Thandai Kulfi

My husband loves kulfi, I think he prefers Kulfi over Icecream. Although there is not much difference between the two, Kulfi is thickened milk with nuts or fruits that is frozen so it is denser than icecream but really soft and smooth.

Kulfi is pure thickened milk that is frozen. I know there are short cut recipes by adding cornstarch or bread as thickening agents, but then it cannot be used as offering to God or eaten during Hindu fasts. I know sometimes boiling milk to make kulfi can be tedious but believe me it is the right way to do and the flavor as the milk boils, thickens, and caramelizes tastes amazing. Check my recipe of regular Kesar and Malai Kulfi here. 

Since I did not have lot of time to let the regular milk boil and thicken, I tried using Half & Half and heavy whipping cream. Both these are found easily in the store and by using good quality organic Straus Milk products I achieve deliciously tasting kulfi for my family! While it is time for Holi, (festival of colors), friends meet over and part and enjoy chilled Thandai. It was time to combine the flavors of Thandai with the texture of Kulfi to make Thandai Kulfi.

Ingredients: (serves 4-6 people)

2 cups Half & Half

1 cup whipping cream

4-5 tbsp. My Thandai syrup (click here)

                              OR

4 tbsp. My Thandai powder (click here) + 4 tbsp. sugar

For garnishing

Slivered almonds and pistachios

• In a heavy bottom pan boil half & half. Simmer for 10 minutes till it reduces  and thickens. It will not take a long time.
• Add heavy whipping cream and simmer the mixture for 5-7 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
• Add Thandai syrup to the thickened mixture. whisk well using a whisk or hand blender. If using Thandai powder, add sugar and thandai powder to thickened mixture and blend in the hand blender.  Strain the mixture.
• Pour in cups, garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios. Cover and freeze it for 6-8 hours. 
• Serve chilled

 

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:
       My Thandai Masala                               My Thandai Syrup

In a heavy bottom pan boil Half & Half. Simmer for 10 minutes till it reduces and thickens. 

Add heavy whipping cream and simmer the mixture for 5-7 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.

Add Thandai syrup to the thickened mixture. whisk well using a whisk or hand blender. If using Thandai powder, add sugar and thandai powder to thickened mixture and blend in the hand blender.  Strain the mixture.

Pour in cups, garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios. Cover with plastic wrap or foil, and freeze it for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy Thandai Kulfi!!

Eggless Winter Cake

I agree I have not been regular in my posts. I have been busy and I have a backlog of recipes to experiment and publish. My apologies and thanks for your patience.

Two days back...feeling super excited about baking this delicious eggless cake with dried fruits and nuts, I called my sister and shared my excitement. "I baked a Christmas Cake today!!" On hearing this, my sister who has this amazing sense of humor says, "Isn't it very early to bake a cake for Christmas????" So although this cake is mostly made during Christmas, there is no perfect time to enjoy it. It is so delicious that I can make and enjoy this cake throughout the year. Since it consists of ingredients perfect for the season, I named it A Winter Cake!!

During winter break we had my family from San Diego visiting us, and spent amazing time with my Nephew and Niece. I was experimenting with eggless fruit and nut cake with easy and simple ingredients I had at home. I was gifted a cute mule mug and sparkling ginger beer/ginger ale from one of my students, so I incorporated that in the experimenting recipe. To my amusement the cake turned out amazingly delicious. It had the perfect sweetness, perfectly soft, delicious flavor for ginger beer/ginger ale and spices, and perfect texture from nuts. On taking the first bite my nephew said, "Shital aunty you should put this recipe on your blog." That was such a happy moment for me...my experiment was successful! :) I had posted a pictorial video on my Facebook page and my friends wanted me to post a detailled recipe of my eggless experiment. So finally I was able to bake the cake and measure the ingredients I added and develop a recipe. :) Some of my friends got to taste it and I am so glad they loved it. I can't wait to bake it again.

