Mango falooda with kesar rabri mousse

Hello every one !!Feels like it's been ages since I last updated the blog.With a three month long summer vacation to the school we decided to spend quality time with family(ies) back home.And that was a good decision to escape from the horrendous heat wave experienced here.After being welcomed to a war prone home(looked from every angle as if it was affected)and a home sick mind lingering with the very thoughts of my parents and the chaos of the city,this calmness is just hounding me.I decided to just go with the flow and give my self and my body the time to heal.Did I miss the blog? To the core!!! Not only did I miss blogging but the "me time" that I get to channelise my creativity through my lens. 

Mango and pomogrenate popsicle| Popsicle with an Indian twist

Its raining mangoes on the blog.Yes !! the king of fruits is a guest for few months and I am making the most of it .Apart from mangoes there is nothing so lovable about summer especially in this part of the world.A soaring temperature threatening to cross 48 C ,hot winds accompanied by frequent sand storms is how a summer can be described in words here in a dessert. Popsicles  are the best way to find some relief from the heat + the tested way to make the kids eat fruits.Well ,I don't think there are kids who don't like mangoes.I have given an Indian twist to these Popsicles by adding a little bit of chat masala to pomegranate juice.

Hyderabadi gosht ka achaar |Hyderabadi lamb pickle

I think India is the only country where you can find pickles made from every possible fruit, vegetable and what not.India is a pickle lovers paradise.Pickles are made on a yearly basis and are preserved for the rest of the year.If there is a marriage or a gathering of the family then extra care is taken to hoard the pickle for the guest or the family visiting during the un season. Hyderabadi gosht ka achaar is a speciality of Hyderabad which is  made during Eid ul Adha(bakrid). Its not that you can not make it on other days.Definitely you can.Commonly beef is used for this pickle but here i have used mutton .

Gosht ka achaar can be relished with steamed rice or chapati .It goes really well with any thing or as it on its own.Though mutton is a perishable item it can stored in the form of pickle for a month and over.My grand mother use to tell that the story behind mutton pickle dates back to the haj pilgrimage when Pilgrims used to travel by ship and it used to take months for them to reach Mecca.So they would prefer to carry those food items along with them that would not go stale and as well lend them the taste of home.Though the scenario has changed a lot now and Alhamdulillah we reach in hours to mecca but carrying on the trend still people take along with them this pickle while travelling. 

Pineapple ginger-ale |cafe style pineapple ginger-ale

Though it is almost the end of October still it feels like a hot summer afternoon.With the onset of October usually the climate shifts gear from hot to cold .But this year it is quite different.This weekend we had planned a family picnic at the beach but the weather had different plans in store and conspired in every possible way to let down our spirit .We were stubborn enough to give up our mood of outing.We quickly had our lunch, packed some goodies for the snack and left to spend the day in a park instead  of the beach ,as beach gets more humid in hot weather.Though the park trip was enjoyed well by the time we reached home we felt the need for something refreshing to energise as well quench our thirst .A lonely left out pineapple was screaming "pick me up" in the refrigerator.What better way to wind up than a chilled  pineapple ginger ale .

'If you can't go to the beach let the beach come to you'.

Pineapple ginger-ale is loaded with flavours that will drive you nostalgic,if beach holidays were a part of your growing years (like me).

Pomegrenate -mint lemonade

Lemonade was the official summer cooler of the 90's. In fact sugar syrup was made and stored in the refrigerator to keep it handy to serve the impromptu guests.Thanks to the invasion of Rasna and Roohafza lemonade was replaced from the aisles of the  Indian refrigerator.

Fresh turmeric citrus cooler

The change in season brings along a host of infections. During this transition of climate from cold to hot or vice verse, human body is more vulnerable to infections especially cold and flu. School going Kids are more effected as the  infections are easily transmitted  among kids through sneezing or coughing openly .The best way to fight these common infections is increasing the body immunity  the natural way .

