Lapsi is a traditional Gujarati sweet dish which is made to mark festivities or special occasions. It is made with fada (broken or cracked wheat), lots of ghee and sugar, and cooked in a pressure cooker to speed up the process. It’s so rich, sweet and moreish. Here I am using bulgur wheat, as it is easier to find, tastes almost the same and reduces the cooking time. 

METHOD
Put the ghee and bulghur wheat in a pan and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes until the bulgur is fluffy, fragrant, swells up and turns a bit golden. Remove from the heat. Add the water, then return to the heat and cook for 25 minutes until soft and most of the water has been absorbed. Add the sugar and cook until dissolved. Add the raisins, cashew nuts, cardamom and grated coconut, and serve. 

INGREDIENTS – SERVES 4
20g (¾oz) ghee
100g (3½oz) bulgur wheat
400ml (14fl oz) water
50g (1¾oz) caster sugar
10g (¼oz) raisins, chopped
10g (¼oz) cashew nuts, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
10g (¼oz) fresh coconut, grated 

Easy Indian Vegetarian: Chetna Makan’s chickpea and yogurt curry recipe

> More from Easy Indian Vegetarian: Chana Madra Recipe – Chickpeas are cooked with yogurt and spices making this dish refreshingly light.

Chetna Makan’s latest cookbook features a diverse collection of recipes inspired by different regions of India, where vegetarian cookery is a natural part of the culture.

“It’s not about trying to replace meat or fish with veg, but rather the simple act of creating healthy and delicious meals that just happen to be vegetarian – that is what I find beautiful and inspiring”.

Easy Indian Vegetarian: Delicious recipes for every day by Chetna Makan is published by Hamlyn, an imprint of Octopus, at £26 – out now. Photography by Nassima Rothacker. Recipes featured with permission of the publisher.