A Hint of Spice

Lassi's are popular yogurt drink in India.The sweet variety is made with different fresh fruit purees,and the savory drinks may be flavored with different spices.Lassis provide a refreshing complement to spicy Indian dishes,as they cool the body.

Ingredients
1 pound ripe mango flesh(about 2 mangoes),skin and pit removed
9 ounces whole-milk plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
1.Cut the mango into 1/2 inch pieces and blend until smooth in a blender.
2.Pour the yogurt into the blender with the mango and blend until smooth,about 1 1/2 minutes.Pour in the milk,sugar and lemon juice and blend for another minute.
3.Taste for seasoning,adjusting if necessary.Pour into glasses and serve.
'njoy!!!

Are you Confused with the Title.....thinking what is A-O? Well why worry when I am here.A-O is a abbreviation for Anti Oxidants and what are berries full of if not Anti Oxidants? Therefore the title is so apt-A glass full of antioxidants which is Delighful.
This is such a simple beverage to make and it gives you an instant kick of freshness and energy with a lot of flavor.

Ingredients
3-4 servings
1/2 cup Blueberries
1 cup Strawberries
1 Banana
1 and 1/2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Vanilla or Strawberry Yogurt
1 tblsp Vanilla or Strawberry Icecream(optional...if you wan't the smoothie more richer and creamier)
Few Ice cubes (to make the smoothie more frosty and thicker)

Directions
1.Chop all the fruits roughly and with 1/2 cup of milk blend it to a paste.
2.Once you get the fruit puree ,add the rest of the ingredients including the ice cubes and give it a swirl.
'njoy!!!

Chaach is Indian skimmed buttermilk with live-culture.The milk is boiled, cooled down to warm, fermented to make Dahi (Yogurt). The Dahi (Yogurt) is churned in the cool morning hours. The Makhan (White butter) would float that is skimmed off. After the butter has been removed, the remainder is called Chaach. Chaach is low in fat (since the butter was removed), with live culture, and most of the lactose was changed into the lactic acid.
                       American Buttermilk is different from the one I described above since buttermilk has evolved overtime from olden thin skimmed cultured beverage to modern thick cultured buttermilk that may not be skimmed.In the olden days, the cream was skimmed off the raw milk. The cream was collected for a few days. During this time the cream became sour from the natural good bacteria present in the raw milk. The cream was then churned to separate Butter which was skimmed off leaving behind the fluid called as buttermilk. The buttermilk had live-culture, skimmed, and thin.The modern buttermilk is a form of clabbered milk. Culture is added to pasteurized milk. The milk may be skimmed, 1%, 2%,or regular milk. The fermented milk is thick like clabbered milk (not thin like the old buttermilk made by separating butter from cream) with live culture. The modern buttermilk is thick, has tart taste due to culture. The buttermilk may be may also be pasteurized so the culture is not alive.

            Well,I am glad we are over the science and explanation part of what Chaach or buttermilk is,so I can tell about how good Masala Chaach feels on a hot humid day.Indian summers ,as many of you know are very very hot and the only thing that helps is keeping hydrated through refreshing cool drinks.

Ingredients
1 cup of fresh curd (dahi)
1 glass of water (Will require 1 1/2 glass if not using ice)
Ice cubes (optional )
A tiny piece of ginger (less than 1/2 inch piece, use lesser if you do not like strong flavor)
3-4 sprigs of mint(pudina)
3-4 sprigs of coriander
1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds
1-2 pepper corns
Rock salt (or normal salt) as per taste
Chaat masala (optional)

Directions
1.Blend all the ingredients except yogurt together with a little water and then add yogurt and give it a final spin.
2.Serve with some more ice(optional), garnish with some rock salt/ chaat masala/ black pepper powder etc.
'njoy!!!