Mango shrikhand | Aamarakhand | Hung curd with mango puree | Summer special | mango special | kids friendly

Mango Shrikhand or Amrakhand  is one of the easiest  and healthiest dessert option .Shrikhand is an Indian sweet dish made of strained yogurt. It is one of the main desserts in Gujarati cuisine and Maharashtrian cuisine. Preparation of this dish is very simple but it takes some time to process yogurt properly.

To prepare shrikhand, yogurt is tied in a cotton cloth and left under pressure to drain.The strained yogurt, referred to as "Chakka", and sugar are mixed thoroughly in a deep bowl.Cardamom, saffron, and any other flavors are then added and mixed. It is then left in the refrigerator for the sugar to dissolve. The dish is served chilled.

Jelly boats| Party special | Kidsfriendly| Summer special |home made orange jelly set in orange peel cups

                                               Row row row your boat 
                                              gently  down the stream

                                             Merrily  merrily  merrily 

                                                   life is but a dream .............

                                                    

Ahhh ! we all have grown up learning this rhyme .Actually we relive our child hood with our kids 

.When I look up to my kids i feel as if there has been a replay button of my life switched on  .When the kids are back from school in the scorching noon they need eye soothing ,cool and refreshing treats

 to bring back to life.I had seen this video on you tube and has been a long due post .With summer at its peak it was the perfect time to try it . 

Mukhwas kulfi | Mouthfreshner kulfi | Indian kulfi | Unique kulfi | Betel leaf,fennel gulkand kulfi |summer special

Summers are here .Phew!!! Unlike in India  here in Qatar we get to experience almost 6 months long Summer !!!. No it isn't a typing mistake ,summer here lasts for as long as 6 months from may until the onset of October .And the temperature reaching as high as 48-49 c  ,apart from the high humidity content in the air .Its the season when fresh dates ripen, so imagine the temperature where a  fruit as hard as a potato ripens to a texture like avocado ,no less than a tandoor (hot clay oven)!!! . 

Are you wondering why am I presenting you a weather bulletin ?yes you guessed it right today's recipe is a summer treat,Kulfi . Kulfi is an Indian version of ice cream where in  milk is thickened and nuts are added to it and set in kulfi moulds .In India summers are synonymous to kulfi and lemonade-the official Indian summer drink .So to survive  in this temperature we definitely need some thing soothing ,refreshing to beat the heat.

Sundried yogurt chillies| Mor milagai |Majjiga mirapakaya | chillies coated with yogurt and dried in the sun|summer special

Mor milagai  in Tamil or Majjiga mirapakaaya in Telugu is an inevitable part of south Indian cuisine .Be it the curd rice , chutneys , Dal's or lemon rice ...these chillies find their place in every dish a south Indian mom makes. When I was carrying my 2 child I was having the spiciest cravings ,I used to add chillies to every thing .....my kids and hubby being non- spice tolerators used to give a weird look!!!!I had to do some thing to satisfy my cravings and at the same time my family doesn't feel the spice in it .Suddenly I remembered these majjiga mirapakaya or dahi wali mirchi which my grand mother used to do in summers .So that I can have it when I felt to have some thing spicy. 

AAh!!those good olden days when summers symbolised a long summer vacations to schools and helping granny in making fryums,chillies on the terrace .As soon as the summer starts terrace(s) all around would be filled with muslin cloths holding these home made fryums to sunbathe. And big thalis with these chillies preparing themselves to be relished by us .Hey!! i am feeling nostalgic.

Those were the days with minimal Internet access ,so I called my mother to ask about the method and made a large batch of it which lasted for 4 -5 months .It was 5- 6 years ago .After the baby i was busy nurturing him and hardly found time to make these.

    My FIL likes to have it with plain rice and Dal .Once on our trip to India my princess had tasted it with her grandpa and she liked i very much ,after coming back she was asking about these chillies .
So tried my hands on it again and she liked it very much .This recipe calls for ample sunlight and a time of 4 days .