.....From My Palate

Indian Sweets

Shahi Phirni – Long time no see!

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No, I was not on sabbatical but it was indeed a long break. I do agree! The invisibility was not intentional, in fact the recipe I am posting was made and clicked long time back but enjoying the resting period in the draft. I don’t know its being busy or sheer laziness to blame or may be both! Either I was busy like a bee or a couch potato doing nothing productive. Ya, I know! 🙂

Now if i think back, in 2017 I balanced my life pretty well with work, family and myself. Wow! It was an achievement that I realized now while clicking my fingers on the keyboard. Yes! without feeling guilty I relaxed whenever get a chance by not worrying about home, chores and cooking. And i learnt you don’t have to be on toes and running around to have a spick and span home and life. Sometimes if cushions are not in place and sink is full of dishes and you have a project to finish… its alright to take a time off, relax your nerves and browse, talk on phone, read or as simple as watch TV.

Taking out time from daily life has become so difficult in this time. We are always running and trying hard to manage more than we can in 24 hours. Super man or woman are not just in stories now, each one of us are trying to be one in daily lives. Without thinking about the consequences, we are running on a fast pace to achieve all goals as soon as possible. We are so busy in working hard for what we wanted that we are not realizing what we a loosing in life.

We are becoming human robot, having same routine and lifestyle. We are so much in our comfort zone now, its getting difficult to think life out of it. The sad part is we are programming our coming generation in the same way. Our sensibilities are so busy we hardly get time to stop and appreciate what we have, what we do or simple our lives. Its not our fault, if we will stop to rest or any reason, we will be left behind. Yes! we are competing from the start until our last….! And if someone wanted to quit the race he will be tagged as quitter, no goals, wasting time or loser.

Who wanted to be a loser in life? Nobody!! So Run, Run fast as you can!
Sometimes I also feel like running along but I can’t cope up with pressure and stress. Its sad but i don’t have the super women syndrome. I wanted to stop and breathe, appreciate, look around and walk…Just walk!
My goals for life keeps on changing keeping in mind needs for my family and what makes me happy and at peace. I like talking to my son about my childhood, my parents and even about my grandmother. This is my way by telling him stories to make him aware of different aspects of life.
What he sees now is a life to compete and get success (financially) to get a good life. We taught are kids to be polite and use sorry and thank you in daily lives. But we are forgetting to tell them the need to feel sorry before saying sorry and saying thank you with a gratitude.
Saying thank you and sorry without looking in eyes, without feeling are just plain words. We are using them everywhere in elevators, cashing counters, stores, offices all around in day to day lives.

I think i will cut down this topic here and get back to the real life. In real life, things are busy, not perfect but life is good. I hope 2018 is good and happy for everyone so far! Its already March. I noticed little bulbs bulging out from the branches today. So, spring is near and i can’t wait for it. Weather was really confused and acting weird this season. But the good part is days are getting longer and brighter.

My recipe for today is not new but royally classic. Phirni is a classic dessert that is made on any festive or special occasion. It is a traditional milk based, creamy rice pudding that tastes best when served chilled in clay pots. After a rich food on any festive occasion, spoonful of chilled, creamy phirni makes the palate and the soul content and blissful.

Shahi Phirni
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 4 cups Milk (Full Cream)
  • 1/2 cup Rice
  • 1/3 cup Khoya
  • Few Saffron Strands soaked in warm milk
  • 1/2 cup Sugar ( increase according to taste)
  • 2 tsp. Ghee
  • Sliced Almonds and Pistachios
  • 1 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 1 tsp. Rose Water
  • Rose petals and Silver Leaf for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and grind in to coarse paste.
  2. Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan.
  3. Add coarse rice paste and cook it on low heat until the milk is thickened and reduced in quantity. (remember to stir it in between every now and then)
  4. Now add khoya, saffron milk and sugar and cook for another 5 minutes.
  5. Add cardamom powder and ghee. Mix it well.
  6. Always check the consistency for your likeness as it will thicken more once cooled.
  7. Mix nuts and rose water.
  8. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and serve chilled garnished with your choice.

