Tiramisu The Classy Italian Dessert

Last time when I visited Crawford Market I picked up some Italian Savoairdi biscuits/ ladyfingers. I thought I had picked up eggless ones as I had specifically asked for it but they were not. So this dessert was made for those who indulge.

It is the simplest dessert to put together yet very classy. I licked the bowl of mascarpone, shouldn't the maker get something?

I adapted this recipe, to the limits in my kitchen.

Ingredients

500 gms Homemade Mascarpone cheese
12 ladyfingers biscuits
2 tablespoons cooked vanilla custard (replacement for 2 egg yolks)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 50 ml water
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar instead of liqueur
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
dark chocolate shavings

In the food processor bowl add Homemade Mascarpone cheese, the cooked vanilla custard, sugar, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar whip till creamy yet stiff.

In a plate mix together instant coffee and water. Soak the ladyfingers in the coffee liquid and place in a bowl. Line six biscuits at the bottom. Scoop out 1/3 of the mascarpone cheese and slather on the bottom layer. Now wet the second set of six biscuits and slather the rest of the mascarpone mix on to it. Chill it overnight for best results.

Before serving dust the top with the unsweetened cocoa and garnish with dark chocolate shavings.

This recipe serves 8 small portions or 4 super large ones.

The Chocolate Volcano! Cake

It has been such an eventful last week for reasons more than one...

One was Friday, my nephew's birthday. He threw a googly at me, specifying that he wanted a chocolate bundt cake. I was wondering how to decorate to make it a celebration cake and good blogger and facebook friends came to my rescue.

Bundt cakes limit you in the frosting ideas, you can only pour some thing over it. It does look pretty but that's traditional. I was spoilt for choices, toffee sauce/ fresh cream/ dulce de leche or chocolate ganache? The birthday boy loves chocolate like all kids his age so I thought it would be a great idea to make a Chocolate Volcano cake. With marbled effect of Chocolate ganache lava overflowing and in the center. A sprinkling of confetti for the fire spewing volcano. Now with that idea in the head I started out to execute it.

I made the chocolate cake using my Choco-Vanilla marble cake recipe which will follow. This post is about the decoration. The cake without the jazz on its own is a beautiful rich tea cake and deserves its own moment of limelight. So come again for the recipe of the cake but for now this is how the decoration was done.

Ingredients

100gms of milk chocolate

100 gms of dark chocolate

100 ml Amul fresh cream

a tablespoon of confetti

First turn out the bundt cake into a serving dish, upside down. 

Bring the fresh cream to a boil. 

Keep three small bowls ready for the 3 types of ganache.

Milk chocolate ganache: Melt milk chocolate by zapping it in the microwave for 30 secs. Pour 50ml of the hot Amul fresh cream over the chocolate.

Pour the milk chocolate ganache over the bundt cake. This will be the dark layer.

Marbled chocolate ganache: In another bowl take the dark chocolate and pour 40 ml of the hot fresh cream over 50gms dark chocolate. Mix to get a marble effect in two colors of light and dark ganache. 

Pour the marbled ganache over the milk chocolate ganache we poured over the cake to form the second layer of lava.

It looks pretty without the confetti too...a version for the adults.

Dark chocolate ganache: Now mix the remaining 10 ml of fresh cream into the remaining 50 gms of dark chocolate. Pour this dark chocolate ganache into the center of the bundt cake to fill the cavity.

On cutting a slice it revealed the embedded rocks of walnuts and the slice coated in chocolate ganache lava and one could pick up the dark lava in the center and spread it on the slice. A lesson in geography too! LOL.

I don't have a picture of the slice as I forgot to load batteries in my camera. I was in a hurry to go as this decoration was done after I reached home from work and then rushed to the BD boy's home. He was waiting for me to reach there and told his Mom to hold on the aukshan (aarti) till I went, ain't that sweet!

In the end sprinkle the confetti over the bundt cake ring and a denser sprinkle in the center to give the effect of a fire spewing Chocolate Volcano!

This is Nirbhay and he turned 12 on Friday and was so excited about it  that he wanted to go to school by BEST bus instead of being dropped by his Mom like everyday, just so that he could buy himself a full ticket!

Tip:

I used a microwave steamer as a cake carrier. So the bundt cake was turned out in the base of the steamer. It proved to be better than the cake box. The Birthday boy lives about 45 mins drive from my place and the cake traveled the distance well. I would suggest sprinkle the confetti just before cutting the cake to avoid it melting in the ganache.

