Shrikhand

I was looking for a dessert recipe, that is simple to make. My sweet-finale to dinner has always been the semiya payasam (vermicelli kheer) and I was itching for a change. Shrikhand fit my expectations very nicely. And it requires only less than 5 ingredients which make it eligible for the Less is More event hosted by Nupur.

The rules of this event are that the dish should contain only 5 or less ingredients and should be from another blog. Bookmark the event page as I am sure it going to be fabulous to have a collection of dishes which require only less than 5 ingredients to make.

Browsing through some blogs, I was surprised to find different varieties of this dish - the traditional Shrikhand, Mango Shrikhand and even Strawberry shrikhand. Yum!!! I am so tempted to make raspberry shrikhand (raspberry being my favorite berry) but for this time stuck to the traditional way. You can find the original recipes here and here. If you are interested in fruit shrikhands, check out - Mango, Strawberry and Blackberry shrikhand.

Assemble

1. 1 tub of plain yogurt
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. A pinch of ground cardamom seeds
4. Few saffron threads
5. Almonds to garnish
   

Method

• Strain the yogurt over muslin or cheese cloth or dupatta till all the water drains. I tied my yogurt in a cheese cloth and laid it in a large strainer. I placed this strainer over a big bowl and let is sit in the fridge overnight. Even 4 -5 hours of straining should do if you are pressed for time.
  
  
• Remove the strained yogurt and whisk it in a bowl till creamy. Add the sugar slowly and keep whisking till sugar dissolves. You could increase or decrease the quantity of sugar according to how sweet you would like it to be.
  
• Dissolve the saffron threads in a few drops of warm milk and add to the creamy yogurt.
• Add the ground cardamom.
  
• Garnish with almonds. Keep chill until serving.
  
  

As simple as that! Makes the perfect guilt free dessert for summer.

Summer Rolls

'Thai Spring rolls' as these are popularly known, make the perfect snack/appetizer for these hot sultry days when I definitely do not want to be sweating near the stove, but still want to eat something home cooked and healthy in an attempt to compensate for all the gelatos and ice creams that I devoured with the heat as an excuse. Actually I end up eating a bunch of these as dinner rather as appetizers......makes you wonder where the healthy part went, huh?!! Well, I do try atleast in thought!
I found them quick and easy to make once I got the hang of how to roll the wrappers without damaging them. The trick is not to overheat the water; the water should be at the temperature where you can comfortably work with your hands in. Also not soaking the rice wrap for too long helps. Although the instructions on the package usually says a minute, I find them ready in less than 30 seconds.
If you are not familiar with how to roll these wraps, you can find a photo tutorial that may be helpful. This how I make it:



Ingredients:
Rice wraps (available in the ethnic food section in most grocery stores)
Tofu - cut into 2 inch rectangular pieces, baked at 350 C till edges are brown, approximately 20 - 30 ins
Spring onions - chopped
Lettuce (long shreds)
Carrots (thinly sliced)
Basil and cilantro ( a handful, finely chopped)
Optional: ground peanuts, thin noodles

Make the rice wrappers as per instructions on the packet or in the photo tutorial. Fold with a handful of the above ingredients. I usually season the filling with some soya sauce and chilli flakes before wrapping.

Peanut sauce:
Grated peanuts/peanut butter
Soya sauce
Chilli flakes
One crushed garlic
Tiny bit of vinegar
Sugar

Whisk the above ingredients in a bowl. Adjust to your taste by playing with the proportions of soya sauce, chili flakes and sugar.

Brinjal Masala

After a long hiatus I finally found the inspiration to blog again. The inspiration (or rather the lack of you will soon realize) came from the show "The Next Food Network Star" on Food Network. I was very thrilled to find that a desi - Nipa Bhatt - is one of the contestants in this show. But I was soon disappointed when the dish she prepared for her challenge was "Sukhi Bhaaji" which she translated as Curried Potatoes (??!). The ingredients were simply potatoes, curry powder and salt. Come on Nipa, there's so much more to Indian cooking than sprinkling curry powder on fried aloo! I hope you do us proud in the next episode and give Indian cooking its due!

Our move across the country completed, and with the house finally furnished to habit, I decided do some cooking. Its really hard to cook when you are tempted by so many nice places to eat out right outside your door. Good for the palate but not for the wallet!!! However I am very excited that this city offers me all varieties of Indian produce....and so brinjals, okra, drumsticks and tinda which were rarities for me have become a regular part of my meals.

I really love the Indian eggplant - it can be fried (simple curry) or roasted (as in Baigan Bartha) or mashed (as in masiyal) and always tastes delightful in any form. My spice tooth (if one exists) led me to come up with this brinjal side dish which can be prepared quick and goes with rice and rotis.



Assemble
1 onion
1 tomato
6 medium sized brinjals
curry leaves for tadka
cilantro to garnish

Grind to a fine paste
3 stalks of mint leaves
3 tbsps of fresh grated coconut
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
4-5 dried red chillies
3 cloves garlic

Method

• Slit each brinjal into 8 long pieces. Fry the brinjals in little oil till the brinjal becomes soft and beings to change color. Remove from heat and set aside.
  
• Finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
  
• Take 1 tbsp oil in a wok, add some cumin seeds and curry leaves for tadka and then add the onions. Fry till transparent.
• Now add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
  
• Add the ground paste to the onions and tomatoes and fry till the raw smell of the masala fades (approx 5 -7 mins).
  
• Add the half cooked brinjals to the masala and season with salt.
  
• Saute the brinjals for another 10 - 15 mins till they are well cooked.
  
• Garnish with cilantro.