“Friends are born, not made”. Blogging has helped me to meet some nicest people from different cultures across the globe. One such friend is Kankana of Sunshine & Smile. Today I take pleasure in writing this guest post for her while she is enjoying her vacation in India with her family and friends.

We both have one thing in common. We grew up in India, got married and immediately boarded the plane to United states of America to live our dreams with the man we love. Expats like Kankana and me live miles away from our parents and friends. We cherish the moments spent with them and eagerly wait for the occasion to meet them. When I first traveled to India after being away from my parents for 2 1/2 years my happiness knew no bounds. I was tired of my cooking by then and was terribly missing my Mom’s food. So I made a list of food that I wanted her to make for me and one such dish was this Madras Shrimp Masala. Shrimp aka prawns is my favorite seafood. Still I don’t get to eat them often. Before marriage it was because of my sister and then my husband. Both of them dislike shrimp hence it is hardly cooked in our home. But still whenever it is made I get to eat all of them like a greedy glut

Initially I was reluctant to buy shrimp because of all the cleaning required. It is mandatory to clean them well before cooking otherwise it could cause illness or allergies. When my mother-in-law came here she taught me how to clean and devein them. And my Mom gave me tips like using turmeric powder and salt to remove germs and to soak it in lemon juice to remove odor.

Though the name of the dish sounds fancy this curry is made with simple and easily available ingredients. You will not need “Madras curry powder” or any namesakes to make this fiery and lip-smacking curry. Simple spices like garlic, ginger, coriander and black pepper add zing to this dish. Take it from me and make this dish and enjoy every bite of it with oohs….. and aahhhs…….

Recipe in Kankana’s Sunshine & Smile Blog

South Beach Diet Adaptable

Serve this curry with 1/2 cup of Basmati rice / Brown rice or Whole wheat rotis. You can also serve them with Whole wheat/whole grain breads

The days between engagement and marriage are always special. Bride wears a new look as soon as the wedding is announced. Her cheek resembles a rosy apple most of the times from all the teasing from her family and friends.  And she blushes to the fullest dreaming about the man of her life.  Skyrocketing telephone bills and sleepless nights indicate that the bride and the groom are spending some quality time to know each other.This is what happened between V and me. Though we stayed thousands of miles apart until 10 days before the wedding, we spent hours talking to each other over phone and skype. Thank god there was something like VOIP. Otherwise we would have ended up paying the entire paycheck on our telephone bills Then the day came and V tied the nuptial knot. Wearing the Mangal sutra (holy thread), toe ring and vermilion made me a complete woman. It was a dream come true and I realized that marriages are indeed made in heaven.

In next few weeks, one of the most talented blogger is getting married. She is none other than Nithya of 4th Sense Cooking. She surprises me every time I land in her blog with her creativity and eye candy photographs.  When Anamika wrote to me about hosting a virtual bridal shower I immediately agreed. What is more special than cooking her favorite food from her own blog. I chose Eggless Brownies to delight her virtually. Though I am late for the party I believe Nithi will love these eggless brownies made specially for her with lotsa love. Wishing you a very happy married life Nithi. May your marriage be filled with all the right ingredients: a heap of love, a dash of humor, a touch of romance, and a spoonful of understanding. May your joy last forever.

Bridal Shower guest list

Anamika Arun – Taste Junction

Krithi – Krithi’s Kitchen

Priya Mitharwal –  Mharo Rajasthan Recipes

Priya Mahadeven – Priyas Now Serving

Priya Suresh – Priya easy n tasty recipes

Priya Sreeram – Bon Appetit

Radhika – Tickling Palates

Revathy – Kaarasaaram

Sanjeeta – Lite Bite

Vardhini - Zesty Palette

How it tasted?

How do you like your brownies. I like mine to be cakey, moist and chocolaty. If this is your definition for a good brownie and you want it to be eggless then you have come to the right place. This is a fool-proof recipe for an eggless brownie and it will never fail you. Go ahead and make it for your loved ones. I assure you they will love it as we did.