Moong Dal Burfi

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What a beautiful morning today!
Its been raining since morning, freshly cut (thanks hubby dear) lush green grass outside all around, young light green leaves on the tree, swaying slightly here and there with the direction of the wind. The wind chime on the tree making a music soothing for ears. Small, colorful, bright red, blue and white bird houses hanging with the branches of the tree, playing hide and seek with me. I am enjoying the whole outside view (without cribbing of course!) and appreciating the beauty of nature. The tranquility outside giving a sense of peace inside me. Its amazing to realize, how time and unknot mind changes the perception for things around you. Yes! its a relaxed, chores can wait and being at home day for me. Sitting with my morning tea and looking outside with a relaxed mind and realizing that drops of water while coming down, create musical chords when touched the ground. The same nature that was there yesterday, day before yesterday or everyday with its different colors, mood and beauty amazes me today!. Its true! “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”. You need an eye to appreciate things, without that the same beauty turns in to the beast and create chaos in the life.

Sometimes, we need to stop overstressing our mind, body and soul, take a pause and be thankful and appreciate things around us that we ignore in our day to day life. Appreciate and thankful are two beautiful words that can make any relationship stronger and happy. I am really thankful to the God, my parents, my family and friends for giving me love, care and concern in abundance so that I can return and share the same feelings with the world. I try my best to make my son understand that how important it is to earn love and care of people around you more than money and success. But the level of competition we are dealing with to survive in this time are diluting these words and giving tinge of artificiality in life.

Its time to cut the bitterness and appreciate the sweetness God has given us that we can relish with a thankful heart. Its not a secret anymore that how much I love sweets!! I truly believe that a piece of good sweet/dessert can instantly erase the bitterness, sadness or any negative feeling for some time. It is very important to have a piece of “sweetness” everyday in a life.

Moong dal halwa is a very popular winter delicacy in India. Its an important menu item in any winter weddings in north India. But another moong dal delicacy very popular for its earthy granular sweet taste is Moong Dal Burfi. Its real flavor comes with the amount of ghee and little effort that is required to make it. One need lot of patience and energy to cook dal in ghee on medium/low flame and stirring continuously until the kitchen is filled with the sweet aroma of cooked dal. This is hardest part else its a simple recipe. If you are on diet, savor a bite and enjoy the taste for rest of your life but do not try to make it without ghee. This sweet is for people who appreciate food in its organic recipe. I will rather eat little and enjoy the taste for longer than eat everyday with the twisted artificial recipe.
Regards,
Have a nice weekend.

 

Moong Dal Burfi
Recipe Type: Dessert/Sweet
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow Moong Dal, soaked in water for minimum of 3 hours
  • 1 cup Ghee
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 cup Khoya, grated or crumbled
  • 1/4 tsp. Green Cardamom Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Rose Water
  • Silvered Pistachios and Vark for garnishing
  • Few strands of saffron or drops of yellow color
Instructions
  1. Grind dal coarsely using very little water.
  2. In a non stick pan, mix the ghee and dal, and cook until dal becomes dark in color and the fat separates.
  3. Remove pan from stove and add khoya, cardamom powder and mix it well,
  4. In another pan make a sugar syrup. Mix saffron or yellow color, rose water and dal mixture in the syrup.
  5. Mix it vigorously and cook until till it becomes sticky and ready to set for burfi.
  6. Transfer the mixture in the greased tray, spread it evenly and garnish with vrak and silvered pistachios. Keep it aside.
  7. When it cool and set, cut it in to squares and serve.

Kesariya Gulab Doodh Puli -Celebrating Makar Sankranti With A Bengali Delicacy

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Being Indian, I am very proud of my rich heritage and blend of different cultures living and celebrating each and every festival together. No matter how different our food and languages are, but the colors, zest, love and bustling joy on any festivity bring us together as one. The names of our festivals might be different but there is a fine thread in the stories and traditions that unify us as a whole. I love traditions and the traditional formulas used in old school culinary creations. I wish if I can learn every forgotten delicacies and techniques from all the grandmothers and great grandmothers of our country. Our mothers and grandmothers are real culinary geniuses with years of experience in technicality of this art. There are no fancy gadgets, utensils or exotic produce (from todays world) in their kitchen but the food defines their love and sincerity for the family. They like to cook in seasonal or available produce in that region. Their recipes are classics, might be little tedious for todays generation but lot more healthier and tasteful.

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The instant food, recipes and equipments makes our life comfortable and happy but unknowingly we are compromising on authentic taste and healthy living. We all are working so hard in our own ways and the least we can do for ourselves is having a healthy lifestyle. Food is important because not only it provides nutrients for our body but also prevent sickness and heal from it.

