Mango Mastani... Pune special

Summer season in and the markets and carts are loaded with mangoes. Everyday mango is served at home in one form or the other. Yesterday kids went to my moms place and I was getting bored so sat down to watch tv. Turned on my favourite channel in peace and looked forward to check out for any specials. Did not find anything so sat down to browse. Lucky me, I came across this recipe for this special drink being made with so much ease that I could not resist he thought of making it

Mango mastani is a Pune special drink. Its basically a thick mango milkshake topped with icecream, nuts and mango.  Saw this on a website... flavorsofmumbai... if I spelled and remembered it right. Its looked so good and the looks said that it would taste awesome too. It was so simple to make that I had to go to the kitchen immediately and make some for myself anf hubby. It took me about 5 mins to put everything together. Chilled it for a while and served with some icecream, mango slices, nuts and tutti-frutti. Yummm... it was simple and perfect

It took me 10 minutes to watch the recipe and 5 minutes to make. Chilling part was the toughest as I could not wait that long :) Enjoyed with a scoop of Homemade Vanilla Icecream

Mango Panna Cotta

I never got to try Panna Cotta until last year when I came across this exotic creamy beautiful dessert.  As soon as I was home I had to look out for the recipe to recreate the speciality in my kitchhen. Got to know its an Italian dessert. I then remembered I had seen this recipe a few times on food network channel .... Giada's show long time back. Oh yes I used to love her shows

This dessert is super creamy. Made with cream and gelatin, it can be made in different flavours to win everyone's heart

Made it this summer to enjoy with the king of fruit flavour to get the perfect taste. I am totally in love with it

Iced tea... perfect for summer

Iced tea is a favourite drink in this hot summer weather. Its a refreshing beverage which is liked by everyone alike. Nowadays there are a lot of packeted powders available in the market. Kids are always on the lookout to buy something like that and enjoy. I am not in for such decisions so I ensure them that they will get to drink something better and tastier than what they are looking for. It happens everytime in the supermarket. They will pick something and I would ask them to put it back warning how harmful they are to our health

We can drink a tall-glass of this wonderfully refreshing drink any time of the day. I usually make it early in the morning and let it cool down. Then I leave it in the refrigerator to chill before we can enjoy it. By the time its post-breakfast its chilled enough to be served. The kids take charge of serving everyone.... us, their friends and whoever comes home :) Its not possible to say no to those smiling little faces when they serve you because they want to serve themselves :)

Try this instead of buying those bottled and packeted stuff

Lemonade concentrate.... a must for these hot summer days

Soaring temperatures, humid weather, fluctuating power is making us all restless. We get more tired in summer than otherwise. Kids enjoying vacation also need something to beat the sun. A perfect solution to all this is handy summer coolers stocked up to enjoy whenever we want to

Concentrates are the best to be stocked up. Couple of ingredients and a few minutes it takes to pull this together. Once ready just leave it the refrigerator and pull it out when needed to quench your thirst

I know everyone tends to buy cold drinks more from stores during summer but believe me , once you start practising this habit of making homemade syrup, neither you nor your kids will indulge more in store-bought ones. One is that it is free from preservatives and you know what is in it before you give them to your kids. Secondly you can enjoy it more often and in taller glasses without any guilt. The best part of all is that even your kids can make it for you when you feel like sitting down for a few minutes to relax :) My kids love to make it for me and serve it to me ... making me feel like the best mother in the world :)

Mango Jelly using mango pulp.... kids favorite...

Kids favorite... jelly and too mango jelly.... this one is a hit with every kid. A real kids crowd pleaser. We make jellies all year long but then summers are special coz we always get to have the king of fruits to add up that special taste to our favourite snack

When kids are a part of making their favourite food they feel even extra special about it and enjoy even a little more. My kids have a lot of fun time during vacations when they cook their own food. They love being a part and enjoy it to the fullest

Heres a simple recipe that is sure to bring a lot of smiles on their face and a lot hugs and kisses to you 

Mango Frooti..... slurppppp....

