How to make Sous Vide Strawberry Cheesecake Jars | Easy Cheesecake Pots Recipe

For long, I have stayed away from baking desserts or breads that require me to take that additional step of caution, such as wrapping cake tins with foil, or placing ramekins in a water bath or creating steam to bake crisp crusted breads. For this reason, I haven't made cheesecakes in a while. I love them and seeing the small bites of the silky sweet cheesy treats, especially during the Christmas Eve holiday parties always brings joy and smile to my face.

Making cheesecakes at home aren't tricky anymore, especially after discovering a new alternative to cook them to perfection. Making these Strawberry Cheesecake Pots in my new KitchenBoss Sous Vide Cooker to celebrate the daughter's birthday earlier this week on Monday was such an absolute delight! The cheesecake was cooked to perfection and most of the job was done unattended. I love desserts in jars, and making sous vide way has got to be my new favorite. It cooks unattended, there's no overcooking, results are perfect because the temperature is regulated, I love serving individual portions and the longer life because of the sealed mason containers - these are good enough reasons for me to love sous vide. I've been experimenting with quite a few recipes the sous vide way and I've been able to ferment a big jar of yogurt and dosa batter successfully! Loving the ease of using my new KitchenBoss Sous Vide Cooker, hence will be using it more often.

For the uninitiated, Sous vide means “under vacuum” in French. This technique has been long used by restaurant chefs to slow cook the food in a water bath for longer time at a precisely regulated temperature, which makes food more succulent and retains the flavors. And now KitchenBoss has made access to this gadget so much easier by bringing this to our homes.

I have a giveaway going on my Instagram handle so I can introduce to the world of Sous Vide cooking too! Yes, it's a KitchenBoss Sous Vide Cooker Newest Model (G320) Giveaway!

KitchenBoss has generously agreed to select one of you to receive their newest Sous Vide Cooker (G320) for free and learn about their feedback! If you’re interested, you could participate now by following these steps:

1. Like the post and leave a comment.
2. Follow @kitchenboss_official and @vegbowl on IG On March 26, 5:00 pm (PST)

KitchenBoss will randomly select and tag the lucky audience in a comment underneath this post and he/she is going to receive a direct message from @Kitchenboss_official on IG on how to proceed. This giveaway is open to USA only. But if you know of your relatives and friends who reside in the US or have a US shipping address, you are free to participate too.

Sous Vide Strawberry Cheesecake Pots

INGREDIENTS

For the base
8 Lotus cookies
1 ½ tbsp melted butter

For the filling

226 gm cream cheese (I used 1 pack of Philadelphia Cream Cheese)
1/3 cup condensed Milk (I used Nestle Milkmaid)
1/4 cup thick Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

For the cookie base, pulse the Lotus cookies and butter in a food processor until it forms a coarse mixture. Take 2 tbsp of this mixture and press them to the bottom of 4 mini mason jars. Keep the jars in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Meanwhile proceed to make the cheesecake filling.

In a bowl whisk the cream cheese until smooth. Next add condensed milk, yogurt and vanilla extract. Whisk till well blended. Divide the prepared cheese batter into the 4 mason jars that was layered with biscuit butter. Leave about 1 1/2 inches of room at the top of each jar for the cheesecake to expand slightly during the cooking process. Tap the jar against the counter top gently to remove any air bubbles and smooth out the top with a spatula. Cover the jars with lids and seal it just enough to close, but do not tighten them.

Cook the cheesecakes:

Place the sous vide cooker in a pot of water and set it to temperature of 194 deg F at 1 hour. Once the water has come to the set temperature, place the jars in the water and cook for an hour. Once coked, remove the jars carefully and allow them to cool. For the best tasting cheesecake, refrigerate the jars for atleast 4 hours or overnight to allow them to set well before serving.

Make the strawberry topping: Finely blend 6 strawberries with 1 cup water and 1/2 tsp agar agar powder. Pour it into a pan and cook on medium heat till it comes to a rolling boil stirring well continuously. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour over the prepared cheesecakes till it fill up to 1/2 inch in height. Place the pots in the refrigerator for the topping to set well.

Recipe Notes

Use only thick Greek style yogurt or hung yogurt for this recipe. Homemade yogurt will have to be strained through cheesecloth overnight till it's water is drained out and it's thick for use.
You can top the Cheesecake with any fruit compote of your choice. It goes well with fresh fruits, berries and a dollop of whipped cream too.
You can also make these cheesecake pots the traditional way in a preheated oven, placing the mason jars / ramekins in a water bath and baking them for an hour. The lack of eggs here really helps and is not missed, yet the cheesecake is moist and decadent.