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I will continue this topic in my other post but now I like to introduce my recipe of the day. First, wishing you all a very happy Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal. These festivals are celebrated in specific regions with the different names but the rationale behind the celebration is to welcome warmer long days and the first harvest of the season.

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Doodh Puli is a traditional Bengali sweet prepared to enhance the festivity on Makar Sankranti. I love all Bengali sweets but this name is quite new and unique to me. As for me, its a rural sibling of our vey popular rasmalai. It has a distinct flavor of jaggery and the crescent shaped rice dumpling gives an exotic feel to the dish. The beauty of the recipe is it requires minimal available ingredients of the season. Pithe made with freshly pounded rice flour are more soft and flavorful.

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I read many blogs and watched lot of videos and confidently entered the kitchen with the recipe. But very soon I realized its not just the recipe but also technique how and when that gives the taste to it. Being a girl from north, handling rice flour was not easy for me. But later, experience I get from making makke ki roti and wet finger tips worked for me. I have to add little milk powder in the stuffing so that its easier to stuff the mixture in rice flour dumplings. Its an awesome few hours in the kitchen with many new lessons to remember. Oh! how I wish if I can serve it to a Bengali grandma to know where I can improve and work on..!

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Kesariya Gulab Doodh Puli – Bengali Delicacy On Makar Sankranti
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Bengali/Bangladesh
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Rice Flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 2 tsp. Rose Water
  • 1/2 cup or more hot Water
  • 1/2 cup Coconut, shredded
  • 1/2 Palm Jaggery (substitute with sugar or any jaggery)
  • 2 tbsp. Milk Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • Crushed Dried Rose Petals
  • I Liter Milk
  • 1/2 cup Jaggery
  • Few strands Saffron soaked in warm milk
Instructions
  1. Mix salt and 1 tsp. of rose water in the rice flour.
  2. Add hot water slowly as needed, mix it together with a wooden spoon to make a dough.
  3. when it cools down, knead it well in to soft smooth dough.
  4. Cover it with a wet cloth and give it a rest for some time.
  5. Take a pan and dry roast coconut for few mins.
  6. Add grated jaggery or sugar with milk powder.
  7. Cook for another 5 mins until jaggery melted and its all mixed together.
  8. Add cardamom powder and rose petals.
  9. Mix it well and keep it aside to cool down.
  10. Make small balls out of the rice flour dough.
  11. Flatten out each ball with the help of wet finger tips in to small disc.
  12. Stuff the filling inside, fold and pinch the edges in the shape of crescent moon.
  13. Mix 1/2 cup jaggery and 3 tbsp. of water, cook until it thickens in consistency.
  14. In a heavy bottom pan heat the milk.
  15. When it start to boil, simmer on low flame and until it thickens and reduce in the volume.
  16. Add jaggery syrup and saffron in the milk.
  17. Taste it and add little sugar if needed.
  18. Mix it well and now its time to add rice flour dumplings in the milk very gently.
  19. Cook it for another 15 mins , stirring very gently with the wooden spoon.
  20. When they start to float on top switch of the flame.
  21. Add 1 tsp of rose water. Mix it.
  22. Garnish and serve warm.
  23. Happy Makar Sakranti.

Chawal Ki Kheer – Synonym For Prosperity

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Om Shri Ganeshaya Namaha
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year. May God bless you and your loved ones with all the happiness, good health and success in life.
New year brings hope, energy, motivation and much more… In a first few weeks the adrenaline rush is so intense that it feels like its new you! All resolutions are bound to fail but still there are few on list before every new year’s eve. My all time favorite is having a healthy, active life and organized home. The mission is to have a balanced lifestyle for my own sanity and less yelling and chaos at home. And I must admit first month is always like living in a heaven. My home is so clean and organized that you can eat in my bathrooms. Things are easier that way if it just home or work but we live in a society and should follow few rules. Going out with friends or going for shopping, partying late, vacations, guests, sitting and enjoying social media with a cup of tea, telephone conversations with friends or family, or just feeling lazy…these are my “few” sinful temptations that I cannot say no to them. Sometimes I do compromise on my beauty sleep to have more hours in my life so that I can balance home, family, friends, and my own time. But before spring things are always out of control, yelling and chaos at home, always cooking in the nick of time and cleaning of bathrooms are always required before any unexpected guests.

