Recipe: Coconut Rice Kheer Coconut Rice Kheer is a creamy, tasty vegan kheer or rice pudding that is made with fresh coconut, rice and coconut milk. Add a bit of cardamom or cinnamon powder for that spice flavour and some chopped nuts for a bit of crunch. Actually, this gluten free kheer is so easy to make and perfect for those who follow a vegan diet. However, it is a delicious alternate for those who don’t follow a vegan diet. What Is Kheer? Kheer is the Indian way of preparing a rice pudding. Basmati rice or short grain rice is allowed to cook in milk till it is done and appears thick and creamy. Spices, nuts and dried fruits are added and served hot or…
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Continue ReadingEvent: Sunday Funday Theme: Desserts Recipe: Strawberries And Cream Strawberries And Cream, is a simple but absolutely tasty way of enjoying fresh succulent strawberries when in season. Just 4 ingredients and this dessert comes together in a jiffy. It is the ultimate summertime dessert. History Behind Strawberries And Cream Strawberries and Cream is not only the ideal combination but a classic dessert or pudding as the British like to call it. Strawberries have existed for years but how did this combination of fruit and cream become so famous? The story goes that Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was a powerful figure in the court of King Henry VIII. He began building Hampton Court which had the largest kitchen during the Tudor era. It is believed that…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: SPICE MIX RECIPE: DOODH MASALA | MASALA MILK POWDER Doodh Masala | Masala Milk Powder is an Indian Spice Mixture made using nuts,seeds and warming spices. This spice mixture, Doodh Masala or Milk Spice Mixture is usually added to hot or warm milk. It is a comforting and nutritious drink to have during the cold season. It also is a beneficial drink for pregnant and lactating mums. Enjoy Masala Doodh or Masala Milk as a healthy dessert, or to fill up your tummy during fasting. Have it in place of coffee or tea in the mornings. Add sugar or enjoy it without it. Sometimes ready made doodh masala are loaded with cheaper nut powders like peanuts or sugar. I don’t…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: DIWALI DHAMAKA RECIPE: KALAKAND, WITH COTTAGE CHEESE Kalakand, with cottage cheese turns out as good as the one with paneer. Moist, soft, delectable barfi, perfect for Diwali. And the sweet treat comes together within 20-25 minutes. It is allowed to set for 2-3 hours and it is ready to be enjoyed with friends and family. CAN I MAKE IT AHEAD? Yes you can. Make sure you store it in an airtight container and leave it in the fridge. I promise you it stays moist for over a week. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COTTAGE CHEESE AND PANEER? While in India we often call paneer as cottage cheese in English, it is not nearly the same. While paneer consistency can depend…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: JUST PEACHY RECIPE: MAPLE ROASTED PEACHES Maple Roasted Peaches, healthy, flavourful, so easy to make and best part – has no refined sugar. Served with some greek yogurt it makes a fruity summery light dessert. Sprinkle granola and it becomes a delightful fun breakfast. Roasted Peaches can be served with ice cream, but with a diabetic hubby, I wanted to make it without refined sugar. The dark robust maple syrup gifted to me by my son and his girlfriend is perfect for this kind of recipe, not too sweet and very tasty. From start to finish, this dish takes about 35 minutes. So it is a dessert that you can prepare while you’re enjoying your dinner. During the weekend mornings, by…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: LET’S CELEBRATE NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY RECIPE: BADAM KESAR PISTA KULFI Badam Kesar Pista Kulfi is a creamy, delicious frozen treat flavored with almonds, saffron, pistachio and cardamom. Easy to make, it never fails to impress my family and friends. Homemade kulfi is the best as it has no artificial flavorings or colors. Trust me, all the patience of boiling down the milk to half its quantity is well worth. Here’s a tip: use a wide pan like a wok or kadai to make the process faster. What is a Kulfi? Kulfi or Qulfi is a traditional ice cream from the Indian Sub Continent. Slightly more dense than the usual ice cream we know. But it is creamy and with…
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Continue ReadingBlueberry & Grape Smoothie Blueberry & Grape Smoothie is creamy, refreshing, healthy and filling. Enjoy it for breakfast or as a snack.Using greek yogurt or thick yogurt makes this smoothie protein rich. It is recommended that one has a protein rich breakfast for good health and also so that one feels full for a longer period of time. Memories – Breakfast Time In Montreal with Blueberry & Grape Smoothie Woke up a bit late after tossing and turning half the night as it was pretty humid. Suddenly it has become very hot in Montreal. After doing a bit of housework, it was time for breakfast. Didn’t want to have toast, cereal or anything hot. Out came the yogurt and fruit. Instead of having everything on its…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE THEME : AN INGREDIENT BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER Z RECIPE: ZUCCHINI HALWA – VEGAN Zucchini Halwa is dairy free, melt in the mouth, flavorful, aromatic halwa cooked in the Indian style. If you are a fan of doodhi ka halwa or bottle gourd halwa then you’ll surely love this one. My blog follower requested I make an Indian sweet but vegan. Lots of Indian sweets are made from dairy milk, or will have ghee (clarified butter). Recently, for my online shopping Iist I wrote 1 zucchini and I got 1 kg! That is a lot of zucchini. Used it to make zucchini paneer appe (recipe to follow soon), used some for handvo, added to my baked pasta. That is when…
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Continue ReadingRECIPE: BEETROOT VADA Beetroot Vada is a delicious, crunchy, spicy take on the traditional Sabudana Vada. Vada is fritters and in this case roasted or boiled beetroot is added to the traditional mashed potatoes, spices and soaked tapioca pearls mixture. Ideal snack option, for starters or as a part of a meal not only for fasting days but whenever you want to. While I’ve deep fried beetroot vada, you can by all means use an appe pan (aebliskiver pan) to make healthier versions or in an air fryer. The whole idea of adding beetroot to the traditional recipe came about when I had extra roasted beetroot in the fridge. I usually make sabudana vada on Ekadashi Fasting but wanted something different for a change. Serve…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: WARM DESSERTS RECIPE: BAKED APPLES Baked Apples As the name suggests, apples are baked with a stuffing. Easy to make, absolutely delicious with a light tangy caramel sauce that develops when butter and brown sugar melts into the fresh orange juice. Best enjoyed warm. Usually, the apples are either cut into halves, cored and stuffed or whole apples are used. Actually, it is so much easier to core apples with a corer. However, if you don’t have one, then patiently cut out the middle of the apple with a sharp paring knife. Incidentally, have you noticed how when you need a gadget the most, you cannot find it? I swear I had a corer and just can’t find it! Not…
