Archives Desserts

Kesar Pista Modak

in on 23rd August 2020 23rd August 2020

“Let us get ready to welcome Lord Ganesha into our lives with great celebrations and festivities to make this Ganesh Chaturthi the most beautiful one.” Most favourite time of the year, when Bappa Morya (lord Ganesha) comes to my home and bring lots of joy and happiness in our family. The celebration began with lots of sweet, desserts, different kind of festive food and fun.

Mostly we made the first day of Ganesh festival is modak. Well, Modak is Bappa’s favourite special sweet from Maharashtra. It is rice flour dumpling stuffed with coconut, jaggery and spices known as “ukadiche modak” that is a popular dessert consumed during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

There is lots of different kind of modak and stuffing as per your like. This is an easy one with the rich flavour of saffron & pistachio and spiced up with ginger and nutmeg. It’s a bit different from the traditional modak but irresistible in the flavour. Most important thing is that you need very few ingredients and do not requires much hard work, come together in no time…

I am really fond of traditional sweets and dessert that’s why festivals are the best time of year for me. I never miss an opportunity to indulge myself in festive food. Here is a busy day kind of modak with nutty flavour and texture is so creamy and luscious.

I love making these Kesar Pista modaks. Stay blessed and enjoy modaks.

Kheeranand (Rich Rajasthani Dessert)

in on 9th August 2020 9th August 2020

Dessert always has a special place in Indian cuisine, especially in north India. In Rajasthan, we serve dessert or sweet with every single meal although in the snack. Even we also prefer to eat something sweet with chai. Today I am sharing a very special Marwari dessert recipe “kheeranand”. Just like its name suggests, something like kheer but way different than kheer but richer and creamier in flavour. The cooking method is a bit different than typical rice pudding.

In Indian home, we always celebrate festival, puja and get together with a ton of sweet dessert and sweets. This is one of my favourites and I also learn this classic special rich rice dessert recipe from my baba, who was a fantastic cook. Kheeranand is milk and ghee based rice pudding and a perfect way to finish your meal. The ingredients are usually available in your pantry but adding ghee takes this dessert next level.

This is so aromatic and delicious dessert that you can find in Marwari kitchen on special occasions. This dessert also brings back lots of memories from my home and childhood. Whenever I make and eat it, feels like home. It’s an ancestral dish – something that one can call it as traditional dessert from Rajasthan’s rich heritage and my home.

So ENJOY. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Nolen Gurer Payesh With Cherry Bourbon Compote

in on 2nd July 2020 2nd July 2020

Nolen Gurer Payesh is one of most delicious Bengali style rice pudding made by milk, Gobindo Bhog rice, jaggery and bay leaves flavoured. It’s a warm comfort and tempting dessert that has a rich creamy taste and texture. This dessert made during wintertime in Bengali families. It’s kind of tradition but I used to put jaggery in my rice pudding every time. It is healthy and I can enjoy my favourite dessert at any time.

Especially right now Dutch weather is like cold rainy all day and what is better than something warm dessert? Rice pudding is actually my hubby’s one of the most favourite dessert. But, my version is a little bit of Danish (Risalamande) because Danish people add cherry compote to creamy rice pudding. Although, rice pudding with cherry compote is a Christmas dessert. The weather is cold and its cherry season; so, why not try some fusion.

It is not exactly Danish rice pudding but this is my version to try out. Traditional Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) is made with a cherry sauce, that is creamy and delicious rice pudding laced with sherry and almonds. It is served with a sweet, warm cherry sauce.

But, here I am sharing traditional authentic Indian Nolen Gurer Payesh with boozy cherry compote. Right now, it is cherry season and when you add little bourbon in it; becomes so elegant, nothing better than jaggery rice pudding with bourbon cherry compote. If you can’t find cherries, use strawberries or apples but nothing can beat cherries.