Vegan Crepe Recipe with Strawberry Coconut Cream.

Vegan Crepes 👆🏼 for your Valentine's Day. Are you looking out for an inspiration to make your Valentine's Day morning better? Or may be a dessert if you don't wish to bake? I have just the right recipe for you. A quick and easy Breakfast Crepe that's eggless and vegan and you can make and serve them under few minutes to please your Valentine 🥰. Crepes are versatile. They can be served as breakfast, main course or even desserts! This recipe I have for you is very adaptable to a savory version and you can serve it with any accompaniment of your choice. Stir fried mushrooms with spinach is my favorite! Think of it as an instant dosa. Slather some Mango Jam or stuff it with Indian styled Stir-Fried Potatoes.

Vegan Crepes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour (can be replaced with whole wheat flour for healthier version, but the taste will differ)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened milk of your choice
2 tbsp neutral flavored oil
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Allow it to rest for 20 mins. Heat a griddle pan and drop a small laddle of batter on it. Swirl it gently from the center to the edges to form thin crepes (similar to dosa). Cook for a minute on medium low heat. The sides will lift off easily when cooked. Carefully remove and serve it on a plate. Top with Strawberry Coconut Cream (recipe below), sliced strawberries, bananas and drizzle of maple syrup.

Strawberry Coconut Cream

INGREDIENTS

1/2 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated for 24 hours
2 tbsp. strawberry jam (homemade or store-bought)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Beat the cold coconut cream on medium speed for 4-5 minutes. The cream should become light and fluffy. Add in the strawberry jam and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated. Adjust the jam to your taste and sweetness. Serve immediately along with the crepes.

Make Tiramisu without raw eggs| Easy Tiramisu Recipe

I love baking cakes. Simple, quick and easy frost-less cakes are my kinds. The bare minimum, one bowl kinds. Also, by that I mean, they should come together with least effort, have less frills, are presumably uncomplicated to make, like a simple chocolate cake, or a tea cake without having to fuss over any frosting; the one that you can nibble plain as a snack. A fresh baked fruit bread that goes into the oven and is out on the plate in under an hour, enjoyed with a slather of butter alongside a cup of hot beverage, or for that matter, a pound cake or coffee cake with strudel topping fits my list well too. They are the kinds you sink your teeth into when a sudden craving to savor dessert hits yours sweet spot at ungodly hours. That's my kind-a-cake.

Now, here's some word of truth. You see, I'm wary of baking tall towering cakes that have layers upon layers of sponge soaked in sweet juices and sandwiched with cream and fruits. Their surface embellished with delicate frosting of either whipped cream or fancy buttercream, topped with garnishes of fruits, chocolates and other fares make them elements of beauty, and treat to the eyes. Their delicateness is seen from the knee deep effort going into making them, hours sacrificed into adorning, an exercise of thought, patience and dedication. They demand attention and honor as they gleam tall on pedestal, deserving an applause. They mark a perfect score for being the right celebratory desserts to raise a toast to honor an occasion.

Such cakes are fantastic, but not the everyday kinds. Neither do I have such occasions to celebrate that often, nor do I have the immense amount of patience (read motivation) needed to dole out multi tiered cakes that can be my pride and my pal's envy. Even when few odd urges to bake such cakes trigger, I have flopped miserably, often ending up with torn crumbs, messy fingers and merely half the cream in my mouth, not to forget the mounting annoyance caused by the cake failing to abide by my whims and fancies. I end up in exasperation, it's vexation so palpable that I resolve not to bake a tiered cake in months to come. Patience is truly a virtue, for all those who have it.

But then there are cakes like this Tiramisu that go-betweens. They don't take much of an effort to put together, but are celebratory enough to grace an occasion and make it rave-worthy. They have all of charms of layered cake but with minimal labor. You can make them in wine glasses and serve individual helpings or have a free standing cake that beams layers of cake and cream. They are so simple to make and taste so darn luscious that it can put a elaborate cake into shame!

It was for Christmas eve party that I first made this Tiramisu cake and ever since then it has gone on repeat at home. You'll see them from the different photographs I took on two different occasions. Any why not! It's possibly one of the most easiest exotic looking dessert that tastes luxuriously rich, and indulgent and looks hours worth of effort, while it really isn't. This Italian celebratory dessert made by layering coffee spiked cookies, and sweet mascarpone cream, with a dusting of chocolate is a perfect dessert for any occasion or a celebration. Its simple, yet sophisticated. Put it on a cake stand, make it your centerpiece and it's sure to bring applause.