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But as the months passes by, there are so many memories that we create between this chaos with my family and friends. The stranger becomes the part of the family at the end of the year, there are more happy pictures and funny interesting stories to share with the world. Celebrating good times and festivals together, and most importantly I have people around who care for me and I can count on them.
Life has ups and downs, bad times passes by but what we cherished and remains in our memories are the good times we spent with our loved ones. I am still looking for a balance in my life but will not compromise on adding these cherished memories in my life.
Moving on to the first recipe of 2017. This is the evergreen classic dessert.

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In our tradition ‘Rice” is a symbol of auspiciousness and prosperity. We use rice in all the pujas, havans, different ceremonies and rituals. During weddings the use of rice to bless the couple or the family with the prosperous life signifies its importance in our life. Rice is the first grain that we give our child as a first solid food. Rice is a staple diet in India. During month of Shravan and on Poornima cooking and sharing chawal ki kheer is very sacred and favorable. I know they sound more like the old delights and its hard to charm our new generation with these talks but I believe sharing and caring is never old.

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To celebrate the festivity on new year I am sharing the recipe of the classic dessert “Chawal Ki Kheer” as a symbol to start the new year with the auspiciousness and prosperity. This is the one of the holy dessert that is served and represent festivity.

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Chawal Ki Kheer –
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 2 L Milk (Whole milk preferably)
  • 1/2 cup Rice, washed and soaked
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 2 tbsp. warm Milk with crushed saffron
  • 1 tbsp. Ghee
  • 1/2 tsp. Rose water
  • 2 tbsp. shredded Coconut
  • 2 tbsp. Raisins
  • Sliced Almonds and Pistachios
  • Chandi ka varak and dried rose petals optional
Instructions
  1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan.
  2. Add rice and cook until the rice is soft and the milk is reduced and creamy on low flame.
  3. Keep on stirring regularly to ensure no burning and sticking rice at the bottom of the pan.
  4. When the rice are floating on top and soft add sugar, saffron infused milk, coconut, raisins and half of almonds and pistachios.
  5. Now add ghee and mix the kheer vigorously to emulsify the milk, ghee and rice.
  6. Cook it until your desired consistency. I prefer creamy and partially thicker.
  7. At the end add cardamom powder and rose water.
  8. Mix it and keep it aside to cool down.
  9. Serve hot or chilled with garnishing.

Happy Dussehra – With Lauki Wali Dahi And Malai Burfi

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Happy Dussehra to all of you. Wishing you all peace, prosperity and good health.
May this day clear all the evils of our lives and brings joy, peace and prosperity in and around our life.
Happy Vijayadashmi!

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Dussehra the most important festival celebrated all over India. This is the festival that remind us that truth or goodness always triumphs over bad and evil. No matter how good, intelligent, brave and strong a person can be but truth and goodness always marks the victory over the wrong and evil. Though in the present time, where evil, lies and wrongs are all over around our lives but these old set examples show us a light in a dark tunnel. To my knowledge Ravan was the most intelligent, strong, brave, highly educated, pious and a great devotee of Shiva.
He was a wealthy king of a strong nation. But the truth is wealth and intelligence always gives birth to greed and jealousy. Success and power takes away the ability to think wisely and accept the failures. Demon is not the person “Ravan” but his greed, jealousy, pride and action. His fall was due to the lack of wisdom. I respect Ravan for his intelligence and achievements but his pride and actions made him the person he is known in the history.

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In the present time, we forgot the difference between intelligence and wisdom. We are heading and pushing our kids to be intelligent and highly educated and unconsciously nurturing “Ravan” in them. Being competitive is good but without wisdom it delivers pride, greed and jealousy. There are very few people who can take success and power well in their lives. The feeling and desire of having more and more in life makes you an egocentric for whom nothing is more important than oneself.

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In today’s time (on social media), there are so many stories about Ram and Ravan and I don’t want to pass my judgement on that infact I am too small and trivial to even say anything about them. All I can say is that was past, we are not even sure if that exist or not. We can learn from the moral of the story and go ahead in our lives with a conviction that truth and goodness always triumphs over bad and evil no matter how intelligent, wealthy or successful the evil is…..

