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Tag: Dessert

  • Rice Kheer

    Kheer is among the oldest Indian desserts, mentioned in early texts as a temple offering, and it remains the sweet most associated with puja and celebrations. It goes by many names – payasam in the south, payesh in Bengal, phirni when the rice is ground – and is cooked for birthdays, Eid, Navratri, Sharad Purnima and countless Sunday lunches.

    The essential technique is patience. A small amount of rice is simmered in a large amount of whole milk for close to an hour, so the milk reduces, sweetens naturally and turns faintly cream-coloured while the rice softens and thickens it. Cardamom, saffron and nuts finish it. It can be served warm or chilled.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineIndian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time55 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / milk / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup basmati or gobindobhog rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1/3 cup sugar (about 70 g)
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
    • 1 tsp ghee
    • 2 tbsp sliced almonds
    • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
    • 1 tbsp raisins

    Method

    1. Drain the rice and toss it in the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan on low heat for 1 minute.
    2. Pour in the milk and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring so it does not catch.
    3. Lower the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes and scraping the milk solids from the sides back into the pan.
    4. When the rice is completely soft and the milk has reduced by about half to a creamy consistency, lightly crush some of the rice grains with the back of the ladle.
    5. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves, then simmer for 5 more minutes.
    6. Stir in the cardamom, saffron milk, almonds, pistachios and raisins and turn off the heat.
    7. Serve warm, or cool and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. It will thicken considerably when cold.

    Tips

    • A heavy pan, or a non-stick one, is essential; thin pans scorch the milk and give the kheer a burnt taste.
    • Add sugar only once the rice is fully cooked – it stops rice from softening further.
    • For a quicker version, pressure cook the rice in 2 cups of the milk for 2 whistles, then simmer with the rest.

    Serve with

    Puri and a dry sabzi at a festive meal, or on its own chilled.

  • Gulab Jamun

    Gulab jamun is served at weddings, Diwali, Eid and birthdays across India, and its name blends the Persian 'gul-ab', rose water, with jamun, the dark Indian fruit it resembles. It is generally linked to the Persian luqmat al-qadi brought to medieval India, reworked in Indian kitchens with khoya instead of dough.

    A good gulab jamun is soft right through, with no hard core, and soaked with syrup that is sweet but not cloying. The secret lies in a smooth, crack-free dough of khoya with just a little flour, and in frying slowly in ghee so the balls cook through as they brown. They are served warm, sometimes with vanilla ice cream or rabri.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineNorth Indian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientskhoya / maida / sugar / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the jamuns

    • 200 g soft khoya (hariyali or chikna khoya), grated
    • 3 tbsp maida
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
    • Ghee or oil for frying

    For the syrup

    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 4 green cardamoms, crushed
    • A few saffron strands
    • 1 tsp rose water
    • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

    Method

    1. Combine the sugar, water and cardamom in a wide pan and boil for 5-6 minutes until slightly sticky between fingers but not at string stage. Add saffron, lemon juice and rose water and keep warm on the lowest heat.
    2. Mash the khoya on a plate with the heel of your palm for 3-4 minutes until smooth and free of lumps.
    3. Add maida, baking soda and cardamom, and gather into a soft dough with gentle kneading, sprinkling milk a few drops at a time. Do not over-knead.
    4. Divide into 18-20 portions and roll each between greased palms into a smooth ball with no cracks.
    5. Heat ghee in a kadhai on low heat. Test with a pinch of dough: it should rise slowly with small bubbles. Add the balls in batches without crowding.
    6. Fry on low heat for 8-10 minutes, gently swirling the oil rather than touching the balls, until they turn evenly deep golden brown.
    7. Drain and immediately drop them into the warm syrup. Soak for at least 1 hour; they will swell and soften. Serve warm.

    Tips

    • Cracks on the surface split open in the oil – roll each ball until perfectly smooth.
    • Hot oil browns the outside and leaves a raw, hard centre; low and slow is the rule.
    • If the jamuns stay hard after soaking, the dough had too much flour or the syrup was too thick.

    Serve with

    Warm with a little syrup, or with vanilla ice cream or rabri.

