Sugarfree Thandai Shrikhand ( A very Happy Holi to Everyone :) )

"Gulal hai Bhaiya ?"

"Kaunsa color chahiye Maam ?"

"Pink aur Green de dijiye ."

"Kaunse flavour mein doon ?"

"Excuse me."

"Madam kaunsa flavour chahiye ? Jasmine, mogra, gulab ya chandan ?"

I was almost tempted to ask "bas itni hai ? Aur char paanch flavor bhi rakhna tha na Bhaiya ". But better sense prevailed and I asked him to give whatever he wanted as I had to wind up last minute Holi shopping and get back home to prepare dinner.

However the next stall had an ever greater surprise in store. Gone are the days when we were happy with those pichkaris that cost around 10 bucks each. The salesman duly presented me with the latest water gun which had a 2 liter water storage tank attached to it. And even before I could close my jaw which had dropped to threatening levels, yet another specimen was placed in my hands. This one could spray three different colors. And predictably, this 'state of the art' did not come cheap. Each gun was marked above Rs 1000.

Anticipating another tantrum, I quickly placed them back on the makeshift counter and dragged the kid to another stall. His protests quickly drowned out as I handed him a 'Chota Bheem' gun which was priced much more reasonably.

The final stop happened to be the local supermarket. I needed a few things for preparing desserts for the next day. One look at the shelves revealed endless bottles of Thandai jostling for space with a variety of bottled beverages and tinned/canned sweets. A little voice in my head reminded me about my health/fitness resolutions. And that was the moment when I decided to ditch my plans for making kheer. I wanted to prepare something that captured the essence of the festival but without piling on the calories.

Thandai Shrikhand seemed to the prefect answer to my dilemma. I was anyways preparing Thandai for Holi so it was a smart choice to use some of the extract to flavor a home made Shrikhand sweetened with a Zero calorie sweetener like Sugarfree Natura. As I had predicted, none of my guests could guess that it was a sugarfree dessert.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( plus overnight standby time for the hung curd )

Ingredients -

• 500 ml curd
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 almonds
• 3 cashews
• 1/2 tsp khuskhus
• 1/2 tsp watermelon seeds
• 1/2 pinch fennel
• 1 green cardamon
• 4-5 peppercorns
• a few strands of saffron
• a few drops of rose syrup
• 3 tbsp Sugarfree Natura ( or as per taste )

For garnishing -

• Chopped pistachios
• dried rose petals
• rose syrup
• saffron strands

Preparation - Strain the curd overnight using a muslin cloth. This will remove all the excess water from it.

Soak the almonds, cashews, khuskhus and watermelon seeds together. (remove the almond skin once it is soaked)

Dry roast the peppercorns, fennel and cardamom till it gives off a fragrance.

Transfer the roasted spices to a grinder jar and powder them as finely as possible. Add all the soaked nuts to the same jar. Grind everything till it becomes a fine paste. [ Add 2-3 tsp milk to thin the consistency if it is getting too difficult to grind. ]

Heat the milk in a saucepan. Add the saffron strands to the still hot milk. Once it cools down to room temperature, add the nuts and spices paste along with rose syrup to it. Let it stand for 1 hour.

Use a muslin cloth to strain the extract into another vessel.

Transfer the hung curd, thandai extract and the sugarfree into a mixing bowl. Whisk together to get a uniform mixture. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Serve into small dessert bowls and garnish with rose petals, pistachios and saffron strands.

Serve .

Salted Caramelized Lime Mojitos

The tang of the lime. The freshness of the mint. Just the right amount of sweetness. The tingling sensation of the sparkling water on the palate. The subtle scents tantalizing the nostrils. The green sprigs soothing the tired eyes. And i am in mocktail heaven. No less !! These days I am addicted to mojitos in a big way and have been experimenting quite a bit.

However, the Caramelized Lime Mojito is adapted from www.storyofakitchen.com .  Caramelizing the limes adds a subtly different flavor (and a a little bit of bitterness too) to the regular drink. The bitter notes need more sweetness to create a balance. But I felt that a touch of salt instead of more sugar did the trick for me. Plus the ombre effect added by the caramelized lime juice ( don't stir before serving ) is quite a treat for sore eyes !

Now that's just another amazing mocktail/drink that you can try serving during a Holi brunch/lunch . With the temperatures soaring, coolers are more than welcome. Even more so than the usual oily snacks served during Holi. Go for some baked Dahi Bhallas or even a green banana dahi wada made in appe pans by none other than my talented blogger friend Parinaaz (recipe HERE)!!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

• 3 lemons
• a handful of mint leaves
• sugar syrup as per taste
• 600 ml sparkling water
• ice cubes
• sugar for caramelizing the lime
• salt to taste

Preparation - Cut 2 of the limes into halves. Dip the flat side into the sugar and place on a non stick skillet . Cook on low temperature till they caramelize . Take care not to burn.

Remove and keep aside till they cool down. Squeeze the juice into serving glasses.

