Cook in a Curry

My craving for a hearty rice pudding a few weeks back led to this gorgeous dish!

Rice puddings are a very common snack/ dessert in Indian communities. My mum would cook us Indian rice pudding regularly with spices and toasted nuts. Southern Indian rice pudding also known as Payasam is similar in ways to the Kheer/ Indian rice pudding. Traditional payasam is made with rice and is a tad milky in consistency. There is a variety of ways to cook this dish and local communities also make a delicious version with broken or cracked wheat.

I have eaten ‘Thengai paal Payasam’ at weddings and pujas in the past; Coconut rice pudding is full of flavour, decadent and almost always makes me go for second helpings! Topped with fried pistachios, cashew nuts and puffy raisins; this pudding is a mouthful of gorgeousness. My favourite are the raisins so asking mum to add extra raisins was the done thing. I have used jaggery to cook the Payasam which lends a lovely sweetness but also gives it that caramelly colour. Palm sugar or unrefined brown sugar would be a perfect alternative.

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My love with all things sweet continues. And who can blame me! The start of October is like kicking off a good few months of indulgence, eating, celebrations and fabulous food. With Diwali, Halloween and the run up to Christmas it’s the best time of the year as far as I’m concern.

I have made so many Indian sweets this Diwali followed by a lot of happy eaters. There were gift hampers, dinner parties and friends dropping by most evenings sampling some of the delights on offer. A few leftovers to nibble on this week has been a bonus for me! Barfi is undoubtedly very popular during the festive season. Also on the blog is some gooey moist Coconut barfi which is equally moreish! My favourite by far is mango barfi (more the homemade variety rather than the commercial stuff) and till date it’s something I look for at Indian sweet shops in the UK.

One of the most popular one’s is definitely Chocolate Barfi but in this post I am spicing up a classic and one that I’ve made on numerous occasions for friends & clients alike. Recently rustled some barfi for my cookery demo at the Durham Food Festival and it went down an absolute treat! With a hint of ground cardamom (all time favourite spice!), crunchy green pistachio and some chopped ginger running through the chocolate; these little fudgy squares don’t last long. In this recipe I’ve used crystallised chopped ginger but stem ginger works really well too.

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Celebrations, happiness, joy meeting up with family and friends. Could you think of a better way to spend this beautiful and auspicious occasion? This is one of my favourite times of the year and takes me back to my home in India. There are always lots of sweets, new clothes, family & friends over every evening and loads of gifts exchanged. A puja to mark the event and rangoli adorned at the entrance; also ‘faraal’ or huge tins of snacks (savoury & sweet) were always stocked up for when we had guests coming over. Though I reckon that was our excuse! I enjoyed having such a huge stack of sweet meats and savoury varieties at home to delve into as & when I felt like. My favourites always include karanji, chakli, anarsa, laddoos, shankarpali. And there’s a separate list of my must have Indian desserts too.

Diwali; the Indian festival of lights is about bringing people together and sharing in the food feast, festivities and prosperity for the coming year. I intend on doing that and much more this year to revel in the excitement of the festival I so associate with my childhood. This week there are candles & diyas lit in my home and sweets galore but to make it that tad bit special I’m also doing little food hampers for some close friends. I have made a grated raw mango chutney in little jars; will also be putting together ready masala chai pouches & naankhatai biscuits to enjoy with that warm cup of tea. I’m including one of my favourite Indian sweets – Besan Laddoos. These gram flour & melted butter roasted beauties are moreish and very very addictive. One is never enough (at least in my books!) Very easy to make and they keep for weeks in an airtight container.

Here’s wishing you a very Happy Diwali with joy and prosperity (and loads of sweets) coming your way…

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Eating anything with butter and jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) will always make me a happy girl. But when you combine them with whole wheat flour and roast it on the hob the warm, nutty, sweet smells of this dish will make it seem too hard to resist. It’s heavenly! With a hint of cardamom and ginger powder; a topping of roasted sesame seeds this is one dish that has managed to surprise me. To think that I can make anything else apart from breads or cakes with whole grain flour!

My great grandmother was the expert at making this dish and it never really took her long to put it together. In her rustic copper pot she rustled together the flour & butter, stirring away with ease. Not far in the distance everyone waiting with baited breathe to sample some of the goodness. For now though they had to settle for the aromas of the melting jaggery with the roasted flour that were filling the house. I know only too well how my mother relished it. She has always spoken about her fond memories when she ate aaji’s (grandmother’s) Gul papdi and almost certainly declaring that no one has ever made it better.

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I can’t let this day pass by without wishing everyone a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year but more importantly making something sweet for family and friends. The house is filled with sweet treats so as you can tell I’m in heaven! ‘Besan ladoos’ which I made this year have been a huge hit; made of gram flour they are little dumpling shaped delights and one that I have enjoyed as a child too. I tried out a recipe for ‘Namkeen’ or savory crisps which are crunchy, salty and spiced with the flavor of carom seeds and I’m hoping to share that with you soon. But it’s the aroma of roasted fresh coconut with condensed milk wafting through my kitchen that tempts me to share this post with you. Coconut Burfi is made regularly in Indian households during Diwali and eaten in various flavors, shapes and colors. So keeping it traditional and simple, this fudge like sweet treat is easily made with fresh coconut or even desiccated coconut.

