3 years of Blogging recipes.... ........ ......... ........ ......... ...... #403 - Special treat "Choco Shahi Tukda"

Its exactly 3 years since I started sharing my recipes with you....
Its been a wonderful journey so far...have enjoyed every bit... I know I have not been very active last 2-3 months owing to the constant travelling I have been doing since October...
But yes over the last 3 months have been to some of the places which are best known for their food...
Learnt some "Thai dishes" in Krabi Island in Thailand....And then a trip to our very own Chennai famous for the yummy Chettinad cuisine.
A small trip to interior Kerala where I had some really delicious kerala tribal food and some lip smacking new Mangalorean dishes...
And then couple of weeks in Los Angeles, Southern California mostly dominated by Mexican food.
So last 3 months have been just eating rather than cooking.
Now have a list of dishes (recipes) which I picked up during all this travel, and will blog them shortly.

But for today to celebrate 3 years of my blog, I made a sweet dish...a slight twist to the famous dessert invented by Chef "Sanjeev Kapoor"

Easy and Super quick to make.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 ltr or Condensed Milk - 250 gms
Sugar - 4 tbsp
White Cardamom/Elaichi - 4 - peeled and finely crushed/ground 
Plain white bread/Toasted Bread - 4 slices
Roasted nuts ( Almonds/Pistachios) - 1 handful
Ghee or butter - 1 tbsp (to fry plain bread - incase you dont have toasted bread)
Plain milk Chocolate - 200 gm bar

Method:
If you are using Condensed milk just keep it in refrigerator for 30 mins to cool.
If you are using normal milk, then bring it to boil, add the sugar stir continuously and keep boiling the milk till it reduces to 1/3 or 1/4 the quantity.
Then add the ground cardamom, allow to cool normally and then keep in fridge for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, if you do not have toasted bread then toast the plain white bread either in the oven or on a tawa/griddle using some ghee so as to make it golden brown.

Cut the bread before toasting into the shape you desire, I have cut the bread in triangles and then toasted on a tawa using ghee.

Now take a microwaveable flat dish, arrange the toasted bread slices as desired, keep some cubes of chocolate on the center of each of the bread pieces, and microwave for 30 secs to 1 minute till the chocolate begins to melt.
Then remove the dish from the microwave and slightly spread the melted chocolate on the slices as desired.
Now pour the condensed milk over the bread slices, leaving aside the chocolate part.
Garnish with roasted dry fruits before serving.

Celebrating 1 year of my Blog with "Kulfi" - Traditional Indian Ice Cream

               

Kulfi is a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian Subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian Subcontinent ice-cream".
It is popular throughout countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), and even the Middle East. Kulfi is also widely available in most Indian restaurants in Europe, East Asia and North America.
Here is a fuss free, easy recipe to make Kulfi at home.
If you dont have kulfi moulds, you could use long steel glasses are even small steeel bowls.
No matter what the shape of the kulfi is, kulfi is always delicious.

Strawberry Mud Pie

Happy Valentine's day to you!!

For me Valentine's day is all about cooking something special for my husband and daughter.
Today I made this strawberry mud pie which does not require any baking.
This dish is inspired from one of the pie's made my Nigella on some TV show, ofcourse I have used my own ingredients to make something which we like.

Ingredients:
For the mud base of the pie:
bourbon biscuits - 300 gms
Butter - 50 gms
Dark chocolate - 50 gms
For the strawberry layer of the pie:
Milk - 125 ml
mini marshmallows - 75 gms (if you dont have marshmallows you can use 40 gms custard powder)
Strawberry puree - 75 gms
Heavy cream - 375 ml
For the toppings:
Strawberries - 5 to 10
Whipping cream (Optional)

Method:
Crush the bourbon biscuits, butter and dark chocolate using a blender.

 Now fill 2 pie tins with mixture.
Fill up well, so that all the edges too are filled.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat the milk along with the mini marshmallows in it, till marshmallows are melted.
If you are using custard powder, dissolve the custard powder in 4 tbsps of milk and then add so that so lumps are formed.
Mix well.
Now allow to cool for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the cream well, add the strawberry puree and the milk marshmallows mixture and mix well.
Now remove the pie tin with the chocolate layer, and top it with the pink mixture of strawberry, cream, milk and marshmallows.
Garnish the top with fresh strawberries.
Chill in the refrigerator for atleast 2 hours.
Remove the pie from the tin, cut into slices and serve.

Strawberry Yogurt Oat Cookie delight

A healthy, simple and quick to make dessert that am sure you will love...!!

Home made Vanilla Cake served with Strawberry sauce - Poo's creation

Today being Christmas I made Vanilla cake with one of my friend's recipe.. am no expert at making cakes, but because of my friend Sonal Alvares, who is expert at baking and runs a cake business in London, I am able to successfully bake a cake...!

