Kolar Boda

Had big plans for making something using raw bananas for JFI Banana this month, but didnt get time to find any.. So settled down for a bengali snack- Kolar Boda (meaning Banana Wadas).. My dear Bengali friend S enlightened me with this recipe.. Its my last minute entry for JFI-Banana, hosted by Mandira of Ahaar..

Kolar Boda

Makes:

5-6 small

Preparation Time:

10 mins

What you need:

1 ripe Banana
2 tbsp Plain Flour
1-2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Fennel Seeds(Saunf)
1 tsp grated Cocunut

Oil for Frying

How to proceed:

1) Mash bananas with hand and add remaining ingredients to it (except oil)
2) Deep fry in hot oil on both sides till golden brown..
3) Enjoy sweet pakodas/wadas as a snack!

I prepared this using the overripe banana that was lying around for 4-5 days... Though black on the outside, it was perfectly in good condition to mash n make bodas!

Black Grape Sorbet

Something quick and yummy.. And so pleasing for the last summer days.. European weather has started showing its true colors and last 3-4 days have been really bad.. The weekend is predicted to be sunny and probably the "last" sunny weekend this year.. Thats possibly why I am taking some extra efforts to post today as I didnt wanna miss to post something that I prepared just for blog events.. Black Grape sorbet, a lovely sweet n sour combi with a oh so inviting color, for Swapna's AFAM-Grapes and Marta's FPM#4-Grapes..

Before I share the recipe, I would like to share some pics of grape yards in Luxembourg and Germany which we visited this year.. We own grape yards back in India and love to visit such places here..

The pic below is from Remerschen, Luxembourg, a lovely city in South Luxembourg from where we could see Germany to the left and France to the right from our hotel balcony.. That was sometime in April when the season of grapes hadnt started and we could just see the bare farms and support system of grape wines.. But we did not miss the cruise across the wone route and even visited a winery for wine testing :D

The snaps below are from Bensheim, Germany which we visited in July.. We were lucky to find grapes in their youth ;) Now is the best time to visit this place.. In the first week f September, the local farmers get together and organise an event dedicated to wine processing and is a treat for wine lovers!

Isnt it lovely to be so close to nature? I prefer to visit such places rather that castles, bridges and towers :D No more blah blah.. Let me get back to the main point!

Black Grape Sorbet

Preparation Time:

1 hour

What you need:

A bunch of Black Grapes
1/3 cup Sugar(approx)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

How to proceed:

1) Cut the grapes(remove sedds if any) and defreeze for 30-40 mins
2) Add them to blender with sugar and lemon juice and blend well
3) Place again in refridgerator for 15-20 mins
4) Remove, scoop and take snaps/serve immmediately!

BlackBerry Milkshake

I was introduced to this fruit called Blackberry 2 months back when we visited city of Bensheim in Germany. This city is famous for wine grapes and there were plenty of blackberry trees bordering the grapeyards.. Until then, I used to look at these as some wild fruits but when my friend just grabbed some and started feasting on them, I had to try it! And once I had some (luckily I found a big colony of sweet ones), there was no stopping.. I ate many along the way and also admired the lovely clustered structure till my husband declared that I unknowingly had 2 glasses of wine :D

Last week I found a pack of fresh blackberries at the fruit market and couldnt stop myself from buying them.. The plan was to prepare something for Meeta's monthly mingle.. But I ate some and then realised there were very few left for trying anything.. So on weekend, back I went to the fruit market and prepared blackberry milkshake the same day.. The end result aeemed lovely not just due to the tatse, but due to the lovely color! I am not sure if I can call this milkshake as I added some yoghurt as well alongwith milk.. But I surely cant call this lassi as there is more milk than yoghurt :D This blackberry Milkshake goes to Meeta for Monthly Mingle, this month's theme being "Liquid Dreams"

BlackBerry Milkshake

Preparation Time:

5 mins

Serves:

2 glassfuls

What you need:

1 Cup Blackberries
3 cups Milk
2-3 tbsp Beaten Yoghurt
2-3 tbsp Sugar

How to proceed:

1) Mix all ingredients in a blender
2) Place in refridgerator for sometime
3) Serve cold!

