Summer Coolers - Bael ka Sharbat / Chaas / Vietnamese Iced Coffee

I am melting. I am wilting. I have simply stopped functioning. Yes, every summer I sound the same. No matter how much I try, the heat always seems to triumph. Every year, the summer seems worse than the last year and this year was no different. It's been brutal and unforgiving as ever!

 

The traditional Indian almanac has a period of nine days called 'nautapa' which are said to be the hottest nine days of the year. This period, I am told, ended on Monday and if you ask me, the heat only seems to have intensified since then. While everything around me seems overpowered by this searing white light of the Sun, my own mind and body have been overpowered by this lethargy where even the simplest task seems Herculean!! I know I sound melodramatic but believe me, none of it is exaggeration.

 

 

This explains my absence from the blog. The only time I am lured out of my air conditioned cocoon to venture towards the kitchen is to get myself another bottle of chilled water from the fridge.

 

Okay, maybe I exaggerate a bit. I do step into the kitchen but it is for the shortest time possible and only to make myself something that will help me deal with the weather. The appetite has dwindled and snacking between meals has given way to cool liquids that make me feel a wee bit better!

 

 

These three drinks that I share with you have been extremely popular in our kitchen, this summer. First up is a traditional Indian drink to beat the heat. 'Bael ka sharbat' is one of those traditional Indian food traditions that seem to have got lost in today's world.

 

Google informs me that 'Bael' is known as 'wood apple' in English. It might not be easily available and you might have to ask your local vegetable vendor to source it for you.  I was introduced to it by my mother who has a special fondness for it. It is a hard shelled fruit whose apricot-peachy coloured pulp inside is said to have miraculous cooling properties.

 

Next up is India's most popular yoghurt-based drink in the summers. We call it 'chaas' but it is also known as 'mattha'. Yoghurt is diluted with water and then flavoured with cumin powder, rock salt and in my case, with some ginger-green chilli paste. But, everyone in India like their chaas in their own unique way. It is up to your discretion how you flavour yours but the cumin powder, I believe, should not be missed!

 

 

And the last one is of my love for iced coffee in the summer. I was introduced to Vietnamese Iced Coffee last summer and I even did a panna cotta inspired by it. For those not in the know, it is finely ground roast coffee individually brewed with a small metal filter that drips the brewed coffee into a cup containing sweetened condensed milk and ice.

 

There is something about watching that filtered coffee drip, drop by drop on the ice and condensed milk that seems to speak to the lethargy that seems to have overtaken me. Once tried, this version of iced coffee will trump any other that you make at home.

 

 

 

As we countdown to the rains, how are you dealing with the heat??

 

Post note: And just as I get ready to publish this post, are those black clouds that I see on the horizon?? Could it be ...dare I hope? Fingers crossed!!

Caramel Custard / Classic Crème caramel

What I enjoy when it comes to food are the memories and anecdotes that it evokes. And it gets even better when it comes from an era you were never a part of.

 

But, a little background first. Thanks to India's colonial past, the British left their mark on the Indian culinary scene. It was some of their beloved dishes that they improvised with the ingredients and spices that they found in India. Some of the popular dishes were Roast chicken, lamb stew, mulligatawny soup, meatloaf, fried fish with tartar sauce and for the desserts, there was trifle, bread and butter pudding, chilled lemon soufflé and caramel custard. And while this unique fusion cuisine is referred to as 'Anglo-Indian' cuisine, colloquially it was called 'English Khana'!

 

And much through the 50s, 60s and 70s, when very few Indians had the opportunity to experience the world outside, this English khana was all that we thought of as international cuisine. And I am told, in a distorted interpretation of modernity, it was considered 'modern' in those days, to say that you had English khana for dinner!!

My mother recounts how in the early 70s, a certain matriarch was on the lookout for a suitable match for her most eligible son. I am digressing but I have to state that I am yet to meet an Indian mother who does not think her son is most eligible. Anyhow, this particular lady rejected a whole host of young ladies because they admitted that they did not know how to make caramel custard!! Gasp!!! How did they ever think they would be suitable for her esteemed son if they did not even know how to make caramel custard, the epitome of English khana?!!?

It's such a random story but it makes Ma and me laugh every time someone mentions caramel custard!

 

I won't get into why I remembered this story but it did make me ask my mother for her very own caramel custard recipe. She's always insisted, it's extremely easy to make and I reckoned it must be, considering how often she churned it out when we were kids.

Looking at the recipe, there are only four ingredients and I have given a few tips from the dependable Mary Berry so that you just can't go wrong! Its all straightforward but it is preferable that you make it a day before you want to serve it.