Traditionally, the cream for Tiramisu is made using mascarpone and zabaione (which is a custard made from egg yolks and sugar). This is a far simpler version where no raw eggs or alcohol is used, hence an ideal dessert for young kids too. Try this recipe at home and I bet you will love the ease of making it!

Easy Tiramisu (No Raw Eggs, No Alcohol)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mascarpone cheese at room temperature (227 gm)
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled (236 ml)
1/2 cup sugar + 2 tbsp. for the coffee brew
28 Italian ladyfingers or Savoiardi cookies
1 cup very strong brewed coffee
1 tbsp. cocoa powder or grated chocolate for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare a strong brew of coffee by mixing 2 tbsp. of instant coffee granules into 1 cup of hot water. Stir in 2 tbsp. of sugar and mix well till the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. Next, in a medium bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream and sugar with an electric whisk till near stiff peaks are formed. Carefully add in the mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream and fold gently till its uniform. Note - I added a tsp. of instant coffee granules into mascarpone cheese to intensify the coffee flavor. You can add a few tbsp. of coffee flavored alcohol instead.

3. Line the pan (either a cake pan or a loaf tin) with a plastic wrap so that it overlaps and hangs on the sides. This will help in easier and cleaner removal of the cake.

4. Pour the warm coffee decoction into a wide bowl. Dip each ladyfinger cookie one at a time, until soaked but not soggy and place them side by side on the bottom of the lined pan. Don't soak the cookies too long, else it will cause them to fall apart. I do this by dipping only the upper half of the ladyfinger (the sugar crusted side of the cookie) into the coffee decoction, placing the dipped side facing up. Consume half of the cookies in case you want 2 layers, and one-third of cookies in case you plan 3 layers. I do not suggest going above that as it can make the cake cutting quite flimsy and prone to dismantle. You can also layer the cake in a round film-lined tin, breaking the ladyfinger to fit the rounded sides as you go.

5. Spread one-third of the sweet mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers. Repeat with a second layer of espresso-dipped ladyfingers, this time arranging them in the opposite direction. Top again with another one-third of the sweet mascaporne cream. Repeat again if you want to go another layer, spreading the remaining mascarpone cream on top. Finally dust with the grated chocolate.

6. Cover with Tiramisu cake with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at least 4-5 hours or preferably over night.

7. To serve, remove from the refrigerator, undo the plastic wrap and dust with grated chocolate powder.

How to make Healthy Raw Brownies | Easy Raw Brownie Recipe

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. - Oprah Winfrey

Its Thanksgiving tomorrow and under five weeks, we'll be well into Christmas, my favorite time of the year when all else goes still and only food and festivities shall prevail. I am excited and am so looking forward to it. As for now, there isn't a grand event of celebration lined up for tomorrow, but, we'll take joy in the holiday to follow, time for togetherness and bonding over relaxed morning, lazying noon and a slow evening. Hurray to no work, no deadlines, no meetings for a day. We'll wake up late in the bed, follow a laid back routine and lavish a little on a good homemade breakfast. The day calls for my time in kitchen, where get to I play with pots and pans, may be tossing up some flour, butter and sugary goodness into a ton of fruits to come up with something worthy for Christmas. A cake is in store, a Christmas fruit cake that I can hopefully talk about in posts to come. We'll have our family at the table, the three of us, savoring lunch in an austere way, which in itself is a small celebration to do on a weekday - bringing in tit-bits of our weekend-ness, in a little modish way.

Meanwhile, I have these super healthy brownie treats for you to feature on your Thanksgiving table. I made them this summer, though they don't pertain to any seasons. They are treats you can make year round. No seasons attached. You can make them for your Thanksgiving dessert menu or keep them handy to treat your guests over a cup of coffee or just carry them on your hiking trip to give you adrenaline boost. There's no sugar in them, no butter whatsoever, no flour, no guilt too. And no no! I am not on diet if you ask so. But I thought I should be a little considerate and save you from splurging way too much before the year end celebrations kick in. There's a lot awaiting there, Christmas on its way, New Year dinner to follow, so you may want to treat yourself slowly and sanely before getting there. These little treats don't steal away the joy of splurging, mind you. They are delicious as is in small bites or you can make them in a wonderful no-bake pie base with fancy toppings. Hope these make your Thanksgiving table a little more glamorous.

