Chef shares season's special Goan dessert recipes for Christmas 2020

The year is coming to an end and while there is still somberness in the air the Christmas spirit is unmissable Itrsquos the time of the year when Mumbaikars look forward to indulging in the seasonrsquos specialties like guava cheese or perad and shingoli or karanji besides of course rumsoaked rich plum cake kulkuls marzipan milk cheese and more These goodies are distributed among family and friendsSo midday online brings to you two season special Goan dessert recipes by chef Gita Hari a culinary expert and renowned wellness food curator for premium hotels across IndiaGuava CheesePeradA Yuletide staple in East Indian homes perad or guava cheese is a Goan dessert ndash a kind of fudge also known as Goiabada in Portuguese It owes its origin to Portuguesespeaking colonies of Brazil where guavas were used to make marmalades Fresh guavas abound the market during Christmas season making it inexpensive and easy on the pocket This lowcalorie fruit is packed with Vitamin C and is also known to control blood pressure related disorders Perad lends a chewy texture on the palate I have included almond slivers and chopped pistachios as garnish for added taste and visual appeal Ingredientsfrac12 kg ripe guavasSugar equivalent to guava pulpLemon juice frac12 tspClarified butterghee 2tbspFood colour as desiredChopped pistas almond slivers for garnishMETHOD Wash and cut the sides of the guavas Grease a plate and set it aside Steam whole guavas in a pressure cooker for 15 mins Cut them remove the seeds and boil Pass it through a sieve to remove residual seeds Grind the sieved guavas in a mixer Measure them in a cup and take equal quantity of white sugar In a heavybottomed pan mix in guava paste and sugar Let it be on low flame while you keep stirring it After 10 mins pour in lemon juice and stir continuously After 30 mins introduce ghee and food colour To find out if itrsquos done drop frac12 tsp of guava mix in a glass of chilled water If it rolls into a ball then the flame can be switched off Transfer the guava mixture on to the greased plate Smoothen out the surface Garnish with almond slivers and chopped pistas Let it settle for 8 to 10 hours Cut into desired shapeShingoliNevrisGoan nevris is a musthave Christmas dessert in East Indian households Most of the family members congregate in the preparation of these crescentshaped flaky pastries with a delicious dry fruits and coconut stuffing It is the Goan counterpart of karanji and gujiya Depending on the fillingsnuts and dry fruits are loaded with fibre antioxidants minerals vitamins and Omega 3 fatty acidsIngredientsFor the doughMaidarefined flour frac12 kgOil 4tbspSalt 1tspWarm water 1 cupFor the fillingGrated coconut fresh or desiccated 1 cupSugar frac34 cupKhus khus 2tbspChopped cashewnuts frac14 cupsChopped almonds frac14 cupRaisins 2tbspCardamom powder frac12 tspGhee 1tspOil to deep fryMethod Combine maida and salt Drizzle hot ghee and warm water Knead them into pliable dough cover with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for 20 minutes To make the stuffing heat ghee in a pan and saute coconut till it changes colour Set it aside Lightly saute khus khus almonds cashew nuts and combine these with coconut Add sugar raisins and cardamom in the above mixture and mix all of them well Now take small lemonsized balls of the dough Roll into small rotis Place a spoonful of the coconutdryfruits mixture in the centre Moisten with water on the edges and fold over to make moonshaped pieces Pierce the edges with a fork Repeat till the dough is exhausted Heat oil in a kadai Once hot lower the flame to medium heat Introduce the karanjis one by one gently in the oil not more than 5 at a time Fry on both sides till golden brown Remove on a tissue napkin to drain off excess oil Store in airtight containers