Sweet Trip Down Memory Lane Kesar Burfi

I admit it readily...I have a sweet tooth...doesnt mean that I hog down every morsel of sucrose in the neighbourhood...anyway...I grew up in Pune...and there was an abundance of sweet shops in the area that we lived in...apparently Puneites and I have something in common :D:D ..A visit to any of these shops..(especially Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale and Karachi sweetmart) was like a visit to sugary paradise ! Every wall in the shop was adorned with shelves, sagging with the weight of delicious looking sweetmeats..from simple pedhas to exotic looking burfis...from melt-in-the-mouth sonpapdis to succulent gulab jamuns...from creamy rasmalai to crispy jalebis..the list is endless: there was something to please every palate..
As far as I remember, the place was always packed ...I am sure that everybody had a tough decision to make...not about what to buy...but about what to leave out !!! I was always impressed with the immaculate cleanliness of the place, the precise order in which business was carried out ...and the polite service that was provided..One went in full of anticipation and always came out full satisfied and loaded with bags too :-)
That trip down memory lane is sufficient, me thinks, as far as an introduction to my liking of sweets goes ! As I have mentioned in my previous posts...my tryst with cooking has begun only since marriage..so I have been experimenting and trying out new recipes every once in a while..I came across a recipe for kesar burfi while browsing through Neelam Batra's 1000 recipes. The recipe caught my eye because the ingredient list was short and simple and sweet (pun intended !)
So I decided to try it out for Krishna Janmashtami (not that I need any excuse for preparing sweets, mind you )..The burfi turned out amazingly well and the husband was very pleased too ! The recipe is a keeper and can be modified with different flavourings to get different varieties of burfis !





Kesar Burfi

Yields:25 - 30 pieces


Ingredients:

6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 lbs ricotta cheese (can use low fat or skim milk)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
10 strands saffron
1/2 cup roasted cashews

Method:

1. Place the butter in a heavy bottomed pan and melt it on medium heat.
2.Soak the saffron strands in two tbsps of milk for about 20 -25 minutes.
3. Add the ricotta cheese and mix well. Stir the mixture well, for about 25 minutes,until the mixture loses most of its liquid.
4. Add the sugar and mix well.
5. Continue to heat for the next 30 - 35 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
6. You will know that the mixture is thick enough when it forms a thick ball around the stirring spoon.
7. Add the saffron milk, vanilla flavouring and the roasted cashews at this stage and mix thoroughly.
8. Pour out the mixture onto a steel plate or a baking sheet and pat it until it forms a layer of uniform thickness.
9. Allow it to cool a little and then place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to harden.

Ready to eat !!

Result:
The burfi is a little on the softer side, but utterly delicious.
This is just a basic recipe and can be adapted by changing the flavourings.
I am sure I will make this again.
This recipe yielded about 30 medium sized pieces.

Heerekaayi Sippe Gojju (Ridgegourd Peel Gojju)

Like in most south indian families, my mother is at a complete loss of ideas if she doesnt have the omnipresent coconut in her kitchen...I think there are a very few recipes in her repertoire that do not call for coconut in some form or the other...She maintains that all recipes can be made with little or no coconut, but then they wouldnt be authentic havyaka recipes !
I adore my mom's cooking( this, I guess is a universal phenomenon...almost everyone praises their mom's cooking and I am no exception)..My efforts at cooking began in her kitchen where I was just the sous-chef, helping in the cooking preparations (peeling, cutting, chopping,slicing, etc.) and never actually cooking myself..It wasnt until I got married and had a kitchen of my own, per se..that I started cooking in earnest and began enjoying it too :D
Although I have learnt different dishes through friends and the internet (!!), my main source of recipes for traditional havyaka recipes is still my mom..This is one such recipe that I relish and would like to share with my online readers.

Hirekaayi Sippe Gojju (Ridgegourd Peel Gojju)





Ingredients

1 medium sized ridge gourd (Heerekaayi / Beerakaya / तुरई )
4 tbsp freshly grated coconut
2 green chillies
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp canola / vegetable oil
(traditionally, my mother would probably have used coconut oil for this,
but I havent graduated to that....yet )
2-3 curry leaves
generous pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp urad dal



Method

1. Peel the ridge gourd, making sure that the peels are thick.
Boil the peels in water along with the green chillies, tamarind and pinch of salt.
The number of chillies can be adjusted according to taste. The water should just cover the peels.
2. Meanwhile, fry all of the coriander seeds and 1 tsp of mustard in 1 tsp of oil until the mustard seeds pop. Add the curry leaves and the asafoetida. Let this cool for a little bit.
3. Grind the peels along with the coriander-mustard seeds. Also add the coconut to this mixture and grind to a thick consistency.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl and adjust the salt according to taste.
5. Add a seasoning of urad dal and mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida to the gojju.
6. This can be served as a side dish and can also be savoured with rice.