Eggless Brownie

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 9 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 cup All purpose flour / Maida
• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (I have used Ghirardelli)
• 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar (Note: 1/2 cup sugar yields 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/3 cup or 5 tbsp Oil (I have used Canola oil)
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar / 1 tsp Vinegar
• 2 tsp Instant Coffee Powder
• 3-4 tsp Grated Bittersweet Chocolate
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 10 or handful of Walnuts

Cooking Instruction

• Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C.
• Brush 8x8 pan (I have used pyrex glass pan) generously with butter.
• In a small bowl add apple cider vinegar/vinegar, milk and keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Grind sugar in a spice grinder/mixie
• In a large bowl, sift All purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and powdered sugar.
• Add instant coffee powder to milk and stir well.
• In another bowl, add grated chocolate and oil. Microwave for 30 seconds.
• Add it to the milk mixture and stir well.
• Now add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients(sifted mixture). Stir it well with a spatula until all the ingredients are combined.
• Add coarsely chopped walnuts.
• Pour batter into the pan and bake it for 25 minutes. Don\\\'t forget to lick the batter. It is undoubtedly finger-licking good :D Yumm.
• Allow it to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool little longer, I know you would have lost your patience already. Cut into slices and enjoy these irresistible eggless brownies.

Note: We prefer the sweetness to be mild in our baked goodies so add 3-4 tbsp of sugar as required.

A glimpse from my kitchen

• Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C. Brush 8×8 pan (I have used pyrex glass pan) generously with butter. In a small bowl add apple cider vinegar/vinegar, milk and keep aside for 5 minutes. Grind sugar in a spice grinder/mixie.
• In a large bowl, sift All purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

• Add instant coffee powder to milk and stir well. In another bowl, add grated chocolate and oil. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add it to the milk mixture and stir well.

• Now add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients(sifted mixture). Stir it well with a spatula until all the ingredients are combined.

• Add coarsely chopped walnuts. Mix it well.

• Pour batter into the pan and bake it for 25 minutes. Don\’t forget to lick the batter. It is undoubtedly finger-licking good Yumm.

• Allow it to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool little longer, I know you would have lost your patience already. Cut into slices and enjoy these irresistible eggless brownies.

The 9 month long roller coaster ride has happily ended and our munchkin has arrived safely. Our daughter S was born on the 6th of October at 6:30 in the morning.  This could explain why I disappeared in the beginning of this year and have been little less active for the last couple of weeks   Sorry I couldn’t inform many due to personal reasons.

In the Seventh Month

Though morning sickness took me for a ride, I have enjoyed every bit of this pregnancy.  It was an eureka moment when we saw her first in the 12th week. My eyes almost teared looking at the monitor.  Though I didn’t feel even the slightest of the kick we were able to see her hands and legs moving really fast. That is what she does outside the womb now, kicking and boxing I was on cloud nine when I felt the first kick weeks later.  I could imagine the little feet and hands in action. Those little kicks, tickling, somersaults eventually grew stronger and it was a merry moment every time I felt it. Gosh I definitely miss them.

I feel complete now as I hold her in my arms. All the troubles, sleepless nights seem less significant when I see my daughter smile in her sleep. I am sure our lives have been transformed ones for all and each day ahead will give us the most unforgettable moments of our lives. The days gone by helped me to  understand and appreciate people around me. I am so grateful for all the pampering and care I have received from my family, friends, co-workers and strangers equally. It is not enough to say thanks to our family friend ‘R’ for cooking those simple and delicious meals when even a food Ad on T.V made me puke (sorry if it sounds gross). Without all their love and support I don’t think I could have managed it. Now that my parents are here I don’t have to tell you how much care my daughter and I will receive.  Of course, V will get his share too

As we get acclimatized in this new parenting role, learn the art of changing diapers,  relearn to burn the midnight oil and enjoy our time with our little bundle of joy keep watching this space for my favorite cookie recipe, a back to basics post and lot more interesting stuffs. Thanks so much for your understanding and keeping food for 7 stages live and kicking.

You need inspiration and then some motivation to pursue a task. When it comes to blogging I draw the inspiration from bloggers like Sala of Veggie Belly. Her eye candy pics, storytelling and her love for traveling makes me feel connected with her though I don’t know her personally. But that is what a good blog and good blogger do to you.