Raw Brownies

Prep Time: 5 mins | Pulse Time: 10 mins + 2 hrs refrigeration | Yield: 12 pieces

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of medjool dates
1/2 cup of roasted almonds
1/2 cup of raw walnuts
3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons of maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Blend the almonds and walnuts in a food processor until they form a crumbly mixture. Then add the dates and blend again till dates are pureed. Next add the cacao and maple syrup and blend again. The mixture will come together in form of a dough. If its wet to handle, add in some walnuts and pulse again.

Place the mixture into a baking tray. Refrigerate for two hours or freeze for one hour so that it sets well. Cut into slices and serve. Store in an air tight container and keep them refridgerated for freshness.

How to make Black Forest Ice Cream | Easy Chocolate Black Forest Ice Cream Recipe

I am clueless how months have flown by since my last post here. Let me put excuses aside and so that you know, let's get started with first things first. While many guessed, for the ones who remained uninformed, I made a big move from India to the US about 6 months ago. That was way back in the mid of March when the snow caps here in Connecticut were on the verge of melting and the spring sat on its edges awaiting to set in. From the summer heat of Bangalore to the ceasing winters of New England, I moved in with 2 huge suitcases packing all that meant the world to me.

It took me a while to settle down to the demands of not-so-new-anymore place, work and routine. And believe me, while it wasn't hard at all, I did not have it all easy either. It was life at work that was most consuming. Caught up in a new place, with new folks, new skills to learn and new team to work with, I was jostling myself with an identity crisis. I worked on many weekends and put aside blogging for a while for the sheer busyness and lack of motivation. And when we had time off, we hit the road and traveled places to make most of the summer.

We also have my parents over here right now. That's a big joy and great support knowing that our little girl has just started school and will be back home in the noon to house full of folks she loves and is pampered by the most. They will be around till the mid of November to witness the glorious fall season. That tells you our kitchen has been the busiest place at home where most of the action is seen. You can hear whistles of pressure cooker go by at regular intervals. You can smell pots of steaming rice and sambhar bubbling away. We just got done with guLiappams and chutney for breakfast this morning. Right now, potatoes are being boiled for Aloo Parathas tonight, the husband's all time favorite. And there's this Chocolate Black Forest Ice Cream sitting in the freezer to be devoured for dessert at will.

I made a repeat of these brownies last weekend. I also had a can of condensed milk, a box of fresh cherries and some leftover cocoa powder awaiting to be consumed. So it turned out that this Chocolate Black Forest Ice Cream was a well timed recipe to make use all that I had been wanting to consume. The cherries I used here were fresh sweet ones. You can make do with frozen ones too. Roasted walnuts are quite optional, but give a lovely crunch to this ice cream and pair really well with the brownies. If you aren't a fan of chocolate ice cream, but love brownies, try skipping the cocoa powder while making ice cream and leave it plain old vanilla. Don't forget to stir in the cherries and brownies, because that's what makes them Black Forest :). For a more decadent, richer, adult version, I highly recommend using rum soaked cherries in place of fresh cherries. Drizzle some hot chocolate sauce before you serve this to your chocolate loving guests and I would probably call that death by chocolate!

Chocolate Black Forest Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

400 ml heavy cream, cold
200 grams condensed milk, preferably cold
2 tbsp. good cocoa powder
1 tbsp. vanilla essence
1/4 cup chopped roasted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh cherries
1/2 cup crumbled / bite sized chocolate brownie chunks

DIRECTIONS

To prepare the chocolate ice cream, whip the heavy cream till it doubles and holds soft peaks. Then add the condensed milk, vanilla extract and cocoa powder. Continue to whip until the mixture is smooth and fluffy and holds soft peaks, about 1 minute.

Transfer half the prepared ice cream to a loaf tin or your ice cream container of your choice. Top it with half of the brownie chunks, cherries and walnut. Using a fork, gently swirl so that the nuts, brownies and cherries mix into the ice cream.

Top this with another layer of prepared ice cream, followed by topping of the remaining half of the brownie chunks, cherries and walnut. Swirl again gently.

Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and allow the ice cream to set in the freezer for at least 4-6 hours. To serve, remove from freezer and place the ice cream in fridge for 10 minutes to soften. Using a warm ice cream scooper, spoon out the ice cream and serve.