* I used Yoghurt to thicken the milkshake.. It can be left out to have thin milkshake!
* Chop few blackberries and put some pieces in milkshake
* Add 2-3 mint leaves to give a twist in the taste!

Lychee Grape Drink

Lychee on its own has a lovely taste... But when it comes to Lychee Juice, its just a few drops from a single Lychee fruit... I decided to mix grape juice to it, to make a lovely drink.. The end result was awesome.. Both tastes preserved and a refreshing drink ready!


This is my second entry for AFAM-Lychee, hosted this month by Sig.

Lychee Grape Drink

Preparation Time:

5 mins

Makes:

1 drink

What you need:

4-5 Lychees, peeled and deseeded
A bunch of seedless Grapes
(Juice of Lychee and Grape should be in 1:3 proportion)
A pinch of Black Salt
Few drops of Lemon

How to proceed:

1) Blend Lychees and Grapes in a Blender
2) Sieve the juice and add black salt and lemon juice to it
3) Refridgerate for some time and serve cold!

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert

With so many events coming up(and me not wanting to miss any), I hardly get any time to post other recipes... So I make it a point to try and cook something new for these events.. Thats how I learn and post something new and different (not always :D)

When Sig anounced Lychee as Fruit for AFAM this month, I had no idea what I would be preparing for this event.. Then some googling and I came upon a Thai dessert.. Decided to try it but had to wait long to find fresh lychees.. Frozen/canned foods are avoided as much as possible at my place.. Finally last weel I found these lovely fruits at a fruit mart and the long wait came to an end.. Greedily, I brought a big pack(later realising it cost me a lot!!! :( ) and ultimately I have one more recipe to try other than this one..

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert is my first entry for AFAM-Lychee.. Apart from Indian cuisine, I love Thai food.. Thai cuisine is mostly associated with use of coconut milk.. Not just in the curries, but also in desserts.. Coconut milk in Thai Desserts is as milk in Indian Desserts.. This is a simple Thai dessert, which can be prepared in no more than 5 mins.. I am not a big fan of cocunut milk, and hence didnt like the dessert a lot.. I prefer shikran(bananas in sweetened milk) to this.. But not a disaster either.. My husband didnt mind finishing off my share as well :D So overall, good for a change!

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert

Makes:

2 servings

Preparation Time:

5 mins

What you need:

7-8 ripe Lychees
1 Banana
200 ml Coconut Milk (Lite)
2-3 tsp Sugar

How to proceed:

1) Peel and deseed the Lychees and cut into halves
2) Cut the banana lengthwise and then make 1 inch pieces
3) Place the lychees and bananas in a bowl
4) Heat cocunut milk for a min and add sugar to it (Do *not* boil)
5) Pour the milk over the fruits
6) Let it cool and place in the fridge to cool for sometime
7) Serve cold.


I had to use a spoon to forcibly lift the lychees for a snap :D

Watermelon Popsicles

Jai and Bee have chosen a lovely fruit for this month’s AFAM-Watermelon. Due to its high water content (95%), summers are incomplete without watermelons…Atleast for me :) I can have watermelon for breakfast, lunch as well as for dinner in summers… I am one person who doesn’t drink much water regularly (just 2-3 glasses), but eat loads of watermelon n cucumbers in summer.. That’s the reason I can bear the summers. :D I was planning for another watermelon drink or snack, but then thought of some way which would be pleasant and inviting.. Here are lovely watermelon popsicles for AFAM Watermelon!

Watermelon Popsicles

Makes:

6 popsicles (of size of Kulfi/Ice-Candies)

What you need:

1 cup Watermelon Juice
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Water
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
A pinch of Salt

How to proceed:

1) Deseed watermelon and run through blender to make juice
2) Mix sugar and water. Heat for 2-3 mins
3) Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients to it
4) Add to kulfi moulds/ ice trays and make popsicles of desired shape n size
5) Freeze for 3-4 hrs!

