In the north western state of Gujarat in India, food is more than a plan to feed the body. Every meal is a celebration and all the ingredients chosen to make the various dishes special are carefully put together. The fine balance between aroma and taste is in fact the result of this conscientious effort. Take for example Mohanthaal. Not only is Mohanthaal easy to put together by just about any member of the family once the ingredients are sorted by measure, but it also makes a wholesome part of the daily diet. You can enjoy the fine taste of Mohanthaal full of simple ingredients through the year.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of finely ground gram flour
1/2 cup of ghee or clarified butter
1/2 cup of Khoya or mawa (can be got at any store selling milk products exclusively)
1 tsp each of cardamom powder and cinnamon powder
Sugar syrup:
Mix together the ratio of 1/2 cup sugar to 1 cup of warm water to tbsps of warm milk
Blanched and chopped almonds and pistachios
Popular Accompaniments:
Mohanthaal is great as a tea time savory. The dessert is an authentic part of the festival meals prepared in Gujarat. With a sprinkle of silver foil, if you so please, or added dry fruits and nuts, you can give the dish your own blend of flavor.
Preparation:
You need to essentially mix together the gram flour and half the quantity of ghee in a large mixing bowl.
The tow ingredients should be mixed very well.
In fact the whole mixture needs to resemble breadcrumbs.
Main Cooking:
Now heat the remaining ghee in a large copper bottom or any other heavy bottom vessel.
Cook the gram flour and ghee mixture for around 10 minutes on a low flame till the mixture turns a nice golden brown.
Next put in the mawa and cinnamon and cardamom powders.
Allow the spices to lend their aroma and flavor to the mixture.
After around 5-6 minutes, remove the mixture from the fire and allow it to cool.
Make your sugar syrup with the sugar, water and milk.
Next, pour the syrup thus created over the gram flour mix and stir well, all the time.
Once the mixture is well blended with all the ingredients well mixed, pour it into a greased plate.
Sprinkle the blanched and chopped almonds and pistachios and allow the mixture to set.