The end result is perfect. The custard is smooth, light and not too sweet. It contrasts and compliments that dark, auburn caramel layer that is sweet with a hint of bitter that makes this dessert the classic it is. It is one of those desserts that isn't too heavy and helps finish off a meal on the right note.

Is there any food-related memory or anecdote that always has you in splits that you'd like to share??

Mocha Muffins

So, voting day is here! I had no intention to stand in a line in the hot midday sun to exercise my democratic right and that meant I was at the polling booth at seven in the morning. And if you are wondering, no I was not the first one out there! It also meant that after I cast my vote, I had the whole day ahead of me with nothing planned. So, I did the most logical thing .. I baked muffins for breakfast!!

Muffins are so easy to bake that it is usually the first thing that comes to mind. If you haven't seen too many muffin posts on the blog, it is because they are usually polished off before I get a chance to take the pics and write a post! 

 

Remember the golden rule when you make muffins.. two bowls, one for the dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients. And when you mix the two, mix until just combined. The more you mix, the tougher and denser the muffin will be. Less is more!!

 

 

As for these muffins, these are chocolaty, light, moist with a hint of coffee and the crunch of walnuts and chocolate chips. I believe I don't need to say more to convince you!!

 

 

PS - I hope you voted! 

Masala Chai

They say if you want to take the political pulse of India, head to a chai stall. Indians love their chai and Indians love to talk politics. So, why not combine their love for both at the chai stall. Journalist, politicians, pollsters and anyone and everyone who wants to know what's on the mind of the Indian people, get their information over a cup of chai!

And starting tomorrow, the world's largest democracy begins voting for the General elections. And the numbers are staggering as they always are in India. Spread over 6 weeks, 9 phases, 543 election constituencies and 814 million voters, this is democracy's largest spectacle!

 

And this election, the humble cup of chai has occupied centre stage. For any non-Indian reader, it all began when Narendra Modi was projected as a national party's Prime Ministerial candidate. His life story has a modest beginning. As a young boy, he worked as a chaiwallah (tea vendor), a point he proudly states, to show how far he has come in life.

 

So, when an Opposition politician mocked him on this very fact, he responded as a true politician. He and his party launched an unique programme where he reached out to voters across the length and breadth of  this vast country, through videoconferencing so that he could interact with voters and answer their questions. The points of contact for these interactions, no guesses, were all chai stalls! So, in elections 2014, India's most favoured drink also became one of the most overused words of this election.

 

 

So, what goes into a cup of chai? It is a concoction of black tea, milk, a few spices and loads of sugar. And chai is a very emotive issue for most Indians. We are extremely picky about how we like our cup of chai. A cup of chai in the morning that does not make the mark is almost an omen on how things are going to go for the rest of the day.

 

And no two cups of chai are ever the same, be it from a home kitchen or a chai stall.  And moreover, the way tea is made in India is intuitive and instinctive, refined and adapted to one's taste. So, it is almost futile to write a recipe that will satisfy all. But, I did come across a recipe by Anjum Anand that is aimed at non-Indians, to give you an idea of what goes into that cup of chai that India cannot get enough of! It is more of a master recipe that is to be adapted to your liking!

 

 

So, now that we have discussed how the humble cup of chai made its way to the heart of Elections 2014 campaign, there is only thing left to do. Go and cast your vote India. Your vote is your voice. The time has come to speak up and be heard!!

Roasted Strawberry No-Churn Ice-Cream

For the past few weeks, I have been in a state of denial. I have absolutely refused to accept that Summer is here.  I have ignored the mangoes that have made their arrival in the markets. I have ignored my sighs of relief every time I enter an air-conditioned room. I have ignored the fact that white seems to be my overwhelming choice of colour these days. Why, I have even ignored the lizards that have emerged from the woodwork!

 

In short, I have desperately tried to cling on to any remnants of our tropical Winter. But, no more. Summer is here and it looks like a scorcher! Not like I expect my readers in the Western hemisphere, who are still waiting for Spring, to understand me!!

 

Summer is about all things cool and chilled. Summer is also about not seeing strawberries in the market anymore. So, to shore up my defences against Summer, I decided to make an ice-cream with what should be amongst the last strawberries to hit the market.

 

The ice-cream is a no-churn version that does not require an ice-cream maker. Last October, I had made a sitaphal (custard apple) ice-cream, using this method. It is an extremely easy, quick and fuss-free method that results in a creamy, soft-serve ice-cream.