So today's dessert is my daughter's attempt to create something different out of the Vanilla cake I made. She loves strawberries.... so this one is from her...!!

I will publish the Vanilla cake recipe soon, with detailed steps, but this dessert is quite simple.

Crush some fresh strawberries with some castor sugar, and pour it on the vanilla cake pieces just before serving. Top them with more strawberries if you wish..!!
Lightly dust some icing sugar on top...!!

Sweet Moong dal khichdi - A Konkani delicacy

Sweet Moong Dal Khichdi is a Konkani delicacy that is normally made during festivals.
Its easy to make.... 
The khichdi could be served in bowls or spread on a plate and then cut into cubes.
Best served with ghee...
My Mom is an expert at making this, and recently I learnt from her.

Kesari Bath or Sweet Semolina Pudding

Sweet Semolina Pudding or Kesari Bath
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Semolina - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Green cardamom - 4 - peeled and powdered coarsely
Saffron or Kesar - 1 pinch soaked in water for 10-15 minutes
Dry fruits like cashew nuts, almonds etc  - 2 tbsp
Water - 2 cups

Method:
Take a heavy bottomed regular pan or non-stick pan.
If you are making this first time, its easier in non-stick pan.
Meanwhile on the other stove, allow 2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan.
Keep the pan on low heat, add ghee, when lightly hot, add the semolina and fry well for 3-4 minutes.
Now add sugar and fry for 1 minute. Now add the cardamom, mix well, then add the safffron and the water and the boiling water.
Cover and cook till all the water has evaporated.
The boiling water is added so that the semolina cooks quickly and does not get sticky incase its not fried well.
If using non-stick pan, you could cover it for just 1-2 minutes and then open the vessel and cook till all the water has evaporated out of the Semolina. 
Serve hot or cold garnished with dry fruits.

Semolina Laddoos or "Rava Laddoo" or "Rave Laadoo"

"Rave Laadoo" or "Rava Laddoo" or "Semolina Laddoos" are a very famous dessert in South India.
These laddoos are very simple and quick to make.
Also, unlike other laddoos it does not need much ghee!

Gulab Jamun

"Gulab Jamun" is a popular dessert in countries of the Indian Subcontinent such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. It is made of a dough consisting mainly of milk solids. Traditionally, khoya, an Indian milk product is rolled into a ball together with some flour and then deep fried, It is then put into a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom seeds and rosewater, kewra or saffron. The term gulab jamun comes from Persian, gulab, "rose water" referring to the rosewater-scented syrup, and Hindustani jamun, a South Asian fruit with a similar size and shape.
These days, gulab jamun powder is also commercially available, so the dessert can be prepared easily.
However we love the traditional Gulab Jamun made using Khoya, and today being my lil one's 10th bday I have made these, as she loves them..!!

Rice Kesari Bhath (Sweet Saffron Rice)

This is my grandmom's and mom's favorite dessert. They make it on most occasions at home.  But today I have made it to celebrate my Bhayya's and Bhabhi's wedding anniversary and my Bhabhi's birthday.

This is a very easy and quick dessert especially when you have guests at home.

Tender Coconut Souffle

Here is a dessert which is very easy to make, tastes amazing and needs very less ingredients.
I have been eating this in a restaurant in Bangalore for last few months, and loved it since then, but last week I thought of trying to make it at home.
Having tasted this several times I could guess the ingredients but it did take a couple of trials to get the right consistency so that I could put down the exact quantity of ingredients here. Try making this at home, am sure you will  love it too.

Coconut Burfi

Coconut Burfi a sweet loved by all who love coconut. I have been making this burfi from so many years but the biggest compliment I got for this sweet was from my close friend's kid who I went to see a few weekds back, who was hardly 1.5 yrs and could barely talk, but the minute she tasted this sweet, she kept pointing out to the sweet and kept saying "more..gimme more"

That's when I decided that I must put this up on my blog.

Phirni (Rice Pudding served chilled)

"Phirni" is a "Rice pudding" or a "Rice dessert" famous in North India and neighboring countries.
It is a variation of the "Rice Kheer" and served in all functions especially in the summer season.
Since Kheer is normally served hot, I think the olden day cooks, created this variation so that it could be served cold during summer. I learnt this dessert from my grand mom.

Gaajar ka Halwa (Carrot Dessert)

"Gaajar ka Halwa" or "Carrot Dessert" is one of North India's most popular desserts.
I love it since my childhood, and nothing compares to the Gaajar Halwa made by my Mom.I learnt this dish from her.The first time I cooked this independently was while I was in Frankfurt, taking instructions from my Mom over the phone. And my friends there really enjoyed this dessert.
I know lot of friends love it but think its lot of effort, but try making it my way, its both easy and tasty.