How to make Kaju Katli | Cashew Burfi | Cashew Fudge Recipe

Sometime in October last year, just ahead of Diwali, we bumped into my husband's close family friend at a mall one evening. After a brief chat, Mr. S and his wife headed to shop in the mall, while his mom and young daughter hung around us, continuing the talk. My mother and I spent nearly an hour chatting with aunty while the kids were engrossed playing in the ball pit. We spoke at length about the upcoming Diwali preparations, the new dress that aunty had sewn on occasion of Diwali for her grand-daughter, the small disparities in our cultures and the celebrations (they being Tamilans), sharing our favorite family recipes that made the festive celebrations more special.

One of the recipes that aunty shared with us that evening was the recipe for this Kaju Katli, a popular cashew based sweet that's a popular family favorite in many homes, especially in the North, where gifting boxes of sweets is customary to their traditions. Although we are past Diwali now, I don't think this requires any occasion for celebration. You can make them at home, at your convenience anytime and feel pleased with this indulgence. If you have a weakness for Kaju Katlis, then I am afraid you may not be able to resist eating just one.

Making these burfis at home may sound intimidating, but it isn't. This was the first time I attempted making them at home and they came out delicious. I started off nervously even as I measured the amounts suggested by aunty, but she had assured that the recipe would work even for the most novice, immature cook, and that assurance itself wanted me to try this recipe in the first place. The end result ofcourse was smooth, melt-in-mouth goodness of cashew fudges.

There are many ways to prepare this dessert. A common one being where the cashew nuts are soaked in water overnight and ground the next day, then cooked in single-strand sugar syrup till it comes together to form a dough. As an alternate, easier method, you can grind the cashews to a fine powder and mix with sugar syrup, cooking it on a low flame to form a soft dough. The dough is then spread and flattened on a plate and cut into thin diamonds. Commercially sold katlis have a layer to silver wark on them, however, for a home version you can skip them totally. This version of kaju katli is an easier where you do not have to worry about sugar syrup or its accurate consistency. Hence, time saving and easier which gives you the burfis of same quality as bought at a store.

Kaju Katli | Cashew Fudge

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cashewnuts, heaped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. ghee (approx. 3 tsp.)

DIRECTIONS

Grind the cashews to a fine powder in a mixie. I used the chutney jar as the whiz option on my mixie helps me control how fine I want the cashews to be powdered. Ensure that the cashews are not powdered to an extent that they begin to leave oils.

Heat the sugar and water in a thick bottomed pan and stir well till all of the sugar is dissolved in the water. Just as it comes to a rolling boil, add the cashew powder and stir well on a low flame.

The cashew mixture will soon come together and begin to thicken. Once it thickens enough to form a mass / sticky dough / lump, add a teaspoon of ghee. Remove the whole of the mixture from the pan.

Transfer the prepared mixture on to an upturned greased plate or a butter paper. I used a marble chakla. Allow it cool a little. When its cool enough to be handled, knead it gently to form a smooth dough. If the dough is too stiff and find it hard to knead, add another teaspoon of ghee. This is optional though.

Using a greased rolling pin, roll the dough gently and evenly till its about 4-5 mm thick in height. Allow to cool. When cooled completely, use a sharp knife to cut the cashew fudge into diamond shapes. Gently transfer the kaju katli to serving plate or store in an air tight container.

How to make 'No Churn' Vanilla Bean Raspberry Ripple Ice cream

At this very moment, our home is raining stone fruits and berries. Cherries precisely. Followed by peaches. Early last week when we went berry picking to a local farm, I went totally ravenous just at the sight of beautiful sapphires and rubies dangling off the bushes and trees. We went picking as many fruits as we could, quite greedily, like there would be no another day for them; from tree to tree, bushes to bushes, buckets after buckets till the scorching summer heat tired us out. With trunk full of cherries and peaches, came along blueberries and raspberries too.

I love how much my fridge is brimming with these fruits in every corner of the space it can accommodate. Every morning, before I reach out to the can of milk to make tea for my family, my hands are drawn to these fruits quite instinctively. Usually a long gaze and in reverence, I pop in a couple of them to start the day with. Some are then packed off into snack boxes for my husband for his mid day snacking. Our mid-mornings and afternoons are usually spent either snacking on them or pitting them to be frozen for a good part of the year when all these little gems will be gone. I wonder if I would let them stay there for so long.

Quite often when I am at farmer's market to pick up fruits, my head bubbles up several ideas of turning them into more delicious treats. My shopping cart is always loaded with more than what we need. Rationally greedy at the fear of season's fag end. But more often I find myself being reluctant to rive and macerate them into any other form. We are a family who adores fruits. Fruit, in its true form.