Ingredients to make a bundt cake:  (Use half of this recipe to make a loaf cake)

3 cups dried fruits and nuts (cranberries, chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios, dried figs, chopped walnuts)
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 bottle (25 fl.oz) sparkling apple cider (or ginger cider)
3/4 cup regular butter (salted or unsalted butter)
2 cans (14 oz each) (2 cups) sweetened condensed milk
1+1/2 tsp. baking powder
1+1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1 tsp. clove powder
2+3/4 cup all purpose flour or maida

• In a bowl add roughly chopped dried fruits and nut, cinnamon powder, clove powder, grated ginger, and soak in 2 cups of apple cider for 15 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl or kitchen aid stand mixer, whisk softened butter till it is light and fluffy.
• Add 2 cans/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk to the mixing bowl and whisk with butter for 3-4 minutes.
• Microwave dried fruits and nuts and apple cider mixture for 3 minutes.
• Add the microwaved mixture to whisked condensed milk and butter.
• Add baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla extract
• Mix for 30 seconds
• Add flour 1 cup at a time and whisk well. add all the flour and whisk till it is well mixed.
• Grease the bundt pan well with butter.
• Pour the cake mixture in bundt pan.
• Place it in 350F preheated oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Remove and let it stand on a rack for 5 minutes.
• Slowly pour around 1+1/2 cup of apple cider little at a time and let the cake soak the liquid.
• Let it stand for 20 minutes.
• Invert it carefully on a plate. Pour any remaining apple cider.
• Cut into slices.
• Enjoy!

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a bowl add roughly chopped dried fruits and nut, cinnamon powder, clove powder, grated ginger, and soak in 2 cups of apple cider for 15 minutes.

Dried cranberries, chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios, dried figs, chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl or kitchen aid stand mixer, whisk softened butter till it is light and fluffy.

Add 2 cans/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk to the mixing bowl and whisk with butter for 3-4 minutes.

Microwave dried fruits and nuts and apple cider mixture for 3 minutes.

Add the microwaved mixture to whisked condensed milk and butter.

Add baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla extract

Mix for 30 seconds

Add flour 1 cup at a time and whisk well. add all the flour and whisk till it is well mixed.

Grease the bundt pan well with butter.

Pour the cake mixture in bundt pan.

Place it in 350F preheated oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

Remove and let it stand on a rack for 5 minutes.

Slowly pour around 1+1/2 cup of apple cider little at a time and let the cake soak the liquid.

Let it stand for 20 minutes.

Invert it carefully on a plate. Pour any remaining apple cider.

Enjoy this delicious Fruit and Nut Cake!!!

Til Chikki

It is normally in winters and close to Sankranti that Til Chikki and Til ladoos become popular. There is a tradition of gifting Til or Sesame seeds during this season. And for every tradition there is science associated. Til and Gud being rich is calcium, fiber, and other nutrients are perfect for this season season. As the Marathi saying, "Til Gud Gya, ani Gud Gud Bola" which means take some Til Gud and recite as sweet as this Gud /jaggery which also is the symbol of Healthy Life!!

We have learned about Uttarayana (winter solstice) and Dakshinayana (summer solstice) in Geography class at school. I remember our Geography teacher bringing in the globe to show Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn and the movement of the Earth along the axis. This is the time when rays of the sun and climate is favorable for people to come out of their house. Infact it is beneficial, and my dad would encourage us to be on the terrace to fly kites. Kite flying is the big festival in Gujarat and even though we are from Mumbai, we celebrate it with the same enthusiasm. Uttarayana kite festival was a get together time at home. With delicious feast for lunch and pani puri  in the evening and enjoying various chikkis while flying kite. Since the time my sister and I were little, we would tie Kanni (adjoining thread to the kite). At first we would hold phirki while papa would help load the kite in the wind and then we would get to hold it. We had to really be careful with the thread. The professional kite flying thread or Manja is a thread which is spun with glass pieces, as a result it makes it strong but dangerous if the person is not careful. The spouse usually holds the spool of thread which is called phirki... she has the duty not just to hold the spool correctly but to release the tread at the right time while the husband guides the kite protecting it against enemy kites. A wonderful symbolization of the relationship isn't it?

Here is the video of a Bollywood song which describes the fun, enthusiasm, and battle of 

kite flying festival. This is my favorite for this festival.

So while we are in the mood to celebrate the season, it is time to make some Til Chikki or Sesame brittle. It just takes around 10 minutes for this deliciously nutritious recipe. I have used organic gur/jaggery which is free from additives and chemicals. Natural jaggery is dark in color and unpleasant. To make it appealing and beautiful golden yellow in color, chemicals such as Sulphur are used. Although it is permitted in a certain amount, it is not certain that the industries in India do use the restricted amount of it. So I wanted to try 24 Mantra organic gur/jaggery powder that I found at the Indian store. I am not paid to write about it neither did I receive a sample of it to write about. This is a powdered jaggery which saved my time to cut the big lumps into smaller pieces. Also the dark color jaggery means it is dark chikki. We love the taste and flavor and I will surely buy it again for the next batch.