When I came to know that Sala was looking for bloggers to guest post whilst she was traveling across the country, I immediately wrote to her. And she graciously accepted my request to guest post in her beautiful blog. Though it is hard to express my gratitude through words, I thank Sala wholeheartedly for giving me this opportunity to write a guest post in Veggie Belly.

The tree in front of my home warned us well ahead of time about the changing season. Though I am happy to see those bright orange leaves am not really prepared to face the  aftermath. The thought of unpacking the long forgotten boxes filled with our jackets and winter clothes makes me nervous. I couldn’t believe that one brutal winter can change my love for this season. However, I have to accept the fact and move forward. Before the temperature drops further I have to move all my plants indoor, paint our deck and rearrange my home. Sigh.

As there is always a blessing in disguise, it is the right time to turn on my oven and get started with baking again. The nip in the air made me crave for something hot yet spicy and I got reminded of the gluten free fusion tart I baked few months ago. Though I was not very happy with the tart crust as the sweetness of almond meal was overpowering the better half seemed to like it. And Aloo Gobhi tart it is. This time I wanted to whip up something real quick and I didn’t have patience to make the tart crust from the scratch. Ding… The idea of using puff pastry popped in my mind and viola I had a delicious savory tart to share it with you all. Flaky buttery crust forms a perfect base for this spiced Aloo Gobhi Masala and I would never think of using another crust recipe. Yumm.

There are very few vegetables that marry well with each other. Cauliflower (Gobhi) and Potatoes (Aloo) are the right candidates for this perfect marriage. When these two vegetables are blended together with the right spices they create wonders and Aloo Gobhi is one such popular dish from India. The very thought of combining this popular curry with flaky puff pastry makes me weak at the knees. If you are a savory lover like me, go ahead and make this Aloo Gobhi tart. I am sure you will enjoy this fusion savory tart as much as my family did.

For Aloo Gobhi Tart Recipe and more pictures visit Sala’s Veggie Belly Blog. Don’t forget to read her  vegetarian cross country (U.S) road trip posts (part1 & part2) whilst you are there.

Before writing a post, I always think what I should share with you. This time I wanted to vent out my frustrations about my inabilities to keep this blog alive. I know I have been doing this again and again. And I can’t be more angry with myself for not writing to you often. This blog baby is craving my attention and I am not in a position to meet the expectations. My priorities have changed. There is someone in my life who needs more attention and love. Even now she is sleeping on my lap and doesn’t want to be disturbed I really don’t complain about this because I am loving this phase of my life. Every moment is cherishable and I wish I can freeze these moments and go back in time whenever I wish. My little one is surprising me everyday reaching new milestones. Now she can almost turn over yeah almost. Oh she did turn over thrice in the last 2 weeks thou. She can hold her leg and she can grab her toy now. She lays on her tummy and enjoys the new perspective of world. My little Einstein even found that her bouncer can play music which even her parents didn’t know. Our munchkin identifies her Mama and Dada and giggles when we repeat a sentence again and again. These little things might not make any sense but they are precious to us. We savor every bit of it. You know what I mean right?

I feel so relieved writing this down. Now I am no more frustrated. What if I don’t blog every week. I am not losing anything. But I don’t want to lose these precious moments nor sacrifice this little pleasures of  my life. This doesn’t mean that I am going to abandon this and walk away. I will never do that. Because I don’t want to set a wrong example to my daughter. I want to show her everything is possible in life. I want to show her how to manage various tasks without  making any sacrifices. I want to show her how to be determined in life under various circumstances and pursue our dreams. Life needs to move on and so is this blog. Here is a favorite cookie recipe of mine which satisfied my sweet cravings during pregnancy. It is healthy, tasty and easy to make when the morning sickness takes you for a ride.

When I was craving for Wegman’s Oatmeal Cranberry cookies I remembered the recipe given by my friend V. I have made some alterations to the original Oatmeal raisin cookie recipe to recreate my favorite cookie in my kitchen.

How it tasted?

