Vermicelli kheer

Preparation time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
To serve: 4

You will need

4 oz. fine vermicelli
2 pins (U.S. 5 cups) milk
4 oz. sugar
1 oz. butter
1 oz. raisins
1 oz. blanched almonds
pinch cardamom powder

In a dry frying pan, roast the vermicelli carefully till lightly browned. Add vermicelli to the milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil steadily until the vermicelli is tender, then add the sugar and remove from the heat when the sugar has dissolved. Heat the butter and fry the raisins and blanched almonds and add to saucepan. Put into a serving dish. Sprinkle with cardamom powder. Serve hot or cold.

Carrot halva

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
To serve: 4

You will need

2 oz. almonds
1 oz. raisins
few strands saffron
2 teaspoons warm water
1 lb. carrots
2 pins (U.S. 5 cups) milk
8 oz. sugar
2 oz. butter
seeds 2 green cardamoms (optional)

Blanch and slice almonds finely. Wash and dry the raisins. Soak saffron in water. Grate the carrots as finely as possible. Bring the milk to the boil and add the grated carrots. Simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook till the contents of the pan are very thick and creamy. Add the sugar and the raisins and cook till mixture is very thick. Add the butter and saffron and continue cooking till the halva is a rich golden colour. Put in a dish and sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Serve cold. The seeds of two green cardamoms may be coarsely ground and sprinkled over the halva.

©Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968 English text © The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. 1968