Saffron And Anise Poached Apricots With Cardamom Scented Yoghurt

As I mulled over on how to finish off the last few fresh apricots in the bowl, I headed over to social media for a spot of inspiration. And the timeline was filled with stories on Ramazan and a lot of them had to do with food. They were bloggers sharing ideas for 'iftar' dinners at home and articles by food lovers on the cities' most revered and popular eating joints, each an institution in their own right. Photo features on the tiny lanes of the traditional Muslim neighbourhoods, all lit up and buzzing with food stalls, crammed against each other, that come up every evening of Ramazan to  cater to the faithful, after a long day of fasting.

 

This is rich, decadent food in all its glory, that pulls no punches. And amidst all that food, mostly meat dishes, there is of course, always a mention of something sweet. Most of it were familiar sweets like phirni, malpuas, jalebis, sheer khurma, falooda but there were a few unfamiliar ones, like sandaal and 'khubani ka meetha'.

 



'Khubani ka meetha' caught my eye because 'khubani' is the Persian word for apricots. Popular in Hyderabad, it is a dessert made with dried apricots that are cooked with a sugar syrup to make a sort of a compote that is served with cream. However, the photographs are not too kind to it. The compote looks like some sort of brown sludge which I'll admit does not look very appetising.

 

But, I liked the idea of cooking apricots in a sugar syrup. Only instead of the dried ones, I used the fresh apricots that I had. And instead of cooking them into a compote, I decided to maintain their integrity by gently poaching them with some saffron and star anise.

 

Star anise because I like the way the spice flavours fruits and saffron because it imbues everything with that beautiful colour. I paired the apricots with some lightly sweetened and cardamom scented yoghurt. But, feel free to use whipped cream or even, some vanilla ice-cream if that is more to your liking.

 

Poaching fruit is a beautiful way to use up the fruit for a simple dessert. The cardamom in the yoghurt is very subtle because the star of the show are the apricots. That reduced saffron syrup just ties it all together beautifully with the help of those chopped pistachios on top.

 

It is fruity, lightly scented and delicately flavoured and does the job beautifully for a dessert on a week night. Try it before the apricots simply vanish from the market!

 

Aam Panna - Raw Mango Cooler

I don't think it's only me but across urban India, I see a lot of us wanting to rediscover traditional foods and ingredients. It's as if there is a realisation that in an increasingly synthetic world, we need to reconnect with our roots and in most cases, that starts with our food. Fed up with an incredible amount of noise with regards to fad and celebrity diets, we've turned to the wisdom of our grandmothers. 

 

Turns out this traditional advice, largely based on Ayurveda, is completely in tune with the seasonal calendar for local produce. It stresses balance and moderation and tells us that the answers we seek today were known all along. We just never knew where to look! That the produce of every season is specifically designed to cope with the demands of that season. And just as the produce at the local markets change, so must the cooking techniques and ingredients that accompany it.

 

 

I was reminded of this last week when Summer announced its presence unequivocally. I usually rely on a daily dose of coconut water to get through the worst part of the day but when the going gets tough, I know that I need to raise the ante.

 

Last year, I introduced you to chaas and bael ka sharbat, this year it is aam panna. Panna is raw mango pulp that has been sweetened and flavoured and then topped off with chilled water and mint leaves.

 

 

Till date, the panna that I have been served, has been flavoured with cumin powder and black salt. But, this recipe by Tarla Dalal, uses cardamom and saffron and I think I am more partial to this version.

 

Ayurveda recommends both saffron and cardamom as spices to cool the body during Summer. As does the mint leaf garnish.

 

Ahem, please do notice how I have flavoured and frozen the ice cubes with mint leaves to top off the drinks. Oh, don't roll your eyes... I can do pretty and creative things too!

 

 

I speak from experience when I say that the drink has an instantaneous cooling effect on the body. But, what I enjoyed the most was the saffron. It lent a subtle, sophisticated edge to the drink.

 

For your next Sunday brunch, I'd definitely recommend it on the drinks menu! It will match up to the Sangria more than beautifully!!

 

 

Cin Cin my lovelies! Here's to a kind Summer!!

