Everytime I visit one of those lavish spreads at any of the popular restaurants, the one regular fixture on the desserts menu is a mousse. But the one thing that stops me from digging into them is the humongous amount of calories contained in a tiny portion. Also, it doesn't help when I think about all the chemicals that go into it. Yes, that pretty looking cup/glass might very well contain gelatin, agar agar, artificial flavoring and a slew of chemicals that might have made their way into the whipping cream/heavy cream.
That's why I choose to go vegan whenever I have the craving for some nice wholesome mousse. Taking avocado as the base ingredient, I can add any fruit plup or cocoa powder for the flavoring . For sweetening the final product, raw honey works just as great. Ta-daaa. My delicious vegan mousse is ready.
Check out the easy-peasy recipe -
Preparation Time - 10 mins
Ingredients -
2 ripe avocados
pulp of two ripe mangoes
2-3 tsp honey ( use a bit more if you want )
few drops of vanilla extract ( can be substituted with cardamom powder )
Preparation - Halve the avocados. Remove the stone and scoop out the flesh.
Throw into the blender jar. Add the mango pulp, few drops of vanilla extract and the honey. Buzz for a few seconds.
Pour into the serving cups. Pop into the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Garnish with small mango cubes. Serve chilled.
Note - This mousse stay fresh fresh for upto 24 hours when kept in a airtight container in the fridge .
" Only a Mother Can Give What She Does Not Have . "
That just about sums up the role of a mother in the lives of her children. To pay tribute to her existence and to reinforce our faith in her, Indiblogger in association with Horlicks, organised a bloggers meet on Mother's day. "An evening with national and international experts on the subject of immunity, and its implications on growth in children" proclaimed the homepage which had the mommy in me going hook, line and sinker. Yes, we mommies are an obsessed and somewhat desperate lot when it comes to the well-being of our children .
While I had marked my calendar for 8th May on the very day I saw the first update, the venue ( which was disclosed later ) had me thrilled. After all, it was going to be my first visit to one of the most prominent landmarks of Bangalore. Dare you miss it on a visit to MG Road ! The wait to the event was the tough part and I actually used this time to reconnect with most of the bloggers whom I had met during the previous IndiMeets.
On the big day, I shared a cab with few of my blogger friends to travel to the venue ( economical and great for the environment ) and we walked into the lobby a few minutes before showtime. A feeling of happiness washed over me as I spotted quite a few known faces in the crowd. Some of us were catching up after a long time and the 'Hi's and Hello's' were high on drama. Inspite of being digitally well-connected, networking in person still retains that old world charm that makes us go misty eyed.
The Check-in for the event turned out to be quite smooth thanks to the electronic passes issued by the Indiblogger Team. The seating was comfortable with small tables ( 7 - 8 persons ) spread out over a large area. I am always happy when I get into these kind of settings as opposed to rows and rows of chairs. It allows for much better interaction and I can always get up and walk over to another table whenever I spot a familiar face. There was a fascinating mix of food, travel and lifestyle bloggers for our table. Once the conversation flowed, we had the rare opportunity to catch glimpses of the person/idea behind the blog.
As always, it was the spunky Anoop who got the event rolling. We were introduced to a fellow blogger but one with international acclaim. Jill Castle, America's Childhood Nutrition expert is a woman who wears multiple hats. Mother of 4, author, blogger and a registered dietitian/nutritionist, she calls for a holistic approach towards the subject of nutrition, especially in the age group of 5 to 14 which is the time when children grow to their full potential. For the first time, we were exposed to the issue of 'hidden hunger', which is all about malnutrition that exists at both ends of economic spectrum. The deficiency of micro nutrients hinders growth and affects immunity that leads to a child missing out on school attendance. She reiterated on the age old wisdom of including all the five food groups in one's everyday meal to get balanced nutrition.
One of the shocking facts that she shared with us the repercussions of adopting the western diet. While the western diets looks seductive when compared to our traditional foods, we tend to ignore the fact that the western diet is rich in fortified foods and nutritional supplements are an integral part of their regimen. Sadly, India lags behind on these two fronts. Another very interesting information shared by her was the fact that pulses and cereals have inhibitors that hinder the absorption of essential micro-nutrients. This can be countered by the use of fermented cereals ( for example substitute rotis with breads or add yeast to the dough ) and by germinating the pulses before cooking them ( overnight soaking for example activates some of the enzymes that counter the effect of such inhibitors ). She detailed out multiple approaches that can be taken to tackle the issue of childhood malnutrition.