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They say when you celebrate to mark an auspicious occasion; something sweet makes it even more special to share in the happiness and also the food. That’s exactly what I will be doing.

A very happy 1st birthday Cook in a Curry! My blog turns one and to say I’m excited, loving the experience whilst sampling delicious food would be an understatement. I love sharing not just my recipes but also experiences and feel fortunate to have a space where I can connect with the world at large. All revelling in the same passion of good food with a keen eye to try something different in their kitchen makes me feel like a vital part of the process.

For those who have been reading the blog posts’ for a while would know that I do have a sweet tooth. So to be honest I couldn’t contain my delight doing a birthday post that encompasses the word – Kesar Ras Malai. A popular milk based dessert with dumplings soaked in thickened milk flavoured with cardamom and saffron. Sounds indulgent? Well that’s exactly what I’m aiming for with this post!

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I enjoyed a brilliant summer, but I feel like I’m yearning to stretch out the berry season. Found the most wonderful strawberries at my local farm shop over the weekend, sweet and bursting with flavour so I’m trying to make the most of it. Not commonly used in Indian dessert but I know a lot of Indian foodies adapt them into a lot of desserts we cook. And that’s exactly what I have done for this recipe.

Bhapa doi is one of my all time favourite Indian desserts. One that I remember eating at my Bengali friends’ homes back in India. Bengalis are known for their love affair with desserts & puddings. It’s a sweet that’s easy to put together with such few ingredients. A steamed yoghurt; with a texture quite like a cheesecake. My mother would make this over the hob & use a steamer to cook it through, hence the name (Bhap meaning steam). My recipe calls for making it in a conventional oven though if you prefer to steam it do so.

Traditionally bhapa doi is made simply with infused cardamom and maybe some saffron for colour. But I have added berry puree into the mix for an added flavour and presentation. All finished off with a few more strawberries and puree to serve. You can swap it for most fruits. It’s also a pudding you can make in advance for a dinner parties. Greek yoghurt gives that slight tang with the sweetness from the berries and the warmth of ground cardamom. Simply delectable.

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Indians have an affinity with milk based sweets richly flavoured with pistachios or even almonds. And I’m no exception. Kulfi comes in different flavours but I think my childhood memory has to be yearning for the ‘pista kulfi’ sold by street vendors or locally known as our local ‘kulfiwallah’. They are stored in earthen pots or moulds to provide the insulation in the hot summer months.

I remember making this last summer for a friends barbecue and we served it with some poached pears. Worked a treat! Some recipes might call for using green essence to give it the colour. If you coarsely grind a few pistachios mixing it in with the milk, it lends a really pretty green hue and also a delicious flavour to the overall dish. I know you might think it takes a long time to make but rest assured the results are to die for plus it stores very well. Though in my household it doesn’t last too long!

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Sheera
I think anyone who knows me has been in on my little secret. You don’t know yet!

Hmmm…. The thing is I am addicted to desserts. Yes I have finally said it. Desserts and I go hand in hand. They can be Indian sweets or a perfect English pud. (If anyone is wondering my favourite being Sticky Toffee Pudding by the way)

Even when we were younger; after every meal there was always something sweet that followed. Being Maharashtrian most desserts and sweet during our festivals were very traditional. These included modaks; rice dumplings filled with jaggery syrup & coconut, or shirkhand; a yoghurt based dessert. But my favourite has always been Sheera. It’s a semolina pudding cooked with cardamom, saffron, raisins & pistachio. Usually cooked when there is a religious ceremony, weddings or puja at home, its eaten warm on its own. You could serve it with some ice cream or crème fraiche for that slight tangy taste.

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I’ve always been a big fan of recipes with the fewest of ingredients. Not that I don’t enjoy a long cooking process for a worthwhile end result! But I think over the Christmas period, we always have friends and family visiting, presents to wrap, along with the regular household duties and also kids to look after. Plus I’m sure from a work point of view for most Christmas is always the busiest time of the year.

So when as easy, simple recipe comes along which I know is a sure shot hit with guests’, it’s well worth a try. This Dark Chocolate fudge is perfect for a hamper of even if you’re having friends around for a coffee, as they will keep for a good few weeks. The fudge needs to be kept cold though so I cut them up into little bite sizes and wrap them in gift bags, leaving them in the fridge until I am ready to give them. I also have some extra on hand which are left in the foil tray to serve.

As most of you know I do a few home made hampers every Christmas for family & friends. Because there are usually 2-3 different goodies in them, it’s always good if there is a variety. My hamper this year included Berry Vodka (recipe below), ginger bread cookies, lime & ginger savoury pickle and something chocolatey which was these little fudge beauties.

There are moreish. The colour looks fab too, with the dark chocolate, deep red sour cherries and little flakes of pistachios mixed through. I love the flavour of the sour cherries which cuts through the sweetness of the chocolate and a soft crunch from the pistachios. I have to say this is my favourite combination. Last year I did biscotti’s in my hampers, with chunks of dark chocolate, pistachio & cherries.

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