Rich and creamy puddings…

I wasn’t into avocado until I tried Avocado milkshake, one of the best milkshakes I’ve ever tasted. Guacamole was the first avocado based dish that I had  tried a few years ago at a Mexican restaurant and after that I’ve had salmon and avocado sushi. Last weekend, I had bought a few avocados with the intention of making milkshakes and ended up making pudding. Avocados are excellent for making puddings, they imparted a rich and creamy taste to the puddings.

Avocado Pudding

Ingredients

• Avocado, ripe- 2
• Milk, skim milk- 2 cups + 1/4 cup for pureeing the avocados
• Condensed milk, non-fat- 3/4 th of 300 ml can or according to your sweet level
• Agar-agar strands, cut into 1 inch- 1/2 cup
• Water, for melting agar-agar- 1/3 cup
• Strawberries, halved- for garnishing

Preparation

1. Use ripe avocados for making this pudding, cut them and scoop out the flesh.
2. In a blender, puree the avocados with 1/4 cup milk
3. In a saucepan, combine 2 cups milk and condensed milk, heat it.
4. Let the mixture come to a slight boil.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
6. Add the pureed avocado and combine well, avocado puree wouldn’t mix thoroughly with the milk.
7. Transfer the avocado mixture along with the milk into a blender and blend it to a smooth constituency.
8. Return the blended avocado mixture into the saucepan and place it over low heat.
9. In a pan, combine agar-agar strands and water, place it over medium heat and let the agar-agar dissolve in the water.
10. Pour the melted agar-agar into the avocado mixture and combine well.
11. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
12. Pour the mixture into small bowls and let cool down a bit.
13. Keep the bowls in the refrigerator for a few hours to set.
14. Garnish with halved strawberries or any fruits of your choice, serve chilled.

Tips:

• You could increase the amount of condensed milk according to your needs.
• You could use gelatin instead of agar-agar.

It’s Mango pudding! When I think of ripe mangoes, first thing that comes to my mind is- Mango frooti, fresh and juicy! I hail from the tropical paradise of India, Kerala and this explains my love for mangoes. I grew up eating lots and lots of mangoes and during that time I took it as granted. But now I often crave for fresh and juicy ripe mangoes. If I am lucky I can find some good mangoes at Indian or Asian stores during summer, however mango puree is always available in Indian stores. Every time I visit Indian store I get tempted to grab the mango puree, so that I can make mango lassi, mango chicken, mango ice cream etc. Good thing is you can make both sweet and savory dishes with ripe mangoes.

If you want to whip up an easy yet delectable dessert with ripe mangoes, then this mango pudding is what I would recommend. You get to taste the mango flavor, it’s creamy and it just melts into your mouth. Last night, I got a sudden sweet craving and luckily I had mango puree in my pantry. Without much pondering I made this pudding as it calls for very few ingredients and in just 15 minutes this pudding was ready. This time I didn’t use pudding cups or ramekins, instead I poured the pudding into the cupcake pan and refrigerated it for 30 minutes. While serving, I placed the pan on the table so that the guests can scoop their own pudding from the pan. I found this to be a fun and interesting way of serving this pudding.

Mango Pudding Ingredients:

• Mango Puree, canned- 1 cup
• Milk, whole or skim- 2 cups
• Condensed milk, sweetened- 1/3 cup of 150 mL
• Agar-agar, strands cut 1 inch long- 1/2 cup (or use powdered gelatin- 1.5 tbsp)
• Water- 1/2 cup (to dissolve agar-agar)

Preparation:

1. I used agar agar instead of gelatin. If you don’t have agar agar use gelatin instead.
2. If using gelatin: Sprinkle 1.5 tbsp gelatin over 4 tbsp water and keep aside to soften it for 5 minutes.
3. If using agar agar: In a small sauce pan, combine agar agar strands and water together.
4. Boil the agar-agar and water on low medium heat till agar agar completely dissolves in water.
5. Dissolved agar agar should be used immediately else it will start to thicken. So dissolve it only after your pudding mixture is almost ready.
6. In another saucepan heat milk at medium heat.
7. Add condensed milk to the milk, combine well.

