Madhur Bhog is an amazing dessert – perfect for the Diwali and any other festivities.
Happy Diwali everyone!!!!! It is an Indian tradition to celebrate every festival with something sweet. May it be mithai or kheer or some other variation. Every occasion has its own special sweet like in Ganapati festival it’s modak. On Gauri Poojan it is wheat kheer, the variation of which I have already shared. Til-gul ladoo is associated with the Sankranti celebrations. And Puran Poli is a traditional favorite for Gudi-padwa (Marathi New Year). But Diwali is the festival where there is huge variety of savory snacks and mithai.
Diwali is one of the biggest Indian festivals – commonly known as a festival of lights. The lighting of Diya is very symbolic to lighting the light in our minds by removing all the negativity and letting positivity enter our minds. All the 3-4 days of Diwali the atmosphere is buzzing with such positivity and blissfulness. Feelings of Sukh, Shanti & Samruddhi which means happiness, peace and prosperity, respectively graces this festival. Hence, we celebrate this occasion with a wide variety of food items.
Thinking of a recipe which will suit this occasion, I had to come up with a dish that will be royal and something awesome. So I present you with my Madhur bhog mithai. This mithai checks all the right boxes in my list. It’s rich, creamy, crunchy, juicy & nutty. A beautiful dessert in looks and taste.
About Madhur Bhog
Madhur Bhog mithai is a layered dessert and these layers together make this dessert mouthwateringly delicious. The first layer on the bottom is that of juicy Petha. Petha is a translucent soft candy very popular in India. Kids simply love this creation while adults can’t get enough of it.
Normally petha is a dry sweet with lots of sugar coating it but here in Madhur bhog mithai the layer of petha is juicy and proportionately sweet. On top of juicy Petha layer there is a rich and nutty layer of creamy mawa mix. It is full of flavors due to the addition of cardamom powder and saffron. Repeat these layers and top it with sprinkle of sliced almonds, chopped pistachios and add gold leaf on top to give it a rich look.
So, this Diwali try out Madhur Bhog Mithai and let me know if this was your tummy to heart moment…
Ingredients
- For Juicy Petha
1 Raw Ash Gourd
(white pumpkin / wax gourd)1 ¾ Cup Sugar
1 cup water u0026
around 4-5 cups for soaking1 tsp Rose essence
2 – 3 drops Pink color
or any color of your choice1 tbsp slaked lime / pickling lime
- For Juicy Mawa
½ cup or 140g evaporated milk
(khawa / mawa)40 Cashews
½ cup sugar
2 large pinch Saffron
½ tbsp Milk for soaking saffron
1 tsp Cardamom powder
Sliced almonds
Chopped pistachios
Gold leaf (optional)
Directions
- Making the Juicy Petha
- First cut ash gourd into thick strip of equal width.
- Then peel the skin of all the strips.
- Then cut off the soft white part of the ash gourd.
- Next cut the strips into square pieces of around same size.
- Then take each square pieces and horizontally cut the pieces into half.
Note: the pieces should be of equal thickness. And all the pieces together should be around 500g - Next in a bowl add 4 – 5 cups of water and add pickling lime to it. Mix lime thoroughly removing all the lumps.
- Then add 500g of ash gourd pieces and soak overnight. Make sure to cover the bowl with a plate which is small in size so that the ash gourd pieces are completely submerged in water and not floating due to the weight of the plate.
Note: this step is necessary for crunchy texture of the juicy petha layer. - Next day after overnight of soaking remove ash gourd pieces from the lime water and wash it with fresh water thoroughly. Wash maximum thrice, changing water each time.
Note : use hands to rub and wash the pieces. - Next strain off the water u0026 keep the pieces aside for further use.
- Later in a pressure cooker add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, ½ tsp rose essence, food color and gourd pieces.
- Pressure cook up-to 8 whistles.
Note : if using instant pot pressure cook till 20 – 25 minutes or till the pieces turn translucent. - After pressure cooking, ash gourd should have turned translucent. Then strain the syrup.
- Later in a wok add ¾ cup sugar, ½ tsp rose essence and gourd pieces. And cook it.
- Cook till the sugar has melted and turned into thick syrup with one string consistency.
Note : the quantity of syrup depends on the water content in the gourd itself. Even if the water content is very less cook the mix till the juicy petha is coated with it and is sticky. - Later turn off the heat and keep petha aside to cool. And after cooling refrigerate petha till it is time to assemble the mithai.
- Making the Mawa mix
- Soak saffron in the milk and keep it aside for further use.
- In a mixer grinder add sugar, evaporated milk (mawa) rose essence, cashews and cardamom powder. Grind all the ingredients till they become paste consistency.
Note : if you want you can grind till there is grainy texture of cashews left. - Next remove the mawa mix into a bowl and add saffron soaked milk into it. Then blend everything together thoroughly. Your creamy mawa mix is ready.
- Next fill the creamy mawa mix into a pipping bag and refrigerate it for minimum an hour.
- Assembling the Mithai
- In a serving plate first place petha pieces.
- Then pipe mawa mix on petha pieces.
- Next place petha pieces on top of mawa mix.
- Then repeat the mawa mix layer.
- On top of mawa mix sprinkle sliced almonds, chopped pistachios and place gold leaf.
- Your Madhur Bhog Mithai is ready to be served.