Baked Yogurt Royale – Soul Food!

Last week when I went to The Bombay Canteen with my better half, we ended our meal with Apricot flavoured Baked Yogurt. Boy, what a fitting end to an incredible meal. I have had baked yogurt many-a-times, but this one was special. It was not overly sweet, neither was it pretentious. I made up my mind to make it and here is what we've got! What's amazing is that this is actually a pretty awesome dessert, which barely requires any prep-work! Hear me out:

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Hung yogurt - 1 cups.
• Condensed milk (Milk maid / Mithai mate): 4 tablespoons.
• Cardamom powder - 1 gram / 1 pinch.
• Pistachios - Whole or slivered, to garnish.

 Recipe:

• In a mixing bowl whisk together yogurt, condensed milk, cardamom powder and add it to bake-proof bowls or ramekins.
• Put in a baking tray 1/2 filled with water and bake it in a pre-heated over for 20 minutes, over 180 degrees Celsius.
• Once done, let these cool down. Refrigerate them for 2 hours.
• Garnish with Pistachios (or any fresh fruit or nuts) and enjoy!

Gorgeous Summertime Popsicles!

When summer comes calling, we all look to cool down with so many things - Ice Creams, Golas, Lollies and what not! Especially kids, who love everyone so flavourful and colourful. That being said, it's often repeatedly told how bad the food colouring and flavouring is, which goes into these products. Well, fear not - we have a solution now! Make these completely natural popsicles which are sure to win everyone's heart and tastebuds!

 

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Tablespoons of Home-made Rose Syrup (or Rooh Afza!)
• 1 Juice of lemon
• 2 Spoons of Chia / Sabja seeds pre-soaked in water

Recipe:

• Make a good 500ml of Sherbert with Rose Syrup, Lemon juice, Jellied Chia Seeds and Water.
• Use a good quality popsicle maker, and fill it with the sherbert, making sure the chia-seeds get equally portioned. Add a slice of lemon (optional) or some fresh chopped fruit (strawberries or kiwi work exceptionally well!)
• Seal with lids or wooden sticks (depending upon you popsicle maker) and freeze these for a good 6-7 hours till set.
• Once set, gently slide them out of the moulds and enjoy!

Tip: You can make popsicles with fruit juices, yogurt shakes and milkshakes - get creative with your recipe and you'll never want the outside stuff again!

Beetroot Cupcakes!

 

Who doesn't love cupcakes? They're perfect little treats for anytime! The other day, I saw a recipe for a Red Velvet Cupcake which required using a shocking amount of food-colouring and things I would normally not consume myself. I immediately decided to come up with a recipe using natural beet-root juice as a colouring agent and no eggs. It worked! It worked marvelously well!



Ingredients:

• 1 cups fine wheat flour (maida)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk powder
• 1 tablespoon of butter (room temperature)
• 200 grams condensed milk (milk maid or mithai mate)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup beetroot juice (for colouring and binding) 
• 1/2 teaspoon of good-quality vanilla extract
• 1 tea-spoon of baking powder

Recipe:

• Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, except for baking powder, and set aside.
• Using a hand-beater, whisk together butter, condensed milk, beetroot juice, buttermilk together till the mixture is nice and red. Adjust quantity of buttermilk to make sure the batter doesn't turn too thick or thin.
• Gradually introduce dry ingredient mixture to wet and continue whisking until you have smooth cake batter.
• The last step is to add the raising agent, in our case the baking powder and whisk for good 2-3 minutes.
• Once done, immediately line the cup-cake tray with paper cups and pour the batter till the 3/4th.
• Bake in a pre-heated 180 degree celsius over for about 20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean from the center.
• And, viola! There you have them - delicious Beetroot Cupcakes! 
• Decorate them with whatever you like - Freshly whipped cream, Cream cheese, Jam, Sprinkles or even Frozen Yogurt!

Enjoy!

Makhane Ki Kheer - Puffed Lotus Seeds Pudding!