• Since the mango puree is already sweet I only used 1/3 cup of condensed milk. If you want it to be really sweet you could add more condensed milk.
• Let the milk come to a boil.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Now, add the dissolved agar-agar or softened gelatin into the milk.
• You could strain the dissolved agar agar to remove any undissolved agar agar strands.
• Let the milk cool down for 3-4 minutes.
• Slowly add mango puree while stirring to the milk till it has combined well.

• Warning: Don’t add mango puree to the boiling milk, it will curdle so make sure the milk has cooled down a bit.
• Pour the mixture into puddings cups, ramekins or into cupcake pans.
• To prevent the pudding from sticking to the cups, you could first grease the cups or ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.
• Let cool down and keep the pudding in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes till it sets.
• You could scoop the pudding from the cupcake pan and serve on dessert plates.

Tips:

• Don’t add mango puree to the boiling milk, it will curdle so let the milk cool down for 3-4 minutes and then add the mango puree.
• Don’t keep the dissolved agar agar for long as it will start to thicken, so use it immediately after it has dissolved in water.
• Add condensed milk according to your sweet level, remember mango puree is already sweetened.
• Agar agar is available in Indian or Asian stores.

A simple dessert at its best…

You can have this as a pudding or as a pudding drink, either way it’s going to taste yummlicious. One of the desserts I often had while growing up is milk pudding. It’s the easiest and the simplest dessert ever. Just a couple of ingredients and very less time are needed to prepare this and you get to indulge in a delicious dessert. Last week, I tried to give a makeover to my usual milk pudding and it turned out to be delectable. I made milk pudding and strawberry coulis, layered them both, it tasted terrific!

Milk pudding with Strawberry Coulis:

• Serving: 4 cups

Ingredients:

For making milk pudding:

• Milk, whole or skim- 2 cups
• Condensed milk, sweetened- 3/4 of 400 ml can
• Agar agar strands, chopped 2 inch slice- 1/4 cup
• Water- 1/3 cup to dissolve agar agar

For making Strawberry Coulis:

• Strawberry, fresh or frozen, halved- 3 cups
• Granulated sugar- 1/3 cup
• Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan heat milk.
2. Add condensed milk to it and let it come to a boil.
3. Lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. In the meantime, combine agar-agar strands and water together in a small pan and heat it, let the agar agar dissolve completely in water.
5. Strain the dissolved agar agar into the milk, combine well.
6. Remove the milk from the heat and pour it into a bowl, let cool down.
7. After it cools down, keep it in the refrigerator to set, for an hour or so.

Making Strawberry Coulis:

1. Heat a saucepan, combine strawberry, sugar and lemon juice together.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes till the strawberries get mashed up.
3. Remove from the heat and let cool down.
4. Chill the strawberry coulis in the refrigerator for 15- 20 minutes.

Serving:

• In a tall or short glass: first layer with milk pudding, top with chilled strawberry coulis, repeat this one more time.
• Top layer should be strawberry coulis.
• Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.

Is there any way to trap our finest moods and tune into that whenever we feel low or frustrated? If so my life would have been much better. I am amazed how our mood and feelings change each day. Yesterday didn’t turn out to be a great day for me, even after trying hard to make it look great. And my frustration hormones hiked to its highest level. After reaching home, I walked straight into my kitchen, the only place where I find myself fitting in so well these days.

That whole day I wasn’t sure of anything but was so sure about what to make for dessert that evening. The mere thought of something sweet and creamy encouraged my taste buds and senses to wake up from its slumber.

I had been haunted by the thought of making pasta pudding for the past few days. Honestly, I didn’t google it nor did I come across in any cookbook. It just hit my mind for no reason and it sounded too good to me. Last night was the absolute right time for me to be creative in my kitchen.

Considering my husband’s gluten intolerance, I made it with 100% corn pasta. Last weekend, I had bought a box of saffron, my favorite spice. I literally love anything that has a hint of saffron in it. I get mesmerized over the aroma and the flavor of saffron.

After indulging in this dessert, I was found grateful to myself for making this.

