Elegant Desserts For Perfect Indulgence!

Strawberry Basundhi - I can never resist strawberries !

I used strawberry flavoured oats, now available & so did not add essence or colour. You can add essence if you use plain oats.

Milk - 1 litre

Oats - ¾ cup

Sweetened Condensed milk - !/2 of 400 gm tin

Sugar - extra ¼-1/2 cup (if you prefer)

Chopped strawberries - 1 cup ( mash more than half to pulp)

Whole strawberries - to garnish

Immerse oats in 1 cup of milk for an hour.

Boil the rest of the milk.

Then add soaked oats & simmer to boil.

Cook for about 10 mts tillthe oats become very very soft,

Add sugar (if using) & condensed milk & remove.

Cool thoroughly & then add strawberry pulp & chopped pieces.

Leave in the fridge to set.

Serve chilled, garnished with whole strawberries.

 

Eggless strawberry soufflé - Most tempting dessert, without eggs!

Mashed strawberries - 1 cup

Cream cheese - 1 ½ cups

Whipped cream - 1 ½ cups

ForGarnish:

Fresh strawberries

Mix mashed strawberries with cream cheese.

Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Add sugar to your liking.

Pour into individual moulds & set

Serve garnished with strawberries.

Use 3 tbsp strawberry jam if fresh strawberries are not available.

To make cream cheese:

Boil 1 litre of milk.

Remove & keep aside.

Mix 1 tsp citric acid crystals with ½ cup of warm water & add to hot milk.

Allow to stand for 5 mts – it will start curdling.

Sttir gently to help curdling.

Drain in a muslin cloth.

Do not squeeze it to make it dry.

Now blend in the mixi till thick & creamy.

If you do not have citric acid, use lime juice mixed with warm water.

 

Elaneer (Tender Coconut) Payasam - Summer Special !

This payasam involves minimum cooking and as a friend, who tasted it, put it, “simply irresistible” !
This is a recipe which I tried out on my own, without ever having tasted it !
Select elaneer (tender coconut) with coconut cream (vazukkai) which is soft and not very hard.
Liquidise the tender coconut water with the cream in the blender. The consistency should be that of sauce. Normally 2 big tender coconuts are enough.

Milk - 250 ml

Cornflour - 1 1 ½ tbsp

Sugar - 3 tbsp

Mix 2 tbsp cold milk with cornflour to a paste.

Boil the remaining milk & when it boils, add the paste, stirring well to prevent lump formation.

Simmer, add sugar and remove.

Cool thoroughly.

Add the prepared sauce and blend to a uniform consistency.

Add more sugar if the tender coconut water is not sweet.

Serve chilled.

You can use custard powder in place of cornflour.

That is what I have used.

 

Ridgegourd Payasam - Amazingly tasty !

Select fresh ridgegourds. Peel & grate.

Grated vegetable - 2 cups (heaped)

Moong dhal - ½ cup

Jaggery - 1 ½ cups (more or less is optional)

Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cashew & raisins - 1 tbsp each

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Cook moong dhal in a pressure pan with 1 ½ cups of water for one whistle.

Cool, open & add ridgegourd.

Again close & cook for one whistle.

Open & add jaggery.

Cook on medium fire for 10 mts.

Add 1 cup of water to coconut & take the milk.

Simmer the stove & add this milk – do not boil.

Adjust to required consistency by taking a little more coconut milk from the same coconut & adding it.

Add cardamom powder & remove.

Fry cashews & raisins fried in 2 tsp ghee & add.

 

Pineapple Basundhi - very simple, but simply delicious.

I have incorporated many changes in this recipe to the extent that only the name remains the same.
Select fully grown, sweet pineapple, peel & core.

Milk - 500 ml

Milk powder - 2 tbsp

Custard powder - 2 level tbsp

Cubed pineapple pieces - 2 tbsp (lightly cook them with 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp water)

Grated pinepple - 2 tbsp (cook them with 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp water & blend)

Saffron - ¼ tsp (warm & powder)

Heat the milk (after reserving 2 tbsp cold) & simmer for 5 mts.