  • Besan Ladoo

    Besan ladoo is one of the most widely made Indian sweets, offered as prasad, packed in Diwali boxes and sent to children living away from home. Grandmothers in north and west India often judge a cook by it, because the whole dish depends on patience: the besan must be roasted slowly in ghee until it changes colour and smell completely.

    Properly made, the ladoo is grainy yet melts in the mouth, with a deep, nutty, toasty flavour and the warmth of cardamom. Coarse besan or a little semolina gives the characteristic texture. Underroasted besan tastes raw and sticks to the palate, which is why there are no shortcuts here. Slow, steady heat matters more than any particular recipe.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineNorth Indian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves8
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbesan (gram flour) / ghee / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups coarse besan (laddu besan), about 200 g
    • 1/2 cup ghee (about 110 g), plus 1-2 tbsp if needed
    • 3/4 cup powdered sugar or bura (about 120 g)
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 2 tbsp chopped almonds and pistachios
    • 1 tbsp milk (optional)

    Method

    1. Melt the ghee in a heavy-bottomed kadhai on low heat. Add the besan and stir to combine; it will look like wet sand.
    2. Roast on low heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom, for 20-25 minutes. The besan will first look lumpy, then turn smooth and loose as it releases ghee.
    3. Keep roasting until it turns a deep golden colour and smells nutty and aromatic. If it looks dry at any point, add 1 tbsp more ghee.
    4. For a softer, grainier texture, sprinkle 1 tbsp milk over the besan at this stage; it will froth. Stir until the froth subsides, about 1 minute.
    5. Turn off the heat, add the chopped nuts and cardamom powder, and transfer the mixture to a plate. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes until warm but comfortable to touch.
    6. Add the powdered sugar and mix thoroughly with your hand.
    7. Take a portion and press it firmly in your palm, then roll into a smooth ball. Make about 16 ladoos and leave them to set for an hour before storing.

    Tips

    • Never add the sugar while the mixture is hot – it melts and the ladoos turn flat and sticky.
    • If the ladoos will not bind, warm a spoon of ghee and mix it in.
    • Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.

    Serve with

    On its own, or as part of a Diwali sweet platter.

  • Mawa Bati

    Mawa bati is a speciality of Malwa and Nimar in Madhya Pradesh, seen at weddings and festival meals and in sweet shops around Indore and Ujjain. It resembles a large gulab jamun or kala jamun, but the dough is denser with mawa and each ball carries a hidden stuffing of dry fruits and cardamom.

    The baties are fried slowly over low heat until they turn a deep brown, almost black on the outside, then soaked in syrup. The outer layer is slightly firm and caramelised, the inside soft and grainy with khoya, and the centre crunchy with nuts. It is very rich, so one or two make a complete dessert.

    At a glance

    RegionMadhya Pradesh
    CuisineMalwa
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientskhoya / maida / sugar / dry fruits

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 250 g soft khoya (mawa), grated
    • 50 g chhena or paneer, crumbled
    • 3 tbsp maida
    • 1 tbsp fine semolina
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tbsp milk, if needed
    • Ghee or oil for frying

    For the stuffing

    • 2 tbsp chopped almonds and pistachios
    • 1 tbsp chopped cashews
    • 1 tsp raisins
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A few saffron strands
    • 1 tsp powdered sugar

    For the syrup

    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 4 green cardamoms, crushed
    • 1 tsp rose water

    Method

    1. Boil the sugar and water with cardamom for 6-7 minutes until slightly sticky but not at one-string consistency. Add rose water and keep warm.
    2. Mix the stuffing ingredients in a small bowl.
    3. Mash the khoya and chhena together with the heel of your hand for 5 minutes until smooth. Add maida, semolina and baking soda and knead gently into a soft, crack-free dough, adding a little milk if needed.
    4. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Flatten each in your palm, place 1/2 tsp stuffing in the centre, seal and roll into a smooth ball or oval with no cracks.
    5. Heat ghee in a kadhai on low heat; it should be warm, not hot. Add the balls and fry very slowly, moving them constantly, for 12-15 minutes until deep dark brown all over.
    6. Lift the baties out and drop them into the warm syrup. Soak for at least 2 hours, ideally longer.
    7. Serve warm or at room temperature, halved to show the stuffing.

    Tips

    • Cracks in the balls will open in the oil – knead until the dough is completely smooth.
    • Frying slowly on low heat is essential; high heat browns the outside while the centre stays raw.
    • The syrup should be warm, not boiling, when the baties go in, or they shrink.