Saffron Pasta Pudding:

Ingredients:

• Corn Pasta, fusilli- 3/4 cup
• Whole milk- 1 12/ cups
• Condensed milk- 1/2 can or 150 ml
• Saffron strands, soaked in 2 tbsp milk- 2 pinches
• Agar Agar strands, 3 inch long- 1/4 cup
• Water to dissolve agar agar- 1/2 cup

Preparation:

• Cook pasta in boiling water till it is well cooked, drain the water and keep aside.
• If you want you could chop the pasta to small pieces, I used it as it is.
• Soak 2 pinches of saffron strands in 2 tbsp milk.
• Place a saucepan over medium heat, add milk to it and let it come to a boil.
• Add condensed milk and soaked saffron, heat it for 5 minutes.
• Add the cooked corn pasta and cook the mixture for 2 more minutes.
• In the meantime, boil Agar-Agar strands along with 1/2 cup water.
• Let the agar-agar dissolve in water, stir it constantly.
• When it has melted completely in water, strain it and pour the liquid into the pudding mixture.
• Combine well and remove from the flame.
• Pour the mixture into ramekins or dessert bowls.
• Let cool down for a while and then keep it in the refrigerator, allow it to set.
• It takes about half an hour or so for the pudding to set.
• While serving, you could even top the pudding with two strands of saffron or your favorite nuts.

Tips:

• You could make this without pasta, but make sure to add saffron.

One of the dishes I had been wanting to try for the past 5 years was tender coconut pudding. For making this I needed fresh tender coconut, which was not available in the US. But here in my hometown tender coconut is abundant.

Tender coconut water has several health benefits. In fact it is an instant energizer. In summer, people in the tropical region depend on tender coconut water to beat the heat and to quench their thirst.

Most of the time after drinking the water, tender coconut is scooped out of the shell and eaten which has a sweet refreshing taste. You could also puree the tender coconut along with the coconut water which tastes really phenominal.

Apart from these, making pudding out of the tender coconut is also quite common. Hands down, this is my favorite pudding even though I frequently make pineapple pudding. Water from the coconut is used to melt agar-agar or china grass and the tender coconut is pureed and added to the milk and condensed milk mixture.

The tender coconut gives the pudding a remarkable taste and a delicate constituency.

Once you taste this pudding, you’ll embrace the taste forever…

Tender Coconut Pudding:

• Tender Coconut, fresh- scopped from 2 coconuts
• Tender coconut water- 1 cup, to melt agar-agar
• Agar-Agar or China Grass strands- 1/4 cup
• Milk- 2 cups
• Condensed milk- 1/2 cup or depending upon your sweet level

Preparation:

Tender Coconut

• Scoop out the tender coconut from 2 coconuts and puree it in a blender, keep aside.

• In a saucepan, pour 1 cup tender coconut water and add agar-agar to it.

• Heat the saucepan and let the agar-agar melt completely.

• In the meantime, heat milk and condensed milk in another saucepan over medium heat. Let it come to a boil.

• To the boiled milk and condensed milk, add the melted agar-agar, combine well.
• Remove from the flame and let it cool down for at least 5 minutes.
• Add the pureed tender coconut to the cooled milk mixture and mix everything well.

• Pour the mixture into a cake pan or stainless steel pan.

• Keep the pudding at first in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until it begins to set.
• After that remove the pudding from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator.

• Using a knife gently cut the pudding and serve it in dessert bowls.
• You could granish the pudding with almonds, cashew nuts etc.

Notes:

• Make sure to use tender coconut and not regular coconut.
• Add the pureed tender coconut only after the milk-condensed milk mixture cooles down, otherwise the milk will curdle.

Yesterday dawned as a gloomy, lousy day for me. A day when I wished the sun had set the moment it had risen. Looked at the sky now and then through my window and eagerly waited for the  shades of darkness to spread the sky. It bloomed as a bad day and it ended in the same way too. After all the frustration, I was neither in the mood for cooking nor for devouring anything.

Late in the evening, while surfing through the refrigerator my eyes fell onto the canned lychee that had been sitting there for several months. Every time I opened the refrigerator for no specific reason, this continued to happen. Finally I seized the can from the refrigerator and placed it on the counter top hoping for some ideas to trigger me. First thought I had was to eat the fruit straight from the can, which didn’t sound that impressive to me. Slowly my frustrated brain started to get active and on the other hand my exhausted taste buds pleaded  for something sweet. When these two combined, I felt like I was getting out of my blues and was soon seen myself getting along well with the lychees. After a couple of mixings, canned lychee turned into a delightful pudding. Witnessing this, my taste buds danced with joy and a forkful of this lychee pudding managed to put a smile on my face.