I recently discovered Makhane Ki Kheer via news - our beloved PM, Mr. Modi, loves it so much so that it was served to the Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent visit to India! Well, if it's NaMo's choice - there has to be something special right? Indeed it is.

Makhane Ki Kheer is a very versatile, easy and nutritious dessert which is often served in Gujarat and Rajasthan during Navratras and Fasting Festivals. It's wholesome, very simple and takes no more than 15 minutes to make with bare minimum ingredients which are available in every pantry. Let's get started!!

A very simple, versatile and nutritious Makhane Ki Kheer!

Ingredients (for 5-6 servings):

• 250 Grams Makhana (or Puffed Lotus Seeds)
• 1 Liter Milk
• 4 Table Spoons of Condensed Milk (Milkmaid / Mithai Mate etc) - we're using this instead of sugar. Go light on sugar.
• 1 Cup of Freshly Grated Coconut (substitute w/ dried one if fresh isn't handy)
• 1 Table Spoon of Ghee
• 1/2 Tea Spoon of Cardamom Powder
• Slivered Almonds & Raisins to Garnish

Can't believe it just took like 12-15 minutes to get this from thought to plate!

Recipe:

• Add Ghee to the pan and once it's warm, roast the Makhanas in it for 3-4 minutes until gently crisp (don't brown them).
• Take them off the flame, and set aside to cool. Put them in a ziploc bag and crush them coarsely with a rolling pin or pestle. Do not powder them.
• Add milk to the pan and mix the makhanas in milk. Cook for few minutes until makhanas are well incorporated and kheer begins to gradually thicken up.
• Add freshly grated coconut and stir well. Also add the condensed milk and the cardamom powder and keep stirring frequently.
• Your kheer should be ready in about 10-12 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved. 
• Transfer in serving bowls, and garnish with slivered Almonds and Raisins. Serve lukewarm and enjoy this simple, comforting dessert!

Tip: You can also add a touch of coconut milk to make it more rich and creamy. A few drops of rosewater as a fragrant garnish is a good idea too!

Affogato - A perfect, quick dessert!

Affogato

Nothing says "pick-me-up" as Affogato does! It's an all time classic Italian dessert (beverage, really) and something even the laziest people can make in a jiffy. There's no recipe to it, only assembly. So here it is:

Scoop, Pour, Serve!

1. Brew a nice cup of Espresso Coffee.
2. Take a glass and scoop about 2-ish scoops of fine quality Vanilla Ice Cream.
3. Pour warm coffee over the icecream (there's something about this that I love!).
4. Garnish with grated chocolate or coffee beans.
5. Serve. Sluurp!

Tip: Affogato goes really well with coffee ice-cream. Get innovative with toppings: Baileys and Bitters go well!

Home made Rose Syrup - Gorgeous, Easy & Just-so-flavourful!

Very few things say "I'm Gorgeous, grab me, gulp me down!" as good as a simple, home-made Rose Syrup. The inspiration to make this came from reading a packaging label of a factory-made Rose Syrup I got as a gift. It's horrific to read how much of preservatives, colours and flavouring goes into these things which we use everyday!

Come to think of it, this Syrup is extremely easy, uses only 3 ingredients and best of all - stays good for months! And the very fact that you made it gives you the confidence to serve it to even the most dearest ones with pride! It may not be as Red as store-bought but trust me, the taste and aroma is simply intoxicating. I've not added any colour or colouring agent into this recipe for a simple reason that I wanted it to be all-roses and natural.

Isn't it adorable? Try it at home and you will never EVER use store-bought syrup!

Ingredients (makes about 400ml syrup):

• 1/2 Cup or Approximately 50 Grams Organic, Dried Rose Petals.
• 4 Cups of Sugar.
• 4 Cups of Boiling Water. 
• Yes, that's it!