When we came home with pints of ripe raspberries hand picked from the farm last week, I made this easy Warm Spiced Raspberry Jam leaving out the Strawberries. They went into almost everything - our bread, the daughter's milk, drizzled on yogurt, including accompanying as sides for parathas. I saved a few raspberries for this rippled ice cream that had been playing up on my mind for long. A rippled ice cream, where the layers of contrasting colors and flavors, each complementing other beautifully, create beautiful swirls when scooped to serve. And what can be better than having luscious baby pink ripples between speckled vanilla bean deliciousness.

This ice cream is very simple, quick and easy to put together as it does not require any ice cream maker. Two basic ingredients, heavy cream and condensed milk go into making the base for this ice cream. It takes less than 10 mins from counter to freezer and you have one of the most easiest, creamy and delicious ice cream ever.

'No Churn' Raspberry Ripple Ice cream (Vanilla Bean Ice cream with Raspberry Swirl) - Without Ice Cream Maker

INGREDIENTS

For the Vanilla Bean Ice cream:

400 ml heavy cream, cold
200 grams condensed milk, preferably cold
1 tbsp. good vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 tbsp. vanilla essence

For the Raspberry Ripple:

1/2 pint Raspberries
2 tbsp. caster sugar

Place the raspberries along with sugar in a blender and blend them to fine puree. Pass this through a sieve to separate seeds. Cook this puree on medium heat for 10 mins or until slightly thickened. You don't need the consistency of a jam, however too thin puree may affect the texture of the ice cream.

To prepare the vanilla bean ice cream, whip the heavy cream till it holds soft peaks. Then add the condensed milk, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds from a pod of vanilla. Continue to whip until the mixture is smooth and fluffy and holds soft peaks. Transfer 1/3 of the ice cream mixture to a loaf tin or your ice cream container of your choice. Drizzle 1/3 of the raspberry syrup on top. Repeat another two times so you have three layers of each. Using a fork, gently swirl the ice cream mixture to create a rippled look. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and allow the ice cream to set in the freezer for at least 4-6 hours.

Gifting or exchanging gifts during festivals per se was never a part of our culture. The only form of festive gifts were probably the homemade sweets and savories we shared with our family, friends and neighbours. However life changes to an extent after marriage, where embracing new culture, their lifestyle and values become essential to maintain the social associates. Exchanging gifts, termed as Shagun is an integral part of my husband’s side of family. Be it an occasion, a festival or just a casual greeting, it is inevitable to exchange gifts as a gesture of love and respect. For someone like me who had never seen this in my part of the world earlier, this seemed a bit prodigal and odd initially. Over years though I have learnt to accept and appreciate this culture and own it as well.

Festive gifting, particularly around this time of the year seems to be gaining a lot of popularity in India too. As known for a fact, Christmas was always associated with sharing of gifts by Santa Claus. As a kid I have lived by my share of dreams and fantasies, hanging stockings by the bedside and window sill around Christmas time, secretly hoping that some Santa would come by riding on his reindeer on this big night and drop a surprise gift that I had been longing to own as mine. I must say assertively that over the many years I hung my stockings by the window sill never did a Santa come by or drop goodies into my stockings. I realized eventually there existed no Santa, nor would my stockings be ever replenished with gifts, so I gave up on them. I wonder though why my parents never bothered to drop any goodies in there. Least I think, as a bribe that idea would have been fab.

With Christmas just around the corner and keeping in mind that these can make great give away gifts to your family and friends this season, I have 2 recipes for you today. The Home-made Christmas Mincemeat is purely vegetarian, much unlike of what it's name suggests. The inspiration to make these came from Nigella Lawson's 'How to be a Domestic Goddess', however the recipe for the same is tweaked and adapted from David Lebovitz's Quick & no-cook Mincemeat recipe I came across here; while the Candied Orange Peels are such delicious bitter-sweet treats that you will love to munch them as is or use in various recipes.

Home-made Christmas Mincemeat

INGREDIENTS

175 g raisins
100 g sultanas / black currants
100 g dried cranberries
100 g candied peel, finely chopped
175 g soft dark brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. all spice mix (a freshly ground with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg)
5 tbsp. brandy

DIRECTIONS

Mix all the ingredients together and stir well. Spoon this into clean and sterilised jars. I sterilise my jars by placing them in warm oven for couple of mins. Allow the flavours to mature for at least 2 weeks. This works great for pies, tarts, Christmas cakes and puddings.