Celebrating Makar Sankrat And A Warm Welcome To The Positive With GuL PoLi

 Makar Sankratichya Goad Goad Subhechya!

Dakshinayan is over and now the sun enters Uttarayan. Sankrant TaLli!

See the beautiful sun slant in the pictures. Looking at the GuL PoLi on the camera display got me so excited that I wanted to post immediately and also wish you here.

Couple of days ago was reading this post by Saee, she reminisces about all the beautiful memories of Sankrant from her childhood. Unlike her Gran and Mom, my Aai never made any kind of poLis. In my family, poLis were always sub contracted to the Sonarin (Gold smith's wife) in Thal and brought to Mumbai wrapped in newspaper by one of our relatives, on some special occasions.

I broke that tradition when I could dare to make PoLis. It must have been somewhere around year 2000 or so. I was a somewhat experienced cook running the household then. My Dad was pinning for poLis and I decided to try my hand at them. First attempted Puranpolis and then GuL PoLis.

Obviously my reference was the good old and the only cookbook I own, Annapurna by Mangala Barve. I do make poLis once in a while but I have not been know as an expert. My cousin sisters make beautiful poLis. Aha that reminds me, I must bring them here soon to showcase their recipes, now that I am in Mumbai!

Coming back to the recipe. I have made the GuL poLis with Mangala Barve's recipe before and they are easier to roll out but with the addition of besan to the GuL in the stuffing kills the whole essence of a GuL PoLi is my opinion. In the process I follow I omit the besan all together and keep GuL as the star ingredient, else why call it GuL PoLi?

My PoLi oozes GuL with every bite. See it here, isn't it tempting?

Ingredients

For the stuffing

1/4 kg GuL / Jaggery

1/4 cup khus khus

1/4 cup TiL / sesame seeds

handful of dry coconut slices

a large pinch of nutmeg

In a kadhai toast the khus khus, sesame seeds and dry coconut slices till rosy pink.

Grind to fine in the chutney grinder.  The toasted seeds and coconut release oil to make it into a paste. The grinder might heat up the paste, don't worry. 

In a microwave dish zap the jaggery for 30 secs. No more than that we don't need to melt the jaggery all we need is to make it crumble. While still warm press it with the back of a spoon.

Now add the powdered khus khus, til and coconut mix into the jaggery. Add the nutmeg powder. Knead well to get a smooth ball. Keep aside.

For the cover

1 cup whole wheat flour/ atta

1/2 cup all purpose flour/ maida

1 serving spoon chickpea flour/ besan

salt to taste

2 tablespoons oil

water as needed (200ml)

In the food processor, put all the flour together, add the oil. Run the machine while you add water as required about 200 ml to form a smooth ball of dough.

Divide the stuffing into 12 parts and the dough into 12 parts.

Make a dona / cup with the dough and stuff the mix into it. Seal it into a ball. Press to make it into a disc. Roll out each disc into chapatis as thin a possible without tearing. If the chapati tears the jaggery will ooze out while roasting and char the griddle and the poLi, so be careful. 

Slow roast on a well heated griddle or non stick pan. Turn once roasted well on to the other side. The PoLi needs careful handling so turn only once to completely roast on both sides. Fold twice to get quarter folds like you do to chapati.

Stay warned the GuL PoLis should always be served cold lest you want to scald your tongue with hot ones. Those who love ghee can go for a generous drizzle.

Enjoy!

PS: today's lunch just chana chat and GuL PoLi.

That Night A Year Ago

I went to bed as usual. 

I had just gone back to Blr after a long holiday spent with family in Mumbai. There was something that was worrying me. That day, 11th Jan 2012 as we walked up the stairs to the rooftop cafeteria I was breathless and very casually I mentioned to my friend Archana that my heart was trying to give me some signals.

After a normal day at work I returned home. For the last couple of years I had this nausea when I commuted in a closed vehicle, I had nausea after a meal. In June 2011 I had this Red Alert! but it was about general health. I was and am overweight. Nothing pointed to the heart except a casual comment by the daibetologist and I am not even daibetic. My school friend Radha who owns a drug discovery company had suggested that I needed someone with a holistic view than the specialists I was seeing. I was in Mumbai with my family and friends and I was the happiest. After that alert I was very cautious with my diet and I was even preparing for a trek to Spiti Valley, walking 3 kms everyday and loosing a bit of the weight.