Taking the agenda forward, Amaan Khan, head of marketing GSK, outlined the role Horlicks has been playing in ensuring that children turn out 'Taller, Stronger and Smarter'. He pointed out the gaps in nutrition that led to children falling sick ( on an average 4 times a year and for 11 days in total ), The insightful data also pointed out that Indian mothers end up spending upto 850 rupees a month on children's medication. A steep price if you compare the cost of preventive measures like including a dietary supplement like Horlicks ( which is incidentally available in sachets that cost Rs 6 for 18 gms ) in their everyday routine. As a part of their CSR activities, Horlicks has been active in schools throughout the country for weeding out the primary causes of malnutrition. Combining these figures with their ongoing R&D efforts, they have relaunched Horlicks in a brand new composition that now has 2X the amount of selenium and Vitamin D along with other micro nutrients that are clinically proven to support immunity.
This was followed by a panel discussion that had a team of eminent panelists taking questions from the audience. The need for a balanced diet was reiterated and meal compositions discussed to ensure that kids get enough nutrients. For example, idli by itself may not satisfy all the nutrient requirement but when combined with sambar and a vegetable chutney, it provides all the nutrients required by growing children. The importance of including fruit in one's diet was also explained to the audience.
And then, it was time for a surprise quiz which got the audience thrilled. A few questions to jog our memory and test the listening skills had us going. The winners ended up taking home some cool vouchers whereas the rest of us just had to make do with a sumptuous spread which was a mix of delicious Indian and Lebanese dishes. It was followed by some mind-blowing coffee icecream and mango cheesecake for desserts !
The food was accompanied with more networking as we quickly exchanged URLs ,social handles and even phone numbers with a select few. Finally, it was time to say goodbyes and call it a day. A hamper was handed over to each one of us as we walked out of the hall. Like all good things, yet another eventful and relevant Indiblogger meet had come to an end.
Even as I walked out of the venue, the thought that filled my mind was to ensure that the cause did not end with the evening. As bloggers and mothers, we carry a great responsibility on our shoulders. And we must rise to the challenge of building immunity in our children so that they can grow 'Taller, Stronger and Smarter'.
Mangalore. My first posting after the initial training period was in this small but lively coastal city. One of the coolest and cleanest cities that I have visited, I found it to be one of the safest cities of women. I remember walking down home from office on late at night when I was working late and could not find buses/autos on the road. And that too without any incident. Wow, sounds amazing, doesn't it ?
But the real reason it finds a mention in this post is because the safe environment coupled with the friendly folks allowed the pub culture to thrive and flourish. Yep, this is one city that could put our metros to shame. Given the wonderful environment, we (aka the girl gang) were not scared of partying late and enjoying a drink or two. And this is where I tried the 'Vodka screwdriver' for the first time. Quite a simple drink, but one that had me hooked. Infact, it is the best way to savor vodka as which gives a characteristic slight burning as it makes its way down the throat and produces warm afterglow once it hits the stomach.
I have memories galore of the Mangalore days, including those of relishing 'Kori Rotti' and Rawa fish fry at the local eateries. At places like this ordering the food was the toughest part as we did not have the benefit of a local guide. But despite the language barrier, the smiles on our faces expressed the sheer pleasure we felt when we tasted the local cuisine. No mention of Mangalore is complete without a brief on Pabba's ice-creams. 'Gadbad' and 'Dilkush', two of the most popular ice-creams were considered epic by my teammates and friends. But my foodie imagination was captured by the yummy 'Banana split'. The memories of those magical days in turn have become a source of inspiration behind this boozy delight 'Tangerine Fantasy'.
The planning and prepping for this post coincided with the Odia/Bengali New Year. With this time of the year being marked with the exchange of sweets, the 'Komola Bhog', an orange flavored rasgulla which is a popular desserts consumed on this day, captured my imagination. I picked it up to go with my Vodka drink and added some orange/lemon jelly with candied fruits to make it stand out. That's my way of having a traditional 'Dessert with a Twist'. Yep, you guessed it right ! It is the theme for this fortnight's 'Foodventures', a gastronomic venture by renowned Chef Vikas Khanna, and food and travel writer Vir Sanghvi who are all set to take food in a new high ( pun intended ).