Shrikhand - Sweet Saffron and Cardamom Yoghurt

The different flowers of my mother's garden, each have their own story to tell. At the height of summer, the mogra, jasmine, 'raat ki rani' and frangipane flowers are in full bloom. Their sweet scent infusing the Summer evenings, providing that much needed succour. You know the monsoon is receding when the flowers of the 'harsingar' trees carpet the ground every morning. And in good time, as they are extensively used during the festive season of Navratri that coincides around the same time. The roses make the first of their bi-annual appearance to signal the onset of Winter. The red hibiscus flowers through the year, used for her daily puja.

 

And then there's Holi!! This is when all the seasonal flowers she has planted at the onset of Winter are now in full bloom, all in their myriad of colours. Some like the calendula, the phlox and the hollyhock are exotic to the Indian soil. And then there are  the marigolds, the roses and the hibiscus, native to India. Dried and then ground into a fine dust, these flowers provide the perfect palette of natural colours to play Holi with!!

 

 

It points to a symbiotic relationship between our festivals and nature and how over time, we have lost touch with it. It is time we look more closely to rediscover this connect with nature. So, I hope you used natural, herbal colours, devoid of chemicals, when you played Holi today!! It is a small step to a more sustainable planet!

 

 

And what's Holi without something sweet. I kept it simple today and made some Shrikhand. For those not familiar with it, it is similar to the Middle eastern labneh.

 

Incredibly easy to make. Once you have let the yoghurt drain through the night, it takes barely a few minutes to put together. I will insist that you use full fat yoghurt. It helps immensely with the final result. I have flavoured these with classic Indian flavours, saffron and cardamom.

 

 

I have always bought Shrikhand shop bought. But all that changed with the one time I made Shrikhand at home. It was fresher, creamier, lighter and best of all, did not leave a cloyingly sweet aftertaste. I urge you to make it at home once. Pretty sure you will be converted like me!

 

 

Holi is all about colours and may your days be filled with the most beautiful that life has to offer! Happy Holi!!

 

Pomegranate And Saffron Labneh

If you buy a pomegranate,
buy one whose ripeness
has caused it to be cleft open
with a seed-revealing smile.

 

Its laughter is a blessing,
for through its wide-open mouth
it shows its heart,
like a pearl in the jewel box of spirit.

 

A laughing pomegranate
brings the whole garden to life.

Whether you are stone or marble,
you will become a jewel
when you reach a human being of heart.

 

~ Excerpt from THE LAUGHTER OF POMEGRANATES by Rumi

As I told you last week, I was introduced to 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic, Rumi in Elif Shafak's 'Forty Rules of Love'. Am still in the early pages of the book but I am already getting entranced by his words that keep playing in my mind.

 

So, when I saw a whole mound of pomegranates at the fruit stall and then these words by Rumi, this post had to be next!

 

 

Tis the season of pomegranates right now and it is on my list of fruits that are best eaten alone. I enjoy its many contrasts. It is sweet and tangy at the same time just as it is juicy and crunchy at the same time. And then there's it's colour, that beautiful, luscious, sensual red that stains and changes all it comes in contact with, much like the 'human being of heart' that Rumi writes about.

 

It deserves a dessert that celebrates its unique personality. I found this beautiful dessert that paired the pomegranate with labneh on a fantastic blog by an ex-chef from Sydney, 'He Needs Food'. Drop by for a visit for gorgeous recipes and even more gorgeous photography.

 

 

Labneh is a yoghurt cheese, popular in the Middle East and is essentially yoghurt drained of its whey. Here, it is flavoured with saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and orange zest and then layered with pomegranate arils and juice. The original recipe has orange blossom water which I unfortunately could not find anywhere out here. A pity because that would have accentuated the Middle eastern character of this dessert.

 

And what a beautiful dessert this is. It will remind Indians of 'shrikhand' and that is what it essentially is. The labneh is light and refreshing on the palate without being cloyingly sweet. You then have the pomegranate that provides a textural and visual contrast that is most welcome. I do wish I had the orange blossom water. It would have mellowed the citrus tone of this dessert which was quite assertive because of the orange zest used.

 

 

This dessert is perfect to cleanse and cool the palate after a meal that has been heavy on spices. It is perfect for the all-vegetarian diktat that is now in place at home because of Navratri. And most importantly, it is perfect for the weather we are experiencing right now where the monsoons have retreated but winter is still some time away!