That was not enough!

On 11th Jan that night it started with uneasiness. Past midnight I woke up and vomited. Then I tried to go back to bed. Around 1.30 am I had unbearable back pain. On the left side behind my heart the back was hurting. I asked Dad to rub some balm, but got no relief. I took a stick and started giving myself a massage by rolling it across my back. This cycle of vomiting and pain went on till 6.30 am the next day, 12th Jan 2012; both Dad and me were exhausted by then. Then I was able to sleep till 8.00 am. When I woke up like usual Dad asked me if I was going to work. I had suffered so much in the night that I got angry with Dad for just asking that question. 

I told him firmly, I was going to take the day off and go get a check up done. Dad took me to a general practitioner at 10 am. He suggested that I might be having stomach infection. Again I firmly told him that I was not just vomiting I had tightness in my chest I had difficulty walking. I told him I want a ECG done. So he prescribed it. I almost grabbed it from him and walked down the road to the diagnostic center. The Cardiologist would be available only in the afternoon after 4pm I was told but they did do the ECG anyway. However the interpretation of the report was to be done by the Cardiologist and that meant I would know the results only after 4pm. We came home and Dad made a simple khichdi which we both ate and slept the rest of the afternoon. 

At 5 pm I received a call asking me to collect the reports. I was not able walk so I asked Dad to walk down and bring it. I read the note and it said Myocardial Infraction. I knew all was not well. I called up my best friend Sangeeta who is a pathologist and asked her what it meant. She immediately asked whose report I was reading. I told her it was mine. She advised  me to rush to the hospital. I called up my then Supervisor Rajendhiran at work and told him what the report said. After a while he called back to tell me I should keep coughing till I reached the hospital to keep the circulation going and get admitted to Narayana Hrudayalaya.

I called the driver and we started for the hospital which was almost 35kms from my South Blr home. On the way I kept coughing and calling up friends for references at the hospital. To my surprise as I entered the lobby and told that I had a heart attack and needed emergency help, I was told to walk into the emergency room and lie down on any empty bed and the procedure would start. Yes they are that quick. I checked into emergency at 7pm on 12th Jan almost 18 hrs after the incident!

Things went smooth after that. Dr. Binoy John and team did an Angioplasty on me under the guidance of Dr. Kannan J. I was out of the operation theater at 10.30 pm.

It has been a tough year for me this 2012. Yet I never say this was something bad that happened to me. This human life is like this. One goes thru everything. Yes but I have started valuing my time in this life more. If you are thinking after the heart attack the worst was over, then you are wrong. I faced challenges at all levels, trying to keep the job, trying to get back to normal work hours. Even today life is not the same as before the incident. I am on lifelong medication.

Life's challenges will continue but I got the chance to come back to Mumbai, my home, to get a role that suited my needs at the time, to be able to work from Mumbai, to be able to live a fuller life. 

I did many things to improve this life after the incident.

1. Started composting at home using the Daily Dump.

2. Started growing these little treasures in my Green Balcony.

3. Met long time blogger friends. 

4. Started decorating my cakes though I have been a baker for many moons.

5. Sold Diwali Faral hampers and helped some women to find their identity.

6. One thing I haven't talked about on the blog is about my learning music because what started as therapy is turning out to be something that I look forward to week on week. I have started learning Bharatiya Shastriya Sangeet and Marathi Sugam Sangeet. I am found humming all the time.

This post is for all those who think that a normal life after a heart attack is impossible. It is for all my friends who believed I will come out stronger from this. For those who harmed me and think there is no GOD.

Here I am alive.

Grilled Herbed Baby Potatoes

Potato is such a versatile tuber and this is just one way of cooking it to our liking. India is the second largest producer of potatoes at 36 million metric tonnes. No wonder we have too much potatoes in our recipes, whether it is the batata vada, samosa, pattice or everyday bhaajis which get support and mass from the addition of potatoes to it and as if we have not had enough of potato everyday there is even a potato biryani and potato halwa that people make. This is no recipe but just a trick and do it as you like it.

Some time ago I was at Inorbit and picked up a bag of tiny potatoes. I brought them home and boiled them, while they were still warm I popped one in the mouth. It was not starchy but delicately smooth. I decided that evening we had to be snacking on Grilled Herbed Baby Potatoes.

So in a bowl tossed the de-skinned baby potatoes with generous amounts of olive oil, some pasta spice from a bottle, generous amounts of chili powder. Put it under the grill for 30-45 mins till nicely crisp.

