Nankhatai (Indian cookies)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (maida)

1 cup gran flour (besan)

2/3 cup powdered sugar

A pinch of powdered cardamom

1 cup cooking oil (do not use strong flavoured oils like olive oil or sesame oil)

Sliced almonds or pistachios 

Mix together all ingredients except sliced almonds and pistachios. Knead to form a dough.

Preheat oven for 15 mins at 180 Celsius.

Form small discs and slightly flatten the top. Then draw a cross with a knife. Garnish with chopped nuts and bake for 12-15 minutes.

The nankhatais will double in size. The bottom will brown slightly and the top will turn a little goldenish.

Let cool on a wire rack. When hit the cookies will be soft and will crumble when tried to touch. They harden when cooked.

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

10 tablespoons milk powder

2 tablespoons flour (maida)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons milk

2 spoons oil/butter

Make a dough and small balls (they expand in sugar syrup) 

Fry in slow heat till golden brown.

Syrup 

2 cups sugar

2 3/4 cup water

A pinch of ground cardamom

Saffron

3-4 drops rose water 

Heat till sugar melts and another 2-3 minutes (about 15 minutes on medium flame).

Add fried balls to the hot syrup cover and heat for 1 minute.

Switch off gas and let remain for 1/2 to 1 hour.

If the balls are hard and the syrup hasn't penetrated, boil the syrup until it covers all the balls. Cover and let remain (not usually necessary).