I am a drink fanatic. I guess many of you must have already got it from the amount of drinks I already have on the blog. I always like to try something new all the time. Last Ramadan, while coming back from a trip, we stopped by the petrol pump to feed the car and as usual, the kids and I walked into the convenience store looking at something we could pick up. Usually I would go for a coffee, but since it was hot, I headed straight towards the chiller section and discovered this tall bottle of brown colored liquid which was labelled “Jallab”. More than the color of the drink, it was the nuts and dry fruits floating in the bottle that attracted me. I can’t express how much I enjoyed that whole bottle without even sharing it with the girls… Hehe… call me a selfish mom!…
Aam Panna
Aren’t there drinks that you may like personally but none of your family enjoys it? And then you end up drinking the same thing over a few days to finish off the batch, but just because you love it, you really don’t mind it. 🙂 That is how I would term this Aam Panna to be! After the Mohabbat Ka Sharbat, here is another North Indian drink that is for the lovers of sweet and sour combination, as a part of the 3 back-to-back Ramadan Coolers… The first time I had Aam Panna was at Huma‘s place when I went to meet her for the first time around four years ago. As I looked at a drink which had an odd green color, I gave her a quizical look. She told me it is a drink made of raw mangoes and spiced with cumin. I really didn’t want…
Mohabbat Ka Sharbat | Watermelon Roohafza Drink
When I signed up for the Blogging Marathon this month, I had totally forgotten that in my schedule, I had placed to do the 3B2B series on the blog too. While trying to fit through my schedule, it popped up and I had to do it. The theme I had chosen was “Cold Drinks for Ramadan”. Most of the countries are having summer during this blessed month and all you need at the time of Iftar, is something cold to wash down your throat. Even though there is no substitute as good as timid water to elevate your thirst, we always look out something sweet to get going. Even if somebody tells it is unhealthy, we would prefer to have something sweet to go down. Watermelon is something that gets eaten by a tonne in our house daily during Ramadan. How much ever is cut, it is never…
Mango Mastani | Thick Mango Milkshake
Here’s is the third in the 3-back-to-back simple mango desserts, after the Mango Cream and Mango Muhallabiah. When anybody hears Mastani, I think the first impression that comes into the head is Deepika Padukone in the golden dress and that big head gear, singing, “Deewani Ho Gai”. 😀 I guess that was a bad joke… 😉 Jokes apart, Mango Mastani is said to have originated from Pune. Actually while trying to read through how this drink got named, I did find that it is named after Mastani, whom Bajirao fell for in Maratha history. I am not going to write in so much of history now in this post, but they say that this drink was named as Mastani, since it was so pretty to look at, that the shop fellow thought it looked as pretty as Mastani, considered an epitome of beauty! So what is…
Mango Muhallabiah
After the Mango Cream, another creamy dessert using mangoes but with more oriental flavors! I love a good muhallabieh and have even made a chocolate version of it. But if I tell you that this one is the best I have tried, then wouldn’t you believe me? 🙂 You should… I got this recipe from my cut-outs. But it wasn’t this. The recipe was plain muhallabieh with bites of mangoes and the crunch of pistachios. I gave it my own twist by pulping in the mango. The first time I made it, I wasn’t in a mood to click them, so we just enjoyed the whole batch. I made it again the second time only to click it first, and then enjoy it! 😉 If you are doubtful whether the flavors of rose water and orange blossom water gel along with the mango, then I would…
Mango Cream
Isn’t it mango season? Mango is easily one of the most favorite fruits of many. Since April is officially the month of mangoes, I thought of doing this month’s three-back-to-back series with the theme of “Simple Mango Desserts”. Even last April, I had done a similar series featuring the Mango Custard Verrines, Aamras and Semolina Mango Cake. This time, I am here with some more mango goodness, but really simple recipes with a heart-filling capabilities… 😉 Ready? 🙂 The first one is like you have seen in the name – Mango Cream. Fruit creams are very well received these days. Most of the cafes that serve fresh fruit varieties will definitely have a set of fruit creams. Haji Ali is very well known for the same. We have one outlet right next to our office and we used to keep ordering their delicious cheesy sandwiches. I never ordered…
Biscoff Cheesecake Tiramisu
Ah… now the third one for the 3 back-to-back Biscoff recipe series – the others being Cookie Butter Cake and Shrikand… This was not tough to choose and I had to keep it for the last. 😉 This Biscoff Cheesecake Tiramisu is a revelation to the say the least! I was on a tiramisu fix for a few months. All I would do was get the long finger and get making them. Hehe… Tiramisu is really addictive, isn’t it? Whoever agrees with me, please raise their hands! 😉 Now this isn’t an authentic Tiramisu since it doesn’t use mascarpone cheese. Instead it uses the thick cheese that comes in packs – call it Philadelphia or any other brand. So I decided to make it cheesecake style, but layer up dipped long finger in between as well, and what more, with a generous sprinkling of crushed Lotus cookies. As…
Cookie Butter/ Biscoff Shrikand
