GoodFood Mag # Oct 2012 Issue .....thrilled to be featured :))

Diwali 2012

The warm glow of diyas , the twinkle of fairy lights , the power of devotion and all night card parties ....It's that time of the year again .....the time for friends , festivities and fabulous food......Happy Diwali .... May Goddess Lakshmi bless you with abundance and prosperity all year long ....

I love the build up to Diwali.......

This year was special ...... my most favorite of my mothers friends Darshan Aunty and I made some amazing Diwali specials .... I was lucky I got to be her kitchen helper and in return I got to sample and take back some amazing traditional Diwali specials......

Let me tell you a little about Darshan aunty ....she is the warmest most generous person I know ....my mother and aunty have known each other a long long time ....as young Army wives they were neighbors in Udhampur , Jammu even before I was born so its a friendship spanning decades ..:)

Mrs Darshan Kalsy 

Watching her work in the kitchen is like a dream .....she makes the hardest things seem so simple and is so sweet about sharing recipes and making sure to give me all details so  I can replicate the recipes in my kitchen also!

She is super systematic and keeps a beautiful well stocked kitchen ......I have such a good time hanging out in her kitchen she even pauses ever so often so I can take pictures :)



Here is a sneak peak of all we made ...............

Shakar Paare

Gud / Jaggery Paare






Melt in your mouth gujjiyas.....

      

Orange & Lemon Cake

I totally go ga-ga for fruity desserts~

 This cake is lovely .... light & fluffy and bursting with citrus-y goodness , moist and very home-y tasting! 

When the cake is fresh out of the oven , pour the lemon - orange syrup over the cake ....the syrup soaks into the cake and infuses it with the heady citrus-y flavour and aroma of lemon and orange...

Ingredients
180 g sugar ...ground
180g softened butter

4 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
180 g self-raising flour

Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
Grated zest and juice of 1 large orange
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Beat caster sugar , butter and zest of lemon and orange till pale and creamy. 

Next add the milk and eggs ...keep beating . 

Add in the flour in batches using a spatula .

 Pour batter into greased cake tins and place in a pre-heated oven for about 30-45 minutes at 180 deg C or till a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is in the oven put the juice of the Orange  and the lemon in a saucepan boil and allow it to reduce to about 4 tablespoons add in the sugar and leave this syrup to cool . 

As soon as you bring out the cake from the oven prick it all over with a tooth pick / skewer . 

Pour the syrup all over the cake . Let the cake soak all the syrup .

 Leave to cool completely before you serve or remove from cake tin .

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Chocolate Mousse

Some days call for indulgence. Maybe you’ve stuck to your diet for a whole entire day and deserve a treat :D.

 Maybe you have passed an exam with flying colours or maybe you have failed a test :)), maybe you have been through with a tough-to-make-decision, or have a special occasion to celebrate. Or maybe there is nothing better to do in the evening .


Whatever be the reason, this light, dreamy, airy  little cups of heaven will be perfect. They are simple enough to make, but look and taste so elegant .

Beyond delicious ...the secret lies in getting very stiff egg whites :)

Serves 4 

200 g Dark chocolate 

4 eggs , split into whites and yolks

25 g butter

Mint leaves

3 tbsp icing sugar

4 tablespoons water/Baileys Irish Cream/ Old Monk / Orange Juice 

Pinch of salt


Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir till its a smooth homogeneous mixture. 

While the chocolate mixture in still in the double boiler add beaten egg yolks and 4 tablespoons of water .

Mix well .......stir for around 2-4 minutes . Then take off the gas . This helps in removing the eggy smell so wait the entire 2-4 minutes.

Keep aside to cool.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites beat till soft peaks . 

Then add the icing sugar and beat till egg whites are very stiff.

Now add the stiff egg whites a spoonful at a time into the melted chocolate using a spatula ....use the cutting and swirling action to blend in the egg whites .

Dont over mix ...and dont worry about little white bits that may remain.

Pour into individual serving glasses. Leave to chill for 2 hours.

**Grab a spoon and dig in **