I am putting it up here mainly because I adore these clicks and in a hoard of recipes that I use I forget simple tricks that are satisfying on dreary days.

I have been enjoying the various celebrations in the family and spending lots of time with the kids yet it's not too late to wish you all I guess.

Happy new year to each one of you!

Feminism and me

The grim Delhi rape case has shaken most women and a huge lot of men too except those that are animals. It is painful to hear about the girl's story. I have signed the petition

To: Supreme Court of India, Government of India

We want rape to considered a more heinous crime than terrorism and want very brutal punishments for rapists. By brutal punishments, we mean the type of punishments which will remind them, every single minute, that they have done something which is not AT ALL Acceptable in human society.

I urge you to sign it too. Click here.

While my blood boils when women are treated shoddily and this is a heinous crime so you can imagine how shaken I am, just like most of you.

I love being a women, I loved it when I came of age. I always wanted to be a mother what if I have not yet had a child. I am a hopelessly positive person and hence I am strong willed and stand for what I believe in.

This post is the outcome of some things I have been observing over the years among the women I am surrounded by. I am putting it up here for you to think, to bounce your ideas at me and also am looking for assurance that I am doing the right thing.

 If you are a man not to support such farces and if you are a woman never play the farce.

Remember I grew up in a joint family of 5 daughters and several girl cousins. How I love all the women in my life. I taught my mother and aunts to stand up against male dominance if their word was disregarded in important matters of the family. As the eldest daughter of the family, I taught my younger sisters to stay through the thick and thin in the families they were married into, yet retain their identity. They are very traditional yet I am proud of them for the way they are living for the way they are bringing up their children. I take credit for what they are because I know I was their strongest influence. If they lack something I take that as my failure. That is on the family front.

Now on the work front, I have always tried to build those extra special relationships. Many reciprocated and lovingly. I had shared here about the baby shower we had for 3 of my friends from work, at the time we had 4 women in the team who were pregnant. I admire my then head of the team for supporting all of them through those happy days, yet days filled with struggles. They juggled jobs and health check ups, lows and highs.

I am a Mumbaikar and I admire all those women who travel by packed local trains thru all nine months and have a healthy delivery. It is only in the IT industry I have seen pregnancy the most abused phase by the women employees. From the day the conception is confirmed starts the abuse of the system. Some women game the system by declaring 3 consecutive miscarriages and enjoy month long leaves and return to work in the pink of health. Imagine what 3 miscarriages can do to a women. I shudder at the thought but see no signs such on that woman. Some who are lucky enough to have healthy pregnancies throw tantrums all thru the pregnancies. Unpredictable behavior upsetting workplans. What happens to their professionalism?

One wonders if in India having a baby is like having a baby for the country and the whole country rallies to support the bearer till it is born! I know of some European countries that provide subsidy with every child a woman bears. 

Some women who show inherent lack of honesty get benefit of doubt just because they are an expecting mother. Honesty cannot be cultivated one has to have it. The feminist in me becomes tough when I am faced with such a situation. This coming from someone who celebrates every woman's motherhood.

I may not have had a child yet but have mothered my 2 cousin brothers like my own. Yet I am the feminist of the Mother India kind, I do not support women who do not have honesty in them. Those that support are encouraging dishonesty. No one should try blackmail by throwing canned dialogues in the air.

I am a supporter of the belief that an organization or society that does not take the interests of women into consideration is likely to fail. Feminism to me is nurturing woman's interests, well being both health wise and behavior wise.

Gits Shaahi Gulabjamun

Some time around Dasara I had tried this festive pack of Gits Shaahi Gulabjamun. It's one innovation in product that surprised me when I thought nothing more can be perfected with their regular gulabjamuns that I love. Several times I have hidden pistas in the center of a gulabjamun like they are made at Jhama's, my favorite sweet shop. What more can be done with a classic recipe?

So I guess you must be keen to know what's the innovation? Gits has added powdered nuts and saffron to the mix. 

Verdict

The Nice : It makes the gulabjamuns richer. Adds nuttiness. Saffron makes it exotic in color and flavor.

The Not so nice: The grainy texture, this is expected but since we are used to smooth gulabjamuns it takes a few Shaahi Gulabjamuns to ignore it.

