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Ridge Gourd with Sesame (Turai Til Subzi)

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This is one of my favorite subzis to make in the summer when ridge gourds are in season.

No ridge gourds? Try it with bottle-gourd, sponge gourd, any soft gourd like calabash, or a soft squash or even pumpkin.

Tender. Flavourful. Very satisfying, with the delicious, rich taste and creamy texture of toasted, powdered sesame seeds that complement it beautifully.

Also an excellent choice for a plant-based diet or disease-reversal program, as it is just as delicious when made with zero oil – and still contains a good amount of essential healthy fat (along with fibre!) from the sesame.

Goes well with rotis, rice, or can even be a light, salad-like meal in itself….

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Saffron Almond Panna cotta

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This desert captures the purest essence of very Indian flavours in a delightfully new, vegan, and very healthy avatar.

“Badam Milk” or almond milk is a very popular beverage that’s enjoyed either steaming hot or chilled in many parts of the country, and especially so in my city of Bengaluru.

In this version, there is no dairy, instead the milk itself is made from soaked almonds, with a subtle hint of cardamom. Because it uses the most basic and minimal ingredients, the clean, fresh notes of saffron, as well as the delicate yet rich flavour of almonds shine through.

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SAFFRON ALMOND PANNA COTTA

An easy, delicious and healthy dessert using almond milk with natural flavouring, set using agar.

Course Dessert
Keyword agar, almond milk, dairy free, dessert, easy, healthy, panna cotta, saffron, vegan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond milk thick, if possible (see note*)
  • 1 large pinch saffron strands soaked in 1/8 cup warm water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon agar powder (see note**)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon palm candy powdered or similar sweetener (to taste)
  • 2 pods cardamom lightly crushed (without releasing the seeds)

Instructions

  1. Heat the water in a small pan, and when boiling, turn down the heat.

  2. Dissolve the agar powder in the water, till completely dissolved.

  3. Mix in a teaspoon of this mixture along with 2 teaspoons of the powdered palm candy (or sweetener of choice) into the saffron water and pour into four dariole moulds, or a small, shallow tray or pan (the dessert can be cut into pieces after unmoulding).

    This will actually set even at room temperature, but it could go into the fridge till soft set.

  4. Meanwhile heat the almond milk along with the cardamom pods, and mix in the remaining candy powder and agar. Heat through till well mixed. Remove the cardamom pods and discard them.

  5. Pout this  steaming hot mixture gently into the moulds in which the saffron layer should now be set. Use a spoon to soften the impact of the stream pouring in. There will be a slight mixing in of layers which is desirable.

  6. Place this into the fridge to set. 

  7. Once set, invert into serving dishes and serve with fresh fruit of choice 

    (I used custard apple and fig puree)

Recipe Notes

  • *A half cup of soaked, blanched almonds whizzed with 1 cup of water and strained will yield the thick almond milk. The more usual ratio using 2 cups water instead is also fine.
  • This is equally delicious without layering (which I did only because I love the flavour and colour of saffron just by itself! Plus, it looks great.). Just add the saffron water into the almond milk, along with the other ingredients agar, powdered sugar etc, and continue with step 4. 
  • ** One teaspoon of agar powder would approximately equal a 1/3 cup of agar strands roughly cut into inch long pieces.  Or check the manufacturer's insructions. The quantity can be adjusted to personal preference, lesser for a softer set. (With caution, as more would tend to make it too rubbery.)
  • I've not powdered the cardamom seeds in order to maintain the pure white colour of the almond milk. This is also the reason why i did not use jaggery as a sweetener. Boiling the whole pods in the milk will lend a nice subtle flavour which won't be as intense as the powdered version. 
  • The 10 minutes chilling time is optional because this dessert will actually set even without refrigeration. Or it can be chilled for an hour or two (or even longer) as desired.

Enjoy.

Masala Peanuts

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Masala peanuts are an easy way to put together a few simple ingredients and end up with a delicious power-snack.

Humble-looking, it belies it’s delicious quotient, packed with crunch, zing and nutritional value, and it really needs to be more mainstream than it usually is (typically a bar snack) because it’s easy, quick, and eminently tweak-able. Include grated carrots, for example.

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Vegan Chocolate Mousse

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 Delectable, rich, dark and sinfully delicious!

Made with just two, vegan ingredients.