Result
The gojju is a slightly tangy and spicy preparation and makes good use of the peels which would otherwise have been thrown away !
For those who like it spicy, this dish is a must try !

A new celebration begins !!!

Its been a year already - 365 days !!
How is it that so many days have gone by and it seems that it was just a few days ago that I had this tiny little being in my arms..all swaddled up, with a misshapen head (my mother told me later that all she was worrying about, after seeing her first grandchild, was how she would correct the shape of his head !! ), clenched fists and eyes screwed shut ??
Its been 365 days of sleepless nights , scores of dirty, smelly diapers..and all I can remember is the way he used to fall asleep in my arms, the way his lips curled up in a sweet smile when he slept, the way his face lit up and his mouth broke into a toothless grin (*sigh*) when he caught sight of me or his dad after an absence.
Einstein's theory of relativity must be true after all...a whole year has gone by and it just seems like a fleeting moment in time..
My son turned a year old today and that is an achievement in its own right , all of us have come out of it unscathed :D
Well, as we added a new date in our calendars for important days to celebrate, as we went down memory lane, we decided to make new memories by digging into some yummy chocolate cake paired with homemade vanilla ice cream !
Here's to many many wonderful memories and birthdays to come !
Happy Birthday Son :)


Recipe - Rich Chocolate Cake




I found this recipe on the ppk.com site.
Although its a vegan recipe and I am not vegan, only a vegetarian :), I found it easier to adapt from this recipe rather than try and eliminate the eggs from a regular cake recipe.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup milk
½ cup canola oil
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °.
2. The original recipe called for a springform pan..but since I do not have that kind of a pan, I simply prepped a regular 9 inch cake tin, by spraying the bottom and sides with a non stick spray and dusting with flour. Be sure to shake out the excess flour.
3.Heat the milk until is slightly simmering and then whisk in the cocoa powder until it is fully incorporated. It helps to continuously whisk the milk while adding the cocoa bit by bit. This prevents lumping and creates a smooth mixture.
4.Sift the flour along with the baking powder, baking soda and the salt into a mixing bowl. ( Note to Self : Should really get a sifter, it is painful to sift the flour using a small tea strainer )
5.Combine the oil, lemon juice, vanilla and the brown sugar in another bowl and mix as much as possible. The mixture will be thick due to the sugar.
6. Add the hot milk + cocoa mixture to the sugar mixture and thoroughly whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated.
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix thoroughly. There is no need to beat the mixture.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes.

The cake is done when you insert a toothpick or a small knife into it and it comes out clean.

Results

I was really surprised at how well the cake turned out !
It was rich, it didnt crumble , it rose quite well and tasted delicious !
My husband pronounced that for an eggless cake it was really good. It would taste even better with a good frosting.
All in all, a successful adaptation and I will make it again ! Yippie !!!
(I really get excited when any of my recipes turn out good )

Variations:
Chopped nuts would give a nice crunch to this cake.
Serious chocolate lovers could rejoice by sprinkling chocolate chips over the batter before baking it !

Homemade Vanilla Ice cream

One of my recent acquisitions has been an ice cream maker. I had been thinking about it for a long time and finally got one this summer ! This is my first attempt at making ice cream at home !

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk (preferably chilled)
2 cups heavy cream (preferably chilled)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Add the sugar to the whole milk and using a hand blender or a whisk, blend on low speed for a couple of minutes, until the sugar dissolves.
2. Fold in the heavy cream and the vanilla and mix until combined.
3. I also cut open half a vanilla bean and scraped the seeds, to give a richer vanilla flavour.
4. Chill this mixture in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours and then follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to churn the ice cream.
5. The resulting mixture is of soft serve consistency and can be consumed immediately. But I put the ice cream in the freezer for another couple of hours to get a firmer texture.
6. If you dont own an ice cream maker, you can just stick the mixture in the freezer and churn it with a blender or a mixer and put it back into the freezer. Do this a couple of times and your ice cream will be ready !

Results

Umm..umm..ummm umm um..Need I say more ???
Creamy, rich and heavenly !!! I scream for ice cream !
I am so happy that I got the ice cream maker...I cant wait to try more recipes !
Oh, by the way, the sugar can be reduced a little and the ice cream can be made less fattening by substituting the heavy cream with half and half and replacing the whole milk with low fat milk ! Happy eating !!!

Green Thumb - Starting an indoor collection..

I love gardening, or at least I think I do ! You see, I have not had the time nor the space to explore the possibilities before. But now, we have moved into a home and I am a stay at home mom, since my baby boy P was born. So I have everything that I need to find out whether I have a green thumb or not :-D

To that end, I have begun my gardening endeavours. It is limited mostly to container experimentation (its better that I refrain from using the word 'gardening' until I am sure that that is what I am doing ;-)



Most traditional Indian homes have the holy basil growing profusely...so I decided I would have one in my home too ! I had some seeds from back home and planted them in a container that I already had...left it out where it got plenty of sun and made sure that the soil was always moist.
Well, thankfully one plant is growing and giving out new leaves on a regular basis...hopefully other seeds will follow suit !



