Saturday, August 2, 2008
Rosy Ricotta Rasmalai
So much for hosting a fancy schmancy event as Flower Power Jihva, and I fail to find any edible flower petals where I live. I would have loved to find hibiscus petals or rose petals, but instead found lots of specialised food stores nearby that didnt stock them. I couldve ordered some online, but instead found a bottle of 'Arq-e-gulab' at the local Indian greengrocer that I thought would suffice for the event. Arq-e-gulab sounds fancy but really is rose extract that is prepared by distilling high quality fresh Rose petals.. When I smelt it first I wanted to combine it with something milky.
On our speciality store hunt, we were recommended by a friend to check out Connecticut's famous 'Stew Leonards'. I fell in love with the store the minute I stepped into it, its like the largest farmers' and dairy market I've ever seen. And they claim it themselves as 'Ripley's believe it or not.. World's Largest Dairy store'. Amongst the yummiest chocolate milk, fresh mozarella cheese, and orange flavoured yoghurt, I found a nice big tub of fresh ricotta. Now probably an Indian or an Italian would know the special taste of fresh ricotta. And then I chanced upon this lovely recipe; perfect I thought. Baked rasmalai, how cool is that? To me it tasted like an offspring of rasgulla and kalakand; which nevertheless was lipsmacking yummy.
This goes as my entry to Flower Power Jihva!
Ingredients for rasmalai:
15 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
¼ cup Sugar
2 tsp Arq-e-gulab (rose water)
For the syrup
1 cup Sugar
One pint (473ml) part skim Half and Half Milk
One pint 2% fat milk
A pinch of saffron
¼ tsp crushed cardamom seeds
2 tsp Arq-e-gulab (rose water)
To make the syrup or Ras
Boil the half and half , milk, sugar, saffron, crushed cardamom and rose water by bringing to a boil and simmering over low heat for 30 - 40 minutes.
To make the pieces
Mix ¼ cup of sugar and rose water with the Ricotta cheese by using a spatula or hand mixer. Spread on a oven safe dish, use a muffin pan if you want a round shape or into a big pan from which you can cut out squares(like I did). Spread evenly in the pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45- 50 minutes or until it sets or until it turns light brown on the edges. Check by inserting a toothpick or knife to see if it comes out clean. If so, then its ready to come out of the oven.
Remove from oven, cool at room temperature. Cut out shapes (square or diamond) and place them in a flat serving bowl. Pour over the milky sauce over the squares and let them sit immersed for about an hour. Decorate with saffron and serve.
This goes as my entry to Flower Power Jihva!
On our speciality store hunt, we were recommended by a friend to check out Connecticut's famous 'Stew Leonards'. I fell in love with the store the minute I stepped into it, its like the largest farmers' and dairy market I've ever seen. And they claim it themselves as 'Ripley's believe it or not.. World's Largest Dairy store'. Amongst the yummiest chocolate milk, fresh mozarella cheese, and orange flavoured yoghurt, I found a nice big tub of fresh ricotta. Now probably an Indian or an Italian would know the special taste of fresh ricotta. And then I chanced upon this lovely recipe; perfect I thought. Baked rasmalai, how cool is that? To me it tasted like an offspring of rasgulla and kalakand; which nevertheless was lipsmacking yummy.This goes as my entry to Flower Power Jihva!
Ingredients for rasmalai:
15 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
¼ cup Sugar
2 tsp Arq-e-gulab (rose water)
For the syrup
1 cup Sugar
One pint (473ml) part skim Half and Half Milk
One pint 2% fat milk
A pinch of saffron
¼ tsp crushed cardamom seeds
2 tsp Arq-e-gulab (rose water)
To make the syrup or Ras
Boil the half and half , milk, sugar, saffron, crushed cardamom and rose water by bringing to a boil and simmering over low heat for 30 - 40 minutes.
To make the pieces
Mix ¼ cup of sugar and rose water with the Ricotta cheese by using a spatula or hand mixer. Spread on a oven safe dish, use a muffin pan if you want a round shape or into a big pan from which you can cut out squares(like I did). Spread evenly in the pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45- 50 minutes or until it sets or until it turns light brown on the edges. Check by inserting a toothpick or knife to see if it comes out clean. If so, then its ready to come out of the oven.
Remove from oven, cool at room temperature. Cut out shapes (square or diamond) and place them in a flat serving bowl. Pour over the milky sauce over the squares and let them sit immersed for about an hour. Decorate with saffron and serve.
This goes as my entry to Flower Power Jihva!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Kachnaar ki kali ki sabzi
This is a guest post. This entry has been sent in my my mum and her friends Meera and Sunita. Thank you ladies, you are the sweetest!
Kachnaar ki kali are beautiful yellow blossoms of St. Thomas's tree also known as Bauhinia Tomentosa. This is what it looks like. I believe the leaves and flowers of this plant has medicinal values too. Here the ladies have made a sabzi(sauted preperation) with the buds, looks yummy!
more about kachnaar here
Kachnaar ki kali are beautiful yellow blossoms of St. Thomas's tree also known as Bauhinia Tomentosa. This is what it looks like. I believe the leaves and flowers of this plant has medicinal values too. Here the ladies have made a sabzi(sauted preperation) with the buds, looks yummy!
more about kachnaar here
Ingerdients:
1. Kachnar kali (buds) 250 g
2. Onion 1 medium
3. Garlic 2 cloves
4. Ginger ½ inch piece
5. Dhania Powder 1 and ½ tsp
6. Haldi Powder ½ tsp
7. Chilli Powder ¼ rsp
8. Rice Powder 1and ½ tbsp
9. Oil 4 tbsp
10. Garam Masala pinch
11. Salt to taste
12. Few methi (fenugreek) seeds
Method:
o Boil buds for five minutes till tender.
o Grind onion, garlic and ginger to make a paste
o Put oil in karahi , crack mathi seeds and and fry the paste till light brown.
o Add all the dry masala ( dhania, haldi, chilli and salt) till masala leaves oil.
o Add boiled buds , mix in masala and cover for 2 minutes on slow fire.
o Remove the lid and add rice powder and fry for another 5- 10 minutes. Sprinke Garam masala and Garnish with Green Corriander.
o Serve with roti/ paratha.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Roses are red, pink and white too
I'm getting lots of queries on if they can contribute recipes for flower power Jihva with cauliflower as the main ingredient. Yes, technically cauliflower is part of a flower and I guess I will not refuse an entry with cauliflower. Also broccoli, kale and kohlrabis are technically parts of a flower.
However, I would prefer and also will except decorations and garnishes that look like a flower, like these marzipan roses I made for a friend on her birthday a while back.
I added a drop of red food colour in white marzipan and cut out uneven strips, then rolled the strips to make these beautiful roses (white and pink). I painted some of the tips with the food color to make pink roses with dark pink edges!
However, I would prefer and also will except decorations and garnishes that look like a flower, like these marzipan roses I made for a friend on her birthday a while back.
I added a drop of red food colour in white marzipan and cut out uneven strips, then rolled the strips to make these beautiful roses (white and pink). I painted some of the tips with the food color to make pink roses with dark pink edges!
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