Mango Frooti... fresh and juicy..... remember that ad when we were kids. Oh yes frooti ... a drink loved by almost every kid. I dont drink aerated drinks.. not at all and if there is a kind request from anybody at a birthday party or any get-together to have a drink I would love to go for any mango drink..... say maaza or frooti or slice

I never thought of making it at home but for the past few days I have been seeing a lot of videos coming up on the internet. So thought why not try it this summer. Oh yes we tried and believe me its better than the store bought ones. The best part is that we can adjust the sweetness and thickness as we like. The reason I avoid drinking store bought ones is that its too thick and sweet. I cant have more than 3-4 sips. But this homemade one helps be enjoy it the way I want it to be

This recipe makes a litre of concentrate that can be stored in the refrigerator. Whenever you feel like having a cool and delicious mango drink just fill few ice cubes in a glass, pour 1/3 concentrate and fill remaining with water. Thats it sip your drink away and enjoy 
your hot day

My family loved this drink and we are planning to make lot more this summer.  Try and enjoy with your family too

Refreshing Amla drink

Amla / Gooseberry is full of goodness... fibre, calcium and antioxidants to name a few. It is a super good food for every age. The best thing and the most important reason for it being included in diets is to help increase body immunity. I hate to eat it as is so I end up making juices/drinks and pickle to add it to my diet

This drink is very simple and easy to make. Its so refreshing that you will not leave even the last drop in your glass ;) We love it in all seasons :)

Watermelon Masti ...

My kid did not like the watermelon juice that I made but that did not disappoint me as I could help him enjoy the same taste with these magical tricks. So whatever juice I made for them was leftover and remade into this recipe

My baby niks doesnt like fruits a lot. So I have to take some extra efforts to get him the goodness in different ways that he would to enjoy natures best creations... fruits. He is a growing kid and he needs all the good stuff of fruits so I have to try my best. Sometimes I try smoothies, sometimes shakes, juices, popsicles, fruit yogurt and sometimes I dont know what ;) but sure a lot more

Watermelon is something he hates as he keeps saying it drips when he eats. I know its just an excuse. Last time I made Watermelon juice for myself (recipe in previous post) when he was running around. I said its strawberry juice and wanted him to try. But no luck, I knew it wont work , he tried and said "no way". He just says he doesnt like the taste. So I wanted to tell him watermelon but with a very fancy name that will lure him. I tried making him watermelon popsicles and called another as watermelon sorbet. Guess what, this time it really worked and there were more than helpings. Kids enjoyed it so much that these fancies were enjoyed many a summer days. So I should say my try was a pure success

Watermelon Juice...

Posting summer recipes in winter makes me feel guilty but it is like doing homework. This shows how lazy I am. Yes very very lazy. I have fun postponing things infinitely. Same is the case here I kept postponing it so long that my drive space is killing me to get rid of some pictures as soon as I can. The complaint is that my blog work is taking up a lot of space in our home laptop. Planning to post a lot of recipes and create some space in my drive. So this is kinda part of my homework

This juice is sure refreshing for hot summers. It gives you a good boost of energy

Oats n Apple shake.. a healthy drink for a busy morning rush

Sometimes when I dont feel like eating breakfast or sometimes when I am hungry in the evening when  just a cup of coffee/tea would not subside my hunger or sometimes when I just want to drink something which fills up my tummy I rely on such kind of recipes. This is a little more filling than regular shakes. Love such recipes that keep my tummy on the lighter and healthier side plus on the other hand is perfect to combat hunger

A glass of this shake and yes I feel refreshing and am sure if you try it you are going to like it too. 

Coffee Mocha ... the simple way

Summer summer summer... yes summer is in. Temperatures are soaring, we are raining sweat, tired is a common word around, thirst is not something thats getting quenched very easily and the list goes on and on. I love coffee but drinking hot coffee is getting ruled out from my list nowadays. Love to hold something cold all the time to sip on and on.  Juices, shakes, butter milk, ice cream, chilled fruits, popsicles, crushed ice and mainly cold water are all the star highlights these days. Cant pass a day without atleast couple of these being dragged along ;)

Coming to coffee, as I said 'I love coffee' but drinking it hot is not much fun at this time of the year. I love making this simple cold coffee "My style Coffee Mocha" as I call it. Couple of minutes and a tall glass of chilled coffee is ready for the sip.

Whipped cream will have an added effect but I dont use it on a daily basis as I use fresh cream from 'boiled and cooled' milk. I feel it gives an extra flavor

Strawberry lemonade...