* Addition of chaat masala gives it a tangy flavour.. Reminded me of the “barf ka gola” sold in India :)

Beat the heat!!!

Can there be a better way to eat watermelon on a Sunday afternoon after returning from a 5 hour long shopping streak on a rather hot day? Chilled watermelon escorted out of the fridge(deseed if you have patience), chopped into chunks of desired shape and add a bit of chaat masala, black pepper powder and black salt over it.. Aaahh… heaven! :)

Mango Mastani

Today I prepared Mango Mastani specially for my best friend Shill.. Its her "quarterly engagement anniversary" today.. Other than Gujju n mexican food, she n her wud be better half love milkshakes.. Shill wanted me to prepare something for her and I cudnt find any other day better than this [Now am free to forget other important days;)].. So here's wishing Shill n Jiju a happy engagement anniversary with one of Shill's favourite Mango Mastani! I know there's nothing like quartely annivs and that too for engagements.. but we can celebrate events anytime we want to by just creating some! :) This day (5th July) has a lot importance in my life.. I joined my first job on this day and two years later resigned on the same day.. Also the date(5th) is pretty important and lucky for me... Two of my best friend's (Shill n Vish) bday falls on this date, I got married on this date, my friend got engagaed on this date etc etc...

Anyways getting back to the post.. Anybody from Pune will surely talk about one of the most famous dessert here- Mastani. Although its nothing very special than milk shake topped with Ice-cream, its historic name and its unforgettable taste and the fact that it gives you an extremely full feeling makes it even more memorable. Mastani was believed to be a very beautiful woman and mistress of the great maratha warrior, Bajirao Peshwa. She was believed to be so fair that when she ate a pan, one could see it clearly moving down her thought... Now now now..This is height of exagerration :D Read more about Mastani here.

Mastani in Pune is mostly associated with Kondhalkar's and Sujata. Kondhalkar opposite Saavan on Kumthekar road (parallel to Laxmi Road-the most famous shopping road for ladies in Pune) is probably the oldest of mastani shops in Pune. Sujata Mastani (acc to my knowledge) are their cousins who moved out to start their own chain of Sujata Mastani House in Pune.. I love both the places and Kondhalkar's used to be a must visit while shopping on Laxmi Road. A glass full of Mastani makes a good lunch. Better have it before shopping to shred off the extra calories! ;)

Mango Mastani is thick Mango milk shake topped with Mango Ice-cream. Other Mastanis include Orange Mastani, Pineapple Mastani, Rose Mastani, Custard Apple Mastani, Pista Mastani, Badam Mastani, Khus Mastani etc. I have tried almost each of them but Mango Mastani is my favourite. None of the others can match its taste. Another famous joint was Kasturi Mastani on Karve road since it was near to our college.. We friends visited this quite a few times for the Mango Mastani here.. The Bun Wada (dont remember if this is what exactly its called) of Kasturi Mastani is a must must must eat once.. You'll always want more n more of it.. Turning into too much of marketing :D Lets get back to my dear Mango Mastani!

This will be my entry for Meeta's Monthly Mingle- Scream for Icecream. I made Mango Ice-cream as well at home.. but since this was my first try, it was all trial and error with the measurements. The ice-cream turned out really soft n yummy. So will prepare another batch of Mango Ice-cream in a day or two (asa I get another Mango pulp can) and post the Mango Ice-cream recipe for you guys.. Till then enjoy this dessert in the hot summer.. I bet you'll love it!

Mango Mastani

What you need:

1/2 can Kesar Mango Pulp
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 liter Milk
1/2 lit Mango Icecream

How to proceed:

1) Mix mango pulp, sugar and milk in belnder to make mango milk shake
2) Defreeze it for 15-20 mins
3) Now again blend it well. This will make the milk shake thick!
4) Serve in a large glass topped with a big scoop of Mango Ice-cream!

