Bhai Dooj 2024: Chef Rajesh Paramashivan Shares Sweet Recipes

Starting with Choti Diwali to Diwali, followed by Bhai Dooj, the festive season calls for you to make drool-worthy desserts. While you might start making the traditional shakarpare or Kaju Katli for Diwali festivities, why don’t you try some fusion desserts for Bhai Dooj? 

To help you with the best recipes for fusion sweets, Slurrp interviewed Chef Rajesh Paramashivan, the Head Pastry Chef at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach. Beginning with a unique recipe for mawa and thadai cake, his signature Fragrance, and cardamom Gulab Jamun cookies, here are detailed steps of how you can make this Bhai Dooj extra special for your sibling.

Also Read: Sandesh To Sita Bhog: Celebrate Bhai Phonta With These Traditional Bengali Sweets

Mawa And Thandai Twist Cake

Ingredients:

For thandai nameleka:

• 250 ml milk
• 250 ml cream
• 60 gm sugar
• 40 gm mawa
• 300 gm white chocolate
• 10 gm gelatin

Instructions:

1. Soak the gelatin in ice water.
2. In a saucepan, take milk, cream, sugar and mawa, and warm it on slow flame.
3. Add bloom gelatin to the liquid ingredient and mix well.
4. Add the liquid batter to the chocolate mix well, then pour it into the ring and put it in the chiller to set the nameleka.

For mousse:

• 200 ml milk
• 10 gram glucose
• 50 ml thandai
• 240 gm white chocolate
• 600 gm whipped cream
• 12 gm gelatin

Instructions:

1. Soak the gelatin in ice water.
2. In a saucepan, take milk, glucose, and thandai together. Boil on a medium flame.
3. Pour on the chocolate and mix it properly, then add bloom gelatin and mix it again.
4. In a separate bowl, take all the liquid batter and fold the cream slowly and nicely with a spatula.
5. Make a nice creamy mousse.
6. Take a cake ring mould, half of the mousse in the ring, cover all sides, put mawa nameleka in the middle of the mousse, then again cover it with mousse till the top.
7. Keep the cake ring in the blast chiller to get set for 30 mins.
8. Remove from the ring and place the cake on the wire rack for the glazing.
9. Pour the green glaze on top of all the sides of the cake, and decorate with chocolate garnish and some fondant handmade Diwali crackers.

Fragrance

Ingredients:

For Saffron nameleka:

• 100 ml milk
• 300 gm cream
• 2 gm saffron
• 340 gm white chocolate
• 6 gm gelatine

Instructions:

1. Soak the gelatin in ice water.
2. Toast the saffron for 2 to 3 mins on a slow flame in a saucepan for the natural colour. Add a little milk and keep it aside.
3. Boil saffron milk and cream together. 
4. Add on the chocolate and mix properly; in another bowl, take soaked gelatin for melting and add on the chocolate batter.
5. Pour it into a silicone mould and keep it in the chiller till set.

For gulkand white chocolate mousse:

• 20 gm gulkand
• 200 ml milk
• 10 gm glucose
• 400 gm white chocolate
• 500 gm semi whipped cream
• 12 gm gelatin

Instructions:

1. Soak the gelatin sheet in ice water.
2. Boil the cream and glucose, add in the white chocolate, and mix it properly.
3. Add the bloom gelatin mix well, then add gulkand for the flavour.
4. Fold the semi-whipped cream in the liquid batter to make a nice mousse.
5. In a round silicone mat, pour mousse and cover it all the side. Put saffron nameleka inside the mousse and cover with cream till the top. Cut a vanilla sponge and put it on the mousse.
6. Put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set the dessert for glazing.
7. Once the dome is set, remove it from the mould, place it on a wire rack evenly, pour the glaze on the dome, and decorate it with chocolate garnish.

Cardamom Gulab Jamun Cookies

Ingredients:

• 5000 gm butter
• 500 gm sugar
• 200 ml milk
• 50 gm custard powder
• 900 gm refined flour
• 5 gm baking powder
• 500 gm cashew nuts
• 50 gm cardamom powder
• 6 Gulab Jamuns
• 20 gm pista

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar together with a paddle, and mix till fluffy. 
2. Separately, take all the dry ingredients and mix them. Add in the creaming batter. Stir well.
3. Mix milk and custard powder together to make a liquid paste, then add slowly to the batter. Knead a nice dough and let it rest.
4. Divide the in a dough of 20 to 30 gm of small pieces. In each portion, put a small piece of gulab jamun and make a small ball. Press it in a round shape on the tray.
5. Cut gulab jamun into small pieces, place it on each cookie and spread chopped pista.
6. Preheat the oven for 10 mins, and put the baking tray in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. These cookies will not turn golden on top, so don’t be tempted to overbake them. 
7. Cool down the cookies properly and serve the cookies with nice garnish.