Let me confess I don’t like the classic soft chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. I like them crisp just like the wegman’s oatmeal cranberry cookie. Dry cranberries and coconut give a new dimension to this cookie.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 24 cookies

Source: From my sweetest friend \'V\'

Ingredients

• 1 cup Old fashioned oats
• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 cup Dessicated coconut
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberry
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
• 10 tsp Water

Cooking Instruction

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Brush oil or butter.
• Roughly chop dried cranberry. Feel free to use raisins if you don\\\\\\\'t have them.
• In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients - Oats, all purpose flour, dessicated coconut, sugar, light brown sugar. Mix them well.
• Then add chopped cranberry. Toss them to coat.
• In another bowl, add baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, lemon extract to canola oil. Stir to combine.
• Mix the liquid ingredient into dry ingredient. Add water as required around 10 tsp. Stir to combine using a spatula.
• Take 1/8 cup cookie dough and drop it on the parchment paper. Flatten it using your fingers or the backside of your measuring cup (or any flat utensil). Repeat.
• Slide it into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. I prefer my cookies little crispier, hence I bake it for 18 minutes or sometimes 20 minutes. If you like them chewy then bake it for 15 minutes.
• Allow it to cool on a cooling rack. Then store them in an airtight container and enjoy these crunchy yummy cookies.
• Note: A large baking tray will fit 12 cookies at a time. You can bake them in two batches.

South Beach Diet Adaptable

Use whole wheat pastry flour instead of all purpose flour.

A glimpse from my kitchen

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Brush oil or butter.
• Roughly chop dried cranberry. Feel free to use raisins if you don’t have them.

• In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients – Oats, all purpose flour, dessicated coconut, sugar, light brown sugar. Mix them well.

• Then add chopped cranberry. Toss them to coat.

• In another bowl, add baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, lemon extract to canola oil. Stir to combine.
• Mix the liquid ingredient into dry ingredient.  Add water as required around 10 tsp. Stir to combine using a spatula.

• Take 1/8 cup cookie dough and drop it on the parchment paper.

• Flatten it using your fingers or the backside of your measuring cup (or any flat utensil). Repeat.

• Slide it into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. I prefer my cookies little crispier, hence I bake it for 18 minutes or sometimes 20 minutes. If you like them chewy then bake it for 15 minutes.

• 
• Allow it to cool on a cooling rack. Then store them in an airtight container and enjoy these crunchy yummy cookies.

If you wish to make a difference in someone’s life then do not forget to contribute for the fund drive organized to raise funds for the destitute girls in Vaidehi Ashram.

I never thought blogging would introduce me to wonderful people around the globe.  One such person is Kankana who writes a bold and beautiful food blog ‘Sunshine & Smile‘. I still remember when I first landed on Kankana’s blog. It all started with her lip-smacking post Chilly Bhajji. We exchanged mails, then had a chat on facebook/twitter and even before I knew we were talking over phone. Her warm and amiable personality reflects through her blog. If you have not visited her blog already do it right away. Before that see what she has brought to the table today. You don’t want to miss this delicacy from Eastern Indian. Zillion thanks to you Kankana for accepting my request to guest post in Food for 7 stages.

Kankana’s FB Page | Twitter

Take it away Kankana….

Radhika is one of my very close blogger friend and what I love the most about her is her warm and friendly attitude. Our interaction started over twitter which then moved to Facebook and even before I realize, we were chatting non stop , sharing similar ideas and thoughts. When we were about to talk on the phone for the first time, I was wondering how it would be.. well, it felt like I knew her for ever, that’s the kind of comfort level she gave me! She told me that she likes savory vegetarian dishes and I hope she enjoys these pooris.

We Indians are used to eating a lot of flat breads. In most of the Indian kitchens, it’s prepared every day and paired with some side dish or lentil soup. Having said that, if you are from eastern India, we are more used to eating rice in our daily meal.

It’s only after my marriage that I started to cook and eat paratha or roti on a regular basis. One of the most common flat bread preparation is stuffed paratha, which I am still struggling with, but stuffed poori with lentil is something I managed to learn faster.

Poori is puffed up bread that is deep fried and very commonly prepared at home for Sunday breakfasts. It goes perfect with any curry, pickle or even with tea for snacks.