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Now if we come to the festivity and the brightest part of the festival, Dussehra and Vijayadashmi are celebrated with lot of authentic delicious recipes served as a meal and Prasad on the auspicious day. I belong to the northern part of India where festivity begins on the first day of Navratris with the fasting and worshipping Goddess Durga and her nine forms of Devi for nine days. On the first navratri we sow seeds of barley or “Jaun” in an earthern pot. We watered them every day so that they sprout in to long sheaves by the 10th day of Vijayadashmi or Dussehra. My Mom told to me to keep them covered so that they will grow taller and more yellow in color. It has a significance of prosperity and good health in the family.

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During pooja on Dussehra weapons, tools, ledger, books, pen and pencils are worshipped, sheaves of barley are tied to them. After pooja sheaves of barley are placed behind the ears of all the males in the family. For the Prasad lauki wali dahi with malai peda are distributed to everyone. The meal of the day is vegetarian with urad dal, aloo gobhi, chawal, chapatis, boondi raita and chutney.

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When I came to US I realized Lauki wali dahi is very specific to certain part of northern India. I wanted to share this recipe with you guys on this auspicious day of Dussehra. Instead of peda I made malai burfi with the available ingredients. Hope this day brings more happiness and peace in the world.
Shub Dussehra.

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Happy Dusshera –
Recipe Type: Lauki Dahi with Malai Burfi
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • Lauki Ki Dahi
  • 1/2 cup Lauki (Bottle Gourd), grated and boiled
  • 3 cups Milk
  • 1/2 tsp. Yogurt Culture
  • Malai Burfi
  • 2 cups Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 tsp. Ghee
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Milk Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • Few Strands crushed Saffron
  • Sliced Almonds and Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Lauki Ki Dahi
  2. Boil the milk and keep it aside to cool down.
  3. The milk should be slightly warm for good yogurt.
  4. Mix boiled lauki and milk.
  5. Add little bit of sugar for extra sweetness.(Its optional)
  6. Add culture in the milk and mix it well.
  7. Keep it in a warm place for 6-7 hours or overnite.
  8. Cover the container with warm cloth in winter.
  9. Refrigitrate it and enjoy delicious yogurt with Malai Burfi
  10. Malai Burfi
  11. Heat non stick pan on low heat.
  12. Add ghee, ricotta and sugar.
  13. Cook until sugar is melted and ricotta is thicker in consistency
  14. Add milk powder, saffron and cardamom powder.
  15. Cook it and keep stirring until the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan.
  16. Pour the mixture in to greased container.
  17. Spread it well with the spatuala, garnish it with nuts.
  18. Cool, cut in to pieces.
  19. Serve with lauki ki Dahi
  20. Happy Dusshera!

Nariyal Ki Barfi – Celebrating Krishan Chatti

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We celebrated Krishanashtami or Janamashtami with all love, devotion and fondness for God Krishna showing great enthusiasm on his birthday.
He is popular and most loved Indian God all over the world. He is the only God whose childhood we can relate to and become part of it. I knew people who take care of Krishna’s childhood idol as a child, giving Him bath and changing clothes every day. They even serve Him food thrice a day like we take care of our own child. In today’s busy generation, it needs lot of discipline and compassion in heart to take care of an idol, who demands nothing but still you cannot ignore His presence and take care of Him like a child. I really appreciate their devotion and love for the God. Coming back to Janamashtami celebration, this is the day for any gourmand to enjoy all kinds of delicacies cooked and offer to Lord Krishna on His birthday. I remember my Mom cooking at least 5 or 6 types of sweets, kheer and phalahar food with many curries to celebrate this occasion. I wish someday I can blog the sweets she makes on Janamashtami. Instead of barfi we used to call it panjiris and my favorite was and still is Nariyal barfi.

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I am a total believer of all the rituals and traditions in our culture. Not being superstitious of doing things in details that are not important, I believe in celebrating festivals and occasions for happiness and association with friends and family. I don’t do things in deep details but try to mark the occasion with things I can do conveniently with a sense of freedom and devotion. Whatever we do on the name of God on any occasion or festival, comes back to our family and friends as “Prasad” to us. Its just the name but in reality we are doing things for ourselves and it help us connecting to people around us. I believe all the rituals have their own significance but due to the changing society we are loosing their gravity in the present times. And it makes sense as we are developed and equipped than horse and buggy days but what is alarming to me is the connection of our younger generation with our tradition and roots.

