Rasgulla – Traditional Bengali Sweet

Celebrating Food Art – Edible Animal Sculptures

September 20th, 2007 by cithra

An artist is a person worthy to be revered and respected. And art knows no boundaries, no regions; just a significant amount of imagination, determination and diligence, and of course, some talent!! So let’s take a moment to look at these beautiful and intricate works of edible art. You don’t have to try to match these works of excellence, but if it inspires you even a little to be creative about your presentation techniques, my job here is done!

These are works from famous artists, definitely not by me. I’m just an admirer of art, saluting these geniuses, just like you…

An “Easter Bunny” carved from a Melon…..

A beautiful “Swan” carved out of Cheese…..

An “Alligator” carved from a Pineapple…..

A “Pegasus” sculptured out of Butter…..

A “Cute and kind Orange Couple” adopting a “Tomato”…..

And finally, the perfect centre-piece for a couple “Just Married”…..

Posted in Entertainment | 14 Comments »

Whole Wheat Chocolate-Chip Pancakes

September 20th, 2007 by cithra

This is an extra-special post, because it marks the first milestone in my blogging career. The 100th post on Fun and Food!! yippee…I take this moment to thank all my friends and readers for their constant support in the form of feedback, comments and emails. I share this success with all of you, and I hope to keep bringing more such delectable recipes and fun yet informative posts to your attention! Let’s celebrate this moment with one of my favourites – Pancakes!! I love IHOP and always keep pestering my husband to take me there:) But it’s become less often now after I decided to get conscious about health and weight loss. So not compromising on either the taste, or the healthy aspect, here’s presenting Whole Wheat Chocolate-chip Pancakes.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1 1/2 cups plain milk or buttermilk
2 egg whites
2 tbsp margarine (or low-fat butter)
1/2 cup mini semisweet dark chocolate chips
Honey (or maple syrup) – for topping

Method
Pass the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl through a fine seive. Now whisk together the egg whites, milk or buttermilk, margarine and sugar in another bowl until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture and mix together to combine well. Finally add the chocolate chips. do not beat more lest the chocolate gets dissolved.

Heat a griddle or a pan over medium heat. Grease with non-stick cooking spray or a spoonful of oil. Now take a large ladleful of batter and drop it gently in the centre of the griddle to form a medium-sized pancake. Let it cook till it becomes swollen, edges get dry and bubbles begin to form (about 1-2 mins.) Now flip it around and cook the other side the same way until light golden brown in color. Repeat with the remaining batter.

if you are not comfortable with mixing choco-chips in the batter, and may fear that it will stik to the griddle, you can also sprinkle them once you have poured the batter and you see that the pancake is partially cooked.

Serve hot with a cup of coffee. Drizzle with powdered sugar, a dollop of margarine and honey or maple syrup. You can even use light chocolate syrup- works great with kids!! Indulge into a healthy yet sweet and heavenly delight. What a perfect way, to start your day!!

Tip: If you are in a great mood as I am, go ahead and add some light whpped cream on top of these pancakes and kick it up a notch!

Posted in Chocolate, Healthy Food Recipes, Recipes - Desserts | 25 Comments »

Sukhdi or Golpapadi (Wheatflour dessert)

September 19th, 2007 by cithra

Sukhdi or GolPapadi is a famous gujarati sweet made of wheat flour and jaggery. Even today, if you visit a traditional gujarati household, 8 times out of 10 you will find their pantry stuffed with tins full of “spicy naastas” and sweet delights like matthri, shakkarpara, sukhdi, mohanthaal and more! My mom used to make them so well, and I still remember coming back from school or classes and hogging down 2-3 pieces at a time. “Sukhdi” is an easy recipe, and what makes it more inviting is the fact that it can be stored for a fortnight or so without any problems. It is not too sweet, and combines the goodness of wheat, jaggery and ghee. So here’s my mom’s recipe straight out of my kitchen!

Ingrdients
2 cups whole wheat flour
31/2 cups ghee
1 1/2 cup jaggery – sliced thinly
4 tbsp milk

Method
Take a pan, add half of the ghee to it and add the wheat flour. saute the flour on medium heat while constantly stirring. As the flour tends to cook and change color, it will soak up all the ghee. keep adding the remaining ghee to the mixture a little at a time and keep stirring. Do this till fat separates from the sides (you can see a little ghee separated on the edges of the pan) and the color of the flour changes from white to light pinkish brown and finally to a light golden brown.Finally add the milk, stir it in and lower the flame to lowest.