Today I am sharing with you a simple ‘daal poori’ recipe which I had made especially for her.

Daal is an Indian soup made with pulses (dried lentils). I used ‘toor daal’ to make the stuffing but you can use any other kind of lentils. These pooris are usually prepared with left-over lentils that are slow cooked to dehydrate it completely. Cooking the lentil soup for long hours will eventually make it dry and crumbly and that’s the texture we need for this recipe. These dry crumbs are then used as stuffing inside the poori.

You can use your choice of spice mix in the crumbs. The only key thing is to make sure that it is not moist or else, when you roll the stuffed dough, it will tear apart. Well, I am horrible in making stuffed paratha and if I could stuff these pooris, then anyone can

When plain pooris are fried in hot oil, they puff a lot but these pooris will not puff as much and that’s because of the stuffing inside. Just fry it to golden color and enjoy these hot with some curry or just pickle.

This will make 10 to 12 daal pooris (2 inch in diameter)

Daal Poori

Ingredients

• For the stuffing
• 1 1/2 cup boiled lentil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger, grated
• 1 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• Salt to taste
• Oil
• For the poori
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• water to knead the dough
• oil for deep frying the poori

Cooking Instruction

• For making the stuffing, heat 1 tbs oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and ginger to the pan.
• Once they start to splatter, pour the boiled lentil and start cooking in low heat.
• Add rest of the spice mix (turmeric, coriander powder, chili powder), chopped green chilies and tamarind paste. Cook in low heat and keep stirring in between until it becomes dry and all the water is absorbed.
• Then, keep it aside and let it cool completely. Once it is cooled, the filling will become more dry and crumbly.
• For the poori, mix flour with carom seeds, salt and oil. Add some water and start kneading.
• Once the dough is ready and the stuffing is completely cooled, you can start the making the pooris.
• Divide the dough in equal tiny balls.
• Roll the balls a little, pour 1 tsp filling in the center and wrap it to form a ball again.
• Using a rolling pin, roll it to a 2 inch diameter circle. You need to be patient while doing this or else it might break apart.
• In a deep pan or wok, heat enough oil for frying the pooris.
• To test if the oil is at the right temperature, drop a tiny piece of dough in the oil and if it rises up immediately, you are ready to fry the pooris.
• Drop just one poori in the wok at a time. With the back of your spatula, press the poori very lightly and it will start puffing up. Remember that these pooris will not puff like normal pooris as they have stuffing inside.
• The poori should take about 30 seconds on each side and should turn golden in color.
• Take it out of the wok, put it in kitchen towel and let it drain the extra oil.
• Continue frying rest of the pooris and serve immediately with your choice of side or pickle.

Yet another B&W submission to Susuan’s B&W Wednesday event

Wilton’s cake in Color

I know it has been more than 2 weeks since I posted anything on this blog. It was little crazy at work as my contract was coming to an end and I wanted to ensure that I finish up all pending tasks and prepare the necessary knowledge transfer documents before I leave the company. In between all this chaos an unexpected earthquake and hurricane Irene disturbed our entire schedule. It was a total mess in the east coast area. Most of the roads were flooded and hence blocked. TH who went to work on Monday was stuck in traffic for 4 hrs and finally he had to return home as there was no way to move forward. Many homes were in dark for more than a week. Luckily the place we live didn’t lose power nor it got affected by flooding. I definitely owe thanks to the almighty for protecting all of us from the dangerous wind and rain. Amidst all of this I almost forgot that I had this recipe in my drafts waiting to be shared with you.