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I can go and ramble much longer on this topic but now its time to talk about the 6th day after the birth of Lord Krishna’s celebration known as “Chatti” or “Shashti” utsav. This ceremony is performed on the sixth day (or within a week after sixth day) after the birth of the child. This is the first ceremony that is performed in the family to celebrate the arrival of child. Bua (father’s sister) performs puja for the mother and the child. Exchange of gifts and laughter completes the festivity of the day. Kadhi Chawal has some significance and it is a must dish to be cooked and served on the occasion.

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I never seen my mom doing this chatti utsav back home while growing up but have seen this ceremony commonly after the birth of the child. Chatti is a synonym to kadhi chawal and one can relate the day with this feast. After I got married I heard about Krishna chatti from my Maasi (Mom’s sister). I was intrigued and convinced due to the chance of eating something savory after all the sweets binging on Janmashtami.

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I celebrated 6th day after the birth of lord Krishna and offered kadhi chawal, one sweet and his favorite malai mishri. And the same comes back to us as a Prasad that we call “The Feast”.

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Nariyal Ki Barfi – Celebrating Krishna Chatti
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 3 cups Desiccated Coconut
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 2 cups Khoya, grated
  • Yellow Color
  • 1 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • Few Strands Saffron
  • Silvered Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Grease a square pan with ghee and keep aside.
  2. Mix khoya and water in a pan and cook on low flame until it thickens and with no lumps.
  3. Add sugar, mix it and cook for another 7-8 minutes on low flame.
  4. Mix yellow color, cardamom powder and crushed saffron.
  5. Check if the mixture is sticky and thicker in consistency.
  6. Now add coconut, mix it well and switch off the flame.
  7. Pour the mixture on the greased pan and spread evenly.
  8. Garnish with pistachios slices.
  9. Cover it with parchment paper, press it lightly for smooth texture.
  10. Let it set for 3-4 hours.
  11. Cut it in to square pieces and serve

Cassata Ice Cream – Revisiting Childhood favorites

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While talking to your own children, you sometimes revisit your life in the past and unfolds your childhood temptations and favorites. While talking about healthy food and its importance, my son suddenly asked me “What was your favorite food when you were of my age”? I took a pause to think because the answer was not in any way a good example for him. I tried to ignore the subject saying we didn’t have so many options those days. The next question popped up was about my all time favorite food or dessert as a child. That was easy to answer, it was cassata and ice cream soda. Of Course! apparently the next question was “What is Cassata and Ice-cream Soda? Ice-cream soda was easy to make him understand as float but divinity of cassata was really difficult to describe and make him understand. The slice of three flavors of ice-creams layered on a cake covered with nuts was nothing less than a bliss on a plate. The flavors of three ice-creams bursting together in your mouth with crunchy nuts and spongy cake still makes me blank and the only word that comes out of my mouth is Yum! Delicious!.

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Cassata is very different than ice-cream cake. Ice-cream cake is cake with a layer of ice-cream and frosting on it, whereas cassata is three layers of ice-cream on a layer of cake and covered with nuts. More ice-cream, less cake and a crunch with roasted nuts. I don’t know if I am making any sense to you but sometimes the experience is better than lots of words. So I decided to recreate a recipe for cassata with my favorite flavors of ice-creams.

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My favorite flavors are all Indian flavors of ice-cream. Keeping a color scheme in my mind I opted for Mango ice-cream, pistachios ice-cream and kulfi. The whole experience of making cassata from scratch was so therapeutic and joyful to me. I was so excited that I finished from baking a cake to making three flavors, layering and freezing in one day.

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Though, the size of my cassata is smaller than the real one but when you make it at home, having just one of anything you love is never enough. A guilty pleasure !!!

