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Mava ni boi
માવાની બોઈ: pink fish-shaped mawa sweets pressed in moulds, the good-luck sweet of Parsi weddings and navjotes
At Parsi weddings and navjotes in Surat, Navsari and Mumbai, the boi, a fish, is a symbol of good luck, and a tray of small pink mawa fish travels with the sagan gifts. There is no fish in them at all: they are a simple sweet of fresh mawa cooked with sugar, tinted the palest pink and pressed into carved fish moulds, with a raisin or a silver ball for the eye. The common mistake is cooking the mawa too long, so it turns crumbly and cracks in the mould instead of taking a clean imprint. Chef's tip: lightly grease the mould with ghee and dust it with a pinch of icing sugar so each fish slips out with sharp scales and fins.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the boi
- 14 oz fresh mawa (khoya)grated
- 4 oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1 drop pink food colouring
- 1 tsp gheefor the moulds
- 1 tbsp icing sugarfor the moulds
- 16 raisins or silver dragées (optional)for the eyes
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm 14 oz fresh mawa (khoya) in a non-stick pan over low heat, stirring, until it softens and loosens, about 4 minutes.
4 minStep 2: Add 4 oz caster sugar and stir continuously for 8–10 minutes. It will turn runny, then thicken again; stop when it gathers into a soft, smooth dough that leaves the pan but still feels pliable.
10 minStep 3: Take off the heat and mix in ½ tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp rose water and 1 drop pink food colouring until the dough is an even pale pink. Cool for 10 minutes until warm.
10 minStep 4: Brush fish moulds with 1 tsp ghee and dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar. Press a walnut-sized ball of dough firmly into each mould, level the back and tap out.
15 minStep 5: Press a 16 raisins or silver dragées into each head for an eye. Leave to set for 1 hour, then keep chilled in a single layer for up to 5 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mava ni boi take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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