* I prefer using less Sugar as the pulp is already sweet. Also the ice cream being sweet, the milk shake being a bit less sweet is perfectly allowed! :)

Orange Burfi

Sharmi of Naivedyam is hosting AFAM this month. I was thinking of going for some cool summer drinks when Orange was announced for AFAM this month.. But then I didnt want to disturb the sweet n sour taste of orange by mixing it wit some other fruit for beverages.. Hence I decided to go for Orange Burfi. The Maharashtrian cit of Nagpur is famous for its Orange cultivation.. The "Santra Burfi/Orange Fudge" from Nagpur is very famous. We used to be lucky everytime two of my Nagpuri team mates went back home :) Orange Barfi was "default" sweet that they had to bring along! I made these burfis a bit less sweet coz I found sweet oranges here. I also tried some laddus with this mixture (from the disformed mixture left out after separarting good-looking n in-shape barfis!) Enjoy the yummilicious sweet! :)

Orange Burfi

What you need:

2 Oranges
1 cup Plain Flour(Maida)
1+1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Ghee
4-5 saffron strands
Fried dry fruits (optional)

How to proceed:

1) Heat ghee in a pan and add plain flour to it
2) Fry till golden brown, stirring at intervals.. Now take off from gas and keep aside.
3) Peel oranges, remove seeds and transparent skin from each slice to get just the orange pulp
4) Heat milk, add sugar and orange pulp to it.
5) Keep stirring continuously till the mixture becomes sticky.. this might take 15-20 mins.
6) Now add the plain flour mixture to it and mix well
7) Add saffron and dry fruits if desired.
8) Cook till ghee separates from the mixture
9) Now place the mixture in a greased vessel and let cool
10) Cut into desired shapes and enjoy yummy orange burfi!

This was the first time I made something decorative/creative.. Flowers using the Orange skin/peel.. So just coundnt control myself from taking more snaps :)

I also made some laddus from the mixture that was left after making barfis!

Amrakhand Puri

.. coz special occasions need something special!!

Today is a special date 05/06/07.. a special day for me.. and hence posting a special Maharashtrian combo of Amrakhand Puri for RCI Maharashtrian Cuisine!

Amrakhand is a very popular dessert from Maharashtra.. also known as mango flavoured Shrikhand.. The most common brands in Pune for Amrakhand are Chitale Bandhu, Amul, Warana and now Aarti's ;) Thanks to these people, my mother never happened to prepare it at home.. And so this was my first trial at it.. and its really a very very easy task(preparing) and later very very yummy and easy task (finishing off! :D).. Being a milk product, it can also be eaten on fasting days.. Needs some preparation though.. but all the efforts are paid off once you have the first spoonful!! :)

Amrakhand is a popular dessert for Maharashtrian wedding, others being jilebi, bundi laddu, gulabjamun etc.. It can be eaten alone, but then you tend to eat very little. Maharashtrians serve it with hot puffed puris! I served it with simple Puris and batatyachi bhaaji!

Amrakhand Puri

What you need:

500 gm Full Yoghurt

200 gm Kesar Mango Pulp

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Powdered Cardamom

1/2 tsp Nutmeg Powder

8-10 strands of Kesar

How to proceed:

1) Place the yoghurt in a thin cloth/odhani and tie it

2) Hang it for 5-6 hours till all water from Yoghurt drains off

3) If there is still some water, place it under something heavy to drain excess water

4) Now remove the yoghurt and add sugar to it and mix well in a large bowl

5) Add cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and kesar to it

6) Finally add mango pulp and mix well

7) Keep to cool in the refridgerator

8) Remove 5-10 mins before serving.

9) Enjoy Amrakhand with hot puris!

To make the most simple Maharashtrian Puris: Add a tsp of turmeric, salt and oil to wheat flour and knead to soft dough. Roll into puris and fry in oil.

Watermelon Pancakes

"Summer Fruits" is the theme for WBB#11 hosted by Padmaja. The first fruit that comes to mind thinking of summer fruits is the king of fruits-Mango! But the genuine taste of mango is best enjoyed when eaten as is! So I decided to leave the Mango all alone and move on to the next favourite summer fruit- Watermelon. (Confession: The real reason is that I didnt find Indian mangoes here:( )

Watermelon is famous as a summer fruit for its high water content. I used Watermelon to flavour up the usual pancakes that we make for breakfast. Crisp and tasty watermelon pancakes served as a tasty and appetising breakfast and different than the usual pancakes!