While this is being done, take a baking dish with edges or a cake pan, apply a thin layer of ghee to it and dust it lightly with flour. Shave the jaggery or slice it thinly to form even mixture without any lumps. Remove the pan from the heat, add the jaggery to the flour and mix well. Taste and adjust to add more jaggery if you wish.

Pour the batter into the greased dish and pat ligtly with your hand. Use a flat-bottomed cup (katori) to spread the mixture evenly in the dish. Let it cool for 3-5 mins. Now cut into small squares or diamonds with a knife and keep in the same dish until it is entirely cool. Only then remove the pieces and store in an air-tight container. You can store this at room temperature for 15-20 days easily. Use as a sweet snack any time of the day!! This goes to Mythilli’s RCI-Gujarat event!

Posted in Microwave Recipes, Recipes - Indian Sweets | 19 Comments »

Makkai Parathas (Sweet Corn Parathas) with Raita

September 19th, 2007 by cithra

The season of sweet corn is still on in California, and 2 days ago, when I saw a farmer picking fresh corn from a field in front of our house, I decided I had to make something with corn this week. And one of my friends in Australia, Janki, had also requested me to post some corn recipes as she loves them. Well, there might be very few people who don’t like corn! So here’s the Makai (Maize flour) Paratha recipe. It is similar to corn tortillas, but it tastes way better with all the spices and sweet corn kernel added to it. Enjoy it for dinner and for breakfast the next day! And with corn, its a whole and hearty meal too!!

Ingredients
2 cups corn meal flour(makkai atta)
1 cup wheat flour
5 tbsp oil
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2-3 green chillies – chopped
1/4th cup cilantro – chopped
spices – garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhana-jeeru – to taste
salt – to taste
2 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp yoghurt
Hot water to knead the flour
Salted Butter to saute the parathas

Method
Take a frying pan, add 2 tbsp oil, jeera and chopped green chillies and allow to saute. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, sweet corn, chopped coriander, the dry spices, sugar, lemon juice and salt and mix well.

In a bowl, combine the maize and wheat flours, add the sauteed filling mixture, add oil and use hot water to knead into regular paratha like dough. Use your hands to keep kneading it a little more than regular dough because maize flour is more coarse hence needs more pressure to become soft and elastic. Keep covered with a damp cloth and leave so for 10-15 mins.

Now make equal-sized balls out of the dough. Take each ball and roll it into a circular paratha using a rolling pin. The edges might look a little jagged, but that is normal with makkai atta. Saute the paratha on both sides in a pan on medium-to-high heat. Apply butter on both sides while sauteing. You can use margarine or oil, but butter gives the most flavor with corn. Cook on both sides till done.

Raita Recipe
For a very basic raita, mix some yoghurt and whisk it till smooth, adding very little water. Chop some tomatoes, cucumber and onions and add to the yoghurt. Now add salt, red chilli powder and chaat masala to taste and season it. Mix well and your basic raita is ready.

Serve the Corn (Makkai) Parathas hot with curry or Raita!

Posted in Healthy Food Recipes, Recipes - Parathas/Rotis | 10 Comments »

Fried Ice Cream

September 18th, 2007 by cithra

Ice Creams have always been man’s best friend! I can’t imagine a world without this beautiful dessert…Everything started with a simple Vanilla Ice cream, and as the years went by, this little beauty transformed into different flavors and colors, spreading its charm upon family gatherings, peaceful evenings or large extravagant parties!! One such variation that I came across was “Fried Ice Cream“. I tried it for the first time in an asian restaurant. I was baffled by the name and the concept, and just out of curiosity, we ordered this dessert. But we were very pleasantly surprised with what we saw – simple vanilla ice cream ball deep fried into a golden brown color, and the first bite itself was like a trip to heaven!! Hot and crispy on the outside, and soft and gooey on the inside, indulge into this creative dessert variety that is sure to win your hearts!!

This recipe is adapted from Emeril’s recipe on his Food Network show. A perfect way to use plain leftover ice cream, huh?!

Ingredients
1 quart vanilla or coconut ice cream – 3-4 scoops
1 cup crushed frosted cornflakes (Kellogs or other)
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes (if you like nuts, use walnuts or choco-chip cookies)
2 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
Hot chocolate sauce or strawberry sauce
Whipped cream (optional)

Method
With an ice cream scoop, form 4 large balls of ice cream. Place on a dish and freeze for at least 2 hours. I tried going safe and actually froze it for 5 hours:)

Grind the cornflakes first so they are converted into a fine powder. Do the same with any other ingredients you are using, like walnuts or cookies.In a bowl, combine the cornflake crumbs with the coconut and walnuts (or cookies). Spread the mixture in a shallow dish. Now dip the ice cream balls in the crumb mixture, roll around so each ball is evenly coated with the mixture and freeze again for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar. Dip the coated ice cream balls into the eggs, then gently roll in the crumb mixture again, coating completely. In this case, the more you coat, the better it will be. No part of ice cream should be left uncoated!:)Freeze for another 1-2 hours, or until you are ready to serve.