Here is the recipe -
Preparation Time - 1 hour
Ingredients -
For the 'Rasgulla'
1/2 liter full cream milk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp maida
1 tsp semolina
5-6 strands saffron
For the syrup -
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups water
rind of one orange
For the jelly -
1 tsp powdered agaragar
2 cups water
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp sugar ( or to taste )
candied orange peels ( chopped into small bits )
For the final assembly -
500 ml Vodka
Preparation - Bring the milk to a boil. Add the the diluted lemon juice, stir and switch off the flame. Within 2-3 mins, the solids will separate. Strain immediately and wash under running water.
Gather into a cheese cloth and hang it for 1 hour or so. Squeeze out any remaining water but do not make it chalk dry.
Knead using your palm for 2-3 mins. Then add the semolina, maida and saffron. Knead till the fingers start turning greasy and the chenna retains its shape when squeezed into a ball.
Divide the chenna into 7-8 parts. Roll each one into a smooth and crack free ball.
Around the same time, bring the sugar , orange rind and water to a boil. Add the chenna balls to the syrup and cover with a lid. Cook on medium high.for 30 mins. Switch off the flame and very gently remove the rasgullas and add it to hot water. Let it soak for 5 mins and then transfer it back to the original sugar syrup. Allow to cool down completely.
For making the jelly, add the agar agar to the water and allow it to dissolve completely. Once done, divide into two equal parts. Add the orange juice and a bit of sugar to one portion. Stir to dissolve.
To the other portion, add the lemon juice and remaining sugar.
Pour the a layer of the orange flavored syrup into the serving glasses, sprinkle some candied orange and pop into the freezer chamber for setting it quickly. ( Keep the lemon flavored syrup from solidifying by immersing the bowl into hot water. )
Once the first layer is done, remove the glasses from the freezer. Pour the lemon jelly layer along with some more candied fruit. One can stick to candied orange peel or opt for another fruit. Pop it into the fridge to set it.
Once the layers are done, pour some chilled vodka into the glasses. Put in the rasgulla and finally top it with more vodka / orange flavored sugar syrup as per taste.
Serve immediately.
That was my idea of 'Desserts with a twist' . Check out these two fabulous videos which feature Vikas Khanna and Vir Sanghvi with their inimitable versions -
Vikas's Persimmon Chili Cobbler
and Vir's Mochi Ice cream
Want to share your foodventurous recipes ?? Do it HERE.
Do not forget to drop a comment or two on the blog. I love to read them all.
The scorching summers in Odisha are fiery enough to bleach, burn and obliterate most greens from one's backyard garden. But one creeper that is not only capable of withstanding this heat but thriving in it, is the Malabar spinach or 'Poi'. I vividly remember watering most plants twice a day during the summers, once early in the morning and another time during the evening, just to enable them to survive the wrath of the sun God. But this dark green plant seemed oblivious to the misery of it's fellow plants as it continued to grow at a vigorous rate and bloom. That is, inspite of the regular plucking of the leaves and the tender stem. With the vegetable supply dwindling down during summers, the Malabar spinach was a much needed addition to the summer menu.
One of my favorite curries with Malabar spinach was a frugal but delicious fish head curry. To quell the sibling rebellion over who would get the choicest bit of the fish, aka the head, my grandmother would fry the bit, crush it to bits and fry it up again. This would be made into a curry with malabar spinach, some pumpkin, potato and any other veggie one would find at the time. Instead of the heavy onion-garlic-ginger paste that goes into the chencheda, this one would be spiced with an ultra light mustard-garlic-chili paste.
Read on for the recipe -
Preparation Time - 30-35 mins
Ingredients -
2 medium sized potatoes ( cut into small cubes )
1 cup pumpkin ( cut into small cubes )
1 cup Malabar spinach stems ( slit into 2 )
2 cups malabar spinach leaves ( shredded)
1 large Rohu/Catla fish head
1 medium onion
2 tsp mustard seeds
10 garlic cloves
2 dry red chilis ( use for if you want it hot )
5-6 tsp oil
salt to taste
1/5 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp mustard seeds for tempering
a pinch of nigella seeds ( kala jeera)
Preparation - Wash and marinate the fish head with salt and a little turmeric.