    Serve with

    Warm, with a spoon of syrup, after a dal bafla meal.

  • Chak-hao Kheer

    Chak-hao is the aromatic black rice of Manipur, which received a GI tag in 2020. It was once grown for royalty and is still central to feasts and religious occasions, where chak-hao amubi, the black rice pudding, is served as the closing sweet. The rice is high in anthocyanins, which give it its colour.

    When cooked slowly in milk, the grains release a deep violet colour and a nutty, slightly earthy flavour that sets it apart from regular kheer. The texture is chewier and less mushy, and only a little sugar and cardamom are needed. It is served warm in winter and chilled in summer, sometimes topped with chopped nuts.

    At a glance

    RegionManipur
    CuisineManipuri
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time60 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsblack rice / milk / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup chak-hao (Manipuri black rice), soaked overnight
    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1 cup water
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 1 bay leaf (optional)
    • 1 tbsp chopped cashews
    • 1 tbsp raisins

    Method

    1. Drain the soaked black rice. Cook it with 1 cup water in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles on medium heat, or simmer in a covered pan for 30 minutes, until soft.
    2. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan with the bay leaf.
    3. Add the cooked rice with any remaining water to the milk. Simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom so it does not stick.
    4. When the milk has reduced by about a third and the kheer is a deep purple and creamy, add the sugar. Stir and simmer for 5 more minutes.
    5. Stir in the cardamom powder, cashews and raisins and remove the bay leaf.
    6. Serve warm, or cool and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to serve chilled. It thickens considerably as it cools.

    Tips

    • Black rice takes much longer than white rice to soften – do not skip the overnight soak.
    • Add the sugar only after the rice is fully cooked; sugar hardens rice grains that are still firm.
    • Thin the chilled kheer with a little cold milk if it sets too thick.

    Serve with

    Served warm in small bowls at the end of a festive meal.

  • Chhena Poda

    Chhena poda, literally 'burnt cheese', comes from Nayagarh district in Odisha, where a confectioner is said to have left sweetened chhena in a cooling wood-fired oven overnight in the 1940s. The result became the state's signature sweet and is also offered to Lord Jagannath. Traditional sweet shops still bake it in sal leaves over wood fire.

    It tastes like a rustic Indian cheesecake. The outside is deep brown, caramelised and slightly chewy, while the inside stays soft, moist and spongy with the milky sweetness of fresh chhena and the warmth of cardamom. A little semolina holds it together. It is served in wedges, warm or at room temperature, and keeps well for a couple of days.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Total time90 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientschhena / sugar / semolina / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • Chhena from 1.5 litres full-cream milk (about 300 g), drained
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 tbsp fine semolina (sooji)
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 1 tbsp ghee plus extra for greasing
    • 1 tbsp chopped cashews
    • 1 tbsp raisins
    • Banana or sal leaves for lining (optional)

    Method

    1. Make chhena by curdling boiled milk with lemon juice, straining it through muslin, rinsing and hanging it for 1 hour so it is well drained.
    2. Crumble the chhena into a bowl and knead with the heel of your palm for 3-4 minutes until fairly smooth.
    3. Add sugar, semolina, cardamom powder and ghee and knead again for 2 minutes. Fold in cashews and raisins. Leave the mixture to rest for 20 minutes so the semolina absorbs moisture.
    4. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease a 15 cm round cake tin and line it with banana leaf if using, greased with ghee.
    5. Spread the mixture evenly in the tin and smooth the top.
    6. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top and sides are deep golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
    7. Cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then unmould and cut into wedges.

    Tips

    • Without an oven, bake it in a heavy kadhai on a stand with salt underneath, covered, on low heat for about 1 hour.
    • Sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar over the top before baking for a darker caramel crust.
    • Chhena that is too wet makes a soggy centre; squeeze it well before kneading.

    Serve with

    Warm or at room temperature, on its own or after an Odia thali.

  • Sandesh

    Sandesh is the most refined of the Bengali chhena sweets and comes in dozens of styles, from the soft 'naram pak' to the firmer 'kora pak', and from plain cardamom to nolen gur, mango or chocolate versions. Kolkata institutions such as Bhim Chandra Nag and Balaram Mullick built their names on it, and carved wooden moulds shaped like shells, fish and flowers are part of its charm.