Heat the oil in a large pot and wait till it is really hot (around 375 degrees). One at a time, lower the balls into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 10-15 seconds only. Do not fry more else the balls will crumble and the ice cream will melt!! Just long enough that the cornflake covering gets cooked.

Remove from the oil, drain on a piece of paper and place immediately in a dessert bowl. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and whipped cream and dazzle your guests with your Fried Coconut Ice Cream!! Remember, you should deep fry the balls immediately before serving only. Do not fry and keep!

Tip: If you want to make this eggless, try using maida (refined flour) with a little water and use this batter instead of egg yolks for fried ice cream. You can use any ice cream flavor that you like, but vanilla, coconut, butter pecan or chocolate would be the best suggestions. Also, try not skipping the coconut shavings in the mixture as this adds a nice crispy flavor to the dessert.

Posted in Chocolate, Ice Cream, Mexican, Recipes - Desserts, Thai | 23 Comments »

Fettuccini Alfredo with Basil and Rosemary

September 18th, 2007 by cithra

Pasta is similar to noodles, except that it is now available in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors. Italian by origin, pasta is something that is loved and cherished in every household in US. It also generally involves a quick and easy preparation, coming to your rescue when you need a healthy and filling meal in as little time as possible. Supermarket aisles are full of different kinds of pasta like Penne, bow-tie, spagetti, fettuccini, fusili, tortiglioni, tripoline, pruntalette and more! Its interesting to know the names and the shapes:) and now, considering the health awareness among people, they also sell whole wheat pasta! Fettuccini is my favourite, and I’ve always loved the smell of basil and rosemary. One another ingredient that I cannot have my pasta witout, is pine nuts! They look like tiny watermelon seeds, and taste great when roasted. So here’s my recipe for Fettuccini in Alfredo Sauce with Basil, Rosemary, Pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes!

Ingredients
1/2 packet of whole wheat pasta – fettuccini
4 tbsp alfredo sauce (I use Classico’s) – to make your own sauce, check recipe below
4 tbsp marinara sauce
3 tbsp sun dried tomatoes (optional)
3 garlic cloves – chopped finely
1/2 cup capsicum – chopped finely
1/2 cup onions – chopped finely
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper – to taste
2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
a fistful of pine nuts (optional)
2 tsp basil herbs
1 tsp rosemary herbs (optional)

For Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup butter
2 garlic cloves – minced
2 cups heavy cream or whole milk
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Method
For the Alfredo Sauce, Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium to low heat. Add the garlic, cream/milk, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer. Keep stirring continuously so it does not stick at the bottom. Add the parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until it has thickened and is smooth. When sauce has thickened add the mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. Remember to keep stirring constantly.

Take a large pan and fill it with water. Add the pasta to it, and 1 tbsp oil and cook partially covered until the pasta is soft and done.

In a saucepan, add the olive oil and saute the garlic, onions and capsicums for about 2 mins. Then fry the pine nuts for a few seconds, and add the alfredo and marinara sauces.

Add salt, pepper, red chilli powder and sun-dried tomatoes and mix everything together.

Take out the pasta in a serving bowl, pour the sauce over it and toss the noodles so they are coated in the sauce evenly. Sprinkle the basil and rosemary herbs and toss lightly. Serve the garlic Fettucine Alfredo with salad or Garlic Bread! Who needs Olive Garden or Pasta Pomedoro anymore!! As this is something I am always comfortable making, this pasta bowl is on its way to the Tried-Tested-and-True Recipe Roundup!

Posted in Cheese, Italian, Pasta, Pasta Recipes, Recipes-Entrees/Snacks | 11 Comments »

Tres Leches Milk Cake

September 17th, 2007 by cithra

Cakes have been famous since decades as a dessert, and with each new day, you are bound to find many variations to a traditional cake which make these sweet delicacies even more delightful. I recently tried one such variation at a friend’s birthday party, and was totally enthralled by the pure richness of this cake. It is called the Tres Leches Cake, which literally means “3 types of milk” cake. It was so sweet and soft that you put a spoon in your mouth and it melts!! And it is so simple to make too. As the name suggests, it uses 3 types of milk to form a layered cake which is soft to the core. It goes extremely well as a cake, but what I like the most about it is that it can be used to make perfect desserts, especially those to be served in a glass, with fruit toppings, ice cream and chocolate! Try it for yourself.