3 Ingredients and Patience. 1 gorgeous potion of Red Rose Syrup!

Recipe:

• Please ensure you clean and if necessary, wash your Dried Red Rose Petals before making this syrup.
• Pour 3 cups of boiling water over dried roses and let sit overnight (wait until cool before putting in the fridge).
• The next day, Stain the rose water and squeeze out as much as the gorgeous Red liquid as you can. Discard the rose petals.
• In a pot, add this rose water and the 4 cups of sugar (you can adjust to taste). Bring it to a roaring boil and then let it simmer on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until it reaches a nice syrupy consistency. Do not over-boil.
• Let it the syrup cool down to room temperature. Transfer to a clean, air-tight container and store in refrigerator for use. Enjoy!

Tip: This syrup is not only refreshingly delicious - it's also cooling in nature. Add to a nice glass of chilled water for a summer's day cooler or with milk for a nice Sherbert. It serves as a delicious topping on ice-cream too!

Fresh Figs with Mascarpone & Honey! A delicious 60-second Dessert.

There're times when we all need a quick, easy to make and delicious Dessert which looks gorgeous and tastes divine. Well, here's one with Fresh Figs and it wont take you more than a minute to assemble it! (preparation takes no more than 5 minutes too!). I made this dessert since I had some Mascarpone mix left over from my Strawberry Triple Trifle - but trust me, these turned out the delight of the evening!

An Exotic-looking (and tasting) Dessert which takes only 60 seconds to assemble!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

1. 4 Figs. (1 fig per person is a good serving portion).
2. 4 Table Spoons of Mascarpone Cheese at Room Temperature.
3. 2 Spoons of Honey for Cheese & Some more to drizzle on top of finished figs.
4. 1/2 Lemon Juiced & 1/2 Tea Spoon of Lemon Zest.
5. A pinch of Sea Salt.
6. Garnish: Toasted Crushed Pistachios, Few sprigs of Saffron, Honey, Cinnamon Powder, Mint leaves.

Easy, Delicious, Fun.

Recipe:

1. Wash and clean figs dry. Cut of the top and slice them cross-ways till 3/4th height. Keep these in fridge for 10-15 minutes or till ready to serve. This way they hold shape, size and texture well.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together Mascarpone (bought to room temperature), Lemon Juice, Honey, Lemon Zest and Sea Salt (1/2 a pinch) till you get a smooth, luscious, creamy consistency - This is the heart of your recipe, so taste it till you end up feeling like licking the bowl clean!
3. When ready to serve, take figs and fill them up with the Mascarpone mixture (preferably with a star-noozle piping bag).
4. To serve, assemble a fig on serving plate. Top them off with toasted Pistachios, Saffron and Cinnamon powder. Drizzle the best honey you have and top off with a leaf of mint!
5. Pair these with my upcoming Mint & Saffron Tea and be prepared to handle the compliments!

Tip: You can roast figs in a oven for 10-15 minutes and then top them off with the cheese - it's fantastic!

Strawberry Triple Trifle - Quick, Delicious Dessert!

It's great to be back, to kitchen, to blogging and to great food. I've got to admit, my pregnancy was one joy of a journey, involving lot of great food and grateful moments. The inspiration for this recipe stems from 2 things, first being a memorable dinner at Suzette and second being a spontaneous urge to buy locally made Mascarpone Cheese (without having a clue of what to do with it!).

A similar version of this dessert was served at Suzette and unfortunately, it wasn't Eggless. Of course I gave it a miss (so should you!) but with a hankering urge to just do it on my own some day. A little bit of research, and some inputs of my own -- and here's what we've got.

3 Delicious Layers of Contrasting Colours & Flavours. They all come together seamlessly into 1 divine treat!

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 12-14 Sliced Fresh Strawberries
• 4 heaped spoonfuls of Mascarpone Cheese
• 1 Tea Spoon of Lemon Zest
• Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
• 2 Spoonfuls of Honey
• A little Sea Salt
• 8-9 Biscuits (I used old, trusted, Marie Biscuits)
• A few toasted, crushed Pistachios & Mint Leaves to Garnish

Slicing, Wisking, Zesting, Juicing - Ahhh, how I love these moments of joy.

