Passion Fruit Juice

My Ma has a green thumb and she adores her plants, her tiny garden and loves the baby saplings. A tiny sapling growing into a a fruit bearing tree certainly adds to the motivation. When we were kids, she potted few seeds of Passion Fruit which were gifted by a dear friend. The fruit grew into a wild climber and crawled over half of our house and atop the terrace. There was a certain method to the madness as our house now had a canopy of green foliage. For couple of years, we enjoyed a pleasing harvest of Passion Fruit during summer days. 

Passion Fruit Pulp

Finally, the climber took official possession of our property so much that the house was completely covered with the tendrils, woody twigs and wild vines. The beauty of the vine were the fruits which bore a light green color (there are many different varieties of Passion Fruit) and the flowers looked very pretty, purple like a dainty dame. The vine caused damage to the property and much to our dismay, a professional tree feller was called to trim the vines. I assume that the poor plant was dejected and sadly thereafter the climber stopped growing beyond a expected height. That was the tragic end of Passion Fruit saga in our home. Ma felt sad as we could not salvage the climber and restore her to grow and flourish. Finally, we moved from the home and the new owner weeded her out which breaks my heart as I write this. I choose to address the climber as 'her' as Ma personified the climber as a woman who bore children and needed constant help and care.

Purple Passion Fruit

For the first time we got these fruits as a gift, we did not know what to do with it. Happens in your home? I am sure. Finally, after some expert intervention, my Ma figured a way out to deal with the pulp. Hence, I decided to post the recipe for everybody's benefit. I found Purple Passion Fruit at Whole Foods. The store associate told me that they are very seasonal and are available for a brief period of time is US during late summer. The taste of this fruit is very mild, natural, a bit tangy and tastes better when freshly extracted. It comes very close to Rasna Mango, a summer beverage I loved as a kid. 

~ Passion Fruit Juice ~

Processing Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 12 oz of concentrate

Ingredients:

Passion Fruit: 6

Sugar - 2 tsp/ Fruit

Ice Chips

Water

Contraption Needed: Large Sieve

Method:

Rinse the fruits and halve them. You will spot a yellow pulp which is seeded. Extract the pulp in a large metal sieve. Add sugar to the pulp and stir well with a strong ladle. This is a painstaking process and could take long. At regular intervals, add little water to support the stirring process. Extract the concentrate in a bowl. Store the concentrate in a non-reactive jar and use within 3 days. For making the juice, use 1 part of concentrate for 3 parts of water. No need to add extra sugar. Serve with ice chips.

Sol Kadi with Ajwain (Owya chi Sol Kadi/ Ove Sol Kadi)

I relish Sol Kadi and enjoy the soothing beverage during warm summer days.

I like adding Ajwain in my daily cooking, so more often than not, it gets limited to Pakoras which I don't make very often. Ajwain is known as Bishop's weed or Carom seeds. It is known as Owa in Marathi and Ovo in GSB Konkani. Recently, I was on a pantry clean-up spree and I found a jar of Ajwain lying in the far dark corner of my kitchen shelf. I knew I had to use it immediately and found this recipe scribbled in my recipe journal.

I made this Sol Kadi with Ajwain and Pepper Corns, it turned out delicious. My Ma makes this on days when she observes special diet for e.g no onions and garlic or a fast for Sankashti/ Vinayaki. One of my Pachi (Aunt) who hails from Goa also makes this version at home. My Ma learned the approach from her. I enjoy this Kadi for the tangy flavor rendered by Kokum shells which mingles beautifully with mildly pungent taste of Ajwain. In GSB Konkani, Ajwain is known as Ovo, hence Ove Sol Kadi.

Carom Seeds | Ajwain

Ajwain/ Carom seeds/ Bishop's weed packs quite a lot of health benefits:

- Ajwain is effective due to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-spasmodic properties.

- It is effective for stomach infection, stomach ache and flatulence (gas).

- It is helpful for tooth ache, ear ache and relaxes muscle pain.

- It is effective for stomach pain when eaten with a little salt. 

~ Ove Sol Kadi ~

Preparation time: 60 minutes (includes soaking time)

Processing time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Kokum Shells - 5-8

Thick Coconut Milk (Canned or freshly extracted) - 1 cup

Green Chillies (slit lengthwise) - 2

Salt

Ground to a fine paste -

Grated coconut (fresh or frozen) - 2 tbsp.

Green Chilli (seared in oil) - 1

Ajwain (Carom seeds) - 1/2 tsp

Whole Black Pepper Corns - 5-7

For Garnish (optional) - freshly chopped Coriander leaves bits - 1 tsp.

Method:

1. Soak Kokum shells in approx. 3/4 cup of cool water along with two slit green chillies.

2. In a small frying pan, sear a green chilli in very little oil. Be careful as the chilli bursts due to pressure with seeds flying in all directions. Allow to cool.

3. Grind the seared green chilli, ajwain and whole black pepper corns to a paste along with fresh grated coconut. Add little water just enough to get a smooth paste.