Mix milk powder & custard powder with the reserved milk, add & stir.

Let it simmer to boil on a low fire, taking care to see that no lump is formed.

When custard powder is cooked, remove & cool thoroughly.

Add saffron &mashed pineapple with sugar & mix well.

Top with cubed & cooked pineapple with the syrup.

Serve chilled.

 

Black Grapes Granita: - enticing lovely, deep purple colour!

Granita is is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavorings. It is ideal to be eaten on a hot day.

Delicately flavoured with roasted cumin powder and black salt, this granita is sure to perk you up on a hot summer afternoon.

Black grapes (deseeded) - 1 cup

Banana - 1, finely chopped

Powdered sugar - 2 tbsp

Lime juice - ½ tsp

Roasted & powdered jeera - ½ tsp

Black salt (kala namak) - ¼ tsp

Blend the black grapes and bananas to a fine purée in a food processor.

Add the sugar, lemon juice, cumin powder, black salt and ¼ cup of water and mix well.

Freeze in a shallow container till set.

Transfer to a blender and liquidise till it is slushy.

Serve scoops of the mixture in individual bowls or long stemmed glasses.

 

Mango Souffle- Mango Ice cream - both are eggless!

Mango Souffle:

Milk - 1 cup

Fresh cream - 400 gms

Mango pulp - 11/2 cup

Sugar - ½ cup (to taste)

Instant Chinagrass - 200 gms

To decorate - Slices of mango

Boil milk with china grass on a low fire till it just starts boiling.

Remove, add sugar, mix & cool.

Add mango pulp & cream.

Set in a bowl in the fridge.

Chill & serve cold, topped with mango slices or garnished with nuts.

Mango Ice cream:

For ice cream freeze the same, as follows.



Transfer to an airtight container & keep in the freezer.

Aftr about 8 hrs, take out, break into chunks & whisk with wisking blades of an electric hand beater. The volume will double. The ice cream becomes light. Do not use blender or hand blender. Only whisking gives the aeration & light texture.

Now put back in an airtight container in the freezer.

 

Chocolate Icecream (1) - using cocoa

Milk - 500 ml

Cocoa powder - 2 level tbsp

Cornflour - 2 tbsp

Fresh cream - 200 gms

Sugar - ¾ cup

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Mix 1 cup of milk with cornflour & cocoa without any lump; blend well.

Heat the remaining milk & when boiling add this paste & simmer to cook well & thicken.

Add sugar & simmer till it dissolves.

Remove & add essence.

When completely cold, add cream & mix well.

Freeze as follows:
Transfer to an airtight container & keep in the freezer.

Aftr about 8 hrs, take out, break into chunks & whisk with wisking blades of an electric hand beater. The volume will double. The ice cream becomes light. Do not use blender or hand blender. Only whisking gives the aeration & light texture.

Now put back in an airtight container in the freezer.

 

Pina Colada - mine is with tender coconut water.

I made this when our moderator Shobanag came home last week.
Traditionally, this is made with coconut milk. I substituted tender coconut water blended with tender gratings.

Tender coconut water blended with tender gratings - 1 cup

Pineapple juice (in cartons, with sugar) - 1 cup

Vanilla ice cream - ½ cup

Blend together & serve chilled, decorated with fresh pineapple & cherries.

 

Butterscotch Ice cream - one of the most popular favourites!

Butter - 3 tbsp.

Dark brown sugar - ¾ cup

Water - ¾ cup

Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 1 cup

Cornflour - 2 tbsp

Fresh cream - 1 cup

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Melt butter in a small saucepan, add sugar and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

Add water, bring to a boil, add coffee and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Mix milk & cornflour in a saucepan.

Simmer to boil, remove & cool

Add cream & vanilla essence.

Pour into a blender or food processor and add remaining ingredients.

Process until smooth.
Transfer to an airtight container & keep in the freezer.

Aftr about 8 hrs, take out, break into chunks & whisk with wisking blades of an electric hand beater. The volume will double. The ice cream becomes light. Do not use blender or hand blender. Only whisking gives the aeration & light texture.

Now put back in an airtight container in the freezer.