    Unlike rasgulla, sandesh is not cooked in syrup. Fresh chhena is kneaded with sugar and cooked very briefly in a pan until it forms a smooth dough that leaves the sides. Too little cooking and it will not set, too much and it turns grainy. The homemade naram pak version below is soft, melts in the mouth and tastes clearly of fresh milk.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time10 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 litre full-cream cow milk
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp water
    • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (about 50 g)
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tsp warm milk (optional)
    • 8-10 pistachios, slivered

    Method

    1. Boil the milk, turn off the heat, and after a minute add the diluted lemon juice slowly while stirring until the milk curdles completely into chhena and greenish whey.
    2. Strain through muslin, rinse with cold water, and squeeze gently. Hang for 20-30 minutes until most of the water has drained but the chhena is still soft.
    3. Knead the chhena on a plate with the heel of your palm for 5 minutes until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and knead for another 2 minutes.
    4. Transfer to a non-stick pan on the lowest heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, for 5-7 minutes. The mixture will loosen first as the sugar melts, then dry out.
    5. Stop as soon as it starts to come together as a soft mass and leaves the sides of the pan. Do not let it brown.
    6. Transfer to a plate, add cardamom powder and saffron, and knead lightly once it is cool enough to handle, about 2 minutes, until smooth.
    7. Divide into 12 portions and shape into discs, or press into sandesh moulds. Top with slivered pistachio and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Overcooking is the most common mistake – take the pan off the heat while the mixture still looks a little moist; it firms up as it cools.
    • For nolen gurer sandesh, replace the sugar with an equal weight of grated nolen gur and cook a minute longer.
    • Keep sandesh refrigerated and eat within two days; it is best on the day it is made.

    Serve with

    On its own with tea, or as part of a mishti platter after lunch.

  • Mishti Doi

    Mishti doi, literally sweet curd, is set in unglazed clay pots that absorb excess moisture and give the curd its dense, almost fudgy texture. Bengal's sweet-shop culture made it a fixture at weddings, annaprashan ceremonies and Sunday lunches, and the versions from Nabadwip in Nadia district and from Bogra in present-day Bangladesh are especially famous.

    The milk is reduced until thick, and sugar or nolen gur (date palm jaggery) is caramelised before it goes in, which gives the curd its pale brown colour and deep, toffee-like sweetness. It should be thick enough to cut with a spoon, sweet with only a gentle tang at the end. In winter many families make it with nolen gur instead of sugar.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / curd

    Ingredients

    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1/2 cup sugar (or 100 g nolen gur in winter)
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 3 tbsp thick plain curd, at room temperature, as starter
    • Earthen pots or a clay handi

    Method

    1. Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and simmer on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides, until it reduces to about two-thirds.
    2. Meanwhile, put 1/4 cup of the sugar with 2 tbsp water in a small pan on medium heat. Do not stir; swirl the pan until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber, about 4-5 minutes.
    3. Lower the heat and carefully pour a ladle of the hot milk into the caramel – it will splutter. Stir until the caramel dissolves, then pour this back into the reduced milk with the remaining sugar. Stir until fully dissolved.
    4. Let the milk cool until it feels comfortably warm when you dip a finger in, around 40-45 C.
    5. Whisk the starter curd smooth in a bowl, add a ladle of the warm milk, mix, then stir it into the rest of the milk.
    6. Pour into earthen pots, cover with a plate, and leave in a warm, undisturbed place (an off oven with the light on works) for 7-8 hours until set firm.
    7. Once set, refrigerate for at least 3 hours. It will firm up further and taste less tangy when chilled.

    Tips

    • Soak new clay pots in water for an hour and dry them before use, or they will smell of raw clay.
    • If using nolen gur, add it only after the milk has cooled slightly, or the jaggery can curdle the milk.
    • A deeper caramel gives more colour and a slightly bitter edge; stop at amber if you prefer it mellow.

    Serve with

    Chilled, straight from the clay pot, after a festive meal.

  • Rasgulla

    Rasgulla is the sweet most associated with Bengal, and Kolkata confectioner Nobin Chandra Das is credited with creating the spongy version in 1868 in Bagbazar. Odisha has its own older tradition of rasagola linked to the Jagannath temple in Puri, and both states received GI tags for their versions. The Bengali style is whiter, springier and soaked in a thin syrup.

