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it is relatively expensive. I typically grind slivered almonds in a coffee grinder; it does not take much time, is less expensive, and I can grind it finer than the purchased almond meal. Almond barfi is nutritious and delicious, for a dessert. Vark is silver foil, added for decoration, and is optional.

1¼ cups sugar

¾ cup water

1¾ cups ground almond meal, or 1 ½ cups

slivered almonds, finely ground

3-4 vark (edible silver foil), optional

1. Put some cold water in a plate and set near the stove.

2. In a large skillet, combine sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, bring to a boil, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage. (To test for the soft-ball stage, pour a drop of syrup into the plate with water; the syrup should turn into a ball right away. Pick up the ball and roll between your fingers. It should easily roll into a soft ball. It should not be sticky on your fingers or brittle. (Or, cook to 200ºF on a candy thermometer.)

3. Remove from heat. Add almond powder and mix well. Cool for 8 to 10 minutes, mixing occasionally to prevent drying. The almond mixture will thicken as it cools. The mixture should still be warm but cool enough to touch.

4. Stir the almond mixture thoroughly and pour onto a clean, dry counter or a pastry board. It will have dough-like consistency. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes and form a smooth flat ball.

5. Place flattened ball in center of parchment paper. Put another sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll out to ⅓-inch thickness with a rolling pin. Remove the top parchment paper.

6. If using silver foil, carefully place on dough. The silver foil is very delicate and it will stick to the barfi immediately. Once placed, it cannot be removed.

7. Cut dough into 1-inch vertical strips, then cut 1½-inch diagonal strips, making diamond shapes. Carefully remove the barfi from the parchment paper and place in a single layer on a plate or tray.

8. Allow the barfi to air-dry for 20 to 30 minutes before storing in an airtight container. The barfi can be served immediately, kept at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated for a month, or frozen for later use.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 74; Total Fat: 2 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g);

Carbohydrate: 13 g; Protein: 3 g; Fiber: 0 g;

Sodium: 1 mg

Doughnut Holes

Gulgule

PREP: 5 minutes

COOK: 20 minutes

MAKES : 8 servings

SERVING SIZE: 5 pieces

The easiest way to explain this dessert is that they look like doughnut holes—but of course taste completely different. Gulgule are often made as communion food for pooja (prayer) during festivals. I often make these at Diwali (festival of light) time during one of the poojas.

1 cup roti-atta, or white whole wheat flour

⅔ cup sugar

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

⅔ cup water

Canola oil for frying

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, and fennel seeds. Add water and make a stiff batter. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

2. While batter rests, heat oil in a karahi/wok on medium heat or electric fryer to 300ºF. Oil is ready when a small amount of dough dropped into the oil slowly rises to the top.

3. Drop 1 teaspoon of batter into the oil. Quickly drop several additional teaspoons of batter into the oil in a single layer. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, until the gulgule are golden brown.

4. Drain the gulgule on a paper towel. Cool before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 147; Total Fat: 4 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g);

Carbohydrate: 28 g; Protein: 2 g; Fiber: 2 g;

Sodium: 1 mg

GF, LF

Coconut-Mango Rice

Nariyal-Aam Ke Chawal

PREP: 10 minutes

COOK: 20 minutes

MAKES: 8 servings

SERVING SIZE : ½ cup

Sweetened rice is served as a dessert or a side dish. The sweet and smooth taste of mango and the hint of coconut turn this dish into an exotic dessert.

1 cup basmati rice

1 tablespoon canola oil or ghee

3-4 whole cardamom pods

3-4 cloves

2 cups water

¼ teaspoon saffron threads

½ cup coconut milk

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes

3 ripe sweet mangoes