Chocolate and Malai Peda for Holi/Five Minute Chocolate and Milk Fudge

Here's wishing all my readers a Very Happy Holi. Have fun, stay safe and healthy. This past weekend we were out on a road trip on a little vacation driving around the state to the usual vacation spots. Took some time off of the early part of spring break as well. By the time we got back yesterday, just in time for Holi, I already had several ideas crawling in my head for what to make for the festival of which - like most festivals - food is an essential element. Holi is all about having fun, painting each others with colors, spending an hour in the shower to get all the paint off you and then having some wonderful food from the kitchen. Coming back from our trip yesterday you would think I would take some time and relax but instead I went right to the kitchen (yes I did stop at the grocery store on the way). Since it was late at night, did some basic prep work and starting this morning  over a few hours put together five dishes. This sweet dish is one of them which in fact was easier of the five. You may find several versions of these Pedas out on the web that use almost similar ingredients. They are all done pretty much the same way with minor differences based on personal preference. I tried to put together the general concept of the dish together with my love for chocolate. A fine dessert to serve with an exquisite meal or a casual candy to have around and to pop in when you please.

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Nutella Latte

Featured on : The Kitchn

This is so completely absolutely delicious. Nutella just makes anything and everything taste better. Go make up a cup and see for yourselves. Make a cup either to wake you right up in the morning and get you ready for the day or a quick hot cup in the evening to take the weariness of the day away. Mocha and hazelnut - a match made in culinary heaven. This version uses instant coffee but if you wouldn't have it without fresh brewed espresso, feel free.The smell of hot coffee seems perfect in this season but if you are the type that always prefers the frappe kind, I do have a similar cold coffee recipe here.
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Kheer/Indian rice pudding with saffron and nuts

If there is any sweet dish deeply rooted into the Indian culture it is most ubiquitously the 'Kheer'. For those who have not had the pleasure, it is a close cousin to your typical rice pudding just more exotic and flavorful (in my humble opinion). Here are a few facts to highlight the pervasiveness and importance of this dish in Indian culture. Even though the taste might vary when prepared by one person to another due to how much attention has been given to details, unlike most other dishes in the Indian cuisine that vary widely with the region they are being made in, the recipe and ingredients for the Kheer have stood the test of time and geography. Barring of course the additional flavoring or condiments, the taste essentially is unchanged. Here's another fact - traditionally, when a newly wed bride comes home the first time to her in-laws place, guess what is the first dish she is expected to make, yes the Kheer. Any celebration, any traditional function and festival, even for day to day entertaining the kheer finds its way into the menu. The greatness of this recipe is its simplicity. The slow cooking of the milk along with rice creates that delicious thick rich earthy flavor. Guess you have to try it to find out if you haven't already.

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Mango Pineapple Smoothie

There are a very few things sweet that my little one will let touch her taste buds. She even drinks her daily glass of milk with no sugar. Chocolate is one thing she enjoys but although a total chocoholic when it comes to drinks she doesn't even like hot chocolate or chocolate milkshake - go figure. As far as drinks go, mango based drinks is one the recent finds the we discovered she thoroughly enjoys. It happened at a recent visit to an Indian restaurant at their lunch buffet. They had a dispenser with Mango Lassi. It took a little effort to get her to try it. We always make it a point to get her to try things, the conversation usually goes - "Try it, you don't have to eat any more if you don't like it". Well... those 30 minutes at the restaurant, that mango lassi is all she drank. Several little cups full.
Hence this drink. Granted its a variation of your typical mango lassi, I wanted to put a little tropical tang and twist with it. Yes she enjoyed this too.
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Cookie dough ice pops!

he world famous Florida sunshine is at its best right now, temperatures soaring every day, school closed for summer and an overactive hyper kiddo with an attention span of not more than 7 minutes. Enough things to keep me sweating, no pun intended. These days I am always on the look out for some fun project for her to get busy with. Today was the day to make these pops and FIFI the monster sock puppet! LOL.
She just turned five, a very curious, sensitive and observant girl all geared to start her kindergarten very soon. She questions everything, tries to find a reason behind anything that happens or does not happen around her. She doesn't like to be told what to do (yes she is our drama queen) and believe it or not already has developed a great sense of humor. Like this one time she asked me "mommy what kind of car does Mickey mouse's wife drive?".. "a cute pink car", I said. "No! A mini van" she screamed giggling :)) She is learning to write cursive and she LOVES math (much to my relief lol)

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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. 

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Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies!

ere's my dilemma. I am not a big cookie fan. But absolutely love chocolate. Don't even care much for chocolate cookies. There is about only one baked sweet goodie that I like and that is a good loaded rich and moist brownie. If you get my drift, you probably realize where the thought of these cookies originated. There is one other angle to it. My little princess. She likes cookies especially chocolate ones, but she gives me a hard time when I try to get her to eat brownies. She takes it as I am trying to get 'food' into her and immediately revolts. But she likes the taste of brownies... don't ask.

So long-story-short as you can see these cookies are a winner.... er... well yes before I forget, hubs liked them too :)

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Saffron Rose Srikhand/Indian Style Saffron Rose Greek Yogurt

e Indians love our spices as well as sweets. Festivals, celebrations or any happy occasion for that matter is definitely accompanied with sweets or as we call them, 'mithais'. There is mushrooming of mithai shops and local halwais on every nook and corner wherever you go. There is usually such a variety of sweets that it is difficult to decide what you want to eat. It is said that culture in India changes every hundred miles. With culture comes its food. Every region has its own sweet specialties and varieties so you can imagine how vast and expansive the world of Indian sweets can get. 
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Paneer

n popular demand in the form of a number of queries via comments and several emails, here I am with my very own recipe for Paneer. This should not come as a surprise as I believe I have made myself a reputation of sorts for my love of Paneer through the numerous paneer based dishes on my site. The idea of making any basic ingredient for me is exhilarating. It is such a rewarding and stress relieving experience. With my love for paneer, making my own has a special place in my heart and my kitchen. It is one of those beautiful things which you never really know until you actually do it.

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