Verdict from my son– OMG! it is so delicious. It has ice-creams, cake, nuts….Gosh! Its a total treat.
Hard work all worth!! 🙂 🙂

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Cassata Ice Cream – Reliving Childhood Temptation
Recipe Type: Ice Cream / Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • Sponge Cake
  • 3 Flavors of Ice cream of your choice
  • (I used Mango, kukfi and Pistachios)
  • Crushed Almonds and Pistachios
  • Tutti Frutty
  • Terrine Pan or Loaf Pan
Instructions
  1. Line the preferred pan with the parchment paper hanging on both the sides.
  2. Take out the ice cream from the freezer to soften them before using.
  3. Sprinkle crushed nuts all over the pan.
  4. Fill up the bottom part with one flavor of the ice cream.
  5. Flatten it with the spatula. Cover and put it in freezer for an hour.
  6. After an hour check, if it is all set add another layer of the different flavor.
  7. Add extra tutti fruity for color and set it again in freezer.
  8. In the mean time, cut sponge cake in to a rectangular shape of a pan.
  9. Check again after an hour, pour the final layer of the different ice cream.
  10. Add extra layer of nuts on top.
  11. Now place rectangular cake over the ice cream. Press it lightly.
  12. Cover it tightly with the hanging parchment paper and aluminum foil.
  13. Freeze it overnight.
  14. To serve, put the mold in the warm water for some time.
  15. Invert on a plate, peel off the parchment paper.
  16. Add more nuts on the top. Slice and serve.

Motichoor Ladoo

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I wanted to share a classic sweet recipe in the blog before Raksha Bandhan. But sometimes things become so out of control that time flies in front of your eyes and you just sit and watch it sliding away in helpless horror. Well, in simpler words people call it ” just lazy”. Yes! I was in that state for a while watching time flying away and sitting in denial on the couch thinking and planning about recipes. No matter how much I like cooking but there are times when it doesn’t feel the same. Sometimes you struggle to cook everyday meal for the family. Thank God! for take outs for such days. I realized there are some negative effects of being a “i like cooking Mom”. The family is so used to home cooked food they eschew outside food and expects anything cooked at home. Well, that’s what companionship is all about. Hubby dear, comes in handy on such days with his expertise and cooking repertoire.
In fact i was thinking about sharing his skills too in this podium. May be soon….

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Few weeks back my mom asked my son if there is anything he wanted to have from India. Taking few minutes in thinking he had two things in the list. Motichoor Ladoo and Kaju katli.
That makes me realized I make all these fancy desserts and sweets but here my son craving for shudh desi Mithais. I keep a mum all this time but on the day of RakshaBandhan I decided to surprise my son with one of his favorites (for now, sure not for long). My little vacation helps me to take the task with all joy and excitement. With little research, it was a piece of cake. There are some techniques and patience that makes the recipe easy and delicious.

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Motichoor is one of the famous and popular sweet in India. Festivals, weddings any occasion, ladoos mere presence makes it celebratory and special. For me their color itself is so warm and cheerful that can perk up any occasion or a party. I prefer motichoor over bondi ladoo. But that doesn’t make boondi ladoos any less.

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I like to share some of my researched tips for better results.
I prefer frying boondis in desi ghee for extra taste and texture. It makes lot of difference in taste. The batter should be of pouring consistency and its always good to try it before frying on perforated spoon. If its not dropping well mix little more water and try again. Fry boondis on medium flame not more than minute and half. Add boondis in warm syrup always. If the boondis are not small for motichoor pulse it once in a blender.

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Motichoor Ladoo
Recipe Type: Sweet/Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Besan (Gram Flour)
  • 2 tbsp. Sooji (Semolina) fine
  • 1 tbsp. Desi Ghee
  • Orange Color – according to preference
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 1 tsp. Rose Water
  • 3/4 Cup Melon Seeds, roasted
  • Silvered Pistachios for garnishing
  • Ghee/Oil to deep fey
Instructions
  1. Seive the besan and add sooji, ghee and color.
  2. Make a thin batter adding water in besan in pouring consistency.
  3. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.
  4. Heat sufficient ghee/oil in a skillet.
  5. Cook suger with 1 cup of water and lemon juice to make syrup of one thread consistency.
  6. Add cardamom powder, pinch of color, rose water in the syrup and keep aside.
  7. Make boondis with the help of holding fine perforated spoon over the ghee.
  8. Pour batter little by little at a time.
  9. Fry boondis around 50-60 seconds on medium heat.
  10. Warm the sugar syrup and add boondis and melon seeds.
  11. Mix it well and keep aside for few minutes.
  12. Make ladoos and garnish with pistachios.
  13. Celebrate and enjoy the festive time!