You see, I love chocolate mousse, but have never liked the ‘eggy’ ones, or the ‘gell-ed’, or ‘tofu-ed’, or ‘flaxseed-ed’, or other such ones, which somehow, totally lack the right texture of a good mousse.
So when I chanced upon this magical egg-white replacer called aquafaba a couple of months ago, this was one of the first few dishes that I tried out, and was thrilled to discover that it works so well.
Of course there’s always the even simpler and excellent option of just whipping together chocolate and water (gasp!).  What, you haven’t heard of Heston Blumenthal’s famous molecular gastronomy technique?! 😀
But there’s no such thing as too many good options, is there?!
So, after having tried aquafaba (AF for short) in several bakes and dishes, I’m happy to report that the results are pretty good, though it’s not always entirely fail-proof. 
Homemade Aquafaba. (No salt. Recipe here.)
The bubbles are because I poured
it into the cup just before this picture.
Aquafaba (read it’s history here), is the liquid from cooked chickpeas, or kabuli chana, which is a fairly well known staple in my kitchen – hooray!

See here for how to make this at home.

Christened thus, because it is just “water (from) beans” or “aqua faba” in Latin, by Goose Wohlt (check out his blog) who propelled it’s discovery (after he serendipitously chanced upon a rather obscure video by a french chef and blogger Joël Roessel) along with an explosion of experiments in the vegan circles.
It works with many varieties of  pulses (beans, peas, lentils, legumes) with varying degrees of success.
Vive la good old ‘dal-ka-paani’ – yes, I’ve tried that too.

There is also a facebook group called Vegan Meringues – Hits and Misses which is a great place to discover more and share with other enthusiastic experimenters.

Next on my to-try list is the vegan mayonnaise. (Update: Here it is!)

Just remember, after visiting these sites, there will be a strong temptation to make too many dishes with sugar as the primary ingredient! You have been warned. 😉
Ingredients (Just 2):

1. Aquafaba – 1/2 cup (around 125ml) (See here for how to make at home)
2. Fine quality chocolate – 100 gms, chopped.

I used 70% bittersweet couverture chocolate from Cocoacraft which is an excellent, local, Kerala-based single origin chocolate. Bournville is another vegan option, if desired. If not, try Lindt, or any good quality chocolate like Belgian.

  

       NOTE:

  • The level of sweetness was perfectly fine for everyone of us (we’re fans of 80% cocoa chocolate which is far less sweet.)
    But, if desired, powdered sugar (to taste; unrefined khandsari or coconut/palm sugar are good options) can be added  after soft peaks are formed, to the whipped AF, and then further whipped till stiff.  It will  have the added benefit of stabilizing the foam.
  • For this mousse, please use only the very best kind of chocolate that you are able to get, because that is exactly what the end result will taste like, in fluffy version!
  • The chocolate flavour was deep and intense, and no “beany” taste whatsoever, even without any vanilla or any other added flavours. But feel free to add some if you like, depending on the chocolate you use. Though it would be a good idea to wait it out a bit, because although the mild chickpea flavour is obvious in the whipped foam, after the chocolate mixing and subsequent chilling, it all but disappears.

Method:

1. Melt the chopped chocolate in a bain marie (or a dish placed over simmering water).

2. Whip the aquafaba till stiff peaks form. If using sugar, add in after soft peaks are achieved, and continue whipping till stiff.

Soft peaks at first. Keep whipping.

 The “upside-down” test after the stiff foam consistency. 
(It should stay in the bowl when turned upside down. 
– If it landed on your head instead, then it wasn’t yet done.)

3. Sacrifice Mix in a little of the precious foam into the melted, slightly cooled, chocolate……

 …to lighten it up for easy mixing.

4. Then gently fold in the chocolate mixture by spoonfuls, into the whipped foam.

‘Gentle’ is the keyword here. Though, if you would have noticed, the “stiffly beaten” foam is now already gone a bit soft.

Whipped AF apparently does not ‘hold’ for too very long, especially without the aid of sugar, cream of tartar to stabilize it as in the meringues. (I was also multitasking with lunch-making on the side, and kept delaying all the steps, else I would have caught it in a stiffer, finer-bubbled stage when incorporating!

 But not to worry, it still works fine for the mousse. The slightly larger air bubbles reminiscent of the “Aero” chocolate, though of course the taste – and even texture – can’t actually compare.

Thoroughly folded in and mixed well now.

Pour into ramekins and chill until set.

Essentially, we’re just suspending air in the chocolate mixture and setting it in the fridge.
Once the chocolate is set, the light, airy texture remains, the foam was just a means of trapping the air into it before setting.

And that’s it!

It sets beautifully with a smooth surface and a moist, fluffy texture beneath.

Well, I think this is just perfect as it is – with just a few organic cocoa nibs for garnish.

But the kiddos think there’s no such thing as too much chocolate goodness, and promptly whip up a chocolate sauce with jaggery, which gets poured on top of the mousse with good effect.

Quite delicious, with the sauce topping, too.

