Kiwi Panna - Home Bar

Kiwifruit commonly know as Kiwi is a rich source of Vitamin C, Raw kiwifruit is also rich in the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin, which is commercially useful as a meat tenderizer

P.S: People allergic to latex, papayas or pineapples are likely to also be allergic to kiwifruit

Serves 2

 4 Kiwi                           

A few Fresh Mint springs      

A few Cilantro Springs         

1/2 tsp Roasted cumin seeds  

1/2 " Chopped Ginger         

3-4 Roasted peppercorns  

Sugar and salt -To taste

Black Salt - To taste

1/2 tsp Lemon juice                

Roast Kiwis in an oven until soft and once done allow it to cool

Peel the skin and pulp it by hand

Grind mint, coriander, cumin seeds, ginger, peppercorns to a paste

Blend kiwi pulp with sugar, salt, black salt and lemon juice

Stir in mint-coriander paste and strain. Add water as required and keep in refrigerator

Serve chilled in old fashioned glasses

Note: 

You can also add 1/2 tsp Bhang paste and grind it along with mint - coriander paste for a Holi drink

Home Bar III: Fig and Rose Shake

Here is one of my hubby's fav milkshake ......Try it and let me know how does it works for you .....

Fig and Rose Shake
Serves 2

5-6 Dried Figs            
2Tbsp  Gulqand  ( sweet rose petal preserve) You can use the Kohinoor brand available in Indian stores

  2 -3 Tbsp Water                
  2 cups Chilled Milk      
Ice Cubes- As required           

In a blender pour in water along with figs and gulqand and blend well
Once done, pour in milk and ice cubes and churn it again until done
Serve it chilled in frozen glasses

Note:
You can vary the quantity of Gulqand according to your taste, also you can add sugar if desired
You can also use frozen milk....it taste great, but eliminate the ice cubes while using frozen milk

Home Bar II

I was just going through the Stats of my blog and saw the reader's inclination towards the Home Bar Counter....So thought let me write in some of my previously experimented stuffs

WaterStraw Smoothie

 Serves 4

4 cups Fresh Watermelon cubes  

1/2 cup Strawberry Crush            

 1/2 " piece Ginger ( You can also add 1tsp of dried ginger powder instead)

10 Fresh Mint leaves            

Ice Cubes -As required

 A pinch of Pepper                           

Freeze the watermelon cubes for 20 - 25 mins 

Combine the freezed cubes along with Strawberry , ginger and ice cubes and Blend 

Add Mint and blend again until smooth

Serve chilled and garnish with mint and strawberry or with ginger Julienne  

Variations:

You can also use dried mint leaves ( 1Tbsp) instead of fresh ones

In case you want to use Fresh Strawberries...cut them and add 3 Tbsp of sugar and keep them aside for a while alternatively you can puree strawberries along with sugar or heat sugar along with water and add pureed /cut strawberries and use it accordingly

Mother s Day Special

Happy Mothers Day to all the lovely Mom's out there.....have you every wondered how did it come into Existent....

"One of the early calls to celebrate a Mother's Day in the United States was the "Mother's Day Proclamation" by Julia Ward Howe. Written in 1870, it was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. The Proclamation was tied to Howe's feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level."

In United States, its celebrated on the Second Sunday of May,while there are countries which coincide it with existing celebrations honouring motherhood, like Mothering Sunday in the UK or, in Greece, the Orthodox celebration of the presentation of Jesus to the temple (February 2). In some countries it was changed to dates that were significant to the majority religion, like the Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries, or the birthday of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic countries

So today, here are some recipes for our Great Mom's toasting to their Long lives ..........Love you Momma

BAKED SPINACH WITH CORN

Many women have problems with their Hemoglobin(Hb) levels, so here s simple and easy to make recipe with the Iron (Fe) richness of spinach and Tomatoes ,Calcium from Panneer packed with a difference!

Serves 6

Ingredients:-

For the spinach layer

3 cups chopped spinach (palak)

½ cup chopped tomatoes ( Finely )

½ cup chopped onions (Finely)

½ cup boiled tender corn kernels

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Butter

salt to taste

For the potato layer

2 cups boiled and grated potatoes

½ cup crumbled paneer (cottage cheese)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

1 green chilli, chopped

salt to taste

Other Ingredients

  1 tomato, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh cream

3 tablespoons grated cheese  - I used Cheddar but you can try with other variations

 ½ teaspoon oil for greasing

To Proceed :

For the spinach layer

• Heat butter in a pan and saute the onions for a minute. Add the green chillies 
• Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute and then add chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute
• Now add the corn and the seasoning , mix well and set aside

For the potato layer

• Mix all the ingredients well

Finally.....