Home-made Candied Orange Peels

INGREDIENTS

2 large thick skinned oranges
2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Neatly score the oranges into quarters. Remove all the flesh neatly and retain the peels. Carefully scrape off the white pith as much possible so that the zesty orange peel can be used. The white pith will render bitterness to the oranges, hence its essential to remove all of it for best flavours. Chop the peels into 1/4-inch-wide strips as shown above in the 2nd picture.

Drop these peels into cold water. Bring this pot of water to a rolling boil. Drain off the water and repeat this twice with a new batch of water. This will soften the orange peels and mellow down the bitterness.

Next, in a thick bottomed pan heat 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cook till it reaches one thread consistency. Add the peels and cook further till most of the sugar coats the peels and the peels get translucent. Remove from the flame and drain off any excess sugar. Place them on a tray and allow to dry further if you wish to store them. You may also roll them in castor sugar if preferred. However, I used them on the following day in recipes for Homemade Mincemeat (recipe above) and Christmas fruit cake.

How to make Mawa Gujiya, Karanji, Karjikai, Kajjkayalu

I did intend to post this recipe for Diwali, ideally 2 days before the festival when I made them at home. I sat down to jot this post too, all to be published in time, but soon had to leave it partially done since I got busy at many other things that demanded time and attention. There was unpacking from the last trip, and packing for another trip to come. Setting up the diya and lights at home, cooking for Diwali, a bit of photography to post here left little time for me to bring this here on time. Yet, considering the 5-day long festivity that Diwali is known for, I guess its still okay to post it here today. :)

Diwali, 'The Festival of Lights' is a huge festival in India. It's the best time of the year where every household in India is seen busy preparing for the festivities. It's the most coveted festival that we look forward to. Months before Diwali, preparations begin at home. There's excitement about celebrations, profound joy in wishing all, of taking time off to visit family and friends, of spending evenings lighting up the home with diyas and kandeels, and of sharing loads of sweets and savouries to all who visit home. It's mesmerizing to see how homes are transformed beautifully this season.

This Diwali has been quite special and a very busy one to all of us. Just as we crossed 2 weeks since my brother-in-law's wedding, we were at my in-law's place to celebrate the newly wed's first Diwali in full spirits. Such a joyous occasion it was to be with all and celebrate as one family.

No celebration in India is complete without traditional sweets. It makes it more special when the joy of celebration is shared with family and friends. Before leaving home, I made a batch of these Mawa Gujiayas to be shared with my family and friends. The mawa/khoya was home made from a large batch of left over milk powder. Some went into making these jamuns. The large part of the rest made it to these Mawa Gujiyas. Thanks to Suma, her recipe for homemade low-fat mava/khoya is fab and perfect that I will not bother to buy mawa from stores for any recipe in future. I wouldn't bother to detail it out here, rather I suggest you hop over to her site where she details the process very well. If you don't consider making mawa at home, then store-bought mawa do good too.

As they went into this recipe, they made the most delicious gujiyas ever. As a first timer, I do think there is scope for bettering my techniques for frying these. The oil, the heat moderation and all of that. The fact is that I hate slaving over the wok full of oil. Second, I always underestimate the amount of oil required for frying, as obvious to the fact that I don't fry often. It's only during Diwali or Navrathris do these traditional sweets make a part of my kitchen activities.

Making gujiyas are really simple, much unlike of what they seem to be. In case you have store bought mawa, then most of the effort in my opinion goes into frying these. Don't attempt to bake them. They will flop. Here's a small attempt to show how to shape them. Either in form of purses or like empanadas, whatever you choose to like. But be careful as you seal them, since one imperfectly closed gujiya is good to ruin the oil totally. I hope that helps all.

I hope you had a safe and fabulous Diwali.

Here's Veg Bowl wishing all the readers a Happy Diwali!!! Belated ofcourse!