I also dreamed of having fruit trees in my backyard and what better than the papaya tree to lend a tropical touch ...I saved some seeds from a fruit that we got from the local supermarket..selected some dark seeds, broke the jelly covering surrounding the seeds and put them in another container...the idea was to let the seedlings grow a little before transplanting them into the garden. A plethora of articles has informed me that there are usually two types of papaya trees..male and female..the male tree is required to pollinate the flowers on the female tree if you expect to harvest the fruits ..A bisexual type of tree is also present, but is supposedly not common in the US
A few weeks passed and there was no sign of any kind of germination in the papaya container..My hopes were close to getting dashed and I was determined to have another go at it (that meant another trip to the supermarket)...Lo and behold, I was spared that trip when I checked the container the next morning and saw a single seedling peeking at me from down under (the soil, i.e) My joy knew no bounds...my little endeavour was succeeding :) Imagine then, my ecstasy when a lapse of a couple of more days provided three more companions to my previous lone sapling !!! I just hope that these are the correct sexes, so that I can have a papaya tree (or two) bursting with fruits !!

No garden is complete without some kind of flowers growing in it ! I purchased a packet of giant sunflower seeds (thats what the packet promises, we will have to wait and see on that one ! ) ..I planted some of the seeds in yet another container..just to give the poor little seeds a head start..just wanted to make sure that the seeds dont get eroded by this spate of rains that our part of the country has been under lately ! The seedlings spouted pretty quickly and grew to a height of a few inches, where upon I decided to set them free from their constraints and planted them out in the yard..I am pleased to report that the plants seem to be doing well...So also some creepy crawlies who seem to be relishing the leaves of my sunflower plants, but thats for another post...



And last but not the least, I also planted the Brahmi plant in yet another little container...More on the uses of this plant later...but suffice it to say that the plant is thriving well and threatening to over run my teeny container...will soon have to find a permanent and expanding place for this little acquisition..



So thats it, folks...that has been my initial foray into, ahem..container gardening...Will keep you updated on the results ..Until the next green thumb endeavour then..may the grass always be greener on your side of the fence :)

Next venture - Growing herbs at home

Butternut squash and apple soup

Man, I think, is a creature of habit, conditioning and comfort...Most of our actions and reactions can be attributed to one of the three ...From early morning coffee/ tea rituals to work habits to raising kids, we always fall back upon that which is familiar to us...thoughts and actions that are known to work, that have worked for us in the past..If nothing else works, there is always food to rely on !!! Food, always works :-D
With a chill in the air now, there is nothing like that morning cup of hot coffee or tea that gives us the incentive to get out from under the warmth of the comforters ...and nothing like a steaming bowl of flavourful soup that has comfort written all over it...I find that a bowl of hearty soup paired with either a salad or bread can keep one quite happy until the next meal of the day !
Now that I am home full time, the likes of Paula Deen and Rachel Ray have one more viewer to consume their offerings ! I saw this recipe for Butternut squash soup in one episode of the Barefoot Contessa and decided to try it out. I had never used butternut squash before and had no idea what the vegetable tasted like..I made minor modifications to the recipe, not as a matter of personal choice but because of pantry limitations..


Butternut Squash and Apple Soup




Ingredients:

1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons good olive oil
1 large chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 medium butternut squash
1 sweet apple
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water

Method:

1. Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender.
2. Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel the apple and dice it.
3. Add the squash, apple, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft.
4. Cool the mixture slightly and puree it in a food processor or blender.
5. Pour the soup back into the pot. Add more water to adjust the consistency.
6. Check for seasonings and adjust, if required.

Verdict:
The soup turned out to be rich and thick, a little on the sweeter side because of the apple and the squash...there is no added sugar in the recipe..The original recipe required the addition of apple juice too, but I omitted that. The curry powder balanced out the sweetness...I liked the soup a lot...I paired it up with some bread and made a hearty lunch out of it...The soup tasted even better the next day. The Husband however had mixed feelings because he doesn't like his soups to be sweet...well...another day, another soup might do it for him !!
But I definitely liked it and will make it again (Now if only I can find somebody to peel that squash for me ..If I can get someone to do it for me, the words 'eternally grateful' will feature predominantly in the conversation !! )

Trivia:

• The taste of a butternut squash is similar to that of a sweet potato.
• The oranger the color of the squash, the riper, drier and sweeter it is.
• Butternut's deep-orange flesh is richer in complex carbohydrates and beta-carotene. Butternut squash is also a very good source of dietary fiber, and supplies vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and a good amount of potassium.
• This vegetable is very low in saturated Fat, cholesterol and sodium.
• It is also a good source of Vitamin E, Thiamine, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and a very good source of Vitamin A