Ingredients
1 packet of vanilla or yellow cake mix (or you can bake a cake from scratch-Vanilla Cake recipe) 1 cup whole milk
1 cup condensed milk – lightly sweetened
1 cup evaporated milk (method described below)
1/2 cup shredded coconut shavings
For garnish – cherries and whipping cream

Method
For making the evaporated milk:
Pour 2 1/2 cups whole milk into a medium heavy saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sugar and continue simmering until reduced to 1 cup. The milk should turn light cream in color. Collect in a cup and keep aside to cool.

Bake the cake as outlined on the cake mix, or follow the recipe here.

In large bowl, stir together the condensed milk, evaporated milk and whole milk.

When the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and trim off the browned top, bottom, and side surfaces of the cake. This way you only have the soft inner core of the cake. Clean the cake pan and line it with two long, pieces of plastic wrap or butter paper. Return the cake to the pan and poke top of cake every 1/2 inch with a fork or toothpick. Slowly pour the Tres Leches Milk over the cake. Fold the ends of the plastic wrap over the top of the cake to enclose it completely so that milk does not drizzle out and instead gets soaked well by the cake. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight, if you have the time.

Right before serving, cut the cake into slices, spread the whipping cream on the top, and garnish with raspberry sauce and a cherry. You can even toss it into a glass, cover it with some strawberry pieces, then pour some chocolate sauce on it and serve like a classic dessert!!

Posted in Cakes, Mexican, Recipes - Desserts | 20 Comments »

Spinach-Strawberry-Almond Salad

September 17th, 2007 by cithra

Salads have been considered as a healthy food since a long time now. And there was a time when they were healthy, yet dull and boring. But here’s a strawberry salad that is colorful, tasty and nutritious. Additions of fruits, nuts and dressings can make a huge difference! Try this Spinach Strawberry and Almond salad which is tasty, with a tinge of sweetness. I had first had it in a salad buffet place called “Sweet Tomatoes”, and here is my adapted recipe. I think the sweetness of strawberries goes well with the lemon-orange juice and oil dressing. The nuts and cheese take it to another level altogether!

Ingredients
1 bunch spinach leaves – rinsed
10 medium strawberries- sliced into halves
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp slivered almonds or walnuts
1/2 onion – chopped in thin rings (optional)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tspn salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil (if not available, use veg oil)

Method
Take a small bowl and mix the vegetable and olive oil, salt, lemon juice, orange juice and pepper. Whisk well to form an even dressing.

Cut the strawberries into bite-sized pieces and add the powdered sugar to them. Set aside so they induce the sweetness.

Take a large salad bowl, add the spinach leaves and strawberries. Then add in the dressing and toss it around so the salad gets coated evenly. Add the chopped or slivered almonds/walnuts and mix again a little. Garnish with the shredded cheese. Serve as a side dish or even as a main course!!

It is not only colorful and tasty, but full of essential vitamins, iron, anti-oxidants, protein and good lipids – everything needed for a healthy heart and mind! This Spinach & Strawberry Salad is a perfect summer salad for barbecue parties or cocktail evenings!

Posted in Cheese, Fruits, Healthy Food Recipes, Nuts, Recipes-Salads/Dips/Sauces, Spinach | 9 Comments »

Churma Laddoos (Wheat Flour Ladoos)

September 15th, 2007 by cithra

Lord Ganesha, the elephant-faced Indian God is famous in Indian and non-Indian households alike! Even my Chinese and American colleagues believe in his divine power. The symbol of prosperity, happiness, and success, legend says that praying to Ganpati with a true heart can solve all your troubles or problems. Stories about miracles created by this iconzed idol have been experienced in many households, and on this auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi, millions of people in India would be following a tradition of ganesh puja for

10 days. Appealing to Lord Ganesha on this day, keeps your house and family protected and prosperous for the rest of the year! So here’s what I offered to Shri Ganesh, churma laddoos (Wheat Flour Ladoos). This is his favourite dish, so I’m vouching on peace and prosperity in our house after serving him these!! But the credit of the result goes to my mom, for without her supervision and guidance, I don’t think my laddoos would have come out so great! So here’s sharing with you the traditional gujarati recipe of Churma na Ladoo:)

Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour
2 cups ghee
2 cups jaggery – shredded or thinly sliced/slivered
3 cups ghee (clarified butter)
3/4 cup milk and water mixture
2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp poppy seeds (khuskhus) – optional

Method
Take the flour and use the water/milk mixture to knead a very hard dough. Then use your palms to form fist-sized koftas/rolls from the dough. These should be very hard; if you drop them they should not break or crumble. Now take a little ghee and fry these balls till they turn a little more than light brown in color. Set them aside to cool.

