Recipe: Sweet Lentil Peas With Gum

To make 12 adadyas

Ingredients:

1.  125 gms (1/2 cup) urad dal (split black gram) powdered

2.  30 gms (1-1/2 tbsp) eating gum (gaund)

3.  5 tbsp clarified butter (pure ghee)

4.  ¾ cup sugar

5.  1 cup water

6.  ¼ cup milk

7.  1/8 tsp nutmeg (jaiphal)

8.  1/8 tsp mace

9.  ¼ tsp black pepper powder

10.  ½ tsp cardamom powder

11.  1-1/2 dry ginger powder

12.  12 gms chironji nut (charoli)

13.  40 gms mixed dry fruits eg. almonds (badam), pistachios (pista) and cashew nuts (kaju) – shredded

Procedure:

1.  Heat ghee in a thick, heavy bottomed pan, add gaund and stir.  As soon as it is fully puffed, remove and pound in a mortar with a pastel to powder.  Set aside.  Preserve remaining ghee.

2.  Heat water in a deep sauce pan, add sugar and stir occasionally till syrup of one-thread consistency is achieved.  Add milk and remove the scum from the surface.  Remove from fire and set aside.

3.  In the same ghee used for frying gaund, add the dal powder and stir for 8 to 10 minutes till light brown in colour

4.  Add powdered gaund, all the spices, dry fruits and sugar syrup.  Mix well and stir constantly till brown in colour and well cooked.

5.  Remove, cook for a while and divide int o 12 portions

6.  Take each portion in your palm and give a pear shape.  Cool.

8.  Store in a tin lined with wax paper and use as required.