• Pre heat Oven at 230°C (450°F)
• Take a baking dish and grease it evenly
• Layer it with the potato mixture followed with the spinach and corn mixture 
• Place the tomato slice and spread the cream
• Sprinkle cheese and bake for about 10 - 15 mins or until the cheese turns color
• Serve hot with Garlic bread / Bread sticks 

 Note: let me know if you are looking for a modified Indian Spicy version for the same....

Since We have given our Mom's enuf dose of Fe...need to add something that helps in absorption of Fe....and  here it is

RANGEEN CITRUS COOLER

A tasty and delightful drink prepared using khus syrup, rose syrup, lemon and orange juice

Serves : 4

1/4 cup Khus syrup

1/4 cup Rose syrup

1/4 cup Orange squash

1 cup Sugar       

1/2 cup Lemon juice

Fresh mint leaves to garnish

Take Khus , Rose and Orange in 3 separate bowls and dilute them with 2 - 3 Tbsp water

Pour these in 3 different trays and set them to freeze

Meanwhile heat equal quantities of sugar and water to form the syrup, once it starts to boil set aside to cool

For the Final Touch 

Take tall glasses and pour 2Tbsp of lemon junice, add a Tbsp of sugar syrup to each ( you can add more depending on the sweetness you want ) along with 2Tbsp water. Mix well

Top it along with the colored ice cubes and mint leaves for garnish

Serve Chilled

Thai Iced Tea

As i woke up this morning, expected it to be a dull day.....but felt summer is on its way.....bright and chirpy, and my plans of having onion anar pakodas were turned down by Iced Tea.....Its so convenient to stir up the powdered flavored iced tea , so lets thought to take a step ahead and try having Thai Iced Tea....

Thai Iced Tea Mocktail Recipe is a non-intoxicating beverage. The word 'Mocktail' is a derivative of two words - 'mock' meaning a copy or imitation of something and the word 'cocktail' meaning a mixed drink

Its not that you dont get a mixture of the Thai version...I did find one online

But as usual experimenting has always been the first priority .....so here is one for you guys too.....but ofcourse its tried and tested :) :)

1/4 cup Tea

1/2 cup Hot water

2 tsp. Condensed milk 

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker / stirrer and pour into an unusually shaped glass. 

Allow it to cool for a while and refrigerate until use

Add Crushed Ice / ice cream  / whipped cream and decorations of your choice to create this unique specialty drink from an easy to whip recipe......

Top with with more condensed milk if you wish to have a more sweeter version 

Also I used white tea leaves but you can experiment it with Black ( which is used commonly) or Green leaves.....

Also you can check in for another version of Thai tea @ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/thai-iced-tea-recipe/index.html

Right now its a perfect glass for me to sip and relax .....catch you guys later ...Cya

Banana Cardamom Lassi

Banana.........I remember my mom having a banana along with a glass of milk every night ...she said it induces sleep, but for me it was more to do with putting on weight ...

A Banana a day + Glass of Milk = Extra pounds

The Banana s I find here are Cavendish Banana's, while back in India you can have as plenty as 10 options for varied purposes......

Another main ingredient i have used here is Yogurt / Curd

Not so long ago, yogurt was considered something only health food junkies ate. Now, it is a dietary staple for many who enjoy the taste, convenience, low calories, and, yes, health benefits.

Yogurt can even help you slim down, according to recent studies showing a low-calorie diet that includes three servings of dairy a day can help promote weight loss. Orlansky says yogurt is very appealing to those wanting to lose weight because of the protein/carbohydrate combination it offers.

"These nutrient combinations can help stave off hunger," she explains, adding that, "Yogurt contains about 30% of the recommended daily value in calcium and should be added to the diet since most American adults are not drinking milk."

Yogurt is made by curdling milk with purified cultures. That means that in addition to protein and calcium, it is high in live active organisms called probiotics. These can boost your immunity, prevent yeast infections, and keep your gastrointestinal tract health

so here is a quick - fix recipe for weight - health conscious guys

P.S : I have used Cavendish variety but you can opt for other options too

BANANA CARDAMOM LASSI

1 ripe Banana

1 ripe Cardamom powder

1 cup Yoghurt

1/2 cup Icecubes

Method of preparation

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend it for a minute until smooth.

Serve in a chilled glass.

I also found this link which you might like to try - http://www.shot-cocktail-recipe.com/cocktail-recipes/banana_summer_in_the_city.html

Bye for now.....will be back with a bang with more experimentation  !!!! 

Home Bar

Summer is back.....so lets think beyond gin and tonic and churn exciting shakes and mocktails with garden fresh fruits and veggies

ROCKMELON AND GINGER WHIP

Rockmelon ( Cantaloupe) 2 cups

Fresh ginger 1 tbsp

Orange juice ½ cup

Icecubes 8

Method of preparation

Chop the cantaloupe.

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend it for a minute until smooth.

Pour into tall glasses and serve

You can also add finely chopped ginger and cantaloupe as garnish or a mint spring would also act great