Aam-Papad

                                                

Aam papad or Amawat or Mamidi Tandra or Aamsotto is a traditional Indian snack. It is a fruit leather made out of mango pulp mixed with concentrated sugar solution and sun dried. It is a part of the South Indian and North Indian cuisine and is available is numerous varieties all over North India.

So here is the simple recipe of something that reminds us of our childhood  

Ingredients
2 Ripe Mangos
2 tbsp Sugar
2 Cardamom (Peeled)

Method
Wash & peel the mangoes & cut into pieces & blend into purée.
Now sieve the mango paste & mix sugar & ground cardamom.
Take puree in a pan & heat it till it comes to a boil, reduce it a little to semi thickness.
Pour in a greased plate to form a thin layer.
Now keep it in sunlight for 1-2 days. If the day is too sunny then it will be ready in a day otherwise it'll take 2 days.
If it's not ready in a day then you can keep under fan at night, covered with a thin cloth or net.
With the help of a sharp knife try to remove it after it is dry. If you are still not able to remove then it means it's not completely dry & you have to give it some more time.
Once ready you can cut into squares or your desired shape.
Keep it in a air tight container.
But I'm sure after tasting it you cannot stop eating it & finish it very soon 

Variations
Replace cardamom with any of the following combinations-
1) Kala Namak + Kali Mirchi + Ginger powder.
2) Kala Namak + Kali Mirchi + Jeera Powder.
3) Kala Namak + Jeera Powder + Chaat Masala.

Tips
* Adding more kala namak can alter the golden colour of aam papad, you can replace it with white salt.
* If you want to make layers of aam papad like you get in market then, just keep adding layers on dried one & let it dry well in sun. This type will take more time to dry than single layer.
* You can cheat & make layers by just folding the dried sheet in multiple layers.
* If well dried, it can be preserved for months. Depending you can save it from your family 

Blueberry Custard With Blueberry Sauce

Everyone in my home loves dessert after each meal & I love simple & quick to make desserts. This one took me just half an hour & loved by all. Going to make it with mango next :)

Ingredients (serves 4)

For Custard

1 tbsp custard powder

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup white chocolate chopped (or use chips)

1 1/2 tbsp blueberry sauce 

For Blueberry Sauce

1/2 cup blueberry 

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method

For Custard

In a small saucepan combine the custard powder with a little of the milk to form a smooth paste. Add remaining milk.

Stir over a medium heat until the custard begins to thicken, reduce the heat & simmer for 1 minute stirring continually.

Remove from the heat & stir in the white chocolate until all the pieces have melted.

Keep aside to cool.

For Blueberry Sauce

Combine sugar & berries & cook on slow flame while stirring continuously.

Mash berries while cooking.

Add lemon juice.

Remove from flame & keep aside to cool completely.

How To Proceed

Add blueberry sauce to cool custard & mix well.

Take shot glasses or small bowls & fill them with custard, leaving space for sauce.

Keep in refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

Take out & layer blueberry sauce.

Garnish with grated white chocolate.

Refrigerate for an hour.

Serve chilled.

Tips

* If there are lumps in your custard then just sieve it.

* No sugar has been added to custard, as it's already there in chocolate & sauce, but if you feel the need then add 2 tsp sugar while cooking.

* Can use strawberry in place of blueberry.

* You can replace the white chocolate for milk chocolate or dark chocolate but the colour will blend with blueberry.

* You can just make custard without fruits & serve with Danish pastries, puddings or pies or add cut fruits to get a yummy fruit custard.

* You can make strawberry sauce too in same way. Keep extra sauce in freezer for later use.

Hot Chocolate

Nothing says "comfort" quite like a delicious mug of hot chocolate! It's a delicious blend of sweetness & richness.
Ingredients (serves 2)
4 tbsp solid chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk (nonfat to cream, as rich as you prefer)
2 tbsp Cream (optional)
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
Pinch of cinnamon powder
1-2 tsp sugar (optional & according to taste)

Method
Using a sharp knife (serrated knives work well for this task), chop the chocolate into chunks. The finer the chop, the quicker the chocolate will melt.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate with 1 cup milk, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is fully melted.
Don't leave the stove unattended because milk & chocolate can burn easily.
Add cream (if using) to the chocolate & stir.
Add any additional flavorings to the ganache while stirring in the cream.
Add the remainder of the milk, whisking continuously.
If the mixture becomes too hot, or you feel that it might burn, remove pot from the heat and continue to stir, allowing the temperature to reduce.
Put the pot back on the heat once the mixture has cooled.
Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Served in small cups or large mugs.

Tips
* If you feel you might burn the chocolate on direct flame, use double boil method.
* Optional flavourings, such as vanilla, herbs, and spices (cinnamon and nutmeg give nice notes to the finished drink), liqueur, mint etc.
* If you start with chocolate at the sweetness you prefer, you do not need to add additional sugar.
* You can also start with unsweetened chocolate, & add sugar to taste.
* In place of solid chocolate, you can use 1/4 cup of cocoa powder + 1/4 cup sugar.

Veg Grilled Sandwich

Bombay street food in your kitchen ....An easy & healthy sandwich recipe that can be made for a quick breakfasts or brunch. These can be made in sandwich toaster or grill or can be made on griddle, like I did.

Ingredients 
10 slices of multigrain or ragi bread
1 potato, boiled & sliced into rounds
1 cucumber thinly sliced
1 onion thinly sliced (optional)
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 green capsicum, thinly sliced
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cottage cheese mashed
2 tbsp thick mint chatney
chaat masala powder as required
roasted cumin powder as required
2 tbsp grated cheddar cheese
Salt to taste
Tomato sauce or green chatney to be served with the sandwiches

Method
Mix together butter, cottage cheese & mint chatney. Add little salt.
Apply the mixture on one side of bread slices.
Keep 5 slices aside & arrange 2-3 slices of each vegetable on other 5 slices.
Sprinkle cumin powder, chat masala & grated cheese.
Cover with other slice.
Grill & serve hot with tomato sauce or green chatney.

Tips
* You can prepare the chutney & boil the potatoes a night before & refrigerate them, so in the morning, you just need to slice the cucumber, tomatoes etc.
* You can add a cabbage or lettuce leaf too in this.
* I mixed butter! cottage cheese & mint together but you can always put separate layers of these.
* I used multigrain or ragi bread but if you like you can use any other sandwich bread.

Bobby's Bael Ka Sherbet (Wood Apple Sherbet)

The bael fruit has a smooth, woody shell with a green, gray, or yellow peel. It takes about 11 months to ripen on the tree. The shell is so hard it must be cracked with a hammer. The fibrous yellow pulp is very aromatic. The fruit is eaten fresh or dried. If fresh, the juice is strained and sweetened to make a drink. This recipe is given by my friend Bobby, who is a proud owner of a bael tree that gives fruit every alternate year & she enjoys making Sherbet for family and friends

Ingredients
1 Bael Fruit
1/2 cup Sugar (more or less according to taste)
Water

Method
Break Bel & scrape the pulp out.
Soak in water.
Allow it to soak for 2 to 3 hours.
In a separate bowl, take 1 cup water & add sugar. Stir to mix well.
Once the pulp is soft with soaking, use your hands to further mash it.
Strain the mixture & discard the seeds & fibre.
Add sugar water to the strained pulp.
Now add cold water to dilute according to taste.
You can churn it in mixer with ice cubes to give a frothy look.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves & serve chilled.

Tips
* Water to soak should be just enough to & not too much.
* There is no preservative in this so either make it fresh or keep refrigerated (can be kept for maximum 2 days).
* You can use 1/2 Milk in place of water to dilute it & make a milkshake.