Assembly - Add a few mint sprigs to each glass. Muddle a bit. Pour some of the sugar syrup and then pack with ice. 

Top with the sparkling water taking care not to stir/move the contents else the ombre effect will be lost !

Sprinkle the salt immediately before serving.

Cheers !!

Dahi Gujjiya ( Wishing Everyone a very Happy Holi )

Whether it be the slightly watery 'dahi bara' served with onions, green chilis and black salt in Odisha or the more decadent version slathered in thick yogurt and drizzled with a 'teekhi' and a 'meethi' chutney in the Northern parts of the country, 'Dahi Vada' or 'Dahi Bhallas' are a favorite with most people in India. I have even encountered a version in Hyderabad where the dip the Vada in a sweetened yogurt and top it with loads of grated carrot. Not a bite of chili in this one if one overlooks the occasional peppercorn that might make it's way into one's mouth.

But one of the best that I have ever had was served at a family function by an very enterprising caterer in Bhubaneshwar. They had a yummy stuffing of bell peppers which were stuffed with a samosa masala in turn. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection. While I have had a chance to sample stuffed dahi vadas on other occasions, nothing even comes close to it.

Talking of stuffed dahi vadas, which are a relatively new invention, I came across the 'Dahi Gujjiya' a few days back. It is a traditional recipe, no less, that is specially prepared for Holi. The stuffing consists of ginger, raisins, green chilis and coriander but one can also add nuts and coconut pieces to it. As one bites into it, the heat from the ginger and the green chilis forms a wonderful contrast with sweetness of the raisins, the coconut bits and the nuts. My husband loved it and so did I. And it can also be enjoyed on 'no onion no garlic days' . But it is not something i would recommend serving to kids.

One of those must try recipes. Read on for the steps -

Preparation Time - 45-50 mins

Ingredients -

For the batter -

• 1 1/2 cup split urad dal
• salt to taste
• 2 pinch baking powder
• oil for deep frying

For the stuffing -

• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup coconut slices
• 2-3 tsp melon seeds/ charoli / cashews ( i skipped this )
• 2 tsp chopped green chilis
• 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
• 3-4 tsp ginger juliennes

For the 'meethi chutney' -

• 2 lemon sized tamarind balls
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 2 tbsp jaggery
• 1/4 tsp chili powder or pepper powder
• salt to taste

For the 'Teekhi chutney' -

• a handful of mint leaves
• a handful of coriander leaves
• 4-5 greens chilis
• 2-3 garlic flakes (optional)
• salt to taste

Final assembly -

• 2 cups thick curd (preferably chilled)
• salt to taste
• coriander leaves 
• thin sev (optional)
• chili powder (optional)

Preparation - Wash and soak the urad dal overnight.

Grind into a fine paste using as little water as possible. Consider it ready when it stops sticking to one's wet finger.

Keep aside for 2-3 hours.

Add salt and baking powder. Beat it till it turns light ad fluffy.

Take all the ingredients mentioned under 'For stuffing' in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and mix together.

For the chutneys -

Grind all the ingredients mentioned under 'Teehki chutney'. Adjust the consistency by adding water. Keep aside.

For the meethi chutney, soak the tamarind in  1 1/2 cup hot water to obtain its pulp. Discard the solids. Take the pulp, jaggery, salt, asafoetida and pepper in a saucepan. Boil till it reduces to 2/3 rd.
Keep aside till it cools down.


Cooking - Heat sufficient oil for deep frying.

Take a thick plastic sheet or banana leaf. Spread a little oil over the surface.

Put a dollop of the batter on the sheet. Wet fingers and pat gently to make a thick circle. Place a tsp of the stuffing in the center and fold the sheet/leaf to form a semi circle.

Gently coax the gujjiya to leave one side of the sheet and then remove from the other side as well. Slide it into the hot oil. This is best done with wet fingers . Fry on both sides till golden brown. Remove from the wok and dip it in sparingly salted water.

Final Assembly - 

Gently squeeze the gujjiyas out of the water . Place it in a bowl.

Beat the curd with some salt and pour it over the gujjiyas. Drizzle with 'teekhi' and 'meethi' chutney. Finally garnish with coriander leaves, chili powder and sev .

Serve immediately.

Thandai Rasmalai ( Holi Special Recipe )

Spring is here. And it is mating season in the animal world. Nothing sinister about it. Just a matter of probability given that the survival chances are maximized by the ambient weather and food. availability. Now is it is possible that some relic of this animal instinct has been overlooked during the evolutionary process and has stealthily made it's way into the human DNA ? Well, the probabilities look high given that most cultures do make a song and dance about the arrival of spring.

Holi, the Hindu festival which falls in the month of March, is first and foremost an announcement of the harbinger of spring. While there are many myths surrounding this festival, most of us believe it to be a show of love between Lord Krishna and his consort Radha. No wonder, this carnival of colors allows for the free mixing on both genders. A fact that has been re-iterated by Bollywood, time and again. 

