Gadbad Thandai Kulfi....

As Holi is round the corner and the sun is scorching bright. Here is something traditional, but unique cool.... cool.... recipe for you. This Kulfi is a medley of flavours and colours.... with love from my kitchen...

Thandai Milk (Base for the Kulfi)

Ingredients 

1 liter Full cream Milk 

1/2 cup Banana pulp 

3 tbsp Sugar

1 Green Cardomon 

4 Pepper corn 

8 Almonds soaked and peeled 

6 Pistachios 

1/2 tsp Water Melon seeds

1/4 tsp Fennel seed 

1/4 tsp Poppy seeds 

A pinch of Saffron 

Method

Take a deep bottom pot. Add milk and simmer on a low flame till it reduces to half the quality. Meanwhile take a grinder, add cardomon, pepper corn, almonds soaked, pistachios, water melon seeds, fennel seed, poppy seeds, saffron and 4 tbsp water. Grind the ingredients in to a paste. As the milk is simmering, add the wet paste and the banana pulp. I have added banana to give a rich and creamy texture to the kulfi. Stir and cook till the milk thickens. Switch off the flame and let it cool. Take a blender and blend it until smooth. 

For the Gadbad Thandai Kulfi 

Ingredients 

Thandai Milk 

6 Betel leaves 

1 tbsp Gulkand 

1 drop of Green colour 

4 tbsp Rose Syrup 

1 drop of Red colour 

2 tbsp Sweetened Coloured Fennel seeds 

Method 

Divide the Thandai Milk into 3 parts. Take a blender, add one part of the milk, betel leaves, gulkand and green colour. Blend it till all the ingredients have incorporated well. Pour it in a bowl and keep it in the refrigerator. Wash the blender. Now add the second portion of the milk, rose syrup and red colour. Blend it well till all the ingredients have incorporated well. Pour it in the bowl and keep it in the refrigerator. Now take the mould in which the Kulfi will set. Pour 2 to 3  tbsp of the remaining milk into each moulds and keep it in the freezer to set. After an hour, remove the moulds from the freezer. Take out the rose thandai milk from the refrigerator. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of rose thandai milk in to each moulds. Keep the moulds back in to the freezer. Again after an hour remove the moulds from the freezer. Remove the betel leave thandai milk from the refrigerator. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of milk into each moulds. Sprinkle the sweetened coloured fennel seeds on top. Keep it back in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Insert a ice cream stick.  Refrigerate it back till it sets.

Garlicky Creamy Spicy Tuna Pasta....

A quick meal for a lazy day. Any type of Pasta can be used in this recipe. Instead of Tuna, boiled shredded chicken can be added. Absolutely love the flavour and it is very easy to make. 

Ingredients 

250 grams Spiral Pasta boiled and drained 

1 canned Tuna flakes or fresh Tuna boiled and shredded 

1/2 cup Fresh Cream 

1/4 cup Marinara Sauce 

1 tbsp Garlic chopped 

1 Jalapeno Green Chilli chopped

1 Pickled Red Jalapeno Chilli Chopped 

1 tbsp Green and Black Olives chopped 

1 tbsp each Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese grated 

1 tbsp Butter 

1/2 cup Starch Water from the Pasta which was boiled 

Method 

Take a wok, add butter, let it melt. Add the garlic and the green  jalapeño. Sauté it for few minutes.  Add the cream and let it simmer for a minute. Add the marinara sauce and mix it with the cream. Add the pasta and the tuna flakes. Toss it. Let it cook for a minute. Add the starch water. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the liquid reduces. Before serving garnish with red jalapeño, olives and grated cheese. 

Spicy and Salty Strawberry Cookies

 

 This cookies are spicy and salty in taste. Instead of water, I have used strawberry pulp. It is perfect to have them with your evening tea or just to munch on. 

