Friday, March 8, 2019

Thandai


Festivals and food in India are very intrinsically linked. We are in a perpetual state of celebration. A harvest festival here, a special God's birthday there, an auspicious date from the Hindu calendar, the festival of lights in fall or the festival of color in spring. There is always something to celebrate with family and friends. And each of these festivals has its own unique food.

Thandai is one such drink that is associated with Mahashivratri and Holi. This cold and refreshing milk-based drink is prepared with an array of nuts, aromatic spices, and flavorings. Served virgin or spiked, enjoyed by all big or small.

'Thandai' literally means 'something cooling'. This energizing and cooling drink is wonderful for those scorching summer months in India. Every ingredient in Thandai has great health benefits. Almonds are a great source of healthy fats and Vitamin E with anti-oxidant properties. Fennel seeds have good digestive properties, pumpkin seeds are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.

The recipe below makes about 4-5 cups of Thandai mix. Store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. For long term storage, freeze in an airtight container. For a party, you can blend the thandai mix with milk and refrigerate in a large container until serving time. Serve virgin shots or spiked glassfuls as required.


Ingredients:
1 cup poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 cup almonds, unsalted (badam)
¾ cup fennel seeds (saunf)
½ cup cashews, unsalted  (kaju)
½ cup pistachios, unsalted  (pista)
½ cup pumpkin seeds (magaz)
 cup green cardamom (elaichi)
 cup whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
1 tsp nutmeg powder
For garnish
Few strands of saffron
¼ cup Rose petals (optional)
Crushed pistachios
To Spike it
Vodka/Scotch
  1. Grind the first eight ingredients to form a powder. 
  2. Add nutmeg powder and mix well. 
  3. Store the thandai powder in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or freeze for longer shelf life. 
  4. To make Thandai: In a blender add a cup of cold milk, a heaped tablespoon of thandai powder and sugar to taste. Blend till well mixed. Let sit for a few minutes to let the flavors blend. 
  5. Strain and serve chilled sprinkled with crushed pistachios, a few strands of saffron and some rose petals.
  6. Sometimes I like to serve it as is without straining. 
  7. Spiked Thandai: Make thandai as above and add a shot of vodka or scotch. 

Friday, January 11, 2019

Pav Bhaji masala


A popular street food in Mumbai and Delhi, Pav Bhaji literally means buns with vegetables.

Thick gravy with potatoes, peas and tomatoes are simmered and spiked with a special masala blend, topped with a dollop of butter, coriander, raw onion and lime wedges, served with pav / buns also crisped in butter.
This recipe is for the special dry spice blend that gives the bhaji its distinctive flavor. You can definitely find Pav-bhaji masala in the stores and I have used it several times when I am in a hurry. But the flavor of the home-made masala is simply delectable. All the ingredients are likely to be in your pantry and you can always control the spice level by altering the amount of black peppercorns and red chilies.
Do give this one a try, you will love it.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds (Saunf)
1 tsp black peppercorns
8-10 dry red chilies
1-inch cinnamon stick 
6 cloves
1½ tbsp Amchur (dry mango powder)
1 tsp turmeric

Lightly roast the first 5 ingredients till toasted and fragrant. Cool. Put all the ingredients in a blender and coarsely grind. Store in an airtight container.