Ingredients

1 cup sesame seeds

1 cup jaggery powder

1 tsp. ghee

• Dry roast sesame seeds in a heavy bottom pan till they turn nice and warm. Do not overdo it as it might change the taste.
• Remove on a plate.
• In a same pan heat ghee and jaggery powder till it melts completely.
• Add roasted sesame seeds.
• Turn off the heat and mix the seeds in well.
• Transfer the mixture on silicon mat or greased surface and roll with a greased rolling pin. I like to make it nice a thin. My chikki is around 3-4 mm thick.
• Using a sharp knife cut into square pieces. I like in rustic like a brittle so i just broke in into different shaped when it cooled.
• Store in air tight container and enjoy the healthy snack.

Here is step-y-step pictorial recipe:

Dry roast sesame seeds in a heavy bottom pan till they turn nice and warm. Do not overdo it as it might change the taste.

Remove on a plate.

In a same pan heat ghee and jaggery powder till it melts completely.

Add a drop of melted gur into a bowl of water. It should be hard as a rock on cooling.

Add roasted sesame seeds.

Turn off the heat and mix the seeds in well.

Transfer the mixture on silicon mat or greased surface and roll with a greased rolling pin. I like to make it nice a thin. My chikki is around 3-4 mm thick.

Using a sharp knife cut into square pieces. I like in rustic like a brittle so i just broke in into different shaped when it cooled.

Have a Great Makar Sankranti!!

Dryfruit Chikki

There is never a season for Candies and Chikkis. Everyone loves it, and it is all time favorite as a snack or a dessert or just because it is delicious. Chikki is an Indian version of a candy or a brittle. Made of sugar of gud/jaggery with various seeds and nuts, just tastes delicious.

Lonavala, which is few kilometers away from Bombay is a beautiful scenic place. Specially in Monsoons as the weather gets beautiful and greenery all over the mountains, a trip to Lonavala is a must. Apart from enjoying monsoon hike and scenic drive and a visit to the dam, Lonavala is famous for its Chikkis. Chikki shops are all lined up with variety of traditional and innovative Chikkis/brittle. Boxes of Chiikis are bought to gift people. One of my favorites from Lonavala is the Dryfruit Chikki. Although it is called dryfruit chikki, it does not have dryfruits. It is just made of nuts. Cashews, Almonds, and Pistachios with a hint of saffron dominate this recipe. I also make praline for desserts and ice-creams in the same way. You can use this recipe to make some Praline powder for garnish.

While I was reading the science of candy making, I learned that the important ingredient in candy making is corn syrup. Since I do not use corn syrup on regular basis, I did not wish to buy it and moreover it is not something I would like to use on regular basis. Why not make a recipe free from additives? Since this chikki has crisp nuts, the crystallization of sugar here does not matter. Also corn syrup cannot be used during Indian fast.

With Makar Sankranti on 14th January, it is time to make Chikkis, a special snack of the season while enjoying the kite festival. Traditionally Makar Sakranti is celebrated with chiiki brittle made of Til/ sesame seeds and gud/jaggery as they are perfect for this season. Rich is iron and calcium, Til Chikki provides healthy nutrients. Will be posting Til Chikki recipe tomorrow.

Ingredients to make Dryfruit Chikki
1 cup nuts Halved (cashews, almonds, pistachios)
1 cup sugar
Pinch of cardamom powder
1 tbsp. water
Pinch of saffron

• In a heavy bottom pan heat sugar with a tbsp. of water on medium heat stirring constantly till sugar melts completely. It will slightly brown. Mine became slightly more dark as I was also taking pictures but you should work fast to avoid getting caramelized.
• Add cardamom powder.
• As soon as all the sugar melts, add nuts.
• Turn of the heat and mix nuts with melted sugar.
• Immediately pour in a greased plate or on silicon mat. Spread it with a rolling pin.
• Sprinkle some saffron strands on it immediately.
• Let it rest for 5 minutes. 
• Using a sharp cutter cut into pieces while still warm.
• Let it cool completely and then remove pieces from the plate.
• Enjoy!! 

In a heavy bottom pan heat sugar with a tbsp. of water on medium heat stirring constantly till sugar melts completely. It will slightly brown.

Add cardamom powder.

As soon as all the sugar melts, add nuts.

Turn of the heat and mix nuts with melted sugar.

Immediately pour in a greased plate or on silicon mat. Spread it with a rolling pin.

Sprinkle some saffron strands on it immediately.

Using a sharp cutter cut into pieces while still warm.

Let it cool completely and then remove pieces from the plate.

Happy Makar Sankranti!
Happy Kite Flying!!