Since the summer began I have made kulfi almost half a dozen of times. When I made it the very first time I used Heavy cream, Full fat evaporated milk and 2% milk. Gosh, it was creamy, rich and sinfully delicious. But I knew if I have to make it again I can’t follow the same recipe. So I decided to replace it with lower fat ingredients like 2% evaporated milk and 1 % milk. Though it wasn’t as creamy and rich as my first recipe it was so delicious that we didn’t hesitate to go for the seconds. Of course we felt less guilty

In India Kulfi is predominantly sold on the streets during summer and it is a popular ice-cream among all age group . But unfortunately my parents never allowed me or my little sis to buy anything from the street vendors. They were concerned about our health. I couldn’t do anything but drool at the kufli pots and the ice pops that were sold outside my school premises. When we bought refrigerator, my Mom started making this at home. She used to buy fresh whole milk with lots of malai (cream) from the milkman especially for making kulfis. She used to simmer it on the stove until it reduced to half the volume and surprise us with various kulfi flavors. But Kesar Pista and Mango are my all time favorite.  As the days passed my love for kulfi faded away as I got busy with college and work or I could say I almost forgot about it. But living thousands of miles away from home, I sometimes crave for these cold treats. Sadly the whole milk that is available in stores are not as creamy as the milk sold by our milkman and ultimately I have to rely on the heavy cream to get that rich taste.

How it tasted?

Well I have made this almost 6 times in the last 3 months. This could tell you how much we love this ice-cream. Using low fat ingredients definitely helps us to enjoy this delectable ice-cream with less guilt . If you thought baking is therapeutic then try making this ice-cream. The aromas wafting from Kesar (Saffron) and Pista (Pistachios) will help you attain kulfi nirvana instantly.

Kesar Pista Kulfi

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6-8 Kulfi (depends on mould size)

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cup or 350 ml Heavy Cream
• 2/3 cup or 147 ml or 5 oz 2% Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp 1% Milk
• 2 tsp Corn starch / Corn flour
• 2tbsp Water
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 10 Pistachios / Pista
• 3 Cardamon pods
• 2 big pinch Saffron / Kesar

Cooking Instruction

• Add 2 generous pinch of saffron to luke warm milk. Let it soak for a while.
• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan add heavy cream, evaporated milk, 1 % milk. On a medium flame, bring it to boil. Keep stirring in between, this will help you to prevent the burning of milk.
• Dissolve corn starch in 2 tbsp water. When the milk starts boiling add this mixture and stir well.
• On a low medium flame, add sugar and stir it well.
• After couple of minutes, add finely grated pistachios and stir it well.
• Let it simmer.
• When the milk reduces to 3/4 quantity remove from flame and let it cool.
• Crush cardamon pods with a tsp of sugar in a pestle and mortar. If you have readily available cardamon powder go ahead and use it.
• Add cardamon powder, saffron milk and stir well.
• Can you sense that your kitchen is transforming into a paradise from the aroma wafting from the milk, pista and saffron.
• Once it cools down, pour it into kulfi / ice pop moulds and put it in the freezer for 8 hrs or until set. If you don\\\\\\\'t have kulfi moulds, use your teeny-weeny jars, paper cups or dessert cups.
• If you want to use ice-cream/pop sticks, freeze it for an hour or so until it is 90% set. Then insert the sticks and freeze it again.
• Enjoy these cold treats.

A glimpse from my kitchen

• Add 2 generous pinch of saffron to luke warm milk. Let it soak for a while.

• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan add heavy cream, evaporated milk, 1 % milk. On a medium flame, bring it to boil. Keep stirring in between, this will help you to prevent the burning of milk.

• Dissolve corn starch in 2 tbsp water. When the milk starts boiling add this mixture and stir well.

• On a low medium flame, add sugar and stir it well.

• After couple of minutes, add finely grated pistachios and stir it well.

• Let it simmer. When the milk reduces to 3/4 quantity remove from flame and let it cool. Crush cardamon pods with a tsp of sugar in a pestle and mortar. If you have readily available cardamon powder go ahead and use it. Add cardamon powder, saffron milk and stir well.

• Can you sense how your kitchen is transforming into a paradise from the aroma wafting from the milk, pista and saffron.Once it cools down, pour it into kulfi / ice pop moulds and put it in the freezer for 8 hrs or until set. If you don’t have kulfi moulds, use your teeny-weeny jars, paper cups or dessert cups.
  If you want to use ice-cream/pop sticks, freeze it for an hour or so until it is 90% set. Then insert the sticks and freeze it again.

• Enjoy these cold treats.

One can’t say no to this juicy and sweet peaches. I have fallen in love with them this summer.

For Black & White Wednesday hosted by Susan