Carrot cheese platter

I was given a recipe challenge in a facebook group where a member posts a recipe and tags the next member with one ingredient from the recipe and one as a surprise.... I was tagged with carrots and cheese ....
I made kulfi using carrots and cottage cheese, loaded potato cups and honey glazed carrots and cranberries

Sharing how I made the platter.....

Nutty Carrot kulfi:
Ingredients:

• 500 ml full cream milk
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Sugar to taste
• 2 carrots grated
• 100 gms crumbled paneer( cottage cheese)
• 2 tbsp dried rose petals
• Some chopped nuts
• 10-12 saffron strands to garnish
  

Directions:

• In a heavy bottomed pan add milk, condensed milk and cardamom powder and bring it to boil.
• Add grated carrots and cook on medium flame till they turn tender.
• Next add crumbled paneer, rose petals and sugar and cook for 5-6 minutes.
• Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool.
• Churn this cooled mixture using a blender.
• Add chopped nuts , pour this mixture in kulfi mould or small matkis and cover with foil and freeze it for 6-7 hours. 
• Garnish with chopped nuts, rose petals and saffron strands before serving.
  

Loaded potato cups 

Ingredients for the cups: 

• 3 medium sized potatoes (shredded)
• 3/4 th bowl mozzarella ( or your favourite cheese)
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs (optional)
  

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven for 10 minutes.
• Rinse potatoes and squeeze all the water from them, add cornflour, grated cheese, salt, pepper and herbs, mix everything using a spoon.
• Grease the muffin tray, spoon the mixture in the cavities, press potato mixture to the bottom and up the sides to form cups.
• Bake for 35 minutes or till crispy at 200 degree.

While the cups are baking prepare the filling....

Ingredients for filling:

• 3/4 th cup assorted vegetables, chopped( I used carrots mushrooms, capsicum and corns)
• 4-5 cloves minced garlic
• 1 onion chopped 
• 1/4 bowl crumbled cottage cheese
• Béchamel sauce ( see recipe here)
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup processed cheese grated
• 1-2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• Heat olive oil a wok, add minced garlic, sauté for few seconds.
• Add chopped onion, vegetables and crumbled cheese and sauté on medium flame for 3-4 minutes, pour  1/2 cup of béchamel sauce and seasonings and cook again for 3-4 minutes. 
• Turn off the flame.
• Spoon this mixture into the baked potato cups, top it with grated cheese and some bread crumbs and some butter and bake again for 5-7 minutes at 200 degree or till you get nice crispy brown topping.
• Serve hot.
  

Honey glazed carrots and cranberries
Ingredients:

• 3-4 carrots
• A handful of dried cranberries (soaked in water for 15-20 minutes)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/2  vanilla bean pod
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of water

Directions:

• Peel and slice carrots sticks.
• Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a saucepan, add carrot sticks, sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Next add  water and salt, cook carrots till tender, pour  honey, vanilla pods and stir. 
• Now add handful of cranberries and sesame seeds.
• Sprinkle some lemon juice and crushed black pepper and serve.
  
  
  

I'am thankful to Farhat for tagging me with such great ingredients to work with :)

Faluda Ice cream sundae

Faluda ice cream Sundae:
Desserts in Summer suppers have been made mandate by my lil sonny! Thought of giving him some taste from our childhood sundae, the Faluda ice cream!

Ingredients:

• 4-5 tbsp rose syrup
• 2 tbsp faluda sev
• 5-6 basil seeds jelly nuggets (see recipe here)
• 2-3 tbsp sweet basil seeds
• 1 cup chilled milk ( sweetened)
• 2 scoops vanilla ice-cream
• Handful chopped pistachio nuts

 Ingredients for faluda sev:

• 1/2 cup cornflour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Few saffron strands
• 11/4 cup water
• A bowl of  ice cold water
  

Directions: 

• In a mixing bowl add cornflour, saffron strands and sugar, pour water and mix till the batter becomes smooth and lump free.
• Cook this mixture on medium flame till it becomes thick and translucent.
• Turn off the flame and put this hot mixture into the greased kitchen press.
• Use a kitchen towel or gloves to hold the press and press the sev directly over ice cold water and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• Soak basil seeds for at least 30 minutes and drain the excess water.

Assembling:

• Take 2 glasses, pour some rose syrup at the bottom, next add faluda sev.
• Then add some basil jellies and top it with some soaked basil seeds.
• Pour some chilled milk and next add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Garnish with some extra rose syrup and chopped pistachio nuts.
• Serve chilled.
  
  
  
  
  

Enjoy!!!

Basil seeds jelly nuggets

Jelly has been more of a fantasy than just another confectionery item.. Imagining a home-made jelly was definitely a challenge, though I gave it a shot. Syrupy and spongy, these little jelly nuggets are now falling in fancy dessert range!!

