to remove acidity. Excess moisture from the chhana is squeezed out and placed on a plate, then kneaded by hand for 7-8 minutes until it becomes smooth like butter.

Next, the smooth chhana is divided into portions, the desired natural color (pink, yellow, green) is added, and small, smooth balls are formed. In a large, wide pot, 3-4 cups of sugar are heated together with 4-5 cups of water until boiling. When the syrup boils vigorously, the colorful rasgulla balls are dropped into it one by one. The pot is covered with a lid and cooked over medium or medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes. You will see the rasgullas increase in size, becoming twice their original volume.

After this, turn off the heat and let the rasgullas cool completely. After cooling, they are ready to serve.

www.aajtak.inOctober 24, 20:51

How to make homemade pure butter from cream: a simple recipe

Consuming expensive and counterfeit butter sold in stores can negatively affect the health of both children and adults. If you are looking for a pure product and want to get a whole jar of real butter at home without unnecessary hassle, you no longer need to whip cream for hours or use a blender. With this simple and time-tested method used by grandparents, you can easily prepare a large amount of pure and creamy butter from milk cream. The advantage of this method is that besides butter, clean yogurt is also produced.

For preparation, you will need: collected milk cream, which has been gathered over 10-12 days; 1-2 cups of cold water with ice; a pinch of salt (if you want to make salted butter).

First, prepare the cream: collect the cream that forms when boiling milk and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Two hours before starting the preparation, take the cream out of the refrigerator to reach room temperature.

Whip the cream (the main secret): Place the cream in a large bowl or pot. Then, whip it continuously in one direction for 5-7 minutes using a whisk, hand mixer, or spoon. Soon, the cream will begin to slightly separate, and its texture will change.

Add the ice water: When the cream begins to form a grainy mixture, add 1-2 cups of cold water with ice. Adding cold water helps the butter immediately float to the surface, while the yogurt settles at the bottom.

Separate the butter: Using your hands or a ladle, collect all the floating butter and transfer it to a separate container. Rinse the butter 1-2 times with clean cold water to remove any remaining milk.

Storage: Your absolutely pure, homemade creamy butter is ready! It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. The liquid left at the bottom is a delicious yogurt that can be used to make curry or drunk.

www.aajtak.inOctober 22, 11:58

Halwa Barfi Recipe: Traditional Sweet Without Milk and Semolina

During holidays such as Karva Chauth and Diwali, people often buy sweets from stores. However, instead of buying ready-made products, it is better to prepare a delicious sweet at home in a simple way. If your family members love barfi, we will tell you a simple way to make halwa barfi.

Halwa barfi, also known as flour barfi or the famous sweet of the 90s, is made without using either semolina or milk. This barfi, made from flour, is very tasty and does not require much effort. If you love barfi, try it once; its taste will be much better than that of expensive sweets sold in stores.

How to make halwa barfi:

Because this barfi is made without milk and semolina, it does not spoil quickly, and it can be stored for several days. You can put it in an airtight container, just making sure that it is not touched by dirty hands. If you prefer not to consume sugar, you can also make this barfi using cane sugar or dates, and instead of flour, halwa barfi can be made from wheat flour.