Panna Cotta Shooters

Well last month I couldn't blog my recipes due to personal problems. I had opted for 4th of July dishes in the last marathon and had prepared some recipes for the same. But unfortunately could not post it. So I am making use of some of the recipes for this week's theme - No Bake Desserts!

On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States. So basically the way we make tri-color dishes for our independence or republic day, we have to make dishes which represents the colors in the US flag. Now the US flag has many stars, and the prominent colors are white, red and blue. In our cuisine, we can easily make recipes with natural colors for red and white. But its very difficult to find a natural color source for blue. So the recipe here I have is with artificial coloring agent.

I adapted the recipe from here.

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 6 tbsp

Powdered gelatin - 2 tsp

Water - 6 cups

Coloring agent - Red, blue

Method:

• In a small cup sprinkle powdered gelatin over the cold water and let it stand until absorbed.
• Combine the coconut milk and 2 tbsp sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until just boiling.
• Combine the remaining water and the remaining sugar. Heat the mixture until just boiling.
• Split the water mixture into 2. Add red color in one half and blue color in the other half. Mix well and keep aside.
• Microwave the gelatin mixture for 10-15 seconds, until melted and liquid.
• Add this melted gelatin in all the 3 liquids - red water mixture, blue water mixture and coconut milk mixture. Allow the mixtures to cool to room temperature.
• Arrange 6 glasses. Add 1/4th with the blue mixture. Freeze this for about 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, remove the glasses. Now add the coconut milk mixture until the glass is filled 3/4th.
• Refrigerate the glasses until the panna cotta mixture is set (another 1 hour).
• Now add the red water mixture as the top layer. 

Easy and interesting dessert is ready.

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Basundi

Starting with the next blogging marathon this week. I have opted for festival dishes for this week. Guru poornima is just around the corner and I Thought of posting some recipes connected to this festival.

I have never celebrated this festival and honestly I don't know the importance of festival. A Guru is a person who removes darkness (ignorance), holds our hand and shows us the light (knowledge) at the end of the tunnel. It is a blessing to get the grace of a guru, who guides us through the ups and downs in life.

I am starting this guru poornima celebration with a sweet - Basundi. It is a very delicious milk based dessert very popular in the north of India and is the closest cousin to condensed milk. Very rich and flavorful with the addition of elegant spices like saffron and cardamom. It will take you about an hour, but the end product would be something worth the effort.

Ingredients:

Whole Milk or 2% -  3 liters
Sugar - 3/4 to 1 cup sugar ( add more if you like it sweeter)
Saffron - a few threads
Cardamom - 5 pods powdered finely
Cashew nut or Pistachios or Almonds - a few sliced

Method:

• Place the wide mouth pan on medium high. Add the milk and allow it to come to a boil. Turn to low and allow for the cream layer ( pal aadai) to form.
• When it starts to form remove it and place in a bowl.  Remember to stir so that the milk does not scotch.
• Keep adding more of the cream to the bowl and soon the bowl will be filled with thick cream.
• The milk would have reduced, thickened and the color of the thickened milk will appear to be an ivory color with a pinkish ting.
• Then add the collected cream to the reduced milk. Add sugar, cardamom and saffron. Garnish with nuts of your choice. Allow to cool, place in the fridge until it is chilled and serve it cold on a hot summers day.

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Kothamalli Chadham

Next in picnic hampers is a rice based recipe. As I said I love to go on long drives and sometimes I pack some mixed rice for lunch or dinner. I do this mainly because it is easy to eat with a spoon and we don't have to think of washing our hands and so on. If it is rotis or some other snacks, then we have to use our hands and I would be very uncomfortable to use my hands without washing / cleaning them because most of the times I would be driving. 

This coriander rice or kothamalli chadham can also be packed for kids lunch boxes. Just add some fried cashews or fried groundnuts to make it more interesting. This is an easy no onion no garlic recipe. I often make this rice when there is a bunch of coriander leaves ready to go bad (rot). I usually make this rice with normal raw rice, but if made with basmati rice or jeera rice, then this might qualify for a rich pulao also!

Ingredients:

Raw rice – 1 cup

Coriander leaves – 1 bunch

Green chilli – 4

Thin coconut milk – 1 & 1/4 cup

Salt  - as needed 

To temper:

Ghee / Oil – 1 tbsp

Cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 2 small pieces

Bay leaf - 1

Cumin seeds / Jeera – 1 tsp

Method:

• Cut off the root part of coriander leaves and wash it. Grind it with green chillies with little water to a smooth paste.. I used 4 small chillies, so if its big reduce to 3.
• Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee. Temper with the items given under “To temper” table in order.
• Add the ground coriander, chilli paste. Fry in medium flame until water evaporates. Add the thin coconut milk.
• Wash the rice and add to this. Add salt, mix well and boil until the rice is half done.
• Keep the flame in low and cook for 12-14 minutes. Or you can give 2 whistles in medium flame. Once the pressure releases by itself, open to fluff the rice.

Enjoy with raita ans fryums!!!

Notes:

You can add ginger garlic paste along with the coriander paste. Or grind 2 garlic and one small piece of ginger along with the coriander leaves.
You can skip coconut milk, but it gives rich flavour and taste to this simple recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#74