Shrikhand is an Indian Sweet Dish made from strained yogurt.It is one of the famous desserts of Gujrati and Maharashtrian cuisine.This is a milk product and it takes some time to strain the water out of the yogurt,BUT it's worth the wait.The traditional way to make Shrikhand is to tie the yogurt in a piece of linen so that the liquid(whey) drains out and the yogurt becomes thick and creamy.Then sugar,cardamom powder,almonds,pistachios are added.The Shrikhand tastes best when it is served chilled.Now I am getting nostalgic....as kids,me and my little brother used to demand mom to make shrikhand and then we would keep a sharp eye on her,so that we are not cheated out of our rightful amount of this delectable dish.Then to top it off,we would take our own merry time enjoying every spoonful and our Dad having quickly finished his share would be left seeing us and waiting for seconds.Ha ha ha what a time.
The recipe I am sharing here is an easier(read quicker) way to make Shrikhand.
Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar (adjust the quantity according to your taste)
3 tblsp greek yogurt or 1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of saffron
1 tblsp lukewarm milk
2 tblsp Mango pulp(optional-If you want to make mango shrikhand)
Almonds,Pistachios,Cashewnut pieces for garnish

Directions
1.Mix Saffron in lukewarm milk.
2.Mix Sour cream,sugar and yogurt and leave them for 15 minutes at room temperature so that the sugar dissolves.
3.Pass the sour cream-sugar-yogurt mix through a sieve so that you get a creamier texture.
4.Add cardamom powder and mango pulp.
5.Add saffron (mixed with lukewarm milk) to give the shrikhand a nice color.
6.Add the almonds,pistachios and cashewnuts and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
7.Serve chilled
'njoy!!!
Sending this to Akheela from Torview for her Supercool Cold Desserts Event.

                        Although its not officialy summer yet,its really hot here in Charlotte.Some people may say the heat is nothing compared to Indian Summers ,but believe me you really need something to cool yourself.We prefer Shakes,Smoothies and Lemonade any day over carbonated drinks.You have so many options for Shakes etc......that if you have all the ingredients,you don't have to repeat any for a week(unless you have a favorite).
     The Banana Milkshake is such a simple recipe,but really yummy and you can have so many variations.This is one way to sneak milk and fruits at the same time into kids.If you have a young(or old) picky eater,believe me you can sneak so many calories in these shakes and no one is wiser.If you are watching calories,again you have variations you can follow.
3 tsps sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Blender
Tall Glasses

DIRECTIONS
1.Place the Banana pieces,2-3 tblsp of milk,sugar and Vanilla essence in the blender.Cover and blend the shake until smooth and there are no banana pieces left.
2.Add the remaining milk and ice cubes and blend it once more for a minute,till the Shake has uniform consistency and is smooth.
3.Pour the Shake into glasses and serve.
'njoy!!!

With Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 Banana
1 Cup Milk
3 Scoops Vanilla Icecream
1 Tsp Sugar
4-5 ice cubes
Blender
Tall Glasses

DIRECTIONS
1.Place the Banana Pieces,1-2 tblsp Milk,Sugar and Ice cream in the Blender.(You can increase or decrease the amount of Icecream to change the consistency of Shake and according to your Taste.)
2.Blend for 45 seconds until the shake is smooth.
3.Add the ice cubes and remaining milk and blend till it has uniform consistency.
4.Serve Chilled.
'njoy!!

VARIATIONS
1.For a Picky Eater or an Underweight Person:-Along with Icecream,you can add 1 tblsp of whipping cream for every glass of milkshake.Also instead of sugar you can add 1 tblsp of honey.There are times when dietician's suggest protein powder or whey powder being added to our meals.This is the best way to mask the taste of these powders.One more way to make it a fattening milkshake is to use Whole milk instead of 2% milk or 1% Milk.All these tips ,I am giving from personal experience.My son was underweight and his dietician had given me all these tips for him to gain weight.
2.Plain Yogurt and Lemon Juice add an extra tang to the Milkshake.For this variation,replace 1/4 cup of milk with 2-3 tblsp of plain yogurt.
3.Instead of Plain yogurt you can also add Vanilla Yogurt.
4.Give the shake tropical twist with Pineapple,Mangoes and Coconut.Just add the fruit pieces with Banana pieces and for coconut you can add 1-1 1/2 tblsp coconut cream.Add the coconut cream at last and then just blend for 30-40 seconds.It's important not to blend the coconut cream for more time otherwise,the coconut cream will start leaving oil.That's ickky taste.
5.You can also add strawberries to give it a classical strawberry-banana taste.             