There was this post I was reading, and I thought I must share it here as I strongly believe in it: Sometimes, all it takes to cheer up a person is a kind word of appreciation of a good quality that he has. I feel that in today’s world, people have become really miserly with expressing appreciation. Even though by mind we may think good of the person opposite to us, we take a backward step in admiting it to them. What do we loose by doing so, I fail to understand. There are times when such an action from us is enough to raise that particular person from the throngs of depression into a positive outlook. Or it may have been a bad day for them, and that statement turns out to be a silver lining of hope for them. The goodness is many… let us…
Cookie Butter Cake | Biscoff Cake
I have been trying to do the three-back-to-back series now every alternate month, since I am already doing the Blogging Marathon posts that operate in the same idea and I don’t want to clog up my posts unnecessarily. Hehe… This month, while running through my list of drafts, I had only one theme that came into my mind and that was “BISCOFF” or simply called, cookie butter. I had mentioned in a few posts that Biscoff is a craze now here. It is drizzled like a sauce over crepes, waffles and pancakes, made into freak-shakes, is a flavoring for soft serve ice creams, and what not! I found out Biscoff during my vegan days since it is marked as a vegan spread. Mind it that not all cookie butters are vegan, it’s only Biscoff that is. I have tried a few other brands that were better priced than…
Bread Jamuns
The third one in the series of the three back-to-back “Instant Indian Sweets” series, after the Kulfi and Rasmalai, is this quick fix Bread Jamun. If you ask me, if I have a recipe of Gulab Jamun on my blog, then it’s a “no”. I have never tried it on my own. I have always mentioned that Indian sweets gives me jitters, which I am still not able to get over. I have to give myself time! But Vinee had come over with a recipe during her guest post, and also I had tried jamuns with potatoes! Just for you all to check… 🙂 Coming to these bread jamuns, they are very easy to get done, but can be tricky as well. If you knead your bread dough too hard, then you will have hard bread jamuns that will refuse to soak up the sugar syrup. So treat…
Instant Rasmalai
After the Instant Kulfi, here is the second post under the theme “Instant Indian Sweets” for the three back-to-back series. I warn you, this is a photo intensive post. The dish was so photogenic that I couldn’t stop clicking and more than that, I had difficulty in choosing the pictures that would appear in the post, so instead of raking my head too much, I just went ahead and included all that I could into the post! 😉 So it is Ras Malai today, but the cheat version… 🙂 The ras is partly made of milk and condensed milk, which is boiled for some time till it thickens slightly. Usually, the balls in the ras malai are made from paneer, kneaded, first cooked in sugar syrup and then dunk into the milk base. But who has time for all that? Here, the balls are made from…
Easy Kulfi
It’s been a long time since I have done my three back-to-back series. Since I am a part of the Blogging Marathon of late and it operates on a similar idea, I refrain from doing an additional one, simply not to crowd up my feed. This month, I took a break and hence it was the best time to come over and do this series for the month. I have been wanting to do this since September but something or the other kept popping by and I kept delaying it. Finally it’s here – and it is “Instant Indian Sweets” as the theme! Indian sweets are always thought to be time consuming, so here are three back-to-back recipes, which will break off that myth. 😉 You know how much I love shortcuts. 😀 I have already made kulfi the hard way, ie. standing and stirring a pot of…
Coconut Water Chia Cooler
After the Fruity Iced Tea, here is the second in line for the summery drinks in this month’s 3 back-to-back series. I don’t think I have to tell how good coconut water is in sweltering heat. It is one of the most electrolyte filled natural drinks that you will find on the face of earth. I am really not a fan of coconut water but of late, I have come to liking its taste. I know it’s strange for someone who loves coconut a lot, but somehow coconut water never appealed to me since childhood! I must say this drink changed my perception about coconut water altogether. This drink is nothing much than lemon juice spiked up coconut water with plumped up chia seeds floating all over the glass! The drink in itself is a pretty sight to watch, and then with all ingredients that has gone into…
Fruity Iced Tea
With the summers blazing now in this part of the world, there is nothing more refreshing that cold drinks. The mood is not for smoothies but for water like drinks, that will refresh and rejuvenate. Those who are in the Gulf know how the summers are here. I feel this time it has been extremely hot and uncomfortable, all throughout the day. The day begins with 37-39 degrees, peaking close to 48-50 in the afternoon, and back to around 42 degrees in the evening. It is better not to talk about the humidity. It is so energy sapping that any time you spent outside, you need to replenish your body constantly with water and electrolyte drinks so that you don’t feel giddy or faint. Every two months, I do the three back-to-back series, so this month, it is a no-brainer – simple drinks that will refresh you after…
Samak Koufta ~ Emirati Fish Cakes
It is always nice to come back to my 3-back-to-back series. It has always received a lovely response from all of you, and it keeps me motivated to choose the themes based on the ongoing season as well, Alhamdulillah… 🙂 After all, the major motivation for us bloggers is definitely our enthusiastic readers who come to check out and keep track of what we post, and even trying them out and forwarding us pictures. 🙂 Since it is the holy month of Ramadan and I am taking advantage of it in a beautiful country called UAE, I decided to keep the theme as “Ramadan Specials of the UAE”. Those who have observed their sawm (fasts) in UAE very well know how the feeling is. The whole country gets a spiritual lift during this blessed month. You can see tents sprouting up everywhere that provide Iftar meals to each…