Chikoo Milkshake | Sapota Milkshake - with Icecream

Chikoo is a very sweet fruit which is grown in plenty in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and also in Central America and Caribbean. Infact , chikoo is a fruit that is native to South Mexico and Carribeans and is known by the name Zapota or Sapodilla which has now become " Sapota" - a term commonly used in India by many vendors.

Chikoo is a powerhouse of nutrients and is a very good antioxidant and has anti viral properties too.As it is rich in Vit A,C,E and also power packed with flavanoids it is good for skin and helps prevent ear;y ageing and wrinkles.

This fruit can be washed and eaten as it is by cutting them or make a chilled and creamy healthy milkshake and beat the summer heat . For children it can be served with a scoop of vanilla icecream to enhance their liking towards this health drink.

Preparation Time : 5 mins
Cooking Time : Nil
Serves : 2-3 glasses
Complexity : Simple

Ingredients
3-4 medium sized ripe chikoos/ sapota
500 ml chilled milk
4-5 scoops of vanilla icecream (optional)
sugar as needed (optional)

Method

• Wash and cut the chikoos in 2 halves and de seed them.
• Using a spoon scoop out the pulp , put it in a blender and discard the skin.
• Add milk, sugar if needed and blend it well until it is smooth and creamy. I use boiled and chilled milk .
• Pour it in tall glasses, top it with ice cream scoops and serve chilled immediately.

Masala Doodh | Flavored Milk

Summer holidays in childhood were synonymous to outings and of course occasional indulgence into some cold drinks or chilled beverages.  I ,as a child would look forward to such trips so that I can also enjoy the privilege of my favorite beverages. Mom was very strict to not allow drinking any aerated drinks, so it used to be either fruit juice or  the yummy and tasty chilled Masala Doodh which was aptly called as "Energee" by Aarey Diary ( the govt recognized dairy of Maharashtra).
There used to be Elaichi flavor, Pista flavor which were always the top choices for most kids and we would love to sip the chilled milk with straws from the cute glass bottles. Those days , there were no take  away plastic bottles, so we had to stand at the stall, drink and give the shopkeeper the bottle back . Wow..such lovely memories of childhood.
Well, today to beat the extreme heat, I made my own version of Masala Doodh with the richness of dry fruits and some mild spices and enjoyed the chilled Milk .

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Complexity: simple
Serves- 3

Achaari Pulao | Pickle flavored pulao - No onion garlic version

Hi friends,those of you who follow my blog regularly by now must be familiar that I love to experiment and cook varieties of pulao or flavored rice . In my opinion these one pot flavored rice is very healthy , filling and nutritious as it is loaded with veggies and a easy way to sneak in veggies that kids or adults don't like.
Varieties of pulao are easy to prepare and also can be carried in lunch box for office or school .Pair them with some chilled raitha or thick curd and you dont even have to bother about any side dish or gravy.

There is already another version of Achari Pulao on my blog which makes use of Onion and garlic in the method of preparation.
Today's version is sans O n G and can be easily made during any pooja, satsang or divine get togethers.

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Serves - 3
Complexity- medium

Mambazha Moru Kootan | Mambazha Pulissery | Mangoes in tangy yogurt gravy

Pulisserry is a very close cousin of Moru Kootan. A very popular dish among the Kerala Iyers or Malayalees and occupies a very prominent place in the Vishu Sadhya .
Moru Kootan makes use of vegetables like okra/bhindi , ash gourd in the yogurt gravy while Pulissery makes use of seasonal fruits like Nendrapazham (variety of banana) , Ripe mango or pineapple .
Pair this with a spicy curry like potato roast ,arbi fry ,vazhakkai curry etc and some fried papads to enjoy a complete meal with hot rice and ghee.

Though this should be called as Mambazha Pulissery technically it is very commonly called as Mambazha Moru Kootan or Mambazha Kootan .

Sometimes this is paired with yellow cucumber also ,but today I made with just ripe mango and it tasted super yummy .

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 15 mins
Serves- 2-3
Complexity  - simple

Seppankizhangu Masiyal | Arbi Masala

Masiyal means "Mashed" . Seppankizhangu Masiyal is a south Indian gravy made using Arbi or colocasia by pressure cooking and mashing it well with which is further cooked with some extra spices and tempering . Masiyal can also be made with yam/sennaikizhangu or Pidi Karanai/karunaKizhangu also.  This goes well with Sambar rice,vethakuzhmbu rice  or the humble rasam rice .

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Cooking Time - 15 -25 mins

Complexity- Simple 

Serves - 3-4

Malai Kesar Pista Kulfi | Indian icecream | Indian Frozen Dessert

Kulfi or Qulfi is an Indian frozen diary dessert which is popular across the Indian Subcontinent . Kulfi is similar to ice cream but it is dense and creamier as there is no whipping involved in the process of preparation. The milk is reduced to a thick consistency and the necessary flavors are added to the reduced milk and then frozen . As the consistency is thick and dense ,kulfi doesn't melt as easily as an ice cream.
The typical flavors are elaichi (cardamom),pista (pistachio) ,saffron (kesar/zaffran) ,almonds + pista (badam + pista) and combination of various flavors like kesar ,pista,badam ,cardamom.

Today's recipe involves just 3 main ingredients and it can be made easily at the comfort of your home.
There are kulfi moulds in which you can set the kulfi or it can be set in a normal container and can be scooped out and served.

Preparation Time - 5 mins
Cooking Time - 30 mins
Setting Time - 8-10  hrs
Complexity - simple

Ingredients

1/2 litre milk with minimum 4.5% fat .( You can also use full fat cream milk)

400 ml condensed milk ( I have used milkmaid)

handful of badam and pista (almonds and pistachios)

2-3 cardamoms

1/2 tsp saffron strands / kesar 

Method

• In a blender jar, pulse the badam, pista and elaichi into a fine powder . Donot grind it more as it will start releasing the oils from the nuts.
• In a thick bottomed saucepan or even a 3 litre pressure cooker , boil the milk . As the milk boils reduce the flame and add the saffron strands and keep cooking for 7-8 mins until the milk reduces and becomes slightly thick . Keep stirring the milk,else it will stick to the bottom and burn .
• Add the can of condensed milk and continue to cook for another 4-5 mins . (Do not stop stirring) 
• Add the powdered badam pista , quickly stir it so that the lumps are not formed and if you see any lumps, break them using the back of a ladle.
• Turn off the stove and completely cool the mixture till it reaches to room temperature .
• Transfer it into kulfi moulds or you can even set it in a food grade plastic container or a stainless steel box and freeze it for 8-10 hours. (Adjust the freezer compartment settings to Maximum)
• If setting in a container, make sure you put a cling film cover before you can close the lid. This will prevent crystallization of ice .
• You can scoop the kulfi out and serve in ice cream bowls or de mould from the kulfi mould and serve it 

Tips:

• While the mixture is boiling ,keep scraping the milk that solidifies or sticks to the sides of the pan . This will ensure the mixture doesn't burn and it becomes easy to clean the pan later.
• Remove the kulfi container or mould and keep it in the refrigerator compartment about 5-10 mins before serving .This will make it easy to demould or scoop .

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