Sparkling Citrus Punch (Non-Alcoholic)

How to make Non-Alcoholic, Sparkling Citrus Punch

          Come summer, and all I crave for is something light & refreshing to drink. The thick beverages like smoothies, and ice-cream shakes that struggle to climb up the straw to quench my parched throat, are just not liquid enough to be my summer drink. Infact, the sad truth is that I miss my Indian fresh fruit juices, which has more of the real fruit juice & less of everything else. The american fresh juices are too very diluted with ice, and barely fruity!! That's one of the reasons, I've added frozen fruits in both the recipes below, instead of ice cubes - so none of the fruity flavor is Lost in Dilution.

                     Double Recipe Alert - There are two recipes in this post. The Sparkling Citrus Punch requires sparkling fruit cider. If that is not easily accessible to you; then you can make the Sparkling Lemon Soda which is also an equally refreshing drink for the summer.

Recipe I - Non- Alcoholic Sparkling Citrus Punch

Ingredients for about 15 small servings:

1 lemon, sliced & frozen

1 lime, sliced & frozen
1 large orange, sliced & frozen

1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 liter chilled, club soda/seltzer water
2 (750ml) bottles of chilled, sparkling fruit cider (I used apple cider)
1 tablespoon white sugar

Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions for the Sparkling Citrus Punch:
              

•  Just before serving, place all of the frozen fruits in the punch bowl.  Add the lemonade concentrate, club soda & sparkling fruit cider. Taste & add sugar if needed & serve cold. Add ice cubes to chill it again, if needed.

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Recipe II - Sparkling Lemon Soda

Ingredients for 3 medium servings:

1/2 a lemon, sliced & frozen

1/2 a lime, sliced & frozen
1/2 an orange, sliced & frozen (Optional)

a handful of frozen raspberries
1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
2 cups of chilled, club soda/seltzer water

Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions for the Sparkling Lemon Soda:

•  Just before serving, place all of the frozen fruits in a pitcher.  Add the lemonade concentrate & club soda. Add ice cubes if needed.

Notes:

• Addition of ice, will dilute the flavor of the drink. So, use sparingly if needed.
• I used Apple cider & Apple-Peach cider for the punch.
• If you have left overs & want to save the drink, make sure you fish out the citrus fruits and then refrigerate or else it might develop some bitterness.

Thakkali Dosai/Tomato Dosa

How to make Thakkali Dosai/Tomato Dosa

        How many times can you make the same old breakfast and dinner items, before someone in your family raises their voice and protests? In my home, that someone would be me :) When you have made all of the usual dishes and crave for something different to surprise your family, why not try this sweet and sour, tangy and spicy Dosa? Did you know, this Dosa needs no fermentation? Just grind and make your dosa's immediately and enjoy with this chutney.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

Raw rice - 1.5 cups
Ripe Tomatoes - 5 to 7 depending on sourness
Red gram dal/Tuar dal - 3 Tbsp
Tamarind - gooseberry sized
Red chilli - 3 to 5
Asafoetida - 1/8 Tsp
Salt to taste
1 Tsp of Sugar (Optional)
Oil - Enough to make dosa's

All Natural Orange-Lime Sorbet

How to make Orange-Lime Sorbet

         Last winter, we took a break from the sub-zero temperatures here & sneaked out to the Sunshine state, for a couple of days. It was an awesome trip - check out the pics, below. On our first day we ventured out to a local farm for Orange picking. We chose to pick a seedless variety of Navel oranges.  It was so much fun, strolling through the grove and taking in the fragrance of the Orange blossoms. Our day ended with a 4 x 4 ride through the 2500 acre estate. 

         As we departed on our ride into the farm, I had a feeling that the herd of cows were a bit restless, in anticipation of something; which proved to be right, later on. On our return trip, the driver handed each of us some oranges & asked us to throw the oranges out, for the cows to eat. That was the first time, I had heard of cows eating oranges. My 3 year old wasn't keen on parting with his orange, so I decided to lend a hand and feed a hungry cow. Little, did I know, what was going to happen next - my preschooler started yelling at the cow, who ate his orange - "Hey Cow!! Give me my orange!!" Not once, not twice; it went on for a few minutes - I bet he(cow) understood, what was being asked of him. You should have seen the look on that poor cow's face.... :)

Home-style Beetroot Kurma

How to make Beetroot Kurma/Beets simmered in a Coconut-Poppy seeds gravy

       You would all know about the popular Vegetable Kurma, that's commonly available in restaurants & also made at home on special occasions to accompany our Indian flat breads. But this vibrant, deep hued & unpretentious Kurma is not easily found outside, of our homes. Simple, but delicious - this Beetroot kurma can be served with Milk Poori, Roti or Paratha. This also makes your ordinary steamed rice, delectable & comforting. Even if beets are not your favorite, go ahead and try this version. Who knows - you might change your mind about this humble taproot, after all :)

      This is a home-style Kurma and is of a thinner consistency. If you prefer, you can reduce the amount of water used. Sharing my (joy) MIL's recipe with my friends at CCChallenge.