Make a fine paste out of the 2 tsp mustard seeds, half of the garlic cloves and red chilis. Dissolve this paste in 1 cup water and keep aside.
Crush the remaining garlic. Chop the onion into medium sized pieces.
Cooking - Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add the fish head and fry it.
Once it looks browned on all sides, remove it and crush it with a heavy object. Add it back to the wok and fry to a crisp on a low flame.
At the same time as you start cooking the fish, heat the remaining oil in another wok. Add the mustard, nigella seeds and crushed garlic. Once they turn fragrant, add the onion. Fry to a translucent.
Add the potato, pumpkin and malabar spinach stems. Sprinkle salt over the veggies and let them cook for 6-7 mins on medium flame.
Finally add the malabar spinach leaves and toss on high for 2 mins.
Now carefully pour the mustard paste water over the vegetables taking care to leave the solid residue in the cup .( The solid portion can make the curry bitter )
Add another cup of water and adjust the salt. Cook covered till all the vegetables are done, especially the malabar spinach stems which take long time to cook.
Once most of the water is gone, add the crisp fish head bits to the curry. Mix and remove immediately from flame.
Serve hot with white rice and dal / pakhala.
Note - If you do not have fish head, this can be made using other parts of the fish. But with fish head, the taste is best.
Incessant snacking has always been an integral part of the long summer days. But between a fussy kid and a diabetic MIL, I am always running short of options. And it was yet another dreary summer afternoon when I sat scratching my head for striking the right balance between health and taste when the doorbell rang shattering my concentration. I opened the door to find the delivery boy standing with a huge 5 L canister of Fortune Vivo Diabetes Care Oil. The Blogadda guys had indeed send me a generous sample for the review. They have been thoughtful enough to provide a two month's supply of the oil. That is more than enough time to test the efficiency of the oil on any diabetic patient.
Given my habit of checking out the nutritional information for every single item that I purchase, I promptly turned the can to check out the constituents of this oil. Turned out that it is a blend of rice bran and sesame oil (in a 80-20 ratio). Now that had me impressed for both oils have known diabetes controlling properties. Especially sesame oil, which has been in the limelight recently due to its proven ability to control high blood sugar levels and improves the effectiveness of the prescribed medication.
Initially, that is before I started cooking with it, I was a bit skeptical about the taste. Since it has that mild smell of sesame oil, I was worried if my fussy kid would pick it out. But thankfully, the smell goes off completely once I use it for cooking. With such a healthy cooking medium at my disposal, I could now try out almost any recipe without fear of compromising on taste/health.
Now my MIL and my kid are big fans of fried snacks. And 'Mathri' happens to be one of their favorites. To make it extra healthy, I added some ragi flour to the whole wheat flour that I normally use. And a touch of garlic for extra zing. Used Fortune Vivo Oil both for kneading the dough and deep frying the it. The 'Mathris' turned out to be delicious and for once I was not worried about serving fried stuff to my diabetic MIL. Given the win-win scenario and buoyed by the success of my first trial, I extended the use of this oil to every dish that I prepare. And every time, it lived up to my expectations.
So, this us a short review of Fortune Vivo Dia-Care Oil -
Pro's 1. Contains health benefits like tocotrienol and Oryzanol. 2. Contains sesame oil which has proven properties to regulate blood sugar levels. 3. Priced economically at Rs 675/- for 5 liters. 4. Taste is neutral. 5. Easily available. 6. Less absorbed while frying. Con's
1. Smells lightly of sesame oil. But it goes off during cooking.
Overall, it is one great choice not only for diabetics but for everyone looking to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
And this is the fabulously yummy and healthy 'Garlic Ragi Mathri' recipe. Read on -
Preparation Time - 40 mins
Ingredients -
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup ragi flour
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
salt to taste
5 tsp oil for kneading + sufficient for deep frying ( I used Fortune Vivo Dia-Care Oil )
Preparation - Take the wheat flour, ragi flour, grated garlic, chili powder, baking powder, salt and 5 tsp oil in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
Sprinkle water little by little and knead into a tight dough. Smear it with a little oil and keep aside for 1-2 hours.
Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok.
Roll out the dough into a thick circle ( about 2 mm thickness ). Take the cap of a bottle and cut out small circles ( abt 3 cm in diameter ). Pierce holes into the circles with a fork.
