Malabi

Malabi is a milk pudding that has legendary origins dating to Sassanid Persia (224-651) - Wikipedia

Here is my version, Its simpler and healthier.  Serves 12, under 300 calories per serving. 

Ingredients: 

• Milk 5 cups 
• Cream 1 cup
• Corn flour 2/3 cup 
• Rosewater 1 tbsp
• Sugar 1/2 cup 
• Red food colour

Process: 

• Mix 1 cup milk and 1/3 cup Corn flour and set aside
• Mix 3 cups of Milk, 1/2 cup sugar and rosewater and gently bring to simmer, stirring constantly
• Add corn flour and milk mixture into the above simmering milk mixture, and stir until thickened. 
• Take off the heat and pour it into 12 small dessert cups.
• Let them cool then chill for 4 hours

Syrup topping: 

• Mix remaining 1 cup of milk, 1/2 tsp corn flour and few drops of red food colour. 
• Bring to simmer
• pour over the chilled dessert cups 

PS: you can use any syrup like Rooh-Afza straight or add some gelatin (follow instruction on the packet) to make it more stable and interesting.    

Garnish:

• Garnish with some crushed Cashew or Pistachio or Pomegranate seeds.   

Gourmet Bhapa Pitha

Bhapa pitha is a type of rice cake mainly from the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, what is today Bangladesh, East India and Northeast India. Bhapa pitha is considered to be traditional winter dish in Bangladesh. These are steamed rice cakes made out of freshly ground rice flour. Wikipedia

My version is to take it up a level, making in batches and serving in style - as a dessert.

Ingredients:
(to make 4-5, one cup ground rice makes 4-5 depending on size)

These stainless steel dessert bowls are ideal. 

• Ground rice (you can use store bought ground rice, not rice flour)
• Salt
• Crushed Patali Gur
• Shredded coconut (fresh or frozen)
• Morcha or Jhola Gur (to serve)
• Cream (to serve)

Equipments:

• Mould 1 (pictured)
• Cheese cloth. 6-9 pieces (to cover the mould)
• Steamer (pictured)

Process: (see any YouTube video on Bhapa Pitha to get an idea)

Ground Rice:

in the steamer pan

• Mix 1 cup ground rice with 6 tbsp warm water and 1/2 tsp salt and leave covered for 4-6 hours

Coconut filling

• Mix 1 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup Patali Gur and 2 tbsp milk powder. 
• Heat up and reduce to semi-dry consistency

Steaming:

• Fill the mould halfway with ground rice
• Put some coconut filling and some crushed Patali Gur in the middle
• Fill the mould up to the edge with more rice 
• Gently pack 
• Cover with a small piece of cheese cloth, hold it tight
• Turn the mould upside down and place it inside the steamer and gently remove the mould. 
• Place 3-4 more depending on space. I use a stackable (multi-layer) steamer to make 9-12 in one go as you can see in the picture. You can also use stackable bamboo steamers available in Chinese shops to make dumplings. 
• Place them on the pot of steaming hot water, cover and leave it to steam for 6-8 minutes.  
• Remove the pan from the pot 



Multi-layer steamer

• Lift them up gently and serve. 

To Serve

• Pour cream over
• Drizzle liquid Gur syrup 
• Sprinkle wet shredded coconut
• Sprinkle crushed Gur over

Chitoi Pitha

Chitoi Pitha a traditional Bengali treat originated in rural Bengal. It's made in winter months with freshly harvested rice. It can be eaten with a drizzle of ghee or honey also with duck or any meat bhuna, shutki-vortha or any other vagi-vortha. You can say it's like Crumpets but it's not quite the same, Crumpets are made of flour, yeast, milk, butter and sugar, Chitoi has none of those.

Equipment: You must have a Gas Cooker and a round-bottomed Karhai. I didn't have a gas cooker so I bought a portable gas cooker used for camping or picnic, they are inexpensive.

Ingredients: (to make 20-25)

Rice (I use Basmati)  2 cups
Baking powder: 1 tbsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt: 2tsp
Water 2.5 cups

Process:

• Soak the rice in 2.5 cups of hot water and leave for 6 hours, overnight is better.
• In an electric blender add the soaked rice including the water and rest of the ingredients and blend thoroughly until you get a creamy consistency. 
• Heat up the karhai to medium heat (400c)
• Smear the bottom carefully with an oil soaked kitchen towel, you will have to do it every time, smearing and cleaning at the same time otherwise you will get burnt crumbs on the bottom of the next one, not good! Also remember to stir the mix each time. 
• Pour a ladle full (little less than 1/4 cup) of the mix in the middle of the karhai. 
• Cover with a lid and wait for 45 sec to 1 minute (its only a guide, once you make a few you will know the correct timing right for you. It should be slightly brown on the bottom and slightly crispy around the edge and fluffy)
• Lift it up with a rubber spatula or a suitable flat spoon
• Wipe the bottom of the karhai and go for the next one. 

Note: you can search chitoi pitha in YouTube and watch the making process, it's all same but the problem with those videos are that most of them leave out vital information. In the case of Chitoi Pitha they don't tell you about the overnight soaking of the rice, which is vital, without that you will definitely fail.