Nankhatai with Gur Shakkar | Indian Bakery Biscuits

Today I am sharing another recipe for Nankhatai! This one is really melts in the mouth and has a distinctive flavor as I have use Gur Shakkar to sweeten it. Gur Shakkar is a great way to sweeten traditional Indian sweets. I use it in baking especially bakes that are classically Indian. Learn more about Gur Shakkar here.

Kesari Peda | Creamy Saffron Milk Fudge

It was Basant Panchami on the 4th of February this year!! Hard to believe with spring nowhere on the horizon this year. It seems that we are in a never ending cold spell. And this was confirmed by the local groundhog who announced bright and early on Sunday morning that we are to expect two more weeks of the chilly winter. Yet despite the frigid temperatures, I heard the sweet sound of a bird on the tree outside the bedroom window on the very same morning!! Yes, the cardinal is back. Every year we are treated to its sweet music around this time of the year. And this year is no different, there she was sitting on the frozen branch of a frozen tree, announcing her arrival. Oh, joy!!

Firni | Phirni | Creamy Ground Rice Custard - Three Ways

Monday night and I was craving some really creamy dessert!! No, not ice cream or even cream cake. I was looking for something smooth, milky and sweet. Phirni, the fabulously easy milk custard had been on my mind for a while! Thickened with rice paste and sweetened with sugar, this dessert harks back to hot Delhi days when cold desserts were a welcome relief. Prepared in the heat of the day, garnished with nuts fried in ghee, and chilled to perfection in the refrigerator, Phirni always marked the perfect ending to spicy meals!

Shahi Tukre | Double ka Meetha aur Kesariya Rabri (Crispy Bread Pudding in a Pistachio Saffron Sauce)

Its been days since I made a good desi meetha or Indian Sweet!! The festival season has begun in India and I have been wanting to begin my Festive Fayre series again!! And what better sweet than the one called Shahi Tukra | Shahi Tukre | Double ka Meetha or quite simply Royal Morsels in English.

Daring Bakers February 2011: Saffron Panna Cotta with a Pistachio Encrusted Mango Gelee

For the February 2011 Daring Baker's Challenge I made a Saffron Panna Cotta with a Pistachio Encrusted Mango Gelee. I made the Panna Cotta with a combination of single cream and full fat milk to which I added some agave nectar, pinch of sugar, salt, and saffron. Set it with agar agar. For the mango gelee, I used mango syrup, diluted with water, a squeeze of lemon, and agar agar. Pistachios were left raw, crushed coarsely, and encrusted in between the panna cotta and the gelee.

Thanks to Mallory for this wonderful Challenge!!

Post Script: The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Click here for the complete Daring Baker's February 2011 Challenge.

All content, text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Strawberries with Saffron-Cardamom Yogurt

Yes, it is the end of the summer, and we are in the pushing into autumn. But here's the last of the blush of summer in a really delightfully simple dessert. We love the lovely combination of textures and flavours that come together here: the tart strawberries, the thick yogurt, the fragrant cardamom, and incredible saffron. I hope you will love this one too :)

Ingredients:
2 cups Greek yogurt
2 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 tsp cardamom, powdered
1/2 tsp saffron strands
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp brown sugar, divided equally

Method:

1. Warm the milk for 30 seconds in the microwave. Drop the saffron strands in the milk. Stir, cover, and set out for 5 minutes.
2. Place the yogurt and sugar in a large glass bowl. Whip the yogurt for 5 minutes. Add the cardamom powder and mix well.
3. Strain the saffron extract and pour it into the yogurt. Mix well and then cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. In the meanwhile, hull the strawberries and slice them. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
5. Assemble the desert in individual bowls. Place a tablespoon of the saffron-cardamom yogurt in the bowl. Cover with two tablespoonfuls of the berries. On these berries, add a layer of the yogurt so that it covers the berries completely. Spoon two more tablespoons of berries on the yogurt and finally top with a spoonful of yogurt.
6. Repeat for all bowls. Serve immediately.

P.S. If you can't find any fresh strawberries, fresh frozen ones work just as well. Just follow the thawing instructions on the packet!!

This original recipe goes out to the Original Recipes Round-Up #4 hosted by Culinarty at Culinarty: The Art of Microwave Baking. This is a really interesting and unique event and I would encourage all readers with desire to create and learn to drop by and view the previous and current round-ups:)


All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2013. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Besan Laddoos & Sabudana Khichiri

Besan Laddoos make a beautiful and tasty naivedyam. Its also one sweet that stays well and stores well too. This year I decided to make besan laddoos for Ganesh Chaturthi. This is a really tasty recipe - and makes a delicious festival food.

A Swiss Treat: Green Pea and Saffron Risotto

This one's for Zorra to help her feel at home and celebrate 'Swiss National Day'. After much deliberation, I decided to go with a Risotto and a Gratin. Both turned out to be really easy to make and were bursting with flavour!!!!