Add 4-5 circles to the hot oil and fry till brown on both sides. Take out and place on paper napkins.
Repeat for the remaining dough.
Once the mathri had cooled down completely, store it in airtight containers.
Note - Both Ragi and garlic are beneficial for Diabetic patients. And combined with the health benefits of the Fortune Vivo Dia-Care oil, they makes for a great addition to a diabetic menu.
'Food for Thought'. Or rather 'Tea for Thought'. That's what gave birth to the widely used expression 'Chai pe Charcha'. India covets the cup even as it savors the refreshment offered by it. Right up to the last dredges of it !! And since the mind is as it's relaxed best when one is holding a cup in one's hands, it is one helluva opportune moment to initiate it to something new. Or even to adopt a fresh perspective of looking at an existing dilemma.
Yep ! It is yet another opportunity to grab eyeballs for one's business. And GingerCup will show you the right way of doing it !
Press Release ***
True
goes the adage, “Old is gold”. No matter how far we have come, how smart we
have become, the things from where we have evolved will remain the mainstay of
our lives. For instance, reading a book will never go out of style. We are not
sure about an e-book though! Olden times bear the essence of life. No denying
trends are impactful but then they carry an ephemeral impact. Calm down! It is
not a philosophy class. It is rather an opportunity to talk about a marketing
strategy that bears the essence a modern man misses.
Equipped
with high-tech gadgets, today’s virtual world is on the top of popularity and
convenience quotient. Every possible desire can be fulfilled online. While
online marketers are playing it hard with their tactics, there is this company
GingerCup which still sticks to offline marketing and busts the idea of an ad
getting unnoticed. Essentially, GingerCup optimizes two interesting offline
marketing platforms. So, what do they do?
1.Paper
Cup Advertising – GingerCup’s marketing strategy entails
bringing a brand into the limelight through exquisitely designed printed paper
cups used for tea/coffee. The strategically designed quality paper cups feature
the client’s logo, website address, offer code, contact details, etc. upon
them. After getting designed, they are then printed and distributed for free
where they are likely to come in contact with targeted audience. The expert
team at GingerCup first decides the right set of people to target, the quantum
of cups to be distributed, and the places where the cups are to be distributed.
A purposefully designed quality tea cup gets the brand noticed and spoken
about. People seem to enjoy every sip of their kick-start drink (tea /coffee)
and thus spend ample to have it. So, while having it, they see an alluring ad
right in their hand. Resultantly, it is not only welcomed but also shared
further through word of mouth.
2.Flyers
– Not all the flyers in the world are distributed with a
strategy. GingerCup does it purposefully. It is beyond someone’s imagination
how the booming online world can be a boon for an offline marketing campaign.
Right from shopping clothes to give them for laundry, from buying books to
ordering a pizza, everything is done online. We know everything which is bought
has to get delivered at a customer’s place. GingerCup prints enticingly
designed flyers that speak about their clients’ brand / product / service and
all the essential information the targeted audience would require knowing about
them. Having tied up with the delivery providers, GingerCup gets the flyers
delivered at a place along with the products being ordered online. In a fit of
excitement to open a newly bought item, people notice what comes along with it.
It then makes it certain for the flyer to get read and create an impact about
the advertised brand on the reader’s mind.
Carrying
a distinctive strategic approach, these marketing methods are easy on the
pocket and fertile enough to breed the desired level of brand recognition for
an advertiser. Therefore, when there is every possibility of an online ad
getting scrolled down, GingerCup’s potential ad weapons are hard to ignore.
Indeed, it is something here to stay.
Yes, it's that time of the year. Even as you have your bags packed and are all set to go on that vacation, the timing is right to bring out the fashionista in you. For each woman is created unique and possesses a style quotient of her own.
Limeroad, the one stop fashion destination is hosting a contest that allow you to show off your style, win some admiring fans and also a chance to win 500 Limeroad points ( equivalent to Rs 500 shopping credit ).
So, here is what you have to do -
1. Login to limeroad.com
2. Go to the scrapbook. Select any one of the holiday templates.
3. Click on each product and choose one from the many options.
4. Put together a look that would make you proud !!
5. Finally tag it with #StyleYourHoliday and #SwetaBiswal
Yay !! You are done in a few minutes :)
The winner ( for my blog ) will be chosen by me. But do hurry up as the contest is only till tomorrow (30th April) midnight !!
