Beat the Heat Series ~ Kairi ka Panna/ Aam ka Panna

This is a thirst quencher for hot summer days. Of which there seems to be no end in sight in my part of the world. But since there are mangoes as compensation, I will not crib just a little .

Raw mangoes are almost on the wane now, so before they finish, i made kairi ka panna. Its an easy to make drink that can be made and stored in the fridge, either as a concentrate or diluted in a ready to drink form. It keeps in the fridge for about 10 days in a closed bottle.

Kairi ka Panna

1 cup pulp of raw mangoes (i skinned and sliced about 2 medium sized raw mangoes)

3/4 cup sugar (adjust according to the tartness of the mango)

2 cups water

large pinch of salt

in a pan (i use the pressure cooker and cook upto 3 whistles) add the mango pulp, sugar and the water and boil till the mango is fully cooked. cool and add to the liquidiser and pulse till it forms a frothy mix. this will be like a thick sauce. add the salt, check and adjust salt / sugar. this is now the concentrate.

To serve: dilute with chilled water in a 1:5 ratio, top with ice and serve. Alternatively dilute the whole amount with 1.5 litres of water and store in bottles.

Note: a lot of recipes will call for a spice mix of pepper, black salt and cumin to be added, but i prefer it plain. go ahead and add the spices if you enjoy it.

Beat the Heat Series ~ Aamrakhand

This is an easy to make Indian dessert that uses the seasons offering and my favourite fruit in the world – Mangoes. Following the aam ras of the day before, this is mango shrikhand also called aamrakhad. It is very easy to make and serves both as a low fat (and relatively low sugar) dessert. Tastes great with puris and parathas.

For those of you looking to beat the heat, aamrakhand will be a delicious option, combined with the health of yogurt.

Aamrakhand (makes 6 servings)

2 cups hung yogurt

(i used homemade yogurt from 1 litre skimmed milk. after the curd is set, place a cheesecloth or any other clean very thin fabric over a sieve, place it over a bowl to catch the drip of the whey, pour the curd into the cloth covered sieve and place the vessels in the fridge for atleast 4 hours or overnight to drain out all the water)

1 1/2 cups mango pulp (i used the rasaalu variety)

10-12 teaspoons of sugar (adjust according to the sweetness of the mango pulp – use powdered sugar for ease of mixing)

1/2 teaspoon of finely powdered green cardamom

a few tablespoons of sliced almonds for the garnish (also can use crushed pistachios or leave out completely)

place all the ingredients except the almonds in a bowl and whip with a whisk or a ladle till everything is incorporated and it has a nice creamy texture. chill for atleast an hour before serving. spoon out individual portions in serving bowls, garnish with sliced almonds (or any other nuts of your choice). sprinkle a little cardamom powder for an additional touch. serve as dessert, or with hot puris or parathas.

Beat the Heat Series ~ Caramel Custard

My childhood memories are full of caramel custard as this was a dessert amma used to make very often. It was easy enough to rustle up and special enough to make an entry when we had guests. Also caramel custard is very well liked, and is naturally a good choice when you need to make dessert for guests. This can be made ahead and refrigerated and so eases labour on the actual day of entertaining.

This is one of the easiest desserts to make and is a good way to use up extra milk and leftover bread. Around the time that I was trying to use up the frozen milk that had piled up in the fridge, caramel custard was one of the things I made. When I was browsing online I found many recipes that bake the custard in a water bath in the oven. Amma usually used to steam cook this in the pressure cooker, without the whistle (which is also the way I used to make it). This time I decided to oven bake. I was quite pleased with the results.

I made this with eggs, since they were going to be cooked anyways J. I want to try an eggless version soon.

Sending this out to a foodie event after what seems like years!! off to valli’s Thanda Mela

Caramel Custard (serves 2-3)

3 cups of milk (I used 3%)

2 slices bread, torn into bite sized bits, stale is good

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 eggs (I used one, feel free to add two)

8 tablespoons sugar, 6 for the caramel, 2 for the custard

A large pinch of cinnamon powder (optional but very good)

Take a shallow metal baking dish that will hold about 500 mls. Add the 6 tablespoons of sugar to it, heat on a low flame, holding it up with a pair of tongs, till the sugar is caramelized. Tilt it around to spread the caramel evenly around the base of the vessel. Take off the heat and set aside to cool and set.

In a saucepan, heat the milk, add the sugar (2 tablespoons) and mix well to dissolve. When lukewarm, add the vanilla, cinnamon, eggs and whisk well till well blended. Add the bread and mix again. Leave f9or about 5 minutes to settle and for the bread to absorb the liquid. Pour this mixture into the pan with the caramel . Preheat the oven to 180 C. Pour about an inch of water in a baking sheet, place the dish with the custard mixture in this vessel  and bake about 20 minutes, till set and slightly browning on top. Remove from the oven, cool and refrigerate atleast 4 hrs or overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the pan, place a plate, face down on the pan, upturn and gently tap to release onto a plate. Serve cold.

