Preparation / Directions:
Sift both flours together. Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan. Add flour mixture and roast on low till light golden. Keep aside to cool a little, stirring occasionally. Prepare syrup simultaneously. Make syrup out of sugar, water and milk as shown in below after the recipe. Bring syrup to 2 1/2 thread consistency. Pour at once into the flour mixture. Beat well with a large fork till the mixture forms threadlike flakes. Pour onto a greased surface or thali and roll to 1" thickness lightly. Sprinkle the charmagaz seeds and elaichi and gently press down with palm. Cool, cut into 1" squares, wrap individually into square pieces of thin plastic sheet. Store in airtight container.
Making time: 45 minutes Makes: 20 pieces (approx.) Shelflife: 2 weeks
To make sugar syrup: the dishes have radical procedure of cooking, the sugar syrup used in them is generally made in one set pattern. The consistency may however change from recipe to recipe. Consistency in sugar syrup is measure by the thread test. Whenever slightly cooled syrup checked by the pinch method, between index finger and thumb, it forms threads depending on how much it has boiled. If no thread is form and pinching shows only wateriness then no thread is formed. Following is the thread test (tar) to check required consistency of syrup (chashni). If no thread is formed, but there is stickiness in the syrup when tested, then it is 3/4 tar (thread). This consistency is generally used in dipping sweets like, gulabjamoon, boondi, jalebi, imarti, etc. Boil some more and when 1 tar forms, it is used in soaking pancake pancakes like malpua. On further boiling two tars are obtained and this is used in sweets like burfis, mohanthal, etc. At this stage a drop of syrup dropped on a plate will form a soft ball when cooled. After this stage do not stir briskly and continuously or the sugar will recrystallise. Still further boiling will form 2 1/2 to 3 tars and this syrup is used to get a white coating of sugar on sweets like balushahi, surti ghari, etc. At this stage when the syrup is dropped in a plate it will form a hard ball when cooled. Following are the steps shown to make sugar syrup (chashni) in the right way.
a. Take sugar and water in the ratio of 2 : 1 1/2 unless other wise mentioned. b. Put both in a deep saucepan to boil, stirring occasionally. c. When the mixture comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup milk. d. When a thick scum is formed on the surface of syrup, it is time to strain. e. Always use a metal strainer or moist cloth to strain the hot syrup, never plastic. f. Put back to boil, checking the consistency required as above. g. Check frequently, because once the first thread forms, it proceeds to thicken to the next stages very quickly. h. Use as required in the recipe.
Make syrup side by side of making the recipe, reheating the syrup too many times will alter the texture of the resulting sweet dish. To save time, prepare the syrup on a second burner, while making the rest of the recipe. This will avoid excess wastage of time and unnecessary cooling off, of the fried flours, etc. as the recipe demands.
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