Enjoy the Celebration…. with Sweets

Ingredients

1/2 Ib/225 grms white rice
1 tin/397 grms condensed milk
8 – 10 grains of clove
4 pts/2400 mls water
1 tin/250 mls evaporated milk.
1 tsp/1 x 5 ml spoon elychee (cardamom)
2 medium size pieces cinnamon
2 ozs / 50 grms freshly grated ginger (optional)
2 ozs/50 grms raisins

Method

• Bring water to boil.
• Pick and wash rice and add to boiling water.
• Add cinnamon and clove.
• Allow rice to boil until soft.
• Add ginger, condensed milk and evaporated milk.
• Stir frequently to prevent rice sticking to the bottom of pot.
• Add elychee and raisins and continue stirring.
  Serve hot or cold (kheer thickens as it cools).

Serves 10 persons.

Variations

In India bay leaf is added to kheer.
Some cooks in the Caribbean use granulated sugar, nutmeg, almond, vanilla and salt as additional ingredients.
In Guyana, custard powder is added to thicken the kheer.

Ingredients

1 ½ Ibs / 675 grms white flour
¾ Ibs / 350 grms butter
1 Ib /450 grms powdered milk
½ tin / 198 grms condensed milk
1/3 pt /200 mls evaporated milk
1/3 pt / 200mls water
2 tsp / 2 x 5 ml spoon elychee (cardamom)
3 tsp / 3 x 5 spoons freshly ground ginger
Vegetable oil for frying

For phaag (syrup)
I ½ Ibs / 675 granulated sugar
2  pts / 1200 mls water

Method

• Combine flour and powdered milk in a large bowl.
• Rub in butter into flour mixture with fingers until it looks like fine bread crumbs.
• Mix in elychee, cinnamon and ginger.
• Add condensed milk, evaporated milk and water and mix to a stiff dough.
• Cover and leave for about 30-45 minutes.
• Heat oil in an iron pot.
• Break dough into small pieces and into almond shapes about 2″-3″ in length and 2 ½”-3″ in thickness.
• Fry over low heat until golden brown using a slotted spoon.
• Remove from oil and drain in absorbent paper.
• Place in a deep dish.
• Boil sugar and water until it forms a syrup.
• Pour syrup over gulab jamoon and keep turning until syrup crystallizes and becomes hard. (Turn gently to prevent gulab jamoon from breaking up).

Makes about 7 dozen.

Variations

Some cooks use ghee (clarified butter) for frying and also as a substitute for the butter in making the dough. The soft dough is sometimes divided and made into balls instead of almond shapes.

Taken from Caribbean East Indian Recipes by Kumar Mahabir. Chakra Publishing House, Trinidad.
TT$40. Tel: (868) 674-6008. Tel/fax: (868) 675-7707. E-mail: mahab@tstt.net.tt
This cookbook represents a comprehensive collection of over 70 traditional vegetarian recipes.

They have been handed down by our grandparents from India by word of mouth and practical example for over four generations. The food that is now cooked here is distinctly Indo-Caribbean in flavour.

This type of roti is known as “buss-up-shot” in Trinidad because of its resemblance to a burst-up shirt. It is available at many Indian food outlets, some of which offer a catering service for weddings and other occasions. Paratha roti is enjoyed by Indians and non-Indians alike.

Ingredients

2 lbs /900 grms white flour
6 tsp /6 x 5 ml spoon baking powder
4 pot spoons / 200 mls vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
2 tsp / 2 x 5 ml spoon vegetable oil
3 ozs /75 grms margarine
1 ½ pts / 900 mls water (to knead flour)
Pinch of salt

Method

• Sift flour in a large mixing bowl.
• Take out 4 ounces flour and set aside for parthan (dry flour
  to sprinkle).
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Knead with water to make a soft dough.
• Smear dough lightly all over with 2 teaspoons oil.
• Leave to rest for about 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 6 equal parts and make into loyahs (balls).
• Roll out loyah with a belnaa on lightly floured board into a
  circle 5” in diameter and ¼” thick..
• Paste a little margarine to cover surface completely.
• Sprinkle a little flour.
• Cut a straight line from the center to one end.
• Roll the ed with hand in clockwise direction making a cone
  shape. (Same Method when making a croissant).
• Tuck in both ends and press flat.

• Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
• Put tawa (baking stone) to heat
• Mix ghee and oil in a bowl.
• Roll out loyahs on floured board, to about 1/8” thick, and cook on tawa, turning both side and basting with oil and ghee mixture with a puchara.
• Place on a clean kitchen cloth and “pound up” with hands or end of belnaa until partially broken up into strips.

Serves 6-8 persons

Variations

Some cooks who prefer a richer paratha roti, use only the ghee and butter (and exclude oil). Evaporated milk can be substituted for, or combined with, the water to knead the flour.