Beat the Heat Series ~ Strawberry Lassi

Its all Valli’s fault…there she posted a status on fb asking what everyone’s favourite lassi (yogurt drink) was….and i replied with an choice between Rooh Afza and strawberries… i just couldnt concentrate on my work after that cos i kept thinking of the boxes of frozen strawberries i had in the freezer…. around 3 p.m, unable to take it anymore and taking solace in the fact that i needed this somehow to think clearly on a hot summer afternoon, i was slurping on a glass of thick delicious strawberry lassi to die for…. make it and see how addicted you can get….

Valli’s having a summer fest with cold treats for the season…sending off this lassi there~

Strawberry Lassi (serves 2)

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled, washed and chopped roughly

1 cup ice cubes

1 cup plain yogurt ( i used home made 3% fat, but anything will do)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

2-3 tablespoons sugar (optional, i didnt use it, depending on how tart the strawberries are)

take all of the ingredients in a blender jar and whizz for 1 minute in short bursts till everything is well blended and you get a thick frothy lassi. check for sugar and adjust bu adding if needed. if too thick, add 1/4 cup of cold water. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Beat the Heat Series ~ A’s Quick and Easy Carrot Sandwich

This is not much of a recipe but its a great idea for an easy and really quick sandwich to satisfy those after work hunger pangs, or even as a light dinner or breakfast option. It is also high on the veggie quotient and has no mayonnaise, and yet fakes the taste of it!! What more could you ask for? The recipe credit goes to A who I don’t know why has abandoned her cooking blog…because she has all these awesome ideas for quick and easy meals… She made this for me one evening, only because she spotted some grated carrots in my fridge….

A’s Quick and Easy Carrot Sandwich

time taken – 5-10 minutes

2 slices bread (brown preferably)

1 medium carrot grated finely

a pinch of red chilli powder or 1/4 of a finely sliced green chilli/ you can also use a little bit of tabasco or any other chili sauce

2 tablespoons thick curd (plain yogurt)

salt and pepper to taste

2 slices of tomato

a few lettuce leaves

olive oil to drizzle

toast the bread on a hot griddle / tava

mix the grated carrots with the curd, season with salt and pepper and add the chilly.

Spread the curd/ carrot spread onto a slice of bread, top with sliced tomatoes and lettuce.

Cover with the other slice of bread, Slice diagonally, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Beat the Heat Series ~ Iced Lemon and Mint Tea

With the temperatures in Hyderabad already touching 42 celsius, it isn’t my favourite part of the year…. i still have to wait for the mangoes to appear so i can take comfort and manage the heat….but i promised to crib less (!) about the heat this year and explore foods that can cool me down quite literally!!

Its been a busy two weeks, I cant even imagine they went past so soon….Amma sure has a hectic social life, much more than mine! She leaves on saturday. Today was the day to check if all the stuff she amassed bought over this visit can be packed … in the midst of bringing down the suitcases and helping her sort things out, I needed to have a cold drink or I was sure to burst a blood vessel, it was that hot, I kid you not!

I promptly went to the kitchen to see what i could get. I am not the fizzy drinks person, unless its spiked strongly , we also dont store too many boxed juices, I was out of yogurt so i couldnt make my favourite Lassi, we didnt have any fruit either so fruit juice too wasnt possible. Then i saw the chai…i have quite an assortment of flavours…..all those books and magazines i read with references to hot summer afternoons spent sipping iced tea on the porch came flooding as i stood there with the cabinet door open, looking at the boxes of teas….

lots of crushed ice and mint leaves, a cup of hot water and one tea bag later, i was a happy woman….sipping like i was featured in a magazine!! Try it, it was super refreshing.

Am sending this to Valli’s Thanda Mela head over there for summer treats

Lemon and Mint Iced Tea (makes 2 tall glasses)

1 tea bag lemon flavoured tea

1 cup hot water

2 cups very cold water

few sprigs fresh mint leaves

1 cup ice, crushed

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

Immerse the tea bag into the hot water and cover and leave to infuse for about 2 mins. In the meanwhile, crush the ice and add equal amounts to the two glasses. lightly bruise the mint leaves with the back of a spoon or a muddler. divide equally and add to the crushed ice. Remove the tea bag from the hot water, add the sugar and cold water and mix till the sugar has dissolved. add the lemon juice. pour over the crushed ice and mint into the tall glasses. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve.