Spiced Mexican Mango Drink

NONALCOHOLIC (for alcoholic version, add white wine, rum, tequila or vodka to the finished drink).

BLEND:

1. 1/2 c cubed fresh ripe mango
2. 1/4 tsp tamarind paste
3. 1 tsp Cholula hot sauce
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 1/2 c water
6. juice of 1/2 lemon

Enjoy on ice.

 

Modern Rubber Halwa

I first had this at Modern in Bombay, and it was soo soo soo good. So good.

If you like things that are chewy and sweet, you will love this! (This is very similar IMHO to Chi Chi Dango Hawaiian mochi, and less chewy than most types of other traditional mochi). I think it is also similar to Turkish Delight.

Recipe adapted from Yummy Tummy.

Preparation Time : 2 mins
Cooking Time : 15 to 20 mins
Makes : 12 pieces

Dish: 3 cup pyrex (the smallest size from this set)

Ingredients:

Sugar – 1 cup
Boiling water – 1 cup

Cornstarch – 1/2 cup
Cold water – 1/2 cup

Ghee – 3 tbsp
Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
Pistachios, whole – 1/4 c (I use WOW)
Green Food Coloring – 2-3 drops
Khus extract – 1/4 tsp

Directions:

1. Take a medium to large sized heavy bottom NONSTICK pan and add in sugar and 1 cup of boiling water. Mix well and heat till the sugar is melted.
2. In a separate bowl, add 1/2 c cold water. Slowly, spoonful by spoonful (or better yet, with a flour sifter), add cornflour. Make sure there are NO LUMPS. [I used a Cuisinart hand blender to get rid of my lumps].  Add the green food color and mix well.
3. Add the cornflour mixture to the sugar water mixture. Mix well. [I used the Cuisinart hand blender to integrate the two mixtures].
4. Now put this mixture on high heat and keep whisking till it is thick, glossy and jelly like.
5. Add 1 tbsp ghee. Keep mixing.  (It’s a LOT of mixing).
6. Add 1 tbsp ghee. Keep mixing.  (Keep going, recruit others to help mix).
7. You can tell it is getting done when the green mixture stops sticking to the side. At that point, add pistachios and cardamom powder and mix well.
8. The halwa will look thick and glossy, shiny, almost laminated. Then it is done.
9. At this point pour this into the greased pyrex lined with greased parchment paper overhanging the pyrex pan (lay it down in a cross shape; you should be able to lift and remove the halwa from the pan when it is done easily) and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
10. Once it is set, invert it to a cutting board and cut it into slices.
11. Enjoy!

VARIATION:

1. Red rubber halwa: instead of khus, use rose extract; instead of pistachios, use chopped blanched almonds; instead of green food color, use red; instead of cardamom, use a pinch of saffron.
2. Yellow rubber halwa: instead of khus, use lemon extract; instead of pistachios, use halved cashews; instead of green food color, use yellow; instead of or in addition to cardamom, use a pinch of saffron.
3. Orange rubber halwa; instead of khus, use orange blossom extract; instead of pistachios, use halved cashews; instead of green food color, use a drop or red and a drop of yellow; instead of (or in addition to) cardamom, use a pinch of saffron.

NOTE: Remember when purchasing extracts to make sure they are for COOKING!!! They do sell extracts which are topical or medicinal or perfumes. DO NOT USE THOSE!!!!! I’ve seen little bottles of different flavored extracts at just about every Indian grocery store I’ve been to for a few dollars. I have not seen these extracts online. If you can’t find the fancy extracts, never fear, use lemon or orange extract, the recipe will still taste good. 🙂

Jaggery Dosa

Aka: Ghol Dosa
From: Dakshin
This recipe is EXCELLENT for breakfast.
Think of it as a sweet breakfast crepe.

Ingredients:

1 c powdered jaggery
2 c boiling water
2 c wheat flour
1 c rice flour
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
oil for shallow frying

Directions:

1. Heat jaggery and water over low heat. Simmer until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat. Let cool.
2. Sift together rice and wheat flour.
3. Make a well in the center and add jaggery syrup..
4. Combine to a thin pouring consistency. You may need to add water. Think – think pancake batter.
5. Let sit overnight at room temperature.
6. Next day, make for breakfast – cook like you would a pancake. Serve hot with butter or ghee on top.
7. Enjoy!

