Kesar Pista Kulfi

I love Ice creams and Kulfis are my complete favorite. Kesar Pista Kulfi are one of the first Kulfis that I tried and have been a big fan of the Kesar Pista Kulfi ever since. In fact, for a very long time, I refrained from trying any other flavor of Kulfi. Those days I couldn’t imagine in the wildest of my dreams that I would be trying so many different flavors of Kulfi and create my own too.

Saffron is not just an expensive spice but a very flavorful one too. We took a trip to Dubai and visited the famous spice souk. Oh my God! what an amazing place. The fragrance throughput that market amazes and kind of is soul satisfying. Its so pure that if you rub a little on your hand, that fragrance won’t leave your hand for hours. So, during our first trip to Dubai, I bought 500 gms of saffron. Yupp!  You read it right, half a Kg of Saffron. The thing is that when I travel to different places, I don’t mind spending money on stuff that’s authentic and pure. The quality of spices that you will find in Dubai/Middle East is something you might never find in other places. I have met a lot of people praising Saffron from Spain, and finding it better. But, I believe they haven’t had the privilege to try the Saffron from Middle East.

I would have actually bought a few more spices too, but considering the amount of shopping I had done, my luggage couldn’t have taken more. Coming back to the Kulfi. So, when I started making my own ice creams is when I thought of trying the Kulfi and the first one that came to my mind was Kesar Pista Kulfi.

As much as the flavors convince you that its difficult to make something so amazingly flavorful by yourself. Believe me and follow the recipe step by step and amaze yourself and your loved ones with the super delicious treat.

Kaju Katli

I have always loved Kaju Katli/ Kaju Burfi. I belong to the city, which is considered the heaven of sweets. There is no Indian popular sweet that you won’t find in my city.

Kaju Katli was always my favorite. The sweetness of cashews makes the kaju katli nutty, creamy and delicious. Earlier Mr. Parveez wasn’t a big fan of kaju Katli, but he would make sure that every time he would find them at a sweet store, he would buy some for me. Time went on, the boys tasted Kaju Katli and it was my older one who became a fan, so every time we were in India, I would buy enough to have him enjoy. On our way back home, I would always bring our favorite sweets including these yummilicious diamonds.

So, the last time I was in India, we had so much baggage while returning that I only got 1 Kg of Kaju Katli. We return and after unpacking while my older one was watching TV, I gave some to my older one to eat. A few minutes later comes in my second one and is all curious as to what my older one is enjoying so much. He gives it a try and we have another fan. He started munching on the Kaju Katli like chips and believe or not we finished the whole box in 4 days…LOLzzz.

Now, with kids who love