On the whole I loved this enhancement in the product brought to us by my all time favorite brand for Gulabjamuns. My mother started using Gits in the mid 70s and I have been a fan and user ever since. There are several other brands now but Gits is still is my favorite. Try it out.

Disclaimer: This is not a paid review.

Fougasse With Homegrown Mustard Greens

Deeba is a passionate baker who does everything from scratch, she is such an inspiration. I drool so often on her blog, this fougasse was made some time ago immediately after her post but I am able to release this post now. She uses a Thermomix, me just the regular food processor. Have made some changes in the ingredients to use what I had on hand and from my Green Balcony.

I used my own steps for the dough making and own sweet time for proofing and baking to suit my needs on that day and the next day. Stay interested you will love it.

It is so thrilling to be able to use the homegrown Mustard Greens, rather micro greens, they grew dense and I had to harvest them before the fungus could get the roots so a bunch of them found way into to the Fougasse.

Ingredients:

• 450g all purpose flour
• 300ml warm water
• 1.5 tbsp active dry yeast
• 30g olive oil
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 100g Amul Gouda
• 100g walnuts, chopped (Oops missed this)
• Extra olive oil for brushing
• Sea salt for sprinkling 

Roasted veggies

• 1 red bell pepper, roasted, skinned, chopped
• 1 head of garlic, roasted
• 2 medium onions, sliced and roasted 

Fresh herbs : Homegrown Mustard Greens cleaned and chopped rough

In a bowl heat up the water to luke warm. Make a paste of handful of flour in a small bowl. Mix it back into the large bowl. Sprinkle yeast on it. Let it bloom for 10 mins.

In the Food processor bowl measure out the flour. Run the FP and add slowly the yeast and flour slurry. Knead till it comes together.

Leave to double in the FP bowl itself. Like you see here.

While the dough doubles, get the oven heated and roast the red bell pepper, garlic and the onion.

On a tray place the sliced onions, drizzle olive oil and salt and mix to get separate shreds of onions.

In a bowl, place the halved and deseeded bell pepper and drizzle with oil and salt. Place the garlic along with it.

Roast all the veggies for 45 mins.

Cool and peel the bell pepper by removing the waxy skin. Peel the garlic and separate out the cloves.

Chop the bell pepper into strips and garlic into slivers. Save.

Now remove the doubled dough on to the floured counter and fold into the dough the roasted veggies, onions, garlic and the gouda cheese and the homegrown fresh mustard greens.

Divide the dough into two. Roll out and shape the fougasse by slashing with a knife, three slashes in the middle to create a midriff and on the side. Spread the side cuts a bit. Traditionally a fougasse is designed to look like the ear of wheat but mine looks more like a banana leaf I think, Ha ha!

Leave it to proof for an hour or till double on an oiled baking tray. Brush with olive oil and give the fougasse a nice drizzle of salt.

Preheat oven for 10 mins at 180 deg Celsius. Bake the fougasse for 40 mins or till golden.

My family chomped off the bread as soon as it was out of the oven, won't say more. Go try it and you will know what I mean.

Growing Mustard Greens

Growing Mustard Greens was something I wanted to attempt what with Bollywood glamorizing the lush green mustard fields of Punjab. Frankly I had eaten saag so many times at the best of Punjabi restaurants in Mumbai (were there any other kind in the late 70-80s) but had never seen the leaves used for the saag.

In my mode of sprouting any and all seeds from the pantry I sowed the mustard seeds. In 8 days I had Punjab in my lil balcony I thought until I googled for mustard greens. The pics looked nothing like I had in my tray. The leaves when mature are large and the plant grows the height of a person in the fields of Punjab. My tray got a little crowded even with the micro greens and I had to harvest them by the end of 8 days. 

These were not good enough for saag making and the quantity was too large for a salad of mustard greens. These are pungent to taste and have to be used as sprinkles if at all to be used in salads. So I found a super way of using them.

For now since this is a post on the stuff I grow in my Growing Methi, start from the planting step. Then sprinkle the seeds and moisten the planting media and keep doing it till you see sprouts.

Come back again to read about my experiment with mustard greens in a French recipe!

Figs N Roses Cake

Hrushi weds Rupa.

That is the headline story of this week on this blog. Technically I was not allotted much of the wedding planning work yet as it should be foodies get to take care of the F&B by default.

