Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Sunday, 11 November 2012
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..... |
Sunday, 4 November 2012
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...
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
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
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 .
Friday, 2 November 2012
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 **
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)