Irani CafĂ© – Mawa Cake

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Long time no see! It has become a custom for me to start my blog with this expression these days. How are you guys doing? Officially its summer, long bright days are making me happy and more productive. Afternoons are really warm and sunny, compelling me to stay indoors and spending more time in exploring other blogs or browsing idly for some instant entertainment. I really like such lazy afternoons, sitting with my feet up on my favorite spot of the couch with laptop and relishing my penchant for hot cuppa of ginger tea. That’s the most creative and entertaining time of the day for me. I really like spending time with myself in the age when you hardly get any moment alone with all these what’s up, facebook, snapchat, twitter and what not…. Its not that I am against technology, I like it and using it to the best but spending some time with or for myself like old school are still in my priority.

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While enjoying my own company last week, one afternoon I stumbled upon this video on you tube. Its about an old man going to a Irani bakery and bought a Mawa cake for himself. He ordered a cup of tea with it. While serving his tea a small boy broke the cup and spilled the tea. Another server came and try to hit the boy for his mistake but that old man blamed himself to save that small boy. While eating mawa cake a big piece fell on the floor by the old man. He tried hard but couldn’t reach it. He was disappointed and was really sad. But all of a sudden he realized there is another box of mawa cake on table. The owner of the cafĂ© who was impressed by his kindness treated him with another box.

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The moral of the story was “Believe in the magic of kindness”. The story was really simple but it touched the heart really deep. The name of the story was Mawa Cake. After watching the video I had this irrefutable urge to bake and eat a mawa cake. Very next morning I obliged my craving and baked the Mawa Cake.

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How I wish, if I can share my mawa cake with the same old man. May Kindness rules and make this world more humanly and full of love.
Amen

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Mawa Cake With A Middle Eastern Touch
Recipe Type: Baking / Cake
Cuisine: Parsi
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Castor Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 cup Khoya, grated
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Orange Blossom Water
  • 1 tsp. Rose water
  • 1 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 6-7 Green Cardamom, powdered
  • 1/2 cup Milk with 1/2 tsp. of crushed Saffron
  • 1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
  • Sliced Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Pre heat oven at 375F. Grease and line the bottom of the cake pan.
  2. Mix cake flour, salt, cardamom powder and baking powder.
  3. Whisk butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add khoya and whisk again while adding eggs one at a time.
  5. Add orange blossom water, rose water and milk. Mix it well.
  6. Now add dry mixture tbsp. at a time. Mix it well until all combined.
  7. Do not overmix.
  8. Finally add almonds and mix it.
  9. Pour it in a prepared tin.
  10. Garnish with pistachios and saffron thread.
  11. Bake it for around an hour until skewer inserted in a cake comes out clean.
  12. Cool it for 10 minutes.
  13. Serve with tea or coffee.

Lauki Ka Halwa

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Wow, we are already in the last week of winter. Winter has been really blessed and mild this year. Cannot complain!… but still looking forward to welcome spring this weekend. Crisp mornings, fresh green grass, tulips and daffodils peeking out of the soil, birds chirping around.. can’t wait to see mother nature back to life. There are three festivals lined up to celebrate other than spring. St Patrick’s day is on 17th this week. It is the time of the year when all green recipes are out and everywhere around blog-sphere.

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My recipe dedicated to this green day is thick confection of bottle gourd sweetened with sugar and make it more richer in taste with khoya and nuts. The light green color of gourd is enhanced with the food color that is purely optional. Lauki ka halwa is popular as a fasting sweet, when grain are not allowed to eat while fasting like Shivratri, Krishnaastami and Navratris.

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Besides its beautiful green color this dish tastes delicious, hydrates and gives instant energy to the body while fasting. The texture of the halwa is little crunchy and tastes delightful with coconut and other nuts.

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Lauki Ka Halwa
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Lauki (bottle gourd), grated and boiled
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 3 tbsp. Ghee
  • 1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
  • 1 cup Khoya, grated
  • Silvered Pistachios and Almond
  • 1/2 cup Coconut, grated
  • Few drops Kewra Water
  • Green color (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy-bottom pan.
  2. Add lauki and saute for 7-8 minutes.
  3. Add Sugar and green color.
  4. Saute the mixture while stirring continuously until all the moisture evaporates.
  5. Now add khoya, cardamom powder, coconut and dry fruits.
  6. Add 1 tbsp. of ghee and cook it few more minutes.
  7. Add kewra water, mix it well.
  8. Serve hot or cold garnished with almond and pistachios.