Cardamom-Vanilla-Rum&Raisin Kheer

It has been raining so much here the past week that the only thing I can imagine looking out of the window, watching the rain for a while is 'comfort food'. Nothing more comforting than a bowl of piping hot soup but not today, today I was craving for something more than a bowl of soup. Something really sweet, smooth, creamy and totally fabulous. Hmmm Kheer was the answer to my craving.

Kheer or Payasam dates back to thousands of years and till date most of the old temples still follow the 2000+ year’s old recipe. Here’s a nice read about the oldest recipe http://www.kurma.net/essays/e3.html  

Back home, Kheer is a sweet dish made for every festival and the combinations are well, endless. Kheer is traditionally made boiling rice, or vermicelli with milk and sweetened with sugar, jaggery or condensed milk , flavored with cardamom, raisins, saffron, pistachios, almonds and cashew and it can be served hot or cold. My mum used to always make it with vermicelli and condensed milk while my MIL makes it with rice boiled with milk. I wanted to tweak the traditional recipe a bit and was thinking of the possible combinations.

Last weekend we had been to Windermere and we were walking towards the lake and stopped at an ice-cream shop. While I set my heart on a double scoop of hazelnut-chocolate ice-cream my husband ordered Rum & Raisin. I wondered Rum & Raisin of all flavors? I mean I like Rum & Raisin in chocolates but never would try the flavor with ice-cream. For me ice-cream can be only in one flavor… chocolate. Obviously the first thought that came to mind was chocolate Kheer but somehow chucked the idea not wanting to tweak a traditional recipe so much and then thought of Rum & Raisin. And voila, this gorgeous Cardamom-Vanilla-Rum & Raisin Kheer came to life.

Instead of adding the plain raisins into the Kheer I tossed them with a tablespoon or two (can’t remember now) of dark rum. Result: All the same goodness of Kheer, creamy slightly scented with saffron, vanilla and  cardamom with a kick of Rum & Raisin. Now I don’t think I can make Kheer any other way.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raisins or sultanas

1-2 tablespoons dark rum

½ cup basmati rice

Pinch saffron

4 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

½ tsp Vanilla extract

Pinch saffron soaked in 1/8 cup warm milk

1-2 cardamom crushed

Method:

Wash rice and boil it till ¾ done with 1 cup water and then add 2 cups milk and continue to cook it on slow flame stirring all the while. You need completely mushy rice here. Meanwhile mix the rum with the raisins and microwave for a few seconds and let it sit until the Kheer is ready.

Add rest of the milk reserving just 1 cup for later and once the rice is completely cooked add the sugar, cardamom, remaining milk and saffron and continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Turn of the heat and add the rum & raisins and vanilla. Refrigerate for a few hours if you like it cold.

Roasted Vegetables Soup

Ingredients

1 Carrot diced

1 med Potato diced

1 yellow Onion diced

2 cloves Garlic with peel

1 red bell Pepper diced

1 litre stock

Pepper

Salt

1 sprig Thyme

2tbsp Olive oil

Sour cream or Fresh cream for serving

Method:

Toss all the diced vegetables with olive oil and seasoning in a roasting tin and roast in a pre-heated oven (200c) for 1 hour. Transfer to a big pot and add the stock and check for seasoning. Puree the soup with a hand blender and serve hot with sour cream or fresh cream.

Potato-Leek-Artichoke Soup

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 Leek both white & green parts washed and chopped

1 clove Garlic chopped

3 small Potatoes, peeled and chopped

4-5 frozen (thawed) Artichokes I used grilled ones

1 litre veg stock

Salt

Black pepper

Sour Cream or fresh cream for garnish

Method:

Heat olive oil in a pot and add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Now add the potatoes, stock, salt, and pepper cook cook until the vegetables are tender and then add the artichokes and cook for another 5 min.

Using a handheld blender puree the soup and serve hot with toasted rustic bread.

Let's make curry!

Ghee (entirely of saturated fat) or Indian clarified butter is very popular in India and is used largely in cooking sweets and other delicacies. To make your own pot of ghee simmer some solids on the bottom of the pan. This can be stored in an airtight container and doesn’t need refrigeration. Basmati rice grown widely in India is known for its characteristic fragrance, taste and quality. The grains of this rice are longer than the others and the cooked rice are nice and fluffy rather than sticky. The best way to cook it is to bring a large pot of water to boil and adding a little salt and then add the washed rice and cook till 90% done and drain.

Ghee Rice (Rice with clarified butter and spices)

Ingredients
1 cup Basmati rice 
2-3 Green cardamom

1 stick Cinnamon

1 Bay leaf

1 Star anise

Salt

3tbsp Ghee

1 clove Garlic grated

1 tbsp Cumin seeds

1 or 2 Dry Red chillies
Method:

Cook the washed basmati rice in a big pot of boiling water with salt, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise until 90% done and drain. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cumin and chillies. Now add the drained rice to the pan and stir to coat all the rice with ghee (keep fluffing the rice with a fork).Serve hot with a curry of your choice.
Dal Fry (Lentils in a gravy)

Ingredients

1cup Split-Pigeon Peas or Toor Dal

1 yellow Onion finely chopped

1 Vine Tomato chopped

1 tbsp Tomato paste

1 glove Garlic grated

1 small piece Ginger grated

2-3 green chillies (depending on how spicy you want your lentils)

Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder

½ tsp Curry powder or Garam masala

Cilantro for garmish

1tsp Cumin seeds for seasoning

1-2 tbsp Ghee
Method:
Cook the lentils until completely done (I like to cook this in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water). Heat ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Now sauté the onions for a few min and add the grated ginger and garlic followed by tomato and tomato paste. Sauté for a few minutes and add turmeric powder, curry powder, salt and what you will have is a nice paste. Now add the cooked and mashed lentils (add a little water if you feel it is thick). Let it simmer for 5-8 min. Add some chopped cilantro for garnish and serve hot with rice.

Chocolate treat for a weekend trip

Need I say more...Its chocolate all the way! 

Recipe for Energy bars (adapted from Giada)
Ingredients

Oil for greasing

1  large egg

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter, melted

21/4 cups oats

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup chocolate chips

¼ cup Cranberries and currants

2 tbsp sweetened desiccated coconut

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c.Grease a square nonstick baking pan and lay a piece of greaseproof paper in the pan with an overhang (on the sides for easy removal later) and grease the paper as well.Slightly beat the eggs and stir in the peanut butter, melted butter, oats, currants, cranberries, coconut, chocolate chips and almonds. Tip mixture into the baking pan, smoothening with a spatula to form an even layer. Bake for about 15-18 minutes. Let the mixture cool a bit (I left it for a good 2 hours) and then cut into bars or squares.