Strawberries are sweet and lemonades are yummm so Strawberry lemonade should yummily sweeeeeettt..... and yes they are. They are one of the best lemonades at my home. We have loved this every time we've made. It is so much loved that I make a ont-time syrup and chill it in the refrigerator. Every time we want to relish this heavenliness, we just need a couple of minutes before we can sit down, relax and enjoy.

It seems like I have been making this for ages now but no.... its just after my elder kid turned one. It was only after that time that I had somebody to ask me for specials all the while. Each time my little one has asked me for something special, I have always tried to give my best at it. This one is another such addition that has been introduced into our home's quenchers menu for my little nunnu - thats how I called him when he was one. I have called him by a thousand different names after that :)

I know that everybody knows how to make a lemonade and also know that it is easiest thing to remember. This is my style with little top-ups for a perfectly balanced-out taste to suit our style. We love this better than stocking up store bought juice bottles. Easy to make and perfect to quench your fiery thirst :)

This post has been sitting in my folder for such a long time that I have to post it now.... am doing my homework you see...

Spruced up Buttermilk...

Summer heat has started creeping up here. I know it is just the beginning of March and my comment is too early to say this. But it is so very true... days are so very hot. The only good thing is that nights are better off when compared. Huff... its so very tough to fight these sunny and over-hot days. 

It has been a good practice in our homes to have chilled buttermilk to keep our bodies cool. My mil always makes this for us whenever she is around and we are so addicted to this drink in summers. It really keeps our body cool from inside. The best way to get refreshed when you are already losing all your body water through sweat. 

We prefer to have this before going out in the hot sun. It helps our energy cells sustain freshness for a long time without getting dehydrated. There are various recipes for buttermilk and here's an addition to it :)

Guava n Banana Smoothie...

I made some guava smoothie today but this recipe is not the one for the drink I made. I will be posting that soon. This one here is another smoothie that I again made past breakfast time (second smoothie round for the day) today to try out a recipe that I luckily picked up from my friend after I enjoyed some at her house. Couldn't resist trying it out myself  so made it pretty quick just now and happily served myself a tall glass of chilled Guava Banana Smoothie. Yummm... 

Here is the part of today's story .....I stopped by my friends house today morning for something we had to talk about. A neighborhood friend whom i meet everyday but Guess what ????? Today I was warmly and very smilingly served with a glass of this chilled yummy smoothie. Wow... I should say it was marvellous. I loved every sip of it and enjoyed the very same way till the last sip... no no I should say 'the last drop of it' :)  Thanks to you J ;)  You made my day with your gesture and special smoothie too. Hope you don't mind me sharing this recipe here.

Aamla di Paani...

Landed in my country after a long time and after very long jetlag days we started going out to meet friends and relatives. We went to my sisters place last week. When we reached there I was really exhausted. The heat and noise of traffic had made me really tired. 

The moment I was in her house , I was looking in the fridge for something refreshing to drink when my eyes caught a glimpse of a tupperware bottle filled with something. I asked my akka what was it and she said "Dont ask me but do try it". She served me a chilled glass which i gulped in secs. So refreshing, so light and so yummy that i could not resist asking for another glass to which she smiled ans said "Now that means its yummy???" I was so impressed that my tastebuds hit my brain buttons which in turn made my mouth utter "Recipe plsssssssssssssssss....."

 So here you go for a very very simple way to refresh yourself. 

(Pics coming soon)

Serves... concentrate can be stored a while

Serve option... Serve chilled with ice cubes and preferably mint

This is what u'll need....

Aamla/Gooseberry10-20 nos.()

Chaat masala as per taste

Water

Bottle to store in fridge

Here is the stir....

• Cut amla into small pieces and remove the seed. Transfer this to a mixie jar

• Grind all aamla to make a fine paste. Dont use water to grind it

• Sieve it thru a strainer to remove any lumps or excess fibre. Make sure you press the mixture to help squeezing using the back of a spoon. Dont use your hands for any reason

• Transfer the entire juice into a bottle and store it in the fridge 

• When serving, add little chaat masala to a glass, pour a couple of tablespoons of this concentrate and then fill it with water. Top it with ice cubes and fresh mint leaves  

• Enjoy a refreshing drink

Notes:

• Dont use your hands to squeeze out the liquid. It will help the concentrate stay for a longer time
• Adjust concentrate amount when serving to mark it up to your taste

Salty, tangy, cuminy buttermilk

I love the aroma of cumin and also the slightly bitter taste. In hot summers my mom makes this buttermilk to help us all combat the heat and relish the taste. It is as refreshing as it sounds. A very simple to make and easy to relish recipe that wins every heart

Serves... 1 person
Serve option... Chilled with ice cubes

This is what u'll need....