3. Extract thick coconut milk out of one fresh coconut (approx. one cup). One can substitute with canned Coconut Milk. Add this to the Kokum water along withe ground paste. Adjust salt as per taste. Mix well. Discard or retain  green chillies and Kokum as per choice. Serve with warm rice.

Mixed Berries Milkshake

We both enjoy fruit based milkshakes. This one has especially helped me replace insane amount of coffee that I usually drink. I add natural sweeteners and the drink is a great post-workout boost to your metabolism although the milkshake flavor is less sugary with natural sweeteners.

Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries and a lonely Blackberry

I prefer buying fresh produce and making quick shakes and gulping them immediately. The tub of fresh mixed berries from Whole Foods come handy for putting together great tasting milk shakes.

Incidentally, the Blueberries happen to be one of my best friend's favorite. She can survive on these cute looking berries and not complain for days together. She stood by my side all through during last few months and has been very understanding, especially during the tougher days. She is in India and I thank God innumerable times for her presence in my life. On Women's Day, I ponder and reflect on the camaraderie, joy and richness she brings to everyone around her. She is my moral pill and my joie-de-vivre!

Happy Holi to all those who celebrate!

~ Mixed Berry Milkshake ~
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Processing time: 1 minute

Ingredients:
Mixed Berries [Blackberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry] - 2 cups
Low Fat Milk (cold) - 1 cup
Water - to dilute
Honey - 1 tbsp
Ice chips - about 1/2 a cup
Maple Syrup - 1 tbsp

Method:

Rinse the fruits with a kitchen brush and blend them in a Juicer/ Blender with sweetener of choice. Enjoy fresh and consume immediately.

Note - The seeds from some Berries do not bother me, if it bothers you just switch to Strawberries alone.

Cold Milk Chocolate Fudge

Nupur's Recipe Marathon: Day 1

Bad weather and no net connection. Totally bad. I felt extremely disappointed since I''d signed up for Nupur's 7 Day Recipe Marathon. My net was totally going bonkers and the connection was off. Thankfully, today the connection was up and restored (thank God!). Sorry for the miss on 25th Nupur. I have backdated the post for 25th and will begin with full gusto for next few days till 31st. I had made this yummy Cold Chocolate fudge since I wanted a sugar rush after lot of salty diet for days together. I wanted to get rid of most of my pantry items before I usher into the New Year. So this was made on a trial-and-error whim. The taste was very good and hubby also appreciated the experiment. You can also see a Chocolate Fudge Piroutte sitting neatly on the stemware in the picture. Cheerz! We had an awesome Christmas lunch with friends and the festive spirit was all in the air.

Merry Christmas to all my friends!! Tis' the season of sharing and giving.

Recipe Source: Ashwini

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Cold Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 teaspoons or as per taste

Vanilla Essence/ Extract - 1-2 drops

Cinnamon powder - 1/6 teaspoon or just a pinch

Chocolate Fudge Pirouttes - 1

Method:

Take a glass of cold milk. Mix in the Vanilla essence, sugar and cinnamon powder. Stir well. Add the Chocolate Piroutte and crush a little bit to allow the Fudge of the Piroutte to blend in the milk. Leave some for the crispies to float around for that extra crunch while drinking. Enjoy the Chocolate-y drink during a cold winter evening.

Kokum/ Brinda Kadhi (Sol Kadhi with Coconut)

Something which I miss a lot in US. Words cannot explain the nostalgic association I have with Sol Kadhi. This pinkish soulful Kadhi has been the witness of many a timeless conversations, bazaar visits, nostalgic moments shared on elaborate lunches with family and friends. A favorite with my Mother and me. I wish there was some source of constant Sol Kadhi supply here in US. I can only wish ! :)

For me Sol Kadhi is an epitome of Goa, the Viva Goa spirit, the assimilating bon vivant culture of Goa, the unique diversity prevailing, easy-going and happy-go-lucky sense of self, the ability to pack a punch with tang, spice and some salt. Nothing to beat a glass of Sol Kadhi during a hot summer afternoon for a quiet lunch with family.

Some of my friends from Goa who travel abroad, carry the Kokum syrup which is already packed for long distance travel. The taste is never the same though. Best bet would be to carry Sol or Kokum as they can be used and stored for longer duration and have a good shelf life depending on the quality of Kokum and the harvest time it was reaped.

There are different styles of making this Kadhi in Goa. Some like it thin, with less coconut juice, some like it thick, with more coconut juice. Some prefer it with cumin seeds and some like it with garlic.

Preparation time ~ 20 minutes

Soak time ~ 2-3 hours

Ingredients:

Kokum shells/ Sol - 4-6

Garlic flakes - 2-3

Salt - As per taste

Green Chillies (chopped) - 2

Grated Coconut - 2 cups

Method:

Soak kokum shells in water for 2-3 hours. Grind coconut (grated) with garlic flakes. Extract the juice out of it. You could use the same ground mix to extract the juice atleast 3 times. Add this juice to the soaked kokum juice. Add salt and slit chillies. Discard the Kokum or retain if you want more sourness. I prefer retaining the shells for deep sour taste.

