X: Xtras #AtoZChallenge

Let' face it. There are no desserts with X. Unless I go Chinese (they have a lot of food beginning with X, yes, almonds, watermelon and what-not) and copy paste from the internet. But that is not not this blog is about and I am not giving up on the challenge at this stage.
So... X is for the (e)xtras. The ladoos, the gulab-jamuns, the rabri, the jalebis, sohan halwa and all those other yummylicious Indian desserts that I have missed on this journey of desserts from A to Z.

I love laddos, Specially the Motichur ones. I can pop one after the other and not think twice about the fact that I am not a sweet person. Same goes for fresh, hot jalebis. Okay gulab-jamuns are never my dessert of choice but I will occasionally indulge. And anyone reading this and living in Delhi, know that the next time you visit, get me some sohan halwa. Yes, I will be your slave forever: never mind the diet or the ghee or whatever!

For anyone thinking I'm talking in Greek or Latin, try to google up some of these delicious Indian sweets. Or better still, visit India, if only to sample its desserts! India is huge and made up of people whose cultures and cuisines are at once different and diverse. Each region has it's own specialty, from the rava kesari of the south to the til patti of the East to the Chakhao kheer of the North East to the rewri of the North to the Balushahi of the West... we have something for every sweet tooth, whether its dairy or vegan or whatever! And you will find shops selling cupcakes and Black Forest Gateau alongside shops selling simai and phirni next to shops selling  sandesh and rasgolla and pedas. THIS is what I love about my country, the richness, the diversity, the co-existence of several cultures and creeds.

Unfortunately, recent political and social trends have tried to break this thread. Increasingly, as in the rest of the world, there is a tendency to try to make our worlds smaller. To incite people in the names of caste, of race, of religion. It makes me sad and I know this may not be the place to say it but that is not the India I grew up in. That is not the India I love or call my own.

Let us hope that good sense prevails... Till then, keep calm and feast on!  

W: Watermelon Sorbet #AtoZChallenge

During my college days I 'discovered' watermelon juice. There were these juice bars all over the city and watermelon juice was an all time favourite. On a hot summer evening  in the dry heat of Pune, a watermelon juice was good for the soul. WE had this favourite juice bar area in Camp, where we had our pick of tiny  juice vendors. We would park our bikes after sundown and spend hours sipping on the sweet cold liquid. 

At home, as a child and later, watermelons were seeded and eaten as a fruit. My grandmother used to sprinkle a bit of sugar on the top and freeze it. That was how I enjoyed the fruit, or so I thought. 

But the fact is, that the secret is all in the sugar. That is what I discovered when I developed my love for fruit sorbets. And watermelon makes a brilliant sorbet. 

Try it. Read about it here 

P.S. if you do not have a ice-cream maker, (I don't) just use a good mixer/grinder and repeat it a few times. :)

V: Vanilla Icecream #AtoZChallenge

As far as I am concerned, vanilla ice-cream is about the best thing ever. Just add a bit to any dessert and instantly your sweet-something has reached a new level.
Just the other day while I was at work some of my daughter's friends came over and brightly decided to while away the time by baking some cup-cakes. I must laud their efforts because the cup cakes were texture perfect with the right amount of springiness. However, they had lessened the sugar quantity given in the recipe and the cupcake was not really sweet. So what do you do?Simple. Add some Vanilla Ice-cream and some chocolate sauce or caramel viola.... you have a dessert fit for a king!
Likewise, I can add vanilla ice-cream to almost anything, even hot gulab jamuns and jalebis. Vanilla ice-cream is a fantastic addition in milkshakes and cold coffees, specially when the girls have been fussing over their milk. Serve vanilla ice-cream with fruits... mangoes and litchis... you have an awesome dessert. unexpected guests at the dining table? Serve some vanilla ice-cream with a splash of chocolate sauce or strawberry crush.Add nuts, cornflakes, ever muesli to give it that extra crunch! Or just a bit of Drambuie or Kahlua ... yummy.
Is it any wonder then, that come summer, we usually almost always have vanilla ice-cream at home!?

U: Upside-down Cake #AtoZChallenge

Soon after my marriage my in-laws discovered I enjoyed baking.

And baking meant cakes, right?

Wrong.

For me, baking meant roasts and au gratin and lamb chops and fish Florentine and moussaka.

However, my in-laws did not know this. One day when we were visiting them in their house at Salt Lake, much to my surprise I found that they too had invested in an oven. It was a small OTG , nothing like the big one they had presented me but there it was staring at me. My father-in-law had also got a can of pineapples and was ready to rush out and get me whatever else I may need. I got the hint all right: a pineapple cake. Or in any case, some baked dessert with pineapple in it.

Sigh. Those were the days before the internet, my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook was still a distant dream and I was a novice at baking cakes. I searched my head a remembered this pineapple upside down cake my Mom used to make. I called her and jotted down the recipe, the best she remembered it. And then I made it.

It was a disaster. I’m sure there was nothing wrong with the recipe but the whole thing fell flat, the upside down part was a complete fail and the thing looked like someone’s bad dream. Later I learnt that heat and humidity turns a cake flat if let out of the heat too soon. I learnt too many eggs are not always nice and there is a reason why you are supposed to sift the flour and add the ingredients one by one. Oh, my in-laws were very sporting about it. They all helped themselves to the collapsed pudding-like goo and declared it was wonderful. Only I still cringe at the thought of that upside down cake.

