Ramzan recipes: Want to make Lab-e-Shireen?

We'd asked you, dear readers, to share your favourite Ramzan recipes.

Here are four delectable dessert recipes sent by Rediff reader Reshma Aslam for you to indulge in the month of Ramzan. You can share yours too.

Falooda

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp basil seeds
• 2 cups falooda sev
• 1/2 litre milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp rose syrup
• 1/2 cup mango pieces or pineapple pieces
• A scoop of vanilla or any other ice cream
• 1/2 cup jelly cubes

For falooda sev

• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 150 ml water
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• A big bowl of chilled water
• A sev maker

Method

For falooda sev

• Mix cornflour and water in a mixing bowl.
• Add sugar and mix well.
• Transfer the above mixture to a pan and heat it.
• Keep stirring for about 5 minutes till the mixture becomes thick and transparent.
• Add this mixture to the sev maker while it is still hot.
• Press the handle of the sev maker and pour it over a bowl containing chilled water.
• Once all the contents from the sev maker is dropped in the bowl, keep the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes before use.

For sabja seeds

• Soak the sabja seeds in water for half an hour.

For preparing milk

• Boil milk, add sugar and stir it.
• When the sugar dissolves, turn off the gas and let it cool.
• Add rose syrup and refrigerate.

To assemble

• Take a tall glass.
• Add sabja seeds in it.
• Add falooda sev.
• Place the jelly cubes and pour milk.
• Add fruit pieces.
• Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or any other ice cream of your choice.
• Serve chilled.

Rasmalai

Ingredients

• 2 litre full fat milk
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 3 cups of water
• 150 gm of sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pista, almonds)
• 2 cups sugar (for milk mixture)
• Few saffron strands

Method

• Boil one litre of milk. While it is boiling, add lemon juice.
• As it curdles, remove from the gas and strain it with a muslin cloth.
• Once all liquid comes out, a white substance is obtained (this is chenna or unripened curd cheese)
• Take a glass of cold water. Pour over the chenna.
• Strain the chenna in muslin cloth and tie the cloth in the form of a ball. Leave it hanging to set for an hour.
• After an hour, open the cloth and remove the chenna.
• Put the chenna in a flat plate. Start kneading it like a dough till nice and smooth.
• Make small flat balls and keep it aside.
• Take three cups of water and add 150 gm of sugar. Boil until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the balls in this mixture. Let it cook on low to medium flame for about 10 minutes.
• Once done, remove from sugary syrup and keep it aside.
• Take the other half litre of milk and boil till it reduces to half the quantity.
• Add two cups of sugar and let the sugar dissolve.
• Add saffron strands and cook. Add cardamom powder.
• Slightly squeeze the chenna balls to remove excess syrup by pressing it between the palms of your hands. Add it to the above mixture.
• Remove from gas and let it cool.
• Once cool, refrigerate.
• Garnish with the chopped nuts and serve chilled.

Lab-e-Shireen

Ingredients

• 1 litre milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp custard powder
• 1 cup pineapple (chopped)
• 1 cup mixed dry fruits (almonds, cashews, pistachios, chopped apricots)
• 2 tbsp rose syrup
• 1 cup jelly cubes
• 1 cup fresh cream

Method

• Boil milk and add sugar. Stir.
• Make a smooth paste of custard powder and water in a small bowl.
• Add this paste to the milk and sugar mixture while stirring so that no lumps are formed.
• When nice and thick, remove from the gas and let it cool.
• Once cool, refrigerate.

To assemble

• Take a big bowl (preferably glass bowl)
• Add fresh cream and whisk well.
• Add rose syrup and mix.
• Add chopped nuts. Put the chilled custard. Mix it well.
• Top it with chopped pieces of pineapple and jelly cubes.
• Refrigerate for four to five hours. Serve chilled.

Caramel Custard

Ingredients

For caramelised syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water

For custard

• 1 litre full fat milk
• 6 eggs
• 8 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

For caramelised syrup

• Take sugar in a pan and add water.
• Stir and boil until it's golden. Keep on stirring.
• When the sugar turns into liquid and is completely golden in colour, remove it from the heat.
• Add this mixture in a cake tin in which you wish to steam the milk and egg mixture. Spread it well.

For custard

• Boil the milk and add sugar. Stir it.
• When the sugar dissolves, turn off gas and let it cool.
• Take a bowl and whisk the eggs well. Add vanilla essence.
• When the milk is still warm, add whisked egg mixture to it while stirring fast.
• Pour this mixture in the cake tin in which the caramelised syrup is kept.
• Steam cook it on double boiler for around 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, check to see if it has become firm. If it is firm, remove from the gas and let it cool.
• Once cool, turn it upside down in a big plate. Serve chilled.

Note: You should use readymade 7 inch cake tin for a litre of milk.

Do you have interesting Ramzan recipes to share?

E-mail your recipes getahead@rediff.co.in (subject: Ramzan Recipes) along with your NAME, LOCATION and a brief description of the recipe. We will publish select recipes on Rediff.com and India Abroad.

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