Jasmine Heiler said "Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward."  and I could not agree more.This fruit is the very first to blossom in the spring, and are so juicy and succulent .


1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pureed or mashed strawberries
Red food coloring (if desired)
2 cup whipping cream, whipped (do not use non-dairy whipped topping)
2 tblsp blueberries(optional)

DIRECTIONS
1.In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract.
2.Stir in strawberries and red food coloring (if desired).
3.Fold in whipped cream.
4.If you like variety ,add 2 tblsp chopped blueberries.
5.Pour into a 2 quart Air tight container.
6.Freeze 6 hours or until firm.
'njoy!!!

Tips:-
1.To store opened ice cream, first place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and smooth it down lightly with your fingers. Then close the lid securely (use a rubber band if you have to) and return to the depths of your freezer.

2.Scooping ice cream: A variation on a theme. Try this! Have a large Pyrex measuring cup or other heat proof container filled with just boiling water standing by. Dip the metal scoop into the hot water, let it heat up for a moment, and then DRY the scoop on a towel. Quickly drag the hot scoop across the ice cream creating tight rolls of the divine stuff. Do not smash the ice cream with the scoop. Think ribbons, not chunks. Repeat the process for each serving.

3.Serve ice cream in chilled bowls, preferably glass. Not only is the frosted bowl refreshing to look at, but the ice cream will retain its shape longer.
Sending this to Akheela from Torview for her Supercool Cold Desserts Event.

1.SOFT & CREAMY CAKES -Add a little of milk when the cake is baked. This will make the cake softer and creamier.
2.SUBSTITUTE FOR EVAPORATED MILK-Low fat cream can be substituted for evaporated milk, because when it is chilled it can be whipped like cream too. It is pretty much like unsweetened condensed milk. The ratio can be 1to 1. If you mix equal amout of water to it, it is like fresh milk
3.MAKING WHITE BUTTER-You could make white butter by whipping up thick cream, till the fat and water separate (better to do it at room temperature, because when cold, it does not separate). Put some ice cubes in it after that and squeeze out the butter.
4.CRACKING EGGS -If you bring eggs to room temperature before cooking, it prevents cracking due to the sudden drop in temperature and ensures a properly cooked egg. If you do use eggs right out of the refrigerator, add a minute or two to the cooking time.
5.To help you cut smooth slices of boiled egg dip the knife in cold water for a couple of seconds before slicing the egg
6.Prevent cheese from getting mildew, by storing cheese tightly wrapped in a plastic bag, keeping air away.
7.MELTING CHEESE -If you want to melt cheese; you should bring it down to room temperature first and then melt it over a low heat.
8.CHEESY DISH -To add cheese to a dish, grate it first, it will melt more quickly and spread more evenly.
9.GRATING CHEESE -To grate cheese easily, first chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so or till it appears firm.
10.STORE EGG YOLKS -To store egg yolks, cover them with a thin layer of water, so that the top does not dry up.
11.STORE EGG-WHITES -Store egg-whites in a lidded jar in a refrigerator.
12.EGG-WHITE -To whisk egg-whites a little time ahead of use, cover the bowl tightly after beating, or turn it upside down. It is when air comes in contact with them that they become watery again.
13.CONDENSED MILK -Condensed milk is evaporated milk, to which sugar has been added; therefore it will keep for a week or so after the can has been opened, as the sugar acts as a preservative.
14.MILK-Evaporated milk has its water content reduced by heat, so that it becomes thicker than fresh milk, and then canned. Therefore, once opened, the milk lasts only slightly longer than fresh milk. Evaporated milk has its water content reduced by heat, so that it becomes thicker than fresh milk, and then canned. Therefore, once opened, the milk lasts only slightly longer than fresh milk. Evaporated milk has its water content reduced by heat, so that it becomes thicker than fresh milk, and then canned. Therefore, once opened, the milk lasts only slightly longer than fresh milk.