Mango Passion Kulfi

I was very happy to pick up some fresh ripe Passion Fruits from the grocery store yesterday. I had first tasted this fruit several years ago when a friend at work brought a passion fruit dessert...since then I have fallen in love with the flavor of this exotic fruit.

Fresh Passion fruit is not always easily available here (although the pulp can be bought at Latin American stores or online stores like amazon.com) so it was important to make the best possible use of the fresh fruit juice. Passion fruit by itself can be sweet-tart to tart, but on adding some sweet contrast , it can add an extra dimension of flavor in any dessert.

I decided to combine it with Mango and make Kulfi which kids had been craving for ! Kulfi is a very popular Indian version of ice  cream. Milk is boiled and reduced, flavors added, then frozen resulting in a rich dense and thick ice cream.

So there I was, introducing this new fruit to my kids. When I cut it open there was a delicious sweet aroma that was almost like an intense scent of Guava fruit. My son described the fruit as a juicy baby pomegranate,  and was excited to explore the fruit by itself, and its flavor with Mango in Kulfi.

 

Recipe (around 8 servings)

• Whole milk - 4 cups
• Condensed milk – 1/2 cup 
• Mango pulp - 1 cup 
• 6 Passion fruits (or passion pulp/syrup/concentrate)
• Sugar

Method

• Put the milk in a heavy based pan, and bring it to boil. Now reduce the heat to low and simmer till the milk is reduced to half. This takes around 30 min. Keep stirring in between. When the skin forms on the top or the sides stir it back in. It is this process that gives kulfi its traditional creamy and rough texture. This can be done in parallel to cooking regular meals in kitchen, that way it does not take up extra time
• When the milk reduces to half, let it cool
• In the meanwhile scoop out the passion fruit pulp and seeds into a strainer (or muslin cloth) over a bowl. Press with the back of a spoon to extract the juice. There's not much juice in a single passion fruit, but it is very  strong, and loaded with flavor. 6 fruits yield approximately 1/4 cup of juice. If fresh passion fruits are not available, use passion pulp/concentrate
• Add condensed milk which further adds to the richness and creaminess
• Add Mango pulp (I used canned Alphanso pulp,  since fresh Alphanso is not available here), passion fruit juice, and mix it well
• Taste it and add sugar if needed. I did not have to add any sugar because of the canned mango pulp and sweet condensed milk
• Pour in moulds and freeze overnight or until firm
• To unmould, dip the moulds under hot water for few seconds and gently pry out with a knife onto a plate. Kulfi is best eaten a little soft, as it melts around the edges

The Kulfi was just so sublime with the tropical flavors of passion-fruit and the sweetness of mango in every bite. So forget about calories for a moment, and just indulge!

Sending this to Srivalli's Mithai Mela, and to FIC favorite hosted by Sweatha,  event started by Sunny Sunshinemom of TongueTicklers.  Also sending this to Sanghi’s FIL event.

Berry Melony Lassi

Lassi is a popular Indian beverage made by blending yogurt with water. Different flavors are then added to enhance the flavor.

Since my kids love fruits, I am always trying to sneak in their favorite fruits in yogurt, or should I say sneaking in yogurt in their favorite fruits!  Ever since I started making this Lassi last summer, it has become my kids favorite. Mango Lassi goes second on the chart !

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

• 1 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 1 cup chopped seedless Watermelon
• 6-7 strawberries
• Sugar/Honey ( to taste )

Method

For watermelon ice

• Blend few pieces of watermelon in blender till smooth
• Pour in ice trays and freeze.

For Lassi

• In a blender, add watermelon slices along with strawberries, to make a smooth puree
• Add yogurt and blend again. Watermelon is almost 90% water, so you may not need to add any water at all
• Check for consistency and sweetness, then add water and/or sugar if required, before blending again
• Top it with watermelon ice and mint springs

Enjoy this cool refreshing Lassi which is so Berry Melony ! And feel the fresh taste of Watermelon ice cubes melting as you slowly sip through it !

This Watermelon beverage goes to Maheshwari's AFAM, hosted this month by Ashwini with the theme "Melons"

Cilantro Stuffed Paneer Pakodas

A plate of crispy hot pakodas and masala chai ! What does that remind you of ?  For me it is rainy days back home. Pakodas are a welcome treat on a cold and wet rainy day in India. The combination of sweet smell of the first rain and the aroma of pakodas wafting through is sure to bring back memories for many readers.