Ingredients 

225 grams All Purpose Flour 

75 ml Strawberry pulp

1 Green chilli minced 

1 tbsp Pickled Red Jalapeno Chilli Chopped 

1 tbsp Mint leaves minced 

1 tsp Roasted Cumin seeds crushed 

1 tbsp Sugar powder 

Rock Salt as per taste 

110 grams Butter 

40 ml Oil

Method 

Beat the butter well. Add the flour and mix it, till it forms crumbs. Add the strawberry pulp and oil. Beat it well. Add the salt, sugar, cumin, mint leaves and green chilli. Beat it again. Add the red chillies and mix it. Take a big star nozzle and a piping bag. Fill the cookie mixture in the piping bag and pipe out small cookies on a baking tray. Bake at 170 degrees celcius for 15 to 20 minutes. Let it cool completely before eating. Store it in an air tight container.

Instant Crispy Dosa with Mix Lentils and Semolina... Served with Turnip and Coconut Chutney....

I wanted to make something instant as I was super hungry and did not feel like having bread for breakfast and as I am alone for lunch, did not feel like making a meal. So this dish was great for brunch and it is healthy too. 

So here is the recipe of how I made this Instant Dosa with mix lentils and semolina..... which is served with spicy Turnip and Coconut Chutney. 

For the Dosa

Ingredients

2 cups of Semolina or Idli Rawa

1/2 cup Sago flour 

1/4 cup Black split lentil

1/4 cup Green split lentil

2 tbsp split Bengal Gram 

1 tsp Eno 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Wash all the lentils together and soak it for 15 minutes. Take a grinder and grind the lentils and salt together  into a smooth paste. Add the sago flour, semolina and some water. Make it into a medium thick batter. Remove it into a mixing bowl. Add Eno and mix it. The batter is ready for making dosas. Take a dosa skillet. Let it heat on low flame. Add 2 ladles of the batter. Spread it and drizzle some ghee. Let it cook on low flame until crispy and brown. Serve it hot with the turnip and coconut chutney.

Turnip and Coconut Chutney 

Ingredients 

1 medium size Turnip cut into pieces 

1 small piece Ginger 

2 Green Chillies cut into pieces 

1 small piece raw Mango or preserved Mango piece 

1/4 cup Fresh or Desiccated Coconut 

Salt to taste 

Few Curry leaves 

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 tsp Oil

Method 

In a grinder, grind all the above ingredients except curry leaves, mustard seeds and oil into a thick paste. Take a small pan. Add oil, let it heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add the seasoning into the chutney.

Kachki Maach er Tak Jhal Achaar... (Ganges River Spratt Sour and Spicy Pickle)...

This is a sour and spicy pickle made with very tiny fish found in the stream, river or pond. I absolutely love this pickle and goes well with dal, aloo bhate or borta and hot rice. This is an experiment in my kitchen. 

For the Wet paste

Ingredients 

1 small to medium sized Raw Mango peeled and cut into pieces 

20 Garlic cloves

6 to 8 Green Chillies 

1 medium size Ginger cut into pieces 

3 tbsp Black Mustard seeds 

2 tbsp Coriander seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Add all the above ingredients in to a grinder and add little water to make it into a smooth paste. 

For the  Pickle 

Ingredients 

500 grams Ganges River Spratt washed well and dipped into hot water for few seconds and drained the water out. 

Wet paste 

1 Medium size Ginger cut into strips 

8 Garlic cloves 

4 to 5 Green Chillies slit into 2 

1/2 tsp Panch Phoran 

2 tbsp Vinegar 

1/2 cup Mustard Oil

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a wok, add oil and heat it up. Once hot fry the fish till crispy. In the same oil add panch phoran, ginger, garlic and chillies. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the wet paste and 2 tbsp water. Stir and cook the paste for 2 minutes. Add the fish, let it cook till the oil starts to separate from the paste. Add the vinegar and 2 tbsp raw mustard oil. Stir and let it cool. Store it in a dry clean bottle and store it in the refrigerator for 6 months.