Refreshing Basil seeds jelly....with rose & khus flavours

Ingredients:

• 8 gms agar agar strands
• 250 ml water plus 3-4 tbsp hot water
• Sugar to taste
• 2-3 tbsp rose syrup
• 2-3 tbsp khus syrup
• 1 tbsp sweet basil seeds (cleaned and soaked in 1/2 cup of water for 15-20 min)

 Preparation time: 15- 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes plus 3-4 hours refrigeration
Yields: 30-32 small jellies
Kitchen equipments required: A saucepan, 3 small mixing bowls, mixing spoons, jello moulds or baking tray, Kitchen scissors

Directions:

• Cut  agar agar strands into small pieces with the help of kitchen scissors, add into the saucepan and pour hot water over it and soak for 10- 15 minutes till the strands become soft.
• Now put that pan on the flame and add the remaining water, and stir frequently till the strands dissolve completely, this will take around 15 minutes.
• Add in sugar and stir well.
• Now remove from flame and divide the liquid into two equal portions.
• Add khus syrup and half of the soaked basil seeds in one portion and rose and basil seeds in the other, stir really well.
• Next pour the liquid into the moulds and keep aside until it cools down completely then refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours till the jelly gets firm.
• De mould and serve chilled. 
  

Cookie bowl ice cream

This bowl-like Cookie that I made was so much fun. Filling was added by our Little Master Chef Akki, as he bit on crunchy cookie and adviced, " Mamma, how about a scoop of ice cream with a lovely fruit mounted on the top of it "
We had double fun, double excitement in the kitchen while making this double dessert :)

Its Scrumptious...its heavenly.. its a combination of crunchy and silky with a bite of exotic fruits.. an ecstatic dessert ride!!

Let's show you, how I made this one......

Ingredients :
For cookie dough :

• 1 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 50 gms butter
• 2-3 drops vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk (at room temperature)
• 50 gms cooking chocolate (approx.) 
  

For serving:

• Your favourite flavour of ice cream
• Chocolate sauce as much as you like :P
• Some chopped fruits

Preparation time : 15- 20 minutes + 45 minutes resting time
Baking time : 15 minutes
Yields : 4 cookie bowls
Kitchen equipments required: 2 mixing bowls, wired whisk, electric beater, rolling pin, cookie cutter, muffin tray, double boiler, a spoon, an icecream scooper.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven at 180 degree C for 10 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and whisk until completely incorporated.
• In an another bowl add butter and sugar, beat with a wired whisk or electric beater until soft and creamy.
• Add the dry ingredients, vanilla extract and milk and whisk till completely incorporated.
• Cover the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
• Sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar and roll the dough 1/2 inch thick, cut approx. 5 inch circles of the rolled dough 
• Turn the muffin tray upside down and drape each circle over the greased cups
  of tray.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until done.
• Allow them to cool completely before de moulding.
• Next spoon some melted chocolate in the bowls and coat the inside completely and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes till the chocolate is set. (This will prevent the bowls getting doughy and soft after adding ice cream) 
• Fill with your favourite ice cream, top some chocolate sauce and garnish with chopped fruits.

Enjoy :) :) 

Earl grey & rose iced tea

Summers are just stepping in! Craving for something chilly, hence happens naturally to me.
Let's have some soothing earl grey and rose iced tea!

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp crushed dried rose petals
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp rose water
• 2 Earl grey tea bag
• 2 cups of water
• Honey/Sugar to taste
• Some ice cubes

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time : 7-10 minutes
Refrigeration time : 4-6 hours
Yields : 2 serving
Kitchen equipment required : Saucepan, tea strainer, mixing spoon

Directions:

• Heat water in a saucepan along with rose petals, fennel seeds and nutmeg powder to rolling boil.
• Add tea bag and let it stand for to steep for 5-7 minutes.
• Discard the tea bag, strain and let it cool.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours.
• Stir in some honey, rose water and lemon juice.
• Fill the glasses with ice cubes and pour tea over the ice
• Serve chilled!
  

Oats Rosemary Crackers

Munching is good....even better when it's healthy....let's have some crispy munchies...Oats and Rosemary Crackers!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp(topping) rolled oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour plus 2 tbsp
• 2 tsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp  butter
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp plus 2 tbsp(topping) sesame seeds (slightly roasted)

Preparation time : 10 mins + 20 mins resting time
Cooking/Baking Time : 10-12 mins
Yields : 20 Crackers
Kitchen Equipments Required: Oven, Grinder,2  Mixing bowls, Whisker, Aluminium foil/Parchment paper, Baking tray,Rolling pin, Knife/Cookie cutter/Pizza cutter

Directions:

• Grind rolled oats to a fine powder using a grinder.
• In a mixing bowl add oats flour, wheat flour, baking powder, salt, sesame seeds and dried rosemary and mix together well.
• In another bowl whisk together sugar and butter, now add the flour in this and mix well.
• Using buttermilk knead into  semi stiff dough. Cover and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Sprinkle some rolled oats and sesame seeds over the work top.
• Divide the dough into equal sized balls. Take a dough ball and roll over the the sprinkled oats and sesame seed. 
• Dust the work top with some flour and roll the dough ball into 1/8inch thickness using a rolling pin.
• Cut into desired shapes and prick each cracker with a fork.
  
• Preheat oven to190 degree C.
• Line the baking tray with a aluminium foil and arrange the crackers leaving 2 inch space.
  
• Bake the crackers for 12-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
• Allow them to cool on the rack completely before serving.
  
• Serve them with your favourite dips, or tea
• Store in an air tight container.