Breakfast Cous Cous

Ingredients:

half cup couscous
1/4 c orange juice
a little boiling water
chopped red sweet apple
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
6 chopped almonds

Directions:

I mix the honey in the hot water first to ‘loosen up’ the honey. Prepare couscous in usual way, adding orange juice, water and honey, then stirring in cinnamon chopped apples and almonds. Try it, it’s really nice.

Strawberry Pie

Recipe (a more exact one) will be added if anyone is interested, otherwise I’m just posting pictures.

Strawberry Pie – UNBAKED

I used two crusts from my “Easy Pie Crust” recipe (also on this blog).

I mixed strawberries (one big carton) and blackberries (three small cartons) with corn starch, sugar, a twist of lemon, and a dash of salt, and let it sit for an hour.  TASTE YOUR BERRIES. If they are tart (and I was baking in the off season, so of course the berries were tart), add more sugar. If they are sweet, add less sugar.

Baked at 350 F for about an hour (55 minutes, I think).

Strawberry Pie

Strawberry Pie

Strawberry Pie

Served with whipped cream (my recipe: whipping cream, vanilla extract, bourbon (optional – Maker’s Mark), and sugar (confectioner’s)). Beat on high speed until fluffy and awesome. DO NOT OVERBEAT – otherwise you will make butter (if you do this by accident, don’t throw it out, that’s wasteful — sub it in for oil or butter in a recipe for cake or bread or scones or cookies or biscuits).

Otherwise serve with Haagen Daaz (yes, I’m specifying the brand, because it DOES matter) Vanilla Ice Cream.

Enjoy with a stiff coffee.

Best Ever Dinner Rolls (Half Recipe)(Soft Rolls)

BEST EVER Dinner Rolls / Indian Pav Bread / Indian Dabeli Bread
(Water Roux / Tongzhen Method)

HALF RECIPE

STARTER

3 tbsp flour (King Arthur bread flour or all purpose flour)
1/2 c liquid (1/4 c water + 1/4 c milk)

Mix in saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it becomes of pudding-like consistency. Let cool.

DOUGH

2.5c flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c milk powder (Carnation nonfat dry milk powder) (optional – if you don’t have it, add that much more milk to the recipe)
1/4 c half and half (or whipping cream) (if you don’t have this, just sub with plain milk)
3/8 c milk
1 egg
2 tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
2 tsp (or one packet) yeast
1/2 tsp salt
All the STARTER

DIRECTIONS

Using stand mixer, mix all dough for 15 min. Dough will be sticky and stringy, silky and smooth.

Cover. Let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

TO MAKE DINNER ROLLS

Traditional rolls: Roll dough into 6 equal-sized balls. (Add stuffing to the rolls now if you want, for example red bean paste, or potato onion mixed vegetable, or meat). Cover loosely. Let rise 30 min. Rolls will smush together.

WHAT I DID: You know around Thanksgiving, stores sell that candied lemon and orange peel fruit cake mix? I dumped a half cup of that into the dough and then proceeded as below:

Bundt: I put the little balls into a 2 small bundt pans, four to a pan, and let rise. I did this with half the dough. The other half, I put in a small loaf tin. When the balls in the small bundt pan rise, they smush together and spread all the way to the top of the pan.

Small loaf tin: Take the other half of the dough, and cut into three equal sized balls. Roll out flat. Fold into thirds (like an enchilada). Then roll up the enchilada (basically make two folds from either end again). Do this for all three balls, and place into the small loaf tin. When the balls in the small loaf tin rise, they smush together and spread all the way to the top of the pan.

Glaze with milk or egg wash (1/4 c milk or water and 1 egg, mixed well). The egg wash gives a shiny finish to the rolls, the milk wash makes the rolls brown but not shiny. I used an egg wash in the pictures above.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover loosely. Let rise 15 min to 30 min.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 min.

Enjoy!