And no, I have never tried it since.

Maybe I should!

Here’s this recipe I found online.Yes, thanks to BettyCrocker! I’m saving it to try another day.

 Easy Pineapple Upside down Cake

And you? Have you had any memorable baking disasters yet? 

T: Trifle Pudding #AtoZChallenge

Both my mother and her sister (my favourite aunt ever) made excellent trifle puddings. maybe some of it has rubbed off on me because, even tough I say it myself, the trifle pudding in our home is pretty delicious too. And our guests rarely refuse that second helping!

I do not make trifle puddings except in winter and that too only when I have had the time t plan ahead. It's a good sure-shot dessert and most of it can be prepared in advance for that party so that is one item out of the way.
Here's how I make my trifle for parties, 2 bowls:

Ingredients:

• Sponge cake 8" diameter about 3" thickshould do, depending on the size of the bowl that you will make the trifle in. You can make it yourself but a store bought one works well too. 
• Orange juice : 1 cup
• Rum or Brandy (optional) 2 tbsp
• Jelly; I packet, orange is preferred
• Fresh oranges; 2 whole, the segments peeled and deseeded.
• Kiwis: 2, peeled and cut in chunks, some thin slices for garnish. 
• Strawberries: 1 cup, hulled and cut in chunks, some thin slices for garnish. 
• Cherries: 1 tin, deseeded. With all the fresh fruits it's redundant but I keep it for the nostalgia factor, when we were kids we did not get kiwis or fresh strawberries. 
• Custard powder, sugar, milk (as per the directions in the packet for setting custard)
• Icing sugar: to taste
• Fresh cream: 2 cups

Method: 

1. Slice the cake so that you have two round cakes about 1& 1/2 inches thick. Place in two deep serving bowls, preferably transparent ones as a well made trifle is a thing of beauty to be admired. 
2. Pour orange juice over the cake so as to soak the cake in the juice. Dampen it, do not pour all the juice. Add rum/brandy, one tbsp into each. Omit it if you have kids coming, or just put some in the one you will ear mark for the adults. 
3. Make the jelly as per the directions on the packet. Pour over the soaked cake and add the oranges and some of the other fruits and the cherries. Reserve some fruits for garnishing. If you are making it a day ahead (like me) use fresh fruits for garnish. 
4. Leave to set, keep it in the fridge. 
5. When the jelly is completely set and firm, make the custard. When it is slightly cool, pour over the jelly and leave it to set. If you wish to make it fruitier you can add some more fruits over the custard after it has set. You can also add nuts or caramel if you wish. 
6. On the day of the party, ( I do this in the early evening or late afternoon) whip the cream with sugar to taste (I do not like the cream to be too sweet) till soft peaks form. Pour a layer over the custard and spread thick. Any leftover cream is gobbled up by my girls. Pop it back in the fridge to set. 
7. Garnish with sliced kiwis and/or strawberries or with sprinkles. 
8. Serve chilled. remember to slice deeply from the bottom of the bowl for each serving. 
9. Yup, its good. Enjoy the trifle as well as the compliments that follow!  

Here are some pictures of the food from the last party we had. 

the meats

the salads

the trifle!

 

S: Shrikhand #AtoZChallenge

I was introduced to shrikhands by the family of one of my best-est friends in school, Vaishali. We have been friends forever, it seems. And from a very young age we visited each others' houses. They were vegetarians and Aunty (I sometimes also call her Aai, meaning 'mother' in Marathi) was a fantastic cook. Uncle was a flight engineer and used to be travelling often. He would bring back pears, plums and peaches and other exotic fruits after his flights out of the city. He always ensured he got some for me too. Nani (Vaishali's grandmother) was a sweetheart. She was a lively and sprightly grand old lady who remained active throughout her life and loved to share stories with us.
Anyway, coming back to Aunty and her cooking. It was in this home that I first tasted dhansak (a veg version of course but I was not fussy), beetroot raita (a favourite I make even now), poha (aunty taught me that) and countless other "strange" vegetables that I did not encounter in my own home. And of course, Aunty made the most amazing Shrikhand ever. I sometimes buy the Amul one you get in the shops but that THING is not there. You know what I mean? Aunty cooked everything herself. Right from the melt-in-your-mouth chapatis (with butter) and the rice and the papad and the salad and the chaats, even.
I used to look forward to the meals and the easy hospitality where I was welcomed with open arms. In fact, when I joined the profession, my Chamber was near Vaishali's house. Vaishali herself was then posted in Jaipur after having done her Hotel Management and joining the Taj Group of Hotels. Often, instead of eating at home, I would drop in and visit Uncle and Aunty, share their dinner and head off to Chambers. Aunty and Uncle always welcomed me with open arms but then they moved to Pune ten years ago...so unfortunately I've had to change that habit of mine, but I fondly remember those days of our youth. And it gives me joy.
I will never try to make shrikhand. I do believe some things should be left for another hand. I can never hope to replicate that yummy creaminess. And I know that the best shrikhand in the world can only be made by Aunty, but if anyone is willing to try, here's a recipe, that, despite being time consuming, looks do-able:
Shrikhand recipe