 

To heighten the taste of strawberries, I decided to roast them 'en papillote'. I had tried it last March and I know from experience, that employing this technique intensifies the flavour of the strawberries.

 

When mixed with the cream mixture, the juices from the roasted strawberries will not only infuse their flavour but also colour the entire mixture with a delicate pink hue. Do ensure that you don't mash the strawberries too fine. Keep some of them as chunks. It is a lovely surprise when you encounter these chunks as you make your way through a bowl of this ice-cream. And don't be stingy with the amount of strawberries you are using. They are a delicately flavoured fruit. The more you use, the more robust their flavour will be in the ice-cream.

 

You have had strawberry ice-creams and then there is this one. This is not a strawberry ice-cream because of its colour and artificial fruit essences but a strawberry ice-cream where you will taste the strawberry in all its honesty, complete with all its tiny seeds. I was a never a fan of the commercial strawberry ice-cream but this one has such a natural taste to it, it has me converted.

Make it, grab a bowl and while you savour it, pray that Summer is kind to us this year!!

Danish Braid : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

When I first started with 'TWD : Baking with Julia' group, I used to be almost religious with the bake-along. I attempted to do at least one recipe every month. And yet, these past six months I have been extremely erratic, if not missing from the forum. And it's time to correct this.

 

Because it's this group and this book that have single-handedly taught me to bake. The recipes in the book, written by Dorie Greenspan, are so lucid and well written, that even a novice like me could recreate the recipes with reasonable success. And then there have been the fellow bakers who have been exceptionally encouraging. One important lesson I have learnt from them is to adapt recipes and ingredients to what is locally available. And my recipe index is testimony to that. I have been able to attempt a decent array of baking recipes, all thanks to this group. 

 

So, to get back in the groove with this group, I chose a recipe that they had attempted way back in October last year. Its a braided breakfast pastry, made with a Danish pastry dough and filled with a strawberry jam filling.

A Danish pastry dough is made along the lines of a croissant or puff pastry dough i.e. you have to roll out and fold the dough a couple of times to create the many layers. However, this recipe uses a cheat's version to achieve the same result but with much lesser work. If anything, its way easier than you think!

 

The tough part for me was the braiding. I'd like to blame the heat that I keep whining about these days but its just down to my clumsiness. As you can see to salvage the situation, I cut the braid and then took the pics!

 

There is a jam filling which was made in a microwave. Even if the dough does not interest you, the jam recipe is a keeper.

 

The end result is slightly sweet, rich, buttery, flaky pastry which encases that vibrant jam filling that peeks out through the gaps. Although, I must confess, my pastry was not as flaky as desired and I get the feeling that may have something to do with the quality of the yeast. Even if my attempt was not visually appealing, the flavour more than made up for it. The sweet yet slightly tart strawberry jam is a beautiful accompaniment to that rich, buttery pastry.

 

This is an indulgent breakfast pastry but, I'd only recommend it to the enthusiastic baker. There is a fair amount of time involved in making it. And do not attempt this in the summer heat. If you are keen on how this braid should look, do check out this page for the links from the other bakers who have done a fabulous job!! 

Banana Bread

It is almost a rule with every baker. If you have over-ripe bananas in the kitchen, you make banana bread!! It is one of the marvels of baking that this recipe transforms those sludgy, sickly sweet, almost black bananas, fit only for the dust bin into a rustic, homey, comforting cake, that once made will be a regular at your home.

I remember the first time, I heard about a banana bread, I was sceptical. The two words just did not seem to pair together. I couldn't be more wrong. The word 'bread' out here refers to the technique used, better known as the 'quick bread' method. You have two bowls of dry and wet ingredients and then you mix the two with a spatula, taking care NOT to mix it too thoroughly and you are done. Remember, smoother the batter, the tougher your cake will be!!

The batter is all straight forward. The addition of the mashed, ripe bananas is what makes this loaf beautifully moist. The walnuts are optional but they do add a nice texture.

You will be alerted to the cinnamon in this cake while it is still in the oven. That feel-good aroma of cinnamon will take over your kitchen and remind you why nothing can beat a cake baked at home!

 

Straight out of the oven, a slice of this warm cake is instantaneously comforting. While you will taste the bananas, they are not overpowering and with the cinnamon, the flavour is uplifted.

 

 

This is not a pretty cake. It is rustic cake that is perfect for weekend baking at home. Lazing around in your PJ's, reading a book with a cup of coffee and a slice or two of this cake will all make for a perfect Sunday afternoon and make that Monday morning bearable!!