This pudding having the flavor of both coconut and lychee and the crunchiness from the almonds and pistachios will turn your any day into a delicious one.

Lychee Pudding

Ingredients

• Milk- 1 cup
• Coconut milk, thick- 1/2 cup
• Canned lychee, rinsed, coarsely pureed- 3/4 cup

• Condensed milk- 3 tbsp if using sweetened canned lychees or depending upon your needs
• Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp
• Almond slices- 2 tbsp
• Pistachios, shelled, sliced- 1tbsp
• Agar-agar strands or china grass, 1 inch strands- 1/4 cup, (soaked in water and boiled to melt the strands)
• Unsweetened Cocoa powder- 1 tsp/bowl to sprinkle over the pudding

Note: You could substitute agar-agar with Gelatin.
Gelatin-1/2 tbsp, sprinkle gelatin over 3 tbsp cold water in a small cup and keep aside to soften the gelatin.

Preparation:

• Soak the agar-agar strands in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes and boil it stirring continuously to melt the strands.
• Keep aside the melted agar-agar, don’t keep it too long as it hardens pretty easily.
• In a saucepan, heat milk over medium heat.
• Add coconut milk and lychee puree to the milk.
• Add condensed milk, vanilla extract and combine everything well.

• Heat the mixture but don’t allow the lychee mixture to come to a boil.
• When the mixture is heated through, add the melted agar-agar or softened gelatin and give it a stir.
• Remove from the heat, add the sliced almonds and pistachios.

• Pour into dessert bowls or ramekins sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and let cool down.

• After it has cooled down, keep it in the refrigerator to set, maybe for an hour.
• While serving, cover the dessert bowl with the dessert plate, turn it upside down and tap on the back of the bowl, the pudding will fall onto the plate.

• Sieve cocoa powder over the pudding.

Tips:

• If you are using sweetened canned lychees, add less condensed milk, taste it and add according to your needs.
• You could use gelatin instead if agar-agar.

Celebrating India’s 61st Republic day with this tri color pudding, which represents the flag of India…

Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950. To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi. The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past in all their finery and official decorations. The President of India who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. The parade also includes vibrant displays, floats and traditionally ends with a flypast by Indian Air Force jets. Celebrations, though on a much smaller scale, are also held in state capitals, where the governor of the state unfurls the national flag.


The Indian flag was designed in 1921 by Pingali Venkayya, an agriculturist from Machilipatnam. The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolour of “deep saffron” at the top, “white” in the middle, and “green” at the bottom. In the centre features a navy blue wheel with twenty-four spokes, known as the Ashoka Chakra, taken from the Lion Capital of Asoka erected atop Ashoka pillar at Sarnath

The Saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to (the) soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends. The “Ashoka Chakra” in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of truth. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.

India’s National:

• Language- Hindi
• Anthem- Jana Gana Mana
• Animal- Tiger
• Flower- Lotus
• Bird-Peacock
• Dish- Rice and Curry
• Song-vandemataram
• Sports-Hockey

Tri Color Pudding:

For Green color pudding:

Ingredients:

• Avocado, ripe-1
• Pistachios, shelled-1/4 cup
• Milk- 1 1/2 cups
• Condensed milk- 4tbsp or according to your needs
• Agar-Agar strands- 6gm

Preparation:

• Place agar-agar strands in 3tbsp water and heat it by constantly stirring to dissolve in water. Strain it to remove any tiny strands present in it.

• Blend avocado and pistachios into a fine paste by adding little water to it.
• In a saucepan, heat milk and condensed milk.
• When it comes to a boil add the dissolved agar-agar and combine well.
• Remove from the flame and when it is slightly cooled, add the avocado-pistachios puree and combine well.

• Pour this mixture into a cake pan, dessert bowl or ramekin, after it cools down refrigerate to set.

For White color pudding:

Ingredients:

• Apple-2
• Almonds-1/4 cup
• Milk-1 1/2 cups
• Vanilla extract- 1tsp
• Condensed milk-4 tbsp or according to your needs
• Agar-agar strands-6gm

Preparation:

• Place agar-agar strands in 3tbsp water and heat it by constantly stirring to dissolve in water. Strain it to remove any tiny strands present in it.
• Blend apple and almonds together into a fine paste by adding little water.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk along with condensed milk and vanilla extract.
• When the milk comes to a boil, add the melted agar-agar to it and combine well.
• Remove from the flame and when it’s slightly cooled, add apple-almond puree to it and combine well.