Every person has their own version of rice pudding. I like something different that is not too sweet and also drunken cherry provides sweet and boozy contrast to this creamy Nolen Gurer Payesh aka date palm jaggery rice pudding.

If you want to try something new and heavenly delicious drunken dessert, try this boozy yet creamy, melt in mouth Danish style Nolen Gurer Payesh with bourbon cherry compote that is topped with grated white chocolate and almonds. This beautiful and scrumptious dessert will make your summer table more desirable.

So ENJOY! Stay healthy, stay humble!

Cherry Almond Crumble Tart

in on 23rd June 2020 23rd June 2020

This beautiful vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free cherry chia crumble is my lovely summer treat, a combination of cherry and almond is absolutely amazing. I made this sugar-free tart for my cherry lover munchkin and hubby on the father’s day. Absolutely delicious crust is made with almond flour, coconut oil, gluten-free flour with a touch of almond extract and slightly sweetened with pure maple syrup. An impressively crusty tart filled with beautiful fruity cherry and chia filling, delicious yet beautiful dessert for any occasion.

Utterly delicious, fruity filling, beautiful almond crumble on top, gluten-free and the best part it is vegan with refined sugar-free. So, you can have a slice of this elegant and delicious almond cherry tart without hesitation in your brunch.

I simply love the flavours of summer, not heat waves. Fresh berries, lots of peaches, mangoes, going to the farmers market and buying all these my favourite fruits and veggies… This is how I want to spend my summer.

It feels like heaven when your kitchen smells with the fruity aroma. Well, when the tart comes out of the oven, lets it cool down for a bit then slice it up. Serve it warm with a big scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.

These flavours are amazing together, and almond pastry filled with slightly sweet cherries and sweet crunchy almond crumble topping gives it a great texture. When you serve this with creamy ice cream voila… A beautiful plate full of summer freshness, enjoy your summer fullest.

Stay healthy, stay humble!

Besan Laddoo

in on 20th June 2020 20th June 2020

Sweets and desserts are an integral part of Indian cuisines and besan laddoos are one of them. These delicious finger-licking laddoos are so simple and easy to make, can be made in just 30 mins, very few ingredients required for this famous besan laddoo.

Apart from Gulab jamun and other sweets, besan laddoo has its very own special place in Indian plate. Melts in mouth texture with the richness of gram flour, crumbly-nutty laddoo with the aroma of fresh homemade ghee and a hint of cardamom and nutmeg, the perfect dessert for festivals or you can eat any day.

What is besan laddoos:
Besan laddoos are delicious Indian sweet ball made from gram flour (chickpea flour or besan), ghee (clarified butter), sugar, nuts and sweet aroma of cardamom. After cooking the ingredients, shaped into small balls. Its texture is crumbly and grainy but when you bite it melts in the mouth having a nutty and earthy flavour. Basically these laddoos are had rustic finish not too shiny and will not stick in your throat although having grainy texture. Sweets and desserts always play an essential role in Indian culture. It marks the essence of joy and cordiality in the form of greetings, celebrations, party, wedding ceremony and festivals.

These laddoos are:
✓ High in protein – from the gram flour and nuts
✓ Beautiful golden colour
✓ Perfect for festivals and dessert of any time
✓ A perfectly crumbly and nutty flavour
✓ Not too sweet

Tips for the best besan laddoos
• Raw besan has a bitter taste, to get the perfect flavour you must roast the flour slowly until besan becomes aromatic
• This flour burns easily, so stir continuously
• Add sugar at the end so it doesn’t melt
• Don’t forget to sprinkle one or two spoons water, for the grainy texture
• While roasting add cardamom or nutmeg for flavour
• Saffron is optional, but yes, the addition of saffron enhances the richness and flavour of laddoo.

Lemon-Rosemary Cookies

in on 27th May 2020 27th May 2020

Rosemary cookies are perfect with a hint of lemony freshness when you crave for buttery sweetness in the summer. Some fresh lemon zest, lemon juice along with fresh rosemary are all required for this quick easy buttery rosemary and lemon shortbread Cookies!