This was a small wedding compared to the weddings of my 3 cousin sisters, both my cousin bros opted for small weddings. We had a Halad or the ceremony of pampering the groom on the previous night of the wedding followed by a party at home. The wedding day began with the NahaNe or the bathing ceremony then the MangalAshtake and the Saptapadi at the temple hall followed by a lunch in celebration of the union of the two souls. The wedding food was catered by a Marwadi Maharaj. It was the regular popular fare of Suki batata bhaaji, Puri, Mutter paneer, Mix vegetables in a creamy gravy, salad, papad, pickle, Dal tadka, rice, gajar ka halwa and Kulfi slices. Everything was a crowd pleaser on taste. The guest list consisted of just 60-70 people who are close to the family.

For the party at home I made Undhiyu, Chili paneer, and two cakes plus a regular dinner followed. One cake was a chocolate cake similar to Hrushi's BD cake for the kids. The Chili paneer is something the kids loved so much that they ate leftovers the next day too choosing it over even the cake.

The Figs N Roses were the flavors of choice, Figs representing the sacredness and prosperity of the relationship and Roses for the love uniting the couple.

This cake served almost 30 people quite generously. My uncle MJ loved the subtle rose scent in the cake and the cream. Most of the family described it as a moist rich and delicate taste. I started work on this cake 3 days in advance. First baked the sponge, second made the mascarpone and third day that is on the morning of the Halad, I assembled it and let it chill in the fridge till it was brought out to be cut by the couple.

For the sponge I used Sanjeev Kapoor's eggless recipe doubling the quantity for my needs and the major change of using rose syrup instead of vanilla essence besides some adjustments in sugar.

To recreate it later noting the recipe.

For the sponge

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon soda bicarbonate

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup sugar (I used Demerera)

100 gms Amul butter (regular salted)

1 tin Amul mithai mate

2 cups Milk

3 teaspoons Kalvert's rose syrup

Baking Dish size : 2400 ml round, glass dish, 275 L X 275 B X 70 H mm

Lets begin by baking the rose scented sponge.

Grease the glass baking dish with butter and dust it with flour. Keep aside the prepared dish.

Fluff up the all purpose flour along with the sodium bicarbonate and baking powder. 

Whisk together the sugar and butter till frothy. Drain the tin of Amul mithai mate into it and mix well.

Tip: In the tin measure out the milk and mix with the spoon to get the max of condensed milk from the tin that's sticking to the walls.

Mix everything together. In the end add the rose syrup and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared glass dish.

Since we are using a glass dish baking temp has to be reduced by 20 degrees to get the same finish as you would with a baking tin and this quantity is double than the original so bake it longer. I required about 40 mins of baking at 160 deg in Convection mode and 180 deg at the end for 10 mins more.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Since I made it before hand I cooled it to room temperature and then put it in the fridge to chill.

For the Filling and Frosting

3.5 cups Homemade Mascarpone cheese 

(made from1 litre Amul fresh cream)

3 teaspoons Kalvert's rose syrup

1 cup icing sugar

5 large Fresh figs

handful of roasted pistachios sliced rough

Chill a splash proof bowl in the freezer. Measure out the mascarpone cheese. Tip in little icing sugar at a time, add the rose syrup and whisk together till all the icing sugar is used up and you get stiff peaks.

Now remove the cake onto a plate and slice it horizontally into two sheets. 

Place one sheet on to a decorative plate or board that can hold this large cake.

Frost the top cut side with 1 cup of the creamed cheese. Cut up 2 figs and distribute them on the cream layer. Place the second sheet of cake. Frost it with the remaining 2.5 cups of rose mascarpone cheese cream. 

Finally decorate with remaining figs. For the center piece cut up the fig upto 3/4th and then keep it in the center and spread it to bloom it like a flower. Cut up a fig into half and slice up and decorate the outer ring of the cake.

Sprinkle the rough chopped pistachios on top of the figs. 

For the glaze (optional)

2 tablespoons honey 

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Mix together the honey and balsamic vinegar. Using a spoon drizzle over the figs.

Let the cake chill completely atleast for 12hrs before serving.

Notes: 

1. This cake is quite moist

2. Very sweet obviously for Indian tastes. If I am making this for my family I would skip the 1/4 cup sugar altogether.

3. Since I baked this in a glass dish I got a really golden cake. Baking it in a tin would fetch me lighter shade.
4. This cake uses condensed milk, I used Amul's which in thinner than Nestle's Milkmaid.
5. Next time I would reduce the milk by half a cup and the batter is just slightly thinner than foldable cake batter.