• Slowly pour this mixture on top of the green pudding that has already been set in the refrigerator.

• Let it cool and place in the refrigerator for further setting.

For Orange Color pudding:

Ingredients:

• Cantaloupe juice or Carrot juice -1 1/2 cups
• Milk- 1/2 cup
• Condensed milk- 4tbsp
• Agar-agar strands- 6gm

Preparation:

• Place agar-agar strands in 3tbsp water and heat it by constantly stirring to dissolve in water. Strain it to remove any tiny strands present in it.
• Blend fresh cantaloupe and strain it to get the juice out of it and keep aside.

• Heat milk along with condensed milk.
• When the milk comes to a boil, add dissolved agar-agar and mix well.
• Remove from the flame, let cool slightly and add the cantaloupe juice to this.

• Pour this mixture on top of the white pudding that has already been set in the refrigerator.

• Again, keep this in the refrigerator for further setting.

• After the pudding has set well, cut into different shapes and serve.

Happy Republic day!

A sweet pudding to overcome the feeling of melancholy…

Melancholy, is what I had been feeling for the last few days. I couldn’t find any specific reason for slipping into this state, hence I blamed on the rainy weather, my darling husband, my dear friends, my parents, and everything and anything that came my way. I looked around, everything seemed perfect, I saw happy people, they laughed, giggled and were having fun. Even this didn’t help me in any way, I continued to be in this state. I witnessed my husband taking over the temporarily closed kitchen, I smelled flavors from my kitchen that I have never smelled before. Even this didn’t enlighten my spirit, I continued to be in this state..

Finally, I couldn’t tolerate myself anymore, I desperately wanted to get out of this state and to be back to the cheerful lady I used to be. Last night, I dressed up like I have never dressed before, went out and dined at one of my favorite restaurants, accompanied by my husband. I blindly ordered all my favorite dishes on the menu. After a 3 course dinner, I instantly started feeling better and worthy. I knew it, if nothing else worked, good food with the company of someone I love will definitely do wonders to me.

After coming home, I reopened my kitchen by making a dessert. A plate of this pudding helped me to completely overcome the state of melancholy.

Thanks to my cousin for sharing this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Milk- 1 1/2 cups
• Sweetened Condensed milk-3/4 of the 14 oz can
• Vanilla extract-1tsp
• Pineapple chopped, fresh or canned-3/4 cup
• Sugar-1 tbsp
• Agar Agar strands- 6 g or 1/4 cup strands

Preparation:

• If using fresh pineapple: Place a sauce pan over low-medium heat,  saute the chopped pineapple with 1 tbsp sugar until the sour taste goes away. Don’t burn or over cook the pineapple.
• If using canned pineapple, saute without adding the sugar (as the canned pineapple has sugar in it).
• If using agar agar strands: Put the strands in 1/4 cup water and heat it until the strands dissolve in water. You could strain the agar agar dissolved in water to discard any tiny strands it might have. Keep it aside. Don’t keep for too long as it would thicken fast.
• In a sauce pan, heat milk, add condensed milk to it and combine with the milk.
• Add vanilla extract to this and the sauteed pineapple.
• When the milk starts to boil, add dissolved agar agar and mix well.
• Remove from the flame and pour the mixture into a round bowl or round cake pan,  let cool.
• Keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hrs or until it is set.

For Garnishing:

• Coconut powder-1/4 cup
• Sugar- 2 tbsp
• Cashew nuts-6-7 no’s
• Ghee- 2tsp

• In a wide skillet, add ghee, coconut powder, sugar and cashew nuts.
• Stir until the coconut starts to turn golden brown.
• Grind this in a blender to coarse powder.
• While serving, sprinkle 1 tbsp of this ground coconut/cashew over the pudding.

Tips:

• For a healthy version: use skim milk and fat free condensed milk.
• Agar-Agar is a vegetarian substitute for Gelatin.  Gelatin is animal protein, whereas agar agar is carbohydrate made from seaweed. So it’s healthier to use agar-agar.