Rosemary is a fragrant herb known for its savoury flavour and healing properties. My kitchen garden is full of rosemary plants and other herb plants too. I usually use this herb for my savoury dishes. But, for the first time, I made something sweet with this herb. So, it is my first attempt to make a batch of buttery, crispy cookies by adding lots of minced rosemary, some lemon zest and lemon juice – it’s a perfect match. Usually, I ate very less sugar or no sugar; but I love buttery cookies. First, they are easy to make and secondly their buttery soft texture.

Well, two days ago it was my birthday and it was a good sweet option for me on my birthday. These buttery lemony cookies are soft, crispy, melt in the mouth, and very slightly sweet with the freshness of lemon and rosemary. When you take a bite, you will feel tangy lemon flavour with rosemary just like that, not so sweet yet easy and delicious. I prefer to eat cookies with my evening tea, as a perfect birthday dessert. One of my favourite things about my birthday that I usually make my own desirable sweet, food and I eat all day. Last few days were so exhausting so, I prefer this beauty for myself. These are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee or you can simply have as a dessert.

There is nothing like the combination of fresh lemon and savoury rosemary. Especially when you cannot find these cookies in any baker shop and I love the additions of lemon zest in these cookies. I like to bake for myself this perfect dessert and enjoyed hot out of the oven with warm masala tea.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Mishti Doi

in on 22nd May 2020 22nd May 2020

Mishti Doi (Sweetened Yogurt) is the most popular Bengali dessert made by milk and sugar or jaggery. Traditionally doi prepared with thickened milk, some curd, and caramel from palm jaggery gives beautiful brown colour (instead of sugar). Left for fermentation overnight in an earthen pot. Yeah, authentic mishti doi you can eat in earthen pots. Well, I have decided to make this yogurt with jaggery, not sugar. So, I can feel the rich flavour in my heart. Mishti doi is Bengali sweet delicacy which you can eat as either dessert or snacks.

This sweet yogurt has thick caramel flavour, creamy, silky texture and dreamy sweetness of palm jaggery. I’d always had some kind of affection towards to Bengali sweets and mishti doi is one of them. This sweetened silky yogurt is easily available on the sweet shops or found around Durga puja/Diwali time. This sweet yogurt is a very integral part of the Bengali festival and cuisine. My lovely Odia friend (Mitali Mohapatra) has introduced me to this mishti doi three years ago. We were used to coming back home together from our institute, and she doesn’t like sweets but this one was always favourite.

I have tried out mishti doi in Bengaluru in plastic containers that are sold in the supermarkets. But, when I have visited my uncle in Mumbai during autumn 2018, he took me to the most famous Bengali Durga puja at Ramakrishna math and mission. It was a vibrant place to visit to witness the old custom of traditional Bengali Durga puja along with authentic Bengali food and desserts. Here Bengali people prepare traditional food and sweets in the traditional way. Here I have tasted authentic mishti doi in the earthen pot along with other foods. The smells of the wet earthen pot filled with creamy silky mishti doi give you the actual feel of the festival dessert.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Blood Orange Barfi (Fudge)

in on 8th March 2020 8th March 2020

Yesterday, the first time I found these beautiful blood oranges in the market (this season). It made my day not just because it looks insanely beautiful but they are sweet with a hint of raspberry flavour and a bit of floral. The inside flesh is dark pink, maroon, or even dark blood red. Blood oranges grow on citrus trees in warm climates. The fruit can be eaten as is, juiced, or used in baked goods, cocktails, salads, or other dishes that call for oranges.

Along with their lovely red colour, blood oranges tend to have a noticeable and delicious raspberry edge to their flavor. Now it is a season of blood orange and I wanted to make something which really showed off their lovely flavor and beautiful colour.

I love adding them to my famous Nagpur orange barfi instead of regular oranges. My version of this beautiful barfi is so delicious and flavoursome. There are many variations of barfi in Indian cuisine.