Banana Milk Shake

There are some times when a refreshing drink wakes you up and gets you on your feet for a whole new world. P introduced me to this world and I cannot thank him enough for this. For some strange reasons I was never a huge milkshake person. P loves Milkshakes and now its regular part of our daily drink menu. He taught me this easy recipe and now I can turn around this beverage in 5 minutes flat.

Recipe Source: P

Serves: 2 individuals

Ingredients:
Banana: 1 - completely done and yellow, chopped
Ice cubes: 6 cubes
MTR Badam powder: 2 teaspoon
Sugar: 5 teaspoon
Milk: 2 cups

Method:
Blend ice cubes, milk, sugar and chopped banana along with the Badam powder and shake well. Serve as a evening drink along with chips and pakoras. This one is our personal favorite.

Raw Mango Drink

Sumer is in and so are the yummie food varieties. Summer takes me back the fond memories of childhood vacations spent at Ammama's place (Ammama in konkani means Grand mother). She used to cook for a mighty gathering of 25-30 folks on a daily basis. She makes the most tastiest Colombo (Colombo is a type of a Konkani Sambar) on the planet. I am a big fan and happily subscribe to her classy, tasty, appetising dishes which I believe have a special touch. She used to make "Paanak" everytime we used to go to Udupi for vacation. These used to be prepared in huge vessels known as "Kataar" (Kataar is a huge heavy bottomed utensil specially used in South India for cooking and mass food gatherings. After carefully mixing all the ingredients, the crimson-yellow drink used to get served in tall glasses. Sighhh!!! The aroma is still fresh in my mind.

I made the Mango drink based on Raaga's recipe. Thanks Raaga. I have stored the mixture in fridge and enjoy it during the quiet evenings!!

Serves: 3-4 people
Recipe source: Raaga

Ingredients:
Raw Mango - 2 C
Water - 1 C
Pepper powder - 1/2 t
Cumin powder - 2 T
Salt - 1 t
Sugar (Jaggery: optional) - 6 t

Method:
Chop the Mango to small pieces and boil them in little quantity of water, water should be good enough to immerse the pieces. Add rest of the ingredients. Grind to a smooth paste. Serve in a glass with water in 1:3 ratio. Serve chilled with ice during summer evenings.

I stored them in a container as suggested by Raaga in the recipe. However I made ininor modifications to the recipe. So here is my version based on reference to Raaga's recipe.

Iced Ghirardelli Cocoa

We both are self-confessed and helpless chocolate addicts. Sometimes when we go to departmental stores for grocery, I have to literally dissuade husband from shopping for Godiva's and Ghirardelli Cocoa powder's. But heart-to-heart we both love our beverage's topped with liberal helpings of cocoa and chocolate bits. Yesterday evening, hubby wanted to have something warm as it was raining very heavily in our county.

He promtly asked me to make some Ghirardelli Cocoa. He suggested some tips which helped me sharpen the taste of the sinful beverage. Compared to other chocolate mix, Ghirardelli had a very creamy and smooth texture. So we both prefer this taste for out Iced Cocoa drinks. End result was pretty impressive!!! I recommend this drink to anyone who is a chocoholic and Ghirardelli afficionado...!!

Serves: 2 individuals

Ingredients:

Milk - 2 Cup (preferably cold milk)

Ghirardelli Chocolate Hot Cocoa - 2 teaspoon

Sugar - 5 teaspoon ~ as per taste

Instant Coffee powder - 1 teaspoon

Ice Cubes - 4

Method:

Thaw 1 Cup of milk in microwave with 1 teaspoon of Ghirardelli Chocolate Hot Cocoa. Give it a good stir after done. Blend the microwaved milk with cold milk alongwith coffee powder, sugar and ice cubes. Serve with crackers or you could have it plain as a evening beverage.

Note: I used Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa which you get at any departmental store/grocery store in US. If not available, one can use regular hot chocolate powders. One could also add a dash of cinnamon for that extra zing and punch.

Hot Chocolate

It gets very chilly in my area nowadays. Especially during twilight and night time, the temperature drops all of a sudden. I began feeling thirsty and wanted some warm drink.Found a chocolate bar lying in the fridge. Presto! Thought of preparing Hot Chocolate drink. Went through lot of recipes online and then finally thought of preparing something of my own.So here's a simple drink to keep you warm during the chilly days!!


Serves: 1 individual
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Warm Milk – 1 C
Cocoa powder – 1 T OR Chocolate bar – grated (2 cubes of Dairy milk)
Sugar – 2 t
Fresh Cream - 1 t
Cinnamon powder – 1/8 t or one pinch (optional)

Method:
1.Add sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon if desired to one serving of warm cup on milk.
2.Please note that milk should be warm and not hot. You will not be able to enjoy the taste if the milk is very hot.
3.Cinnamon gives that extra dash of spicy feel to the drink and cream adds the much required milky flavour to it. Enjoy your drink!!