Mawa Gujiya

INGREDIENTS

For the Outer cover:

2 cups Plain flour / maida
2 tbsp. Ghee
Oil to deep fry

For the Filling:

2 1/2 cups Homemde Khoya/Mawa or Store-bought Khoya/Mawa
3 tsp. Desiccated coconut
1/4 cup Cashewnuts
1/4 cup Almonds
1/4 cup Walnuts
Handful of Raisins
1 tsp. Cardamom powder
2 1/4 cups sugar

DIRECTIONS

For preparing the covering, rub in 2 tablespoons of ghee into the flour till they resemble like coarse sand. Be gentle and use light hands. Add water and knead gently into a stiff dough. Cover with a towel and set aside to rest till you make the filling. For the filling, pulse the cashewnuts, almonds, walnuts, dessicated coconut till they have a coarse texture. Don't grind it finely. You will love to bite into them. Lightly roast the nut mixture over low heat till they change their colour. This is an optional step though and you may rule out if you are short of time. Add the grated mawa and sugar into these nuts and stir further on low heat for a minute. Switch off the flame and add the cardamom powder. Oil your hands and divide dough into small lemon sized balls. Flour the surface and roll out the dough into small rounds of 7-8 cms in diameter, similar to puris. Alternatively, you may use an inverted cup with sharp rims to get a nice round shape. Place about 1-2 tsps. of stuffing on one half, lightly dampen edges with water and fold the other half over the stuffing like a moon. Press the edges firmly and pinch them as shown in the picture above, similar to momos. This will help in sealing the gujiyas well and ensure the filling doesn't spill out while deep frying. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry gujias on medium heat till golden brown. Allow to cool and serve.

I have a recipe featuring nuts back to back and my apologies if they are not your take. It simply shows how much I have been nuts about nuts these days! Seriously, the fact is that despite my profound love for them, thanks to this appreciation towards dry fruits and nuts I have inherited from my dear dad, they've always remained in the hind of this blog. For no particular reason, I have been on nut binge off late, indulging in them more than warranted, though I have rarely felt guilty about them. To an extent, the other day, I added roasted walnuts in a typical south Indian styled beans stir fry and felt mighty good devouring them. These Honey Loops & Nuts Chikki made up our sweet treats during mid-day breaks and post meal snack the last week through. Yet, I say, it doesn't justify my love for these roasted treats, almonds and cashews in particular.

Indeed, I have my freezer loaded with them in kilos that should last me a year. Dates, raisins, figs, almonds, cashews, walnuts and handful of apricots. Handful, because dried apricots are tough and not really my favourites. But among the rest it's hard for me to make a choice.

We are just back from a short vacation in Goa. A vacation to commemorate our wedding anniversary and his birthday. We basked in the serene beauty of Goa’s pristine beaches, green foliage and golden sand. Out there we soaked up the sun, got a massage in the spa and relaxed all day long. We discovered moments of togetherness with the sand castles we built together for our daughter as the frothy waves swept them gently, watched the sun go down the other side of the coast and took long strolls on the private beach. We revived our energies as we went swimming, biking and street hoping (Goan streets and markets never fail to amaze me). No vacation is worth the vacation without good food, so we certainly made our's worth as we binged on loads of delicious good food.

The trip though short (2 nights and 3 days) was packed with energy, fun and enthusiasm. Goa carries an ethereal realm of Portuguese culture that none other city in India has seen and it leaves me amazed each time. We are back home fresh and rejuvenated after this therapeutic vacation, much to an extent that we are craving for another trip soon. :)

Perfecting the holiday mood we were in, I decided not to bake or spend too much effort in the kitchen. Instead I made and carried these Dry Fruit Rolls for our trip. These rolls are not just healthy, but sugar free. They are well suited for toddlers and diabetics. Naturally sweetened with dates and figs, these have my coveted roasted nuts that make this a decadent anytime treat. Hope you'll enjoy them as much we did.

Dry Fruit Rolls

INGREDIENTS

2 cups pitted and chopped dates
1/2 cup dry figs
3/4 cup roasted cashew nuts
3/4 cup roasted almonds
1/2 cup roasted walnuts
1 tsp. orange peel
2 tbsps. orange juice

DIRECTIONS

Chop dates and figs as finely as possible. This will help in easier blending of ingredients. Combine the chopped dates and figs along with orange juice in a pan and bring it to a boil for about 5 minutes on medium low flame. Using the back of a flat wooden spoon, mash them as much possible. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool. Medjool dates can be best used here. If not, use any moist date you have at hand. I used Lion seedless dates, which were moist enough for this recipe. Remember dried ones are tough and will not help here.

Pulse the dates-fig mixture along with chopped orange peels in a food process as much as possible with no additional liquid or orange juice. It should have a moist and sticky dough like consistency. Roughly chop the roasted cashews, almonds & walnuts and add it to the prepared date-fig dough. Scrape the entire mixture into a plastic food wrap (a butter greased aluminium foil will do alternatively). Roll the wrap over to encase into a roll. Chill for about an hour. Remove from refrigerator and using a serrated knife cut them into rolls of desired sizes.