Kulfi

Last weekend I invited my friend over for dinner. Since she is from Mumbai (just like us) I thought of creating Mumbai style menu for her. Sev puri, pav bhaji, tawa pulav. and to top it all with chilled kulfi! These are all juhu beach favorites! :)

Kulfi is an Indian ice-cream. It is not soft and airy like ice-creams, but it is dense and creamy. Kulfi is set in molds or containers and then cut into pieces and served with a popsicle.

I remember an old man with a clay pot on his head walking around in our community calling out Kulfi, Kulfi...which meant that he was a vendor selling kulfi. Weekends we would surely buy few kulfis from him after dinner. That would be our dessert of the day. He would roll kulfi mold in between his palm to loosen it, open up kulfi molds right in front of us, cut into pieces and serve it on a leaf with a bamboo stick. What a natural way of using disposable plates!! The taste and flavor of Kulfi served this way was amazing too. How many of you remember this??

This recipe is the traditional way of making kulfi by evaporating milk. I am not much in favor of using bread or cornstarch or artificial thickeners as they cannot be consumed during fasts and festivals. Simmering well and getting rid of the water content would make kulfi creamier and prevent it from freezing with icicles. Give it a try.

Ingredients for 10-12 Kulfi molds or 10-12 small Matkis:

2 liters (around 1/2 gallon) whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp cardamom powder
1 tsp. saffron strands
1/4 cup pistachios (slivered or chopped)
Ice-cream or Kulfi molds or small matki (earthen pots)

To make Malai Kulfi:

1. In a heavy bottom pan boil milk. Simmer for around an hour stirring occasionally for milk to evaporate and thicken. Scrape sides and bottom of the pan removing all stuck, condensed, milk. (do not discard it...this is malai which gives kulfi delicious taste).
2. Use a stick blender to blend all the bits of malai in well. 
3. Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and sugar to the simmering milk.
4. Add ground cardamom seeds. 
5. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat
6. Let the mixture cool.
7. Fill into molds and freeze for 4-5 hours or till it sets.
8. Insert a stick or cut into pieces and serve.

To make Kesar Pista Kulfi:

1. In a heavy bottom pan boil milk. Simmer for around an hour stirring occasionally for milk to evaporate and thicken. Scrape sides and bottom of the pan removing all stuck, condensed, milk. (do not discard it...this is malai which gives kulfi delicious taste).
2. Use a stick blender to blend all the bits of malai in well.
3. Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and sugar to the simmering milk.
4. Add ground cardamom seeds, saffron, and slivered pistachios.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat
6. Let the mixture cool.
7. Fill into molds and freeze for 4-5 hours or till it sets.
8. Insert a stick or cut into pieces and serve. 

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a heavy bottom pan boil milk. Simmer for around an hour stirring occasionally for milk to evaporate and thicken. Scrape sides and bottom of the pan removing all stuck, condensed, milk. (do not discard it...this is malai which gives kulfi delicious taste).

Cardamom powder in my mortar & pestle.

Saffron & Pistachios

My new kulfi molds with a stand.

Since kulfi is my husbands favorite dessert, he wanted to help me fill the molds while I could take pictures :)

Garnish with more pistachios. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.

Enjoy Chilled Kulfi!!

Vegetable Cheese Grilled Sandwich

Like someone said, "You can get a Mumbaite out of Mumbai, but you cannot get Mumbai out of a Mumbaite". Mumbai, a city of dreams...a vibrant city with wonderful people, and a city of delicious street-food! Yes, I am so proud to be a Mumbaite.

One of the all time favorite foods which is very popular amongst college students in Mumbai is Grilled Sandwich. Over sized sandwich with veggies and loads of grated cheese is grilled to perfection. It is then served with chutney and ketchup. Another important factor that makes grilled sandwich in Mumbai very special is the specially made large triangular slice of bread!! Yes, it is really large and 3 slices used in making 1 big sandwich :) I am sure people from Mumbai might be thinking of their favorite Grilled Sandwich place. I love the one at Breach Candy and of course the one in Santa Cruz...you guessed it right...Swastik Sandwich, which is now a popular brand called Sandwizza (Sandwich+Pizza). Another popular place is Anand Stall opposite Mithibai college in Vile Parle. :) I am totally a foodies...I love all these places and writing about them is making me more nostalgic!!

I have been on a hunt for a triangular bread loaf pan since quite some time now. Neither did I find it in any stores, nor online. I also asked my friends and family to check out baking shops in India for this kind of a bread pan. But no one succeeded. While I was in India 2 weeks back to spend time with my family, I made it a point to get a bread pan made to order at a tin works shop. I got an 8 inch equilateral triangle with a 10 inch depth. And I had to give it is a try using my bread loaf recipe. Below are the pictures of my triangular bread loaf.

Recipe of make grilled sandwich for 2:

4 slices Sandwich bread

Amul butter

Cilantro chutney (to your spice level)

2 medium sized boilled potatoes

1 medium cucumber 

2 medium sized tomatoes

1 medium onion sliced

1 medium bell pepper thinly sliced

Grated cheese

Sandwich masala/chaat masala

Griddle or a grill sandwich press

• Spread butter and cilantro chutney on each of the bread slices.
• Evenly place thinly sliced cucumbers, and sprinkle sandwich masala/chaat masala.
• Evenly place thinly sliced potatoes and sprinkle sandwich masala/chaat masala.
• Place few sliced onions and sprinkle sandwich masala/chaat masala.
• Evenly place sliced tomatoes and sprinkle sandwich masala/chaat masala.
• Place few sliced bell pepper and sprinkle sandwich masala/chaat masala.
• Add generous helping of Amul cheese.
• Cover the layers with the second slice of the bread. 
• Apply butter on top and grill it till it is crisp.
• Remove and spread some Amul butter on it.
• Cut into pieces and serve with chutney, ketchup, and spicy tomato garlic chutney.

Here are step-by step pictures:

Red garlic chutney.
Deseed 4-5 dry red chillies.
Chop 1 tomato.
Peal 2-3 garlic cloves.

Heat a tbsp. of oil in a pan. fry deseeded red chillies, add chopped tomato. cover and cook till tomato softens. Cool . Grind with garlic and salt and water if needed. Spicy red garlic chutney is ready.

Enjoy Mumbai Style Grilled Sandwich!!