This delightful sweet blood orange barfi (fudge) with the goodness of almond and ghee makes this version a more luxurious desert for Holi. There is no need of adding artificial colour in this beautiful dessert. Blood oranges gives a beautiful shine and colour in it.

It melts in your mouth on every single bite. Nagpur is famous for the Oranges and also known as the “Orange City” for a major trade centre for oranges that cultivated in the region. Nagpur is also famous for orange sweets and barfi.

This beautiful sweet needs constant attention and some muscle power to do constantly stir and cook the mixture for the right consistency. This one is an easy and delightful dessert for your sweet calling carving.

Happy Holi to all of you 🙂 Stay healthy stay humble.

Rose scented Raspberry Panna Cotta

in on 15th February 2020 2nd March 2020

Hello, foodie love birds, happy valentine’s day to all of you.

Well, this is a magical Friday night. If this doesn’t get you drooling for some sweet, creamy, aromatic luxuries dessert, I don’t know what will. For me, without dessert Friday is incomplete. This creamy rose and raspberry panna cotta made my day more beautiful.

The creaminess of this panna cotta creates contrasts beautifully with the crunch of raspberry and rosewater-scented raspberry sauce on top. Panna Cotta is from Italian, meaning simply ‘cooked cream’. This gorgeous Italian classic never fails to impress. It is a light dessert and with the addition of fruit makes a perfect romantic dessert in your dinner.

There are many variations of this simple dessert but in this one, I used pure rose extract, very beautiful raspberry with milk, cream, and sugar. This is a beautiful dessert for a romantic date night. If you are looking for easy to make yet elegant dessert then panna cotta is perfectly suited in that case. For this, you don’t require any special kitchen skills and do not need to spend hours in the kitchen. It can be prepared within 15-20 min. Once you prepare the panna cotta, it goes in the fridge to chill overnight. Prepare simple yet elegant rose and raspberry panna cotta, a day before valentine and surprise your special one with this.

It’s a delicious feeling to fall in love, and I feel this luxury in my life, not just once I also falling in love with my food as well.

Happy weekend! 🙂

Carrot Halwa (Indian Carrot Pudding)

in on 19th January 2020 3rd March 2020

Hello beautiful folks!

The Dutch tulip season officially gets underway in January every year with the National Tulip Day comes to town! Everyone is invited to pick their own tulip for free from a specially constructed ‘picking garden’ at Amsterdam’s Dam Square.

On the third Saturday of January, National Tulip Day is celebrated with a big tulip picking garden. This day marks the start of the (cut) tulip season by National Tulip Day.

Let’s celebrate this beautiful season with utterly delicious carrot halwa (Lil Dutch – Lil Indian) that’s all I want. Made of grated carrot red or orange, slow-cooked in whole full-fat milk and ghee. And of course, seasoned with dry fruits, sweetened with sugar. This traditional Indian dessert is very rich in flavor, creamy and flavourful too. It’s an Indian winter dessert that is full of flavor, no introduction is required.

Here I couldn’t find red carrot but that’s ok, with organic orange carrots also flavourful with different colors and the taste is outstanding. There is no January for me without carrot halwa and beautiful colorful tulips.

Will you join us for welcoming official Dutch tulip season with Indian most loved dessert? I really love this beautiful country (Netherlands), full of life and colors. I am looking forward to exploring, more about Dutch culture, food, and festivity; actually everything.

And this beautiful halwa is one of my country’s specialty, I miss sometimes India when the matter comes about food and family.

Carrot Halwa is absolutely perfect in every bite with a little warm tendency. I love to have my carrot halwa with poori and potato curry. When you make this halwa you can feel the aroma all over in your house. This is north Indian sweet delicacy of winter; no need for festivity.

Both beauties are full of elegance and richness; the red is my favorite. I am going to make everything beautiful and sweet around me with tulip and my classic Indian dessert.