Verdict :  

We really enjoyed this cake and though the decoration is simple the taste is sublime as you bite into it. You first taste the rose mascarpone cream and the fresh bite into the slice of fig and finally the deliciously soft milky cake. Delicate fresh flavors is the character of this cake.

Sharing here the cutest click of the wedding.

Weekend Takeaways!

In today's life we work so hard, both the man and the woman of the house. As we approach Friday we start planning our indulgences of a good breakfast that one has missed during the week. We also think we deserve a little dessert that can spike up our mood. Then as it happens just the thought of it is too much and a weekend meal ends up as a brunch or a one pot meal. Who has the energy to churn up something that we drooled on all thru the week in the dreams. Especially for the vegetarians it is so difficult, unlike the non-vegetarians who can have a celebration with just one non-veg dish.

I love to cook and feed. So have decided to start "Weekend Takeaways"

How it will work is thru the week I will announce a breakfast item and a dessert. You can order just breakfast or just dessert or both. The items will be available only on order. All orders to be placed before Friday noon every week.

The order can be placed thru mail annaparabrahma at gmail.com , sms or Call 9930094812.

Weekend Takeaways as the name suggests will have to be picked from Nerul and Dadar. The address will be shared with you after the order is placed.

Looking forward to cooking for you some superb vegetarian and non vegetarian treats! 

Since this in a new service we are launching I am letting you pick one breakfast item and a dessert from the blog that you would enjoy. Majority vote will be the pick for the launch on 1st Dec 2012.

Tell me what would you like, Kothimbir vadi, Veg Cutlets, Misal, Chow chow bhat, Kobi vadi, Muthia or Peanut butter Elvis Sandwich? There is more on Morning Glory

Dessert : Mascarpone with Fruit, muffins, Mawa cake? There are 113 choices on Sweet Tooth. 

You can also order any of the breads, a fresh loaf, pull apart buns, Fougasse, Bagels, Pretzels etc. Select your Bread

So hurry now! The first three orders will get a delicious dessert free!!

Growing Cucurbits

They grew from the compost, I did not sow them so I don't know what they are, could be cucumbers and pumpkins I guess.

 Flowering started within a week.

 The first cucurbit! YaY! I thought it was ivy gourd, Dad says its a pumpkin.

 It is getting fatter. I still don't know what it is. May be a cooking cucumber.

Yes it is a cucumber, gifted it to my Uncle MJ, Aruna Kaki made sambar with it.

Diwali is over. Stop over eating right away. Get hold of some fresh veggies, have a nice crunchy salad. Detox for a week, join me.

 Posted on FB, 31st March 2013 : It smells beautiful, the freshness of the just harvested! Aha!

Shubha Deepavali

Completed all the deliveries. Spread the light of Diwali and warm the heart. That's what we believe in. Thank you each one of you for the orders, support and love.

A special one to my readers you make me want to keep doing new things.

Shubha Deepavali to you and yours!

Diwali Faral 2012

Orders in and around Mumbai and Navi Mumbai will be accepted till 12th Nov.

Dhanteras is just 10 days away from today. Have you ordered the Faral yet? 

We take orders for homemade Diwali Faral. Our Faral will  have you smacking your lips!

If you need to send Faral to US or UK  or across the Indian states you need to order now for it to reach the destination just in time for Diwali.

Faral Item	Love Jodi Hamper	Sab Ke Liye Hamper
	Qty	Qty
Rava ladu	5 nos.	10 nos.
Besan ladu	5 nos.	10 nos.
Karanji	5 nos.	10 nos.
Bhajani Chakali	250 gms	500 gms
Shankarpali	250 gms	500 gms
Chivda	250 gms	500 gms
Uttana	50 gm	50 gm
Rangoli sticker	1 no.	1 no.
Diya	2 nos.	2 nos.
Handmade soap	1 no.	1no.
Kandeel	1 no.	1no.
India Price	1475 Rs.	2475 Rs.

UK Price

50 £

60 £

US Price

80 $

95 $

Free Deliveries all over Mumbai & Navi Mumbai.

US and UK prices inclusive of deliveries.

Express Parcel Service is available for deliveries across India at actuals.
(Rs. 120 per hamper for a max. radius 1000 kms.)

How to order:

You can mail me at annaparabrahma at gmail.com mention your choice of hamper, date and address for delivery.

I am on twitter and FB too.

Order Now!

paypal id : hrushikoli@gmail.com