Rainy days seem to be never ending here in Seattle, and hence my alterations to pakodas seem to be growing too. One such variations I came up with is cilantro stuffed paneer capped with beautiful red bell peppers.

The sweetness of red bell pepper and the spicy cilantro filling create a perfect balance, as do the crispy shell and the soft paneer.

Ingredients

Batter

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• a pinch of turmeric (haldi)
• water ( to make batter )

Spicy Cilantro Filling

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 small hot green chillies
• 1 anaheim chilli pepper
• 2-3 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Other items needed

• cottage cheese (paneer)
• red capsicum
• 1/2 tbsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• oil for deep frying

Method

• Mix batter ingredients listed above to form a thick consistency batter.
• Wash cilantro thoroughly. Cut off the stems, and coarsely chop the leaves. Grind all ingredients listed in “Cilantro Filling” in a food processor to form a paste. Note that the only liquid added to this is the lime juice. The Anaheim peppers are very mild and give a flavor boost to cilantro. The green chilies actually contribute to the spiciness. Adjust the peppers in accordance with the spiciness desired.
• Cut paneer into thick slices and sprinkle with red chili powder, salt and ajwain. Stuff cilantro filling between 2 slices of Paneer. Top it off at both ends with red capsicum which is cut to same size as paneer.
• Heat oil in a pan. The oil is ready when a drop of batter dropped in oil rises quickly to the top. Hold the paneer assembly tightly between 2 fingers and immerse in the besan batter. Use a spoon to coat the uncovered areas with besan. Slowly drop into the kadai. Fry on medium heat till they are golden brown and crispy. Immediately rest them on a paper towel so the extra oil is absorbed.
• Cut into halves to reveal the beautiful cross section, and serve with coriander chutney.

As a new blogger I am excited to enter this wonderful world of blogosphere, through this dish submitted to JFI-Jhiva for Cilantro, event started by Indira, and also to My Favourite Things-Cheese hosted by Poornima of Tasty Treats, event started by Bindiya.

Strawberry Raita

Raita is an accompaniment with Indian meal which is made by blending yogurt with various fruits, vegetables or even spices !

With cherry blossoms all around here in Spring, it is a feast for the eyes to see the beautiful pink color all around. And with strawberries abundantly available at their sweetest juiciest best, here is a simple strawberry raita, which is a feast for not only the eyes but the taste buds too !

Ingredients

• 16 oz yogurt
• 10-12 fresh strawberries
• Sugar/Honey (to taste)

Method

• Blend together 5-6 chopped strawberries, sugar and yogurt in a blender. This will impart a fresh pink color to the yogurt
• Finely chop remaining strawberries and add it to the yogurt
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Indulge in this savory pink yogurt with chunks of sweet juicy strawberries in each bite, so beautiful in its bright spring color that you cannot resist eating !

Lasooni Palak (Garlic Spinach)

Like all other dark leafy vegetables, spinach has a large nutritional value, and is rich in antioxidants. I am usually looking out to cook spinach in different ways, so we can eat this healthy vegetable at least couple of times in a week. This is one of the preparations of spinach, Lasooni Palak- a dish very quick to make, hence perfect for a busy weekday.

This recipe uses very few spices, and is loaded with garlic. The delicate nutty sweetness of garlic perfectly accents the earthy notes of spinach. This dish is truly for the garlic lovers, and the health conscious.

Ingredients

• 16oz  spinach
• 1 small onion
• 12-15 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 2 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon kasoori methi
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan
• Add finely sliced garlic. Make sure the heat is turned down to medium before adding garlic, otherwise the sugar in the garlic tends to burn. Sauté for approximately 30 seconds , stirring constantly until the garlic becomes fragrant and turns golden
• Add finely chopped onions, and fry till they are transparent
• Add turmeric, crushed green chillies, chopped spinach, kasoori methi, and salt
• Cook till spinach is wilted (around 7-8 minutes)
• Serve with mini whole wheat pita breads, or hot rotis. You may squeeze a bit of lemon for an extra lemony zing.

This goes to SWC - Cooking with Greens event hosted by Sowmya.

Skagit Valley Tulips (North Washington)

A very refreshing Escape From The Routine !
This weekend we drove to Skagit valley, about an hour north of Seattle. With Tulip fields at their peak between March and May, it attracts flower lovers from all over the world. 
Having moved from California recently, our excitement to see these flower fields the second time had not dwindled a wee bit !

The vibrant color flower fields, the amazing variety of tulips is just breathtaking !