    A good rasgulla squeezes like a sponge and springs back, releasing syrup with every bite. The whole secret lies in the chhena: it must be made from full-cream cow milk, drained but still moist, and kneaded until perfectly smooth so the balls do not crack in the boiling syrup. They are served chilled or at room temperature, often in an earthen bhaar.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / lemon juice

    Ingredients

    For the chhena

    • 1 litre full-cream cow milk
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp water
    • 2 cups ice-cold water

    For the syrup

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 4 cups water
    • 2 green cardamoms, lightly crushed (optional)
    • 1 tsp rose water (optional)

    Method

    1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy pan. Turn off the heat, wait 1 minute, then add the diluted lemon juice a spoon at a time, stirring gently, until the milk splits into white curds and clear greenish whey.
    2. Immediately add the ice-cold water to stop the curds cooking further. Pour through a muslin cloth, rinse under running water to remove the lemon taste, and squeeze lightly.
    3. Hang the chhena for 30-40 minutes so it is drained but still moist; it should hold together when pressed but not drip water.
    4. Transfer to a plate and knead with the heel of your palm for 8-10 minutes until completely smooth and your palm feels slightly greasy. Divide into 12-14 small balls, rolling each between your palms until there are no cracks.
    5. In a wide pressure cooker or deep pan, boil the sugar and water with the cardamom on high heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is rolling.
    6. Drop the balls into the boiling syrup. Cover and cook on high heat for 15 minutes in an open pan, or for 1 whistle and 5 minutes on low in a pressure cooker. The balls will double in size.
    7. Turn off the heat. If using an open pan, sprinkle a few spoons of cold water over the syrup after the first 5 minutes of boiling to keep it thin. Let the rasgullas cool in the syrup, add rose water, and chill for at least 4 hours.

    Tips

    • If the balls crack in the syrup, the chhena was either too dry or not kneaded enough; if they dissolve, it was too wet.
    • The syrup must stay thin and at a rolling boil the entire time – thick syrup gives hard, chewy rasgullas.
    • Use cow milk; buffalo milk chhena is fattier and makes denser, less spongy balls.

    Serve with

    Chilled, two to a bowl with a little syrup, at the end of a meal.

  • Qubani ka Meetha

    Qubani ka meetha is a classic Hyderabadi dessert made from dried apricots, which reached the Deccan from Afghanistan and Central Asia. It is a must at Hyderabadi weddings, where it is served as the final sweet course, often next to double ka meetha. The small, hard, light-brown dried apricots with their stones are essential to the true taste.

    The apricots are soaked, stoned and cooked slowly with sugar until they break down into a thick, glossy, amber-brown compote with some pieces still whole. It tastes deep, tangy-sweet and slightly caramel. It is served warm or chilled, topped with cream, malai or custard, and the cracked kernels from the stones are sometimes used as garnish.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsdried apricots / sugar / cream / almonds

    Ingredients

    • 250 g dried Hyderabadi apricots (qubani), with stones
    • 4 cups water for soaking
    • 1/2 cup sugar, adjust to taste
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup fresh cream or thick malai
    • 10 almonds, blanched and sliced

    Method

    1. Wash the apricots well and soak them in 4 cups water overnight, or for at least 8 hours, until plump and soft.
    2. Remove the stones by squeezing each apricot gently; keep the soaking water. Crack a few stones and remove the kernels for garnish if you like.
    3. Put the apricots and the soaking water in a heavy pan and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes until very soft.
    4. Mash about half the apricots with a spoon, leaving the rest in pieces.
    5. Add the sugar and cook on low heat for another 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens to a jammy consistency and turns glossy and deep amber.
    6. Stir in the lemon juice and switch off. It will thicken more as it cools.
    7. Serve warm or chilled in small bowls, topped with cream or malai and sliced almonds or the apricot kernels.

    Tips

    • Use the small Hyderabadi or Afghani dried apricots with stones; Turkish apricots give a different, brighter flavour.
    • Taste before adding all the sugar, since apricot sweetness varies.
    • Vanilla custard is a popular alternative topping at weddings.

    Serve with

    Fresh cream, malai, vanilla ice cream or custard.