Recipe:

• Slice strawberries, Crush your biscuits coarsely, Zest your Lemon fresh (if there's one piece of equipment you should invest in, it's a Zester) and Keep your Glasses ready.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together Mascarpone (bought to room temperature), Lemon Juice, Honey, Lemon Zest and Sea Salt (1/2 a pinch) till you get a smooth, luscious, creamy consistency - This is the heart of your recipe, so taste it till you end up feeling like licking the bowl clean!
• Assemble Biscuits, Mascarpone mix, Sliced Strawberries one by one into stacked layers of two. The visual appeal of this dessert lies in its colours and symmetry of ingredients so pay attention and tweak your spoon as your eyes like.
• Top off this Trifle with freshly roasted crushed pistachios and some mint. And yes, a drizzle of honey never hurt anyone!
• Chill in the Fridge (not the freezer) and serve!

Tip: Experiment with digestive / chocolate biscuits for an added visual treat. For an added kick, add a few drops of edible lemon oil into cheese.

PS: Special thanks to Mahika for recommending the title for this recipe! Thanks!

The 60 Second Dessert - Chocolate Kiwi Bites

Don't we all wish that we had a fairy wand which would do stuff in seconds? Well I don't know if that stuff exists but there's certainly something like a 60-second Dessert! All you need is 2 ingredients here and nothing more!

Curiously Delicious - Kiwi Chocolate Bites!

Ingredients (for 8 pops):

• 2 Kiwis. Preferably ripe and not soft ones.
• 1 Cup of Dark Chocolate.
• Popsicle sticks.

Cut, Slice, Dip - Easy and Fun. Oh, and Eat!

Preparation:

• Peel and slice Kiwis into 1/2 inch slices. Ideally, 1 Kiwi should give you about 4 slices.
• Gently insert a Popsicle stick in the edge through the center till the Kiwi bite feels firm to hold.
• Pop chocolate into a microwave and ensure it's melted well.
• Dip the Kiwi into chocolate or coat it with chocolate evenly and let it dry on a non-stick plate or parchment paper.
• Cool for an hour or two in a Fridge and Enjoy!

Tip: Try a combination (or a layer) of White Chocolate here, works equally well! Be creative with your fruits - Strawberries work well!

Coconut Truffles

Coconut Truffles - Made using 3 ingredients in under 5 minutes!

I Enjoy Desserts. I Like Coconut. And, I LOVE Coconut-based Desserts. Usually, when we hear Desserts - it involves lot of preparation, cooking and garnishing. This recipe is entirely opposite - you can make it in 5 minutes FLAT, it's DELICIOUS and looks Gorgeous! It's my all time favourite quick dessert!

Dessicated Coconut + Condensed Milk - Thats it!

Ingredients (for about 8 Truffles):

• 2 Cups Dessicated Dried Coconut (Or Finely Shaved Coconut).
• 1 Cup (approx) of Condensed, Sweetened Milk.
• 1/2 Tea Spoon of Cardamom Powder.
• 8-9 Almonds (Or any Nut you'd like to enjoy in your Truffle).

The making of a classic, delicious dessert!

Recipe:

•  Take 1 3/4th Cup of Dessicated Coconut in a mixing bowl and add Cardamom Powder to it. Sift well.
• Add 1/2 of the Condensed Milk and mix well, preferably with Whisk. Keep stirring and add milk till you get soft - dough-like consistency. Adjust the milk accordingly.
• Wet your hands and divide this Truffle mixture into 8 parts and Roll Truffles with wet palms.
• Insert an Almond into the Truffle and Roll it into the remaining Dry Dessicated Coconut to coat them thoroughly with coconut. Your Truffles are ready! :-)

Tip: Freeze these before serving to get best texture and taste. You can also dip them in Melted Chocolate for incredible Choco-nut Truffles!

Saffron Poached Pears - A ROYAL Treat!

There're a rare few recipes, which really transform the main ingredient and take it to a different level altogether. This recipe is one of those. For sure.

