THANDAI - AN INDIAN FESTIVE DRINK

Thandai is traditionally associated with festivals like Maha Shivratri and Holi in India. It is a perfect drink to keep your body cool during summer days as it can protect you from Sunstrok and nose bleeding. Thandai Masala Powder is easily available in super markets but today I have already shared an easy homemade thandai masala recipe. This is very quick and you can store it in fridge and can use the same Thandai Masala Powder for preparing Thandai Kulfi, Thandai Mousse and many more.This fresh and homemade Thandai tastes absolutely heaven, far suprior to the readymade mixes available in the market. Thandai is actually milk, energised with almonds and spices which is a perfect drink to serve on the special days and festive occasion like Holi.The aroma of fennel and cardamom and saffron rise atop the dense flavour of fully boiled milk, to pamper the senses and rejuvenate the spirit. You can strain the mixture before serving if you want it smooth or you can keep its texture coarse if you like. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cup Milk

2 tablespoon Sugar [adjust according to your taste]

3 tablespoon Thandai Masala Powder

Sliced Dry Fruits and Rose Petals for garnishing
Ice Cubes
Few Strands of Saffron or Saffron Syrup 

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Keep 1 cup milk in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.

STEP 2 – Heat 1 cup milk in a pan over medium heat and add sugar in it and mix well till sugar dissolve.

STEP 3 – Heat further till milk starts to boil.

STEP 4 – Switch off the gas and let it cool down for 10 minutes.

STEP 5 - Add milk, 3 tablespoon thandai masala in mixer jar and mix well. Add ice cubes and chilled milk in a mixer jar.  [1 ½ tablespoon masala for each cup]

STEP 6 - Now add little saffron syrup if you have or add saffron soaked in milk.

STEP 7 - Blend well for few minutes.

STEP 8 - Remove and strain with a strainer and serve in glasses.[this step is totally optional]

Serve chilled thandai with a garnish of dry rose petals and chopped dry fruits and enjoy.

PAAN ICECREAM

Beetal leaf or Paan has been the most popular mouth freshner in India and still continues to be loved by almost all. It is eaten after meals not only as a mouth freshner but also to help in digestion. Many paan innovations have surfaced ever since and Paan Ice cream is a simply amazing!!! Here at my place, everyone love ice creams and that is why I love trying out various different 'seasonal' and 'unimaginable' flavours and this is one of it. I have been waiting to try this at home since long time. Trust me its really simple to make and its very quick recipe. So if you are expecting some guests over and want to serve them something innovative yet truly Indian for dessert, try this at home. Serve this to your guests after meal and let them feel the goodness of ice cream flavoured paan. I bet, no other flavour can be more idyllic than this. So make it and indulge in the deliciousness of my cherished dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 Beetal Leaves/ Paan Leaves, chopped

2 tablespoon Sugared Rose Petals/Gulkand

2 tablespoon Paan Masala

1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds / saunf

½ teaspoon Cardamom Powder / Ilaichi powder

½ Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Cup Whipping Cream

¼ Cup Milk

1 tablespoon Dates/ Kharik,  chopped

Tutty Frutty for garnishing

Pepper Mint Balls for garnishing

METHOD:

STEP 1 – In a mixer pot, add washed and then chopped paan,

cardamom powder, gulkand, paan masala, fennel seeds and some milk. Grind it until a fine paste.

If not be able to make a paste then add more milk to it and grind.

STEP 2 – In a mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream till stiff peaks.

STEP 3 – Then add condensed milk in it and blend for 2-3 more minutes.

STEP 4 – Now add the fine paste of paan mixture to it

and fold it well and mix it well.

STEP 5 – Pour the mixture in a plastic box or ice cream tin and freeze it for almost 2-3

hours.

STEPS 6 – When the ice cream is half set, remove the ice cream from freezer and make it loose.

STEP 7 – Then add some tutty frutty and chopped nuts in it and mix well.

Again pour in ice cream pot and

 add some more tutty frutty and chopped nuts for garnsihing on the top and freeze it for 6 hours or overnight.

Before freezing cover it with a cling wrap.

Scoop it and garnish it with some tutty frutty and pepper mint balls and serve chilled.

HOTEL STYLE INSTANT SAMBAR

It is really needed to know some quick recipe which can help you when you are tired, not having enough time to spend for cooking, unexpected guests, not having enough ingredients and so on. Yesterday, I was in the same situation, as a  southy food lover, craving for idli sambar in the evening but no time and want a quick recipe, so tried this recipe which turned out so yumm and perfect , prepared instant idli with store brought batter and relish…. Isn’t it a nice idea, quick and easy. I would say that this quick sambar cannot beat the regular idli sambar in taste. But if you are making it like this, quickly is the better idea and it definitely beat the original one in terms of time. Yes, I made it really quick and I think  it is worth trying when you running out of time. It tastes just as good as the normal traditional sambar we make. Even if you do not have enough time for chopping veggies you can just use onions and tomatoes. This easy sambar recipe is a very popular one in my family and it is even my favourite recipe when I pressed for time.

INGREDIENTS

To Grind:

¼ Cup Toor Dal

1 tablespoon Chana Dal

½ tablespoon Black Peppercorns

3 teaspoon Coriander Seeds

1/8 teaspoon Methi / Fenugreek Seeds

4-5 Dry Red Chillies

2 teaspoon Oil

Other Ingredients:

½ Cup Chopped Onion or Shallots

1 Big Tomato

3 tablespoon Thick Tamarind Pulp

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1-2 sprig Curry Leaves

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

Salt as per taste

2 Cups Water

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pressure cooker and fry 3 tablespoon coriander seeds, peppercorns, methi seeds, chana dal, toor dal and dry red chillies in it. 

Fry till golden brown in colour and nice aroma comes out.

STEP 2 – Remove all the ingredients from pressure cooker and let it cool down for 5 minutes.

STEP 3 – Reserve the oil in cooker for making sambar.

STEP 4 – Once the daal mixture get cooled, add it to the mixer pot and grind it in thick paste with 1-2 tablespoon water. Keep the paste aside.

STEP 5 – Heat pressure cooker, splutter the mustard seeds and add curry leaves in it.

STEP 6 – Then add little asafoetida and chopped onion, chopped tomato in it and sauté it for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 7 – Add turmeric powder and mix well.

STEP 8 – Now add tamarind paste and mix it well.

STEP 9 – Add ground daal paste in it, mix thoroughly

and add 2 cups water in it.

STEP 10 – Add salt and give a nice stir. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook till upto 4 whistles or till daal cooked properly.

STEP 11 – Once pressure free, open the lid and check the consistency of the sambar and adjust it by adding extra hot water [1/4 -1/2 cup] and bring it to boil. Switch off the flame.

STEP12 - Garnish with chopped coriander and serve it.

Serve instant and hot sambar with idlis, dosa, vada or simply with steam rice and enjoy.

NOTES: You can blend the spices and dal previous night and store it in refrigerator.

You can add moong daal instead of chana daal. Use veggies as per your liking.