It was also tried with a dash of fresh whipped cream (not vegan, that) and approved. Picture could not be taken because they are fast disappearing. A good sign, it indicates success.

The great thing about this mousse is that it brings out the clean, pure chocolate flavour in a delicious, airy texture with none of those distracting tastes getting in the way, which is what happens when you have those other additives like cloying dairy cream, or eggs, or gelatin/agar, or tofu, or chia/flax, or nuts or coconut and what not.


Totally decadent.

Buttermilk Sorbet. (No-churner version)

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Linen Napkin (Vine, Charcoal on Ecru), from Greener Grasses [Touch Organic]

A delicious, guilt-free, icy cold treat on a hot summer’s day!

(Picture-heavy post, in which we cover the different types of frozen desserts, sorbet, granita, slushie, – not to mention the drink itself, – all with just one ingredient.)

Whether it’s a sweltering summer, tropically muggy, or pouring monsoon showers, for me, it’s always perfect for a frozen treat.

One of the most ubiquitous, popular, and healthy summer coolers in many parts of India, is buttermilk.


And, to make this sorbet, all I do, is freeze it.

It’s that simple.


Traditionally made, this light drink is what remains when you remove the butter after churning whole dahi (live, cultured yoghurt) along with some water, the process that seperates the butter.

 

A low-fat, probiotic, health drink.


So, actually, buttermilk has no butter in it anymore! Rather a misnomer, eh?



Nowadays often simply made with water and dahi whisked together. This version might be slightly more tart and sharp, depending on the freshness of the yoghurt.


One of the reasons why I love this sorbet is that it’s incredibly versatile, and can be paired with just about anything for flavour.


 

Just a dash of honey can take it to a whole new plane.


Both the bland flavour and the crystalline texture of this sorbet lend themselves very well to be paired with even a minute amount of just about anything you can think of.


Even more important (for me), is the fact that it can be served to everyone, even those with special needs (except vegan), because it has no sugar of any kind, nor any salt, nor chemicals.

It tastes great just plain and bland.  Slightly tart.

Or flavoured, or sweetened, or salted, or spiced.
(More posts coming up with those!)

Easy on the palate and gentle on the stomach.

Suitable for (and popular with) everyone: kids, elderly, convalescents, body-builders, ballerinas, diabetics, politicians, grandmothers, curryplants-in-the-garden, me.

 Of course, some of those benefits of consuming buttermilk must be duly discounted, since, in Ayurveda, frozen food (or even just cold food, for that matter) is not considered good for digestion.
(Please serve it un-frozen to curry leaf plants!) 😉


But so worth it! This has been one of those happily successful experiments in my home, that get made repeatedly in summer. 

Or ought to, anyway.

I had posted it earlier here with plums which worked really well together too!

 

Hardly even qualifies as a recipe! It’s pretty much summed up in the title of this post (heh)!

But be warned, this is an unconventional sorbet for many technical (and general) reasons.

First, it does not contain sugar which is usually a critical ingredient in a sorbet and acts as a stabiliser.

Nor does it contain egg-white, also usually added for the same reason.


This means that it will melt faster and freeze icier.

On the plus side, though, the melted version is the very drinkable buttermilk!

Second, though it has dairy (which debatably distinguishes “sorbets” from “sherbets” according to some purists), it is dairy with all the fat removed, so another important element that would soften the texture is effectively missing.

It is, in fact, a lot like the shaved-ice dessert or ‘baraf-ka-gola’/’chuski’, that can be instantly turned into a dessert with the addition of a sweet topping.

 


A favorite combination concocted by Y1 is to drizzle Rose Syrup over it (the preferred brand being RoohAfza, which is a favorite from my own childhood days). Or the second-best, but favoured now because it still comes in a glass-bottle) Sharbat-E-Azam. Or any syrup of your choice: Orange, or Khus, or Kala-Khatta, or Lemon, or Grape etc.

 

I like it best just as it is, with no toppings.

With a fresh fruit and veg salad on the side, I can make even make a meal of it!

Linen Napkin (Ecru, Sheer), from Greener Grasses [Touch Organic]

 

 
The texture and appearance of fresh, driven snow, only, even better-tasting!

 

Ingredients: (Just one!)

Buttermilk – as required (500ml is a good start for two.) 

I used the live, cultured buttermilk obtained from churning the collected cream from home-made dahi (live yoghurt), which is a bit thicker and creamier than the version made by whisking together yoghurt and water (fat-removed after churning). Both versions will work, though the second one with be icier.

Method:
Freeze buttermilk in a suitable container.

When half frozen, take it out and break up the ice crystals either by beating it with a fork, or in a mixer or food processor.

 

Freeze again.


