Ingredients:

Rose Petals – 50gms (1Cup Packed)

 (Use native (DESI) variety rose flowers)

Sugar – 225gms (1Cup)

Water – 225gms (1Cup)

Beetroot – A Small Piece (Finely Grated Beetroot - 2Tbsps (30gms))

Preparations:

Here we are adding a small amount of beetroot to get the natural dark pink color to the syrup instead of adding artificial color.

Take beetroot and wash and peel it. Using a small holed grater, grate the beetroot finely and measure 2Tbsps (30gms) and keep it aside.

Take rose petals into a wide bowl and add water. Wash the petals thoroughly when the rose flowers are bought from a shop in market.

Method:

Heat a pan and add sugar and water. Heat the sugar mixture on high flame, stirring till sugar is fully dissolved in the mixture. Then add finely grated beetroot and cook on high flame only. Cook the sugar mixture on high flame for 7 minutes or till the syrup reaches 120^oC on candy thermometer. Once the syrup reaches 120^oC on candy thermometer, switch off the flame. Observe that the syrup gets dark pink color from the beetroot. As beetroot is neutral in fragrance, it would not affect the flavor of rose syrup. Take a dry bowl and place a tea strainer into it. Pour the syrup in the strainer. Press the cooked beetroot in the strainer with the back of a spoon and extract the syrup. Discard the cooked beetroot in the strainer. To this hot syrup add the washed rose petals. Press the rose petals into the syrup with a spoon and ensure that all the petals are immersed in the syrup. Cover the bowl and keep it aside to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, place the bowl in refrigerator and keep it overnight. Rose flavor from the rose petals gets infused into the syrup.

Next day take a jug and place a tea strainer in it. Pour the rose syrup mixture along with the petals into the strainer. With the back of a spoon press the rose petals in the strainer to extract the syrup. Discard the rose petals in the strainer as all the fragrance is transferred to the syrup. Take a clean dry bottle and fill it with the prepared rose syrup and cap it and store it in refrigerator.

Mix the rose syrup in chilled milk and make rose milk. Using the rose milk and rose syrup, make falooda and serve. Add rose syrup to water and serve over a glass of chilled ice as rose flavored drink. Use rose syrup as topping on vanilla ice cream. Use the rose syrup to enhance the taste of rose ice cream or rose petals ice cream.

Points To Remember:

Use only native (DESI) variety rose flowers to make the jam as they have good fragrance. Native flowers do not have the unripe (PASARU VASANA) flavor and they taste best for making the jam.

Wash the rose petals thoroughly when brought from a shop in market. If using garden fresh rose flowers then a mild washing would be sufficient.

After adding rose petals to hot syrup, osmosis takes place and dilutes the thick syrup so it is necessary to cook the syrup to 120^oC on candy thermometer.

Infusing the rose petals in hot syrup and allowing them to remain in syrup overnight brings out the fragrance of roses into the syrup. As the fragrance would be too strong adding a few drops gives a nice rose flavor to any dessert.

As the native (DESI) variety rose flowers are available throughout the year, make syrup in small batches as much required so that there is no necessity of adding preservatives to store the syrup.

Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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