Watermelon Pancakes

What you need:

¼ kg Watermelon pieces (deseeded)
½ cup Plain Flour/Maida
1 Egg
4-5 tbsp Powdered Sugar
2 tbsp Milk
Oil

How to proceed:

1)Blend the watermelon pieces to juice
2)Put flour in a bowl, add sugar, egg (discard the yolk), watermelon juice and milk; mix well
3)Add more milk if required to make the batter consistent and as thick as dosa batter
4)Put oil/butter on hot girdle and pour spoonful of batter over it
5)Spread the batter in circular pattern to form thin pancakes
6)Put oil on sides/corners to make them crispy
7)When cooked on one side, flip and cook on other side.
8)Serve hot with a cuppa of tea!

Refreshing Kairi Panha

Kairi Panha(Green Mango Drink) is my second entry for AFAM Mango hosted by Deepa.

Panha is a drink made from raw mango. It was possibly the first mango preparation every summer at my place. Since this is my first year away from India, I am a bit late in trying out this drink! When I noticed some raw mangoes at the Indian store here in the start of May, I just brought some, called up Mom for her Panha recipe and then enjoyed sipping it in the noon after coming back tired from shopping.. Well, it refreshed me in no time.. And hence the name. :) This will also be my entry for Nupur’s “R of Indian Vegetables”

This drink is prepared using raw mangoes mixed with sugar or jaggery. The addition of fennel seeds and cardamom powder enhances the taste of this drink. A must must must try in summer time!

Kairi Panha

What you need:

1 big Raw Mango
1/4 cup Sugar – powdered
Few strands of Saffron – powdered
1 tsp Fennel Seeds – roasted and crushed
1 tsp ground Cardamon
2 cups water
A pinch of salt

How to proceed:

1) Cook the mango in a pressure cooker until soft (3-4 whistles)
2) When done, peel the mango, discard the seed and separate the pulp/flesh.
3) Remove strands if any from the pulp
4) Place the pulp in a blender; add fennel, saffron, cardamom and salt.
5) Blend well and add water
6) Add sugar and stir till it dissolves completely.
7) Adjust amount of water to have panha of desired consistency.
8) Sieve using strainer and serve cold with crushed ice.

* Sugar can be substituted by jaggery. This will make the Panha thicker.

Quenchy Melon Lemonade

Summer time.. Thirst.. Quench.. Quenchy.. Thats how I discovered the name of today's entry for "Q of Indian Vegetables" for Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables :) Presenting "Quenchy Melon Lemonade" to quench your thirst this summer! :D

This beverage is made from watermelon and lemon juice. The sweet watermelon jucie and the tangy lemon juice gives this drink a distininctive taste!

Quenchy Melon Lemonade

What you need:

1/2 kg Watermelon Pieces
1/2 Lemon
4-5 tsp Sugar
Black Salt for taste2-3 Ice cubes


How to proceed:

1) Deseed the watermelon pieces and crush well in blender
2) Do *not* sieve the juice
3) Add juice of half lemon, salt and sugar to the watermelon juice
4) Serve chilled with ice cubes or crushed ice

Strawberry Lassi

I had prepared this drink for hubby dear on V day this year and it was my entry for Pooja’s Valentine Day Special. Needless to say, my hubby loved it. Thanks to the summer and our love for strawberries, we prepare it every other day now. I thought of re-posting it here for fellow bloggers (and for me as well ;) ) to enjoy summer time with some chilled beverages.

Strawberry Lassi

What you need:

1/2 cup plain Yogurt
1/2 cup cold water
5-6 big fresh strawberries
4 tbsp sugar

How to proceed:

1) Wash and cut strawberries in big pieces. Grind them in a mixer with sugar.
2) Whip yogurt using a blender and add water.
3) Add the strawberry sugar mix to yogurt and mix well.
4) Served chilled with crushed ice(optional).

How about another look???