Orange Peel Pachadi/Chutney

How to make Orange Peel Pachadi/Chutney

          The skin/peel of many fruits and vegetables can be used to cook a variety of dishes. It's one way to use up the nutrients & fiber, which would otherwise go to waste. Once you try cooking with the peels, you will discover that, it takes the dish to a whole new level. In some households, the peels are simply cooked as an economic choice. Either way, I'm all in when it comes to cooking with peels. Here's an aromatic, lip-smacking Pachadi, which can be made using the peel of a Navel Orange or Kamala Orange. No matter which variety you use; make sure the peel is thick & fleshy. Organic is best; if unavailable, use a Veggie wash to remove any pesticide residue.

           In the Tamil language, there is a phrase called 'Arusuvai Unavu', which means 'Six Flavors'. A good Tamil feast is supposed to include six flavors into it. Those six flavors being - 

Inippu - Sweet - ex: sugar, starchy foods

Pulippu - Sour - ex: citrus fruits, buttermilk

Uvarppu - Salty - ex: all salty foods

Kaarppu - Pungent/Hot - ex: peppers, ginger

Kasappu - Bitter - ex: bitter gourd, neem flowers

Thuvarppu - Astringent - ex: pomegranate, betel leaves

           This recipe is definitely one of those dishes, which has all six of the flavors in it. Our daily schedules are so hectic, many, do not even have time for a decent sit-down meal; leave alone a six-flavor meal; the best we can do is to incorporate a six-flavor dish when possible. We are, what we eat, after all!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 Cup of chopped Orange peel (Navel Orange or Kamala Orange) 

1 Tbsp, Tamarind Paste or about 1 Cup of Tamarind extract

1 Tbsp, crushed Jaggery

2 Tbsp of Oil

1 Tsp, Mustard seeds

1/8 Tsp, Asafoetida/Hing

1/8 Tsp, Turmeric powder

A sprig of Curry leaves

About a Cup of water

Salt to taste

To roast in oil & grind:

1/2 Tbsp, broken Urad dal

1 or 2, dry red chillies

Chopped or grated Coconut, about 1 Tbsp

Shimla Mirch Ka Kairsas

How to make Shimla Mirch Ka Kairsas (Goan Cuisine)

             Craving for something tangy, sweet & sour; with crunchy nuts in every bite? Then, this should be on your list of foods, to try. The flavors in this dish and the combination of ingredients were unusually new & unique; well, at least for my family. This zesty and colorful dish is from the Hindu Cuisine of Goa. No onions or garlic are used and the fusion of the ground masala, along with the roasted nuts & the tanginess of the tamarind, makes it a delectable accompaniment. Go ahead and give it a try. You might surprise yourself !!

Red Grapes Rasam

How to make Red Grapes Rasam

               Do you shop in bulk? Or just have a bunch of these succulent berries on hand? May be, you are just looking for an exotic recipe, that you have never tried before. The 'Rasam' is a traditional & customary concoction in many South Indian homes, for lunch. Although, tomatoes are the commonly used fruit in this digestive broth, I decided to use the Grapes that I had, just too many of - Thanks to Costco! The juicy grapes add an exotic fruity flavor to the otherwise ordinary Rasam.

            The Grapes, impart a beautiful color & makes it sensationally sweet, (based on the color & quantity of the grapes added) which is what makes this Rasam unique. Since, there is no cooking of  lentils/pulses required in this recipe, you can prepare this in a jiffy. To give you a perception of what this would taste like, think of a Rasam prepared with a lump of jaggery. Not too sweet, just enough to balance the sourness of the tamarind other spices. So go ahead & give it shot!

Pineapple Mensakai (Sweet & Spicy Pineapple Curry)

How to make Pineapple Mensakai

          You know how, sometimes a song gets inextricably stuck in your head & refuses to go away, whether you like it or not? Yeah, I have that too - the Stuck Song Syndrome!! If you are a foodie, you should be able to relate to something similar - If I fall in love with a new or exotic dish; the flavors & that memory gets tattooed on my grey matter & rises out of my long term memory, every time I see a relevant ingredient even if it's eons later. Today's post, is about one such memory/side dish called Pineapple Mensakai. You could also add a small amount of boiled bitter gourd into this dish, it will probably go unnoticed (good, if you have any bitter gourd haters at home)

       The Mensakai is similar to the Pachadi (in Tamil), from the popular Udupi Cuisine (Mangalore, Karnataka). When I first sampled, this exquisite side dish at a friend's house warming ceremony, the foodie in me was so curious to know it's name & the recipe. I ended up walking out, extremely disappointed, since all I could figure out at that time, was that it was made with Pineapples - was sweet, tangy, spicy & oh so.... mouth watering!