Mango Ginger Cardamom Mini Bundt Cakes

It poured all day yesterday and not just your average rain but the kind that you hear loud and clear even when all locked up inside the house over the sound of the movie playing on TV. It is surely daunting at first, scary even with the occasional loud thunder but then you start to enjoy it. Hubs decided it was perfect weather for some backyard grilling. First we decided to grill some corn-on-the-cob followed by our favorite veggie pizza. When I went looking for my pizza stone in the drawer where I keep all my baking trays and pans, that is when I saw my mini bundt cake pan sitting idle stacked away and hidden under several other trays. If you noticed recently I have made a few mango based drinks from which I had some mango puree left over. That's when this dish was decided. The cakes turned out perfect with the exotic flavor of Alphonso mangoes and a hint of ginger to kick it up a notch.

Read more »

Strawberry Lassi

uscious plump strawberries so aptly represent the essence of spring and summer in my opinion. Nature at its prime, vibrant and full while the strawberries are gorgeously plump, red, sweet and juicy, a delightful treat for the eyes and taste buds alike. The bright sunshine, the blooms and the flowers make you feel good and you are practically forced into thinking what a beautiful day it is. It just feels like mother nature is... well... happy. That is exactly how I feel at the sight of the red strawberries which are to be seen everywhere. My shopping baskets get filled with the bright reds every time I visit the stores – they are irresistible. Between getting them out of the grocery bags, washing them and putting them away in the refrigerator, quite a few of them are gone already. Hubs being his usual nonchalant self, will open a box, grab one with its leaves on top, take a big bite, chuck the stub into the trash, repeat the steps with a few more of them, emphatically claim that they were awesome, forgetting it as soon as he says it and return to whatever it is that he was doing before he raided the box. Makes me smile every time.

It might seem a little strange but even though I have claimed our love for strawberries, neither hubs nor I like smoothies the way they make it here. Can't explain why, we just don't. So I have always wanted to incorporate these berries into a smoothie-like drink. This lassi was the perfect answer. It has all the goodness and the perfect texture of your traditional lassi. It is thick and creamy, feels like a mouthful and drenches your throat as it goes down while leaving that tingling taste in your mouth involuntarily making you go for the next gulp.

Read more »

Saffron Mango Lassi

ow summer is not my most favorite season but for some reason I have a strange sense of longing now that it is almost over. This drink is an ode to summer saying goodbye and what better than to do that with with king of summer fruits ~ the Mango! The sound of 'Lassi' reminds me of hot summer afternoons, a tall glass filled with a chilled frothy yogurt drink. Summers in India are even harsher than here but they still used to be fun. Not just because we used to have long vacation away from school and we were allowed to just go out and play, visiting grandparents, all the pampering .. but also because the season would bring a lot of fun and cool food and fruits and berries - mangoes, jamun, lassi, a million varities of kulfi, soda pops, ice-chuski and the list goes on.

Lassi is a sweet chilled yogurt based drink is especially loved by all n very popular all over India especially in the northern and north-western parts of the Indian Subcontinent. Being made of yogurt it has a cooling effect so just the right thing to do to gulp own a tall glass before you head out in the scorching sun. 

Read more »