Curd 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Lemon zest 1/4 tspn
Roasted cumin powder 1/4 tspn
Water 1 cup

Here is the stir....

• Blend everything together till it smooth and frothy
• Place few ice cubes in a glass tumbler
• Pour buttermilk into it and top it off with a sprinkle of roasted cumin powder
• Serve it chilled and beat the summer heat

A simply refreshing lassi

Summer is creeping in slowly but steadily making us all cut down on evening chai and rather long for juices n lassis n shakes n drinks... A different option everyday makes your heart feel happy and more refreshing. Everbody loves lassi and so do i. I love the simplest version more on top of other flavored ones. A sip on a hot evening is a heavenly treat

Serves... 1 person
Serve option... Chilled with ice cubes

This is what u'll need....

Curd 1 cup
Milk 1/4 cup
Sugar to taste
Honey 1 tspn

Here is the stir....

• Blend everything together in the mixer until frothy
• Put few ice cubes in a serving glass and pour the lassi into
• Serve chilled for a refreshing taste

Mango lassi

Lassi is a must in summer to quench your thirst and to enjoy the taste. I know lassi itself is delicious but when flavored with some yummy fruit i am sure it takes it new heights. When mango is in season why not dive into the divine pleasure of having mango lassi

Serves... 2 ppl 
Serve option... Chilled

This is what u'll need....

Ripe mango 1 small
Curd 3/4 cup
Milk 1/4 cup
Sugar/Honey to taste

Here is the stir....

• Blend eveything together and serve it chilled
• Add ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves for more taste

Lemony lemon for the summer thirst

I was at a friends place last week when she served me this drink which i loved till the last drop. I fell so much in love with it that i had to ask for the recipe. I thought i needed a little more of ginger so i just added a little than the usual recipe asks for. Looks like this drink is specially made in summer to help combat dehydration. Sure it refreshes our body in a jiffy

This recipe makes a lemony syrup that can be refrigerated for quite some time. When serving add required amount of water, ice cubes, mint and give it a good stir

(pics coming soon...)

Serves... can be stored for a while
Serve option... Chilled with ice cubes and mint leaves

This is what u'll need....

Lemon juice 1 cup
Sugar 2/2.5 cups
Jeera / Cumin seeds 1/4 cup
Ginger 1/4 cup

Here is the stir....

• Heat a little water and dissolve sugar into it
• Grind jeera and ginger to a coarse paste
• Add the above paste, lemon juice to sugar mixture and bring to a boil three times
• Turn off the heat and let it cool
• Filter the mixture to remove all the solids and transfer the liquid into a bottle
• Stock it up in the refrigerator till use
• When serving add little syrup to the glass, fill the glass with water. Add ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves
• Enjoy a refreshing drink for a delightful summer :) 

Strawberry with a tangy orangy juicy mix

With the summer heat creeping up little by little it is essential to get enuf fruits and juices regularly for a healthy appetite. There are so many varieties available for the season that you just have to keep picking them and trying them the way you would like it

I should accept that i dont like fruits ...in the sense i am not a big fan of them. There should be some serious way to get it into my diet was my thought. The only way that helped me get through this was different types of smoothies, juices and milkshakes. Slowly i have started realizing that i can sure go ahead with this plan as long as i keep venturing new taste combis. So you can keep seeing a lot of similar stuff coming up in the near future

This strawberry orange mix takes you to an entirely different world with a little sweetness, a little tanginess and lots of freshness. Love this a lot.

Serves... 1 person
Serve option... Chilled

This is what u'll need....

Strawberry 6
Orange juice 1/4 cup
Honey 1 tbspn

Here is the stir....

• Blend the three together till pureed
• Serve chilled with some freshly cut strawberry slices and enjoy a warm evening with this pleasingly refreshing delight