Repeat the above two steps at least one more time, again when nearly frozen.

This will lend a good texture to the sorbet.

 

It can’t get any simpler to make, but everything lies in it’s texture. So here are some suggestions to get it right –

 

* Of course, if you DO happen to have an ice-cream churn or gelato-maker,  just pour it in, and wait for the magic to happen. The easiset way!

 

Tips and tricks:

  • Don’t skip the step to break up the ice crystals (unless you’re using an ice-cream maker!).

  • If you popped it into the freezer, then forgot all about it, like i did, and found a frozen block of ice, don’t worry. Let it thaw a bit, then hack at it with a blunt knife break into chunks and process.

     

Large crystals before the whizz.

  • A fork is good enough for this purpose if the quantity is small and if you remember to do it before it freezes too hard! Else you might prefer a blender or food processor.

Soft, powdery texture after the whizz.

  • I used the stainless steel jar of my grinder mixie, which gave excellent results.

Side-by-side comparision of the large unbroken crystals in the mixie, with the ice-crystals broken down after the blitz (on the spoon).


  • The final texture of the sorbet will depend on the technique used. Running it through a mixie or food processor (or using a gelato maker) will result in a smoother texture, whereas using a fork would produce a coarser, granita-like texture.

    Which might even be JUST what you want!

 

 

Viola! The delicate flakes of a granita are even better to highlight the subtle flavour of the buttermilk.

 

  • Another method of making the sorbet, is by freezing the buttermilk into cubes and then ‘powdering’ it in the mixie.
  • Can’t be bothered to do all that freezing-and-breaking-up business, and no sorbet-maker? (Also, please note, this may not be the best thing to try at a large gathering, since it melts fast)
  • Then why not try a “Slushie”?

Guaranteed to appeal to the inner child in you!

It’s quite delicious as a frozen drink, too!

Slurrrp!

  •  Really super-chilled buttermilk is surely a healthier, tastier, slurpee than a syrupy drink, woudn’t you agree?

  • As for me, I just like the basic version.

 

  • If nothing else appeals, just drink the buttermilk. That’s delicious, too.

Note:This is the first of five posts that I’m going to be doing (very, very long overdue; but I promised!) to take part in the #artchain on facebook for which I was nominated by my friend, the lovely and talented Aarti. 

For these posts, besides the recipe, I will also be featuring products from my organic textile range Greener Grasses.

Plum Upside-Down Chhena Poda Cake

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Caramel Plum love.

If you’ve ever been to Orissa, you would have surely tried a speciality from there known as Chenna Poda, which means, burnt cheese.

I  discovered it quite by accident, and only very recently, but so glad that I did!

Paneer, or cottage cheese forms the base of this delicious cake, made distinct by the caramel flavour that pervades through.

In this version I’ve experimented using plums, in the same style as pineapple upside-down cake, but with a twist, and extremely happy with the result!

This is a curd cheesecake, and not the usual batter one.

This is my third entry for the IFBM KitchenAid contest.

Ingredients:

All organic.

Fresh, firm plums – 4-5 nos. (tart and half ripe are even better) sliced, or halved.
Soft, home-made paneer from organic cow milk – 250 gms
Palm jaggery powder – 1 Tablespoon (or to taste)
Shakkar powder (ayurvadic, unrefined sugar – like jaggery) – 2-3 Tablespoons, packed
Plum juice or Water – 2 Tablespoons
Ghee – 1 Tablespoon
Wholewheat rava – 2 teaspoons
Fresh ground elaichi/cardamom powder – 1/2 teas 
Dried Black currants – 1/4 cup
Fresh, firm plums – 4-5 nos.
Roasted cashewnuts – 1/4 cup

Method:

  1. Whizz the paneer to a smooth paste in the mixie chutney jar.
  2. Mix in the currants, palm jaggery powder, rava, cardamom thoroughly.
  3. In a small heavy pan heat the butter and shakkar till melted and caramelised.  Then add the plum juice and heat through for a few seconds till mixed.
  4. Pour this caramel into a 6 inch bake pan greased with ghee.
  5. Arrange the slices of plum and roasted cashews on the base.
  6. Press down the paneer mixture into the pan and level the top.
  7. Bake this in a moderate oven, around 180 deg. C for 15-20 min till done.  I had the oven fan on, and it was nicely done in 15 minutes. This may vary. 
  8. Keep a close eye on the baking process after the first ten minutes. The caramel has to get really brown and the juice will seep through (some on the edges might even get almost burnt.
  9. Test for done-ness by inserting a skewer or knife in the centre.  If it comes out clean, it’s done.
  10. Allow it to cool, then upturn onto a plate.
  11. Decorate as desired.


Simply yum.