Homemade Rose Syrup

Today we had a pure African lunch. The lunch was made and sent to us by one of my husband's friend and I must say it was very very good. The main dish was Fufu, which was made with baked and smashed banana. But you can not tell that just by tasting. It was a little tangy and very very smooth, no where near a banana. And that we ate with a hot and spicy curry made with crab and pork. Lovely combination and lovely presentation it was. I ate crab after a long time and I was eating with such pleasure that my husband started clicking photos. Generally, I am not so photogenic, but today the photos came so well..that I told him, food makes me beautiful!! Lol!! My husband only chuckled a bit..!!All in all..it was a wonderful lunch. Hot, spicy and eternally tasty..just the way I want.:)

Made Malai Kulfis a few days ago and I was craving to have a faluda kulfi, so much so that until I was prepared to have faluda I did not have a bite of the kulfi. Such resistance...for me is very rare..very very rare!!:) I had faluda, I had kufi but I did not have the very essential rose syrup. I tried to get them from the local market but I could not get one. I even searched the Indian market but I returned empty handed. This was the time, I started thinking about making Rose Syrup at home.

Rose syrup is a very versatile ingredient. You can drizzle the rose syrup over ice cream or kulfi, or use it with the kulfi mixture to have a rose flavoured kulfi. you can make sorbet, you can make a refreshing summer drink with it. The uses are endless. 

Making rose syrup is very easy. All you will need is roses, sugar and some rose water. Now, we are going to use dried rose petals, so its very important that you use organic rose flowers, otherwise there is a heavy possibility that it will have pesticides in it. Or you can use store bought dried rose petals. The choice is yours.

So, come, lets make rose syrup.

Rose Syrup
Yields approximately 1 cup rose syrup

Ingredients:

• 2 large organic roses
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup rose water
• 2 cups of normal drinking water

Method:

• First get your rose petals and clean them with water.
• Spread in a baking tray and put the oven to lowest temperature and put the tray into the oven for 15 minutes.
• After that put off the oven but keep the tray inside the oven.
• After 2 hours again put of the oven on its lowest temperature for 5-7 minutes.
• Keep the tray inside the oven over - night. In the morning you will have dry rose petals.
• Now take all the ingredients in a sauce pan and let it come to the point of boiling.
• After that put the flame on low and simmer until the more than half of the water has evaporated. You need to stir the liquid in between.
• Strain and put in a distilled and clean glass bottle and let it come to room temperature.
• After that put it into the fridge. It will thicken as it will cool down.
• You can use a pinch of pink color to the syrup as well to give it a hint of color.