Once the fried rolls come down to room temperature, crush them in a dry grinder to form a coarse powder. Do not grind it too smooth; it should be about the size of Rava or coarse semolina. Now take this powder in a large saucepan or a dish with an edge. Add the cardamom powder to the mixture. Warm the ghee to make it liquid, and slowly add it to the powder. Keep mixing it evenly with the flour powder by rubbing the mixture between your hands. Make sure the ghee temperature is manageable and you do not scald your fingers and palms. Keep adding the ghee, then add the slivered jaggery to it and mix evenly. Once you feel the mixture is reasonably soft, grease your hands, take a small portion and roll it into a medium-sized ball, or laddoo. Choose a size you are comfortable with. Remove the poppy seeds in a dish and roll each laddoo in this.

You can refrigerate and store these for 10-12 days. Just microwave for 4-5 seconds before serving to enhance the softness, taste and texture!

Sending this to Latha’s Ganesh Chaturthi event….

Posted in Recipes - Indian Sweets | 15 Comments »

Restaurant-Style Tomato Soup

September 14th, 2007 by cithra

If you open a menu in a restaurant and look under Soups and Appetizers, 9 times out of 10 you are bound to find an entry for Creamy Tomato Soup. This soup has by-far always outweighed its competitors, and though there are many new flavours of soup being offered, Tomato Soup continues to be a favourite! I’m sure everyone must have tried making this at home, but for those of you who crave to create a restaurant-style version, here’s a Tomato Soup recipe that is bound to hit the nail! It has been tried, tested and adored in our family for quite some time now.

Ingredients
8-10 large fresh plump tomatoes – chopped in chunks
1/2 cup onions – chopped
5-6 garlic cloves – cut into pieces
2 bay leaves
5-6 cloves (lavang)
1 tsp black pepper powder
salt – to taste
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp whipping cream (or fresh cream)
2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp butter
6-8 cups of water (according to your desired consistency)
mint or coriander leaves – for garnish
cream or shredded cheese – for garnish
croutons (for garnish)

Method
Take a huge crock-pot and add the butter to it. When it melts, add the chopped onions and garlic, alongwith the bay leaves, red chilli powder and cloves. Saute for about 1-2 mins. Then add the tomatoes and fill with water so that water just barely covers the mixture. Partially cover the pot and let the mixture boil till all the tomatoes are well-cooked and almost-mashed.

Now take the pot off the stove and allow to cool to room temperature. Add the mixture to a blender (do it in 2 parts if necessary, do not overload the blender) and puree it to form a thick and smooth paste. Now take the pot and a colander (a sieve with a little bigger pores) and pass the blended mixture through the colander and into the crockpot. Gently rub your fingers through the sieve so that only the thick juice is collected in the pot and the residue stays behind in th colander.

Now put the pot on low flame again, add the salt, black pepper powder and slowly add the cream, a little at a time. Keep stirring to prevent the mixture to stick to the bottom. Add water as necessary to attain desired consistency. Do not make it too liquid. The cream gives you the beautiful orangish-reddish color you see in the picture, so do not think of omitting this! Let it cook for another 8-10 mins so that the cream blends well with the tomatoes and you can smell the aroma of the spices.

Once done, serve in soup bowls. garnish with cheese or cream and chopped coriander or mint leaves. This restaurant-style Tomato Soup goes best with breadsticks or Grilled Cheese Toast!

Posted in Soups/Appetizers, Tomato | 11 Comments »

Rasgulla – Traditional Bengali Sweet – Fun and Foo

Celebrating Food Art – Edible Animal Sculptures

Whole Wheat Chocolate-Chip Pancakes

Sukhdi or Golpapadi (Wheatflour dessert)

Makkai Parathas (Sweet Corn Parathas) with Raita

Fried Ice Cream

Fettuccini Alfredo with Basil and Rosemary

Tres Leches Milk Cake

Spinach-Strawberry-Almond Salad

Churma Laddoos (Wheat Flour Ladoos)

Restaurant-Style Tomato Soup

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