One of the most special drinks associated with this festival is the 'Thandai', a refreshing concoction of rose petals, various nuts and spices steeped in milk. While it is guaranteed to perk up sagging spirits after hours of playing in the sun, for those looking for a different kind of high, a bit of 'bhaang' or cannabis can do the trick. But what does not come as a surprise is that most of the ingredients in it are loaded with aphrodisiac properties. Trust the humans to elevate (and of course mask) the mating ritual ( uhh!! We are civilized chimps, aren't we ?) to a summit hitherto unexplored by other species. 

But moving on from one basic instinct to another, let us explore the possibilities of consuming this 'passion enhancer' magic potion in other ways. Not a tough call given that milk is the major component of this drink. So, it can be easily used in any milk based dessert. Here I have chosen it to be the fluid component of a very refreshing 'Rasmalai'. Thinner than it's regular counterpart but infused with the mellow notes of rose, fennel, pepper, cardamom, saffron and other nuts, this one is a winner. Serve it to your guests on Holi and watch the pics go viral.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

For the Thandai -

• 1 litre whole milk ( use skimmed if you want to reduce calories )
• 16-18 nos almonds
• 10-12 nos cashews
• 7-8 pistachios
• 1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds (khuskhus)
• 1 1/2 tbsp watermelon seeds (magaj)
• 1 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 4-5 green cardamons
• 1 tsp peppercorns ( reduce by half for kids )
• a few strands of saffron
• 1 tbsp rose water/essence (use fresh petals if you find some, the dark pink ones are best)
• 1 cup sugar

For the rasmalai - 

• 1 litres whole milk
• 3-4 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp maida /all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar 

For the Thandai :

Preparation - Soak the almonds, cashews, pistachios, poppy seeds and watermelon seeds together. (Remove the almond skin once it is soaked)

Dry roast the peppercorns, fennel and cardamom till it gives off a fragrance.

Cooking - Bring the milk to boil in a thick bottomed vessel. Let it simmer till it reduces to 2/3rd of the original volume and then switch off flame.

Add the sugar and saffron strands to the still hot milk. Mix gently so that the sugar dissolves.Allow to cool.

Transfer the roasted spices to a grinder and buzz till they are powdered. Add all the soaked nuts and grind everything till you get a very fine paste. Add a little water to thin the consistency if it is getting too difficult to grind. Add this paste along with rose essence to the milk and allow to stand for 1 hour.

Use a cloth to strain and transfer the milk into another vessel (an earthen pot would be ideal but do not worry if you cant find one).

For the Rasmalai Balls :

Preparation - Bring the milk to boil in a saucepan. Do not let it boil for more than 4-5 mins.

Dilute the vinegar with equal amount of water and add to the milk. This should be sufficient to separate the paneer from the green colored water. However if the water still looks milky, add some some water-vinegar mix. Once all the paneer is separated, add a few ice cubes and 2-3 cup water to the saucepan. This prevents the paneer from cooking further.

Strain all the paneer and wash it under running water to remove any traces of vinegar. Gather it in a piece of cheesecloth/muslin and hang for 20-30 mins to remove excess water.

Transfer to a plate. Knead it with the heel of your palms for 10 mins to get a uniform mixture. Add the maida at this stage and knead for another 5-6 mins.

Divide into 25-30 lumps and shape each into a smooth ball with no visible cracks on the surface.

Add the 2 cups sugar along with 5 cups water to a pressure cooker. Let it boil for 5 mins before adding the paneer balls. Close the lid and cook for 25-30 mins. Remove from the flame and allow to cool down to room temperature.

Putting it together -

Gently squeeze the paneer balls to remove excess sugar water. Then drop them into the thandai. Refrigerate (at least for 2 hours) till you serve it.

Garnish with saffron, pistachios and rose petals while serving.

My 5 Favorite picks for Holi !!

As they descend in hordes, their appetites whetted by playing under the sun for long and their minds intoxicated by the festivities all around, it is time to lay out a sumptuous spread that becomes the talking point for days to come !!

Check out some of my favorites -

1. Dahi Vada / Dahi Bhalle - Black lentils fritters steeped in a thick/thin yogurt preparation, it can either be on the sweeter side or just savoury. Team it up with an Alu dum or/and yellow peas curry and enjoy it in a tyically Odia style.

2. Thandai Kulfi - A delicious twist on the North Indian drink Thandai, this one packs the delectable flavors into Kulfi cones that simply melt on the tongue. ( For the recipe of Thandaii click here.)

3. Alu Papdi / Dahi Papdi Chaat - Simple yet delicious, this street food is an all time favorite with all age groups !! Though the yogurt version is far more soothing on the taste buds, there is a vegan version too for folks who are averse to lactose .

4. Mawa Gujjiya - Another sweet delicacy from the North, this one provides the right balance to the spicy Holi fare. Crispy on the outside and stuffed with rich mawa and dry fruit, it is not to be missed.

5. Jalebi with Rabdi - Hot jalebis served with chilled Rabdi or even ice cream has turned out to be a hot favorite these days. And with RTS mixes easily available these days, it has become quite easy to whip up this delicacy.