Pears are normally mildly sweet / sour with no in-particular distinctive taste. They're soft and this makes them perfect for poaching. While Poached Pears are generally done with Wine, I felt we could do so much better! This recipe takes full advantage of the colour and fragrant royal flavour of Saffron! While it's sweet, it's spicy too. It's an explosion of flavours and you'll love it!

Delightfully rich, fragrant, succulent and spicy - Saffron Poached Pears!

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pears - 4 Nos. Medium sized, Ripe and Juicy. 
• Saffron - 1 Pinch.
• Powdered Sugar - 1 cup (or more if you really want them sweet).
• Cinnamon - 2 medium sized whole sticks.
• Star Anise - 2-3 whole ones.
• Bay leaf - 2 large ones.
• Lemon Zest - of 1 lime.
• Lemon Juice - of the 1 lime you'll zest.
• Pepper corns - 4 whole black pepper corns.
• Water - 4 cups.

From a Humble Fruit to a Delicious Dessert - in 30 minutes FLAT! Isn't that good?

Preparation:

• Peel the pears, leaving their stalks intact - they'll be handy while cooking / serving. Cut the bottom of pears flat so they can rest in a flat-surface pan upright.
• Heat the Water in a Deep Pan. Add all the spices - Cinnamon, Star Anise, Bay Leaves, Pepper Corns and of course, Saffron. 
• After the water starts to boil gently, add Pears and make sure they're covered with the water to top. If not, you'll have to lay them side-ways later on to ensure even poaching and cooking.
• Add sugar. Let everything boil. You'll see the pears absorbing all the flavours and colour. It's a delight to watch them go gold!
• Add Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest. Let everything simmer.
• Take a knife and gently run it through the Pears for testing if they're done. If they're done, you should be able to glide the knife effortlessly - perhaps, like in a well-boiled potato.
• Once done, take the Pears off on a plate - let them cool. You may refrigerate the pears for 1-2 hours before serving.
• Let the spice concoction boil. Reduce the spicy concoction to a syrupy consistency and set it aside after removing the bay leaf and cinnamon sticks - everything else can remain in there.
• Serve the Pear on a Plate and Spoon over the Spicy Syrup over and around the Pear. Enjoy!!

Tip: Serve with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream with chopped Toasted Pistachios for an incredible combination of Royal Flavours!

A Celebration: BlueBerry Cheese Cake!

What would you do to celebrate a very special occasion? Of course, make something special!

What god would approve of - BlueBerry Cheese Cake!

Long story short - here's to 28, ck... :)

The Humble, Apple Crumble!

Someone once said aptly, An Apple a Day, bla, blah... and I always wondered, HOW and WHY?!

Finally, got my answer today! Turns out, an Apple Crumble can actually make me love Apples! (I like them, but loving them is altogether different talk).

This is a super-easy dessert to make with few ingredients and is a balanced dessert which everyone will want a second helping of! Try it!!

Mmmm... Molten, Sweet, Crumbly, Fruity goodness! Apple Crumble!

Ingredients:

4 Large Apples
1 Cup of Flour (I used whole wheat and I recommend that)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tea Spoon Nutmeg Powder
1 Tea Spoon Cinnamon Powder
2 Table Spoons Olive Oil
1/2 Lemon - Juiced and Zested (Zest is must!!)

The easiest dessert you'll ever make! And perhaps, the tastiest too!

Preparation:

• Peel the Apples, Core them and cut them into bite sized chunks (chopping them too fine is strictly NO-NO).
• Heat Olive Oil in a Pan, add Lime Juice, Zest, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and 1/2 the sugar. Heat on medium-slow heat till the sugar is all melted. Add Apples and stir gently till the Apples are covered in syrup. Turn heat off.
• Prepare the crumble by sifting together Flour, Butter and Sugar using a whisk or hands. Ensure all the ingredients are evenly mixed, with no lumps and crumbly.
• Coat a Baking Pan with oil and start assembling your Crumble. In go your Apples first with all the juices and syrup. Top it off with Crumble mixture. Tap the Pan to ensure the crumble gets evenly distributed and sunk in. Heap off the crumble till top. A handy tip here is to use a pan size which will have the apples occupy 3/4th the space.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 200-220 Degrees C. for 35-40 minutes. You'll know when you're done when the crumble gets nice and brown on top and syrup begins leaking out of edges! Mmmm... 
• Scoop out Crumble evenly so that everyone gets their correct share of Apples, Syrup and Crumble! 
• Serve warm with Vanilla Ice-cream! OR Cold with Whipped Cream! 

Enjoy this delicious, citrusy, sweet celebration of Apple with your friends and family!

Ps: Happy Friendship Day!

Dry Fruit Milk - Spiced Milk with Dried Fruits!

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

500 Ml Milk (more if you desire).
1 Cup of Chopped Dried Fruits - Use Almonds & Pistachios.
100 grams (adjust to taste) Whole Granulated Sugar (Khadi shakkar).
1-2 Cardamoms - finely powdered.
1 Pinch of Authentic Fine Quality Saffron.


Preparation:

• Heat Milk in a Milk Pan - on medium-slow heat.
• Once warm, add Saffron, Sugar and Dried Fruits - one by one, stirring well.
• Keep stirring until the dried fruits are slightly tender and milk is reduced by about 10%. Takes 15-20 minutes.
• Garnish with slivered nuts and serve warm!

Ps: Use best quality saffron - it makes a delicious difference!

Cheers!!

Gulab Jamun! (yee hawww!!)

Boy - some things can really bring joy to your mood and for me, Gulab Jamuns come in top 3! I made these goodies a year ago (the date stamp on pics says it all) and had to share them when I saw these pics on my old computer today!

Btw. Gulab Jamun literally means Rose-flavoured Dumplings.


Ingredients (for about 20 Gulab Jamuns):

1/2 Kg. Mawa or Khoya (Reduced milk - preferably full fat buffalo milk).
1 Tea Spoon Ground Cardamom Powder.
1-2 Tea Spoon Spoons Rose Extract or Rose Water.
3-4 Cups Refined Sugar - for Syrup.
3-4 Cups Water - for Syrup.
Ghee to fry - you have to use Ghee here, oil won't do justice!!

Preparation:

• Knead Mawa for 10-15 mins continuously using folding method by hands. Ensure it's well kneaded and super smooth with NO lumps. It needs to be velvety in texture. Add Cardamom powder and mix well.
• Divide into 20 equal portions and make balls. 
• Deep fry till golden brown.
• Simultaneously, make syrup by boiling water, sugar and rose extract.
• Clear the syrup by removing scum, if any.
• Keep cooking the syrup until about 1/3rd water gets evaporated. The syrup has to be slightly thicker than normal.
• Add the deep-fried Mawa Jamuns into this syrup and let them "drink" the syrup for at least 30-45 mins.
• Garnish with slivered almonds / pistachios and serve warm!

Seviyan - Vermicelli Pudding

I'm really glad to see the ball rolling with this new blog. Glad to cook and happy to click - here's something specially intended to bring out better visuals of what goes in my kitchen!

Sweet, nutty and delicious dessert - Seviyan!

Ingredients (for 2):
100 gms Sevai or Vermicelli (freely available in any Indian grocery store).
1 Cup Whole Fat Milk.
1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts (I used Almonds and Pistachios - even Cashews & Raisins are good).
3 Table Spoons Sugar (I used unrefined sugar or Khadi Shakkar).
2 Table Spoons Ghee (Clarified Butter).
1 Pinch of Saffron (use best quality Saffron, please?)

Cooking Instructions:

• Heat Ghee in a deep pan (or Kadhai) and add Sevai. Saute until the sevai is real brown and crispy.
• Add milk and sugar. Keep stirring continuously.
• Add Chopped Nuts & Saffron (pre-soaked in warm milk) and keep stirring gently until the milk evaporates - finally giving the Sevai a porridge-like texture.
• Garnish with Saffron and Nuts! Enjoy!

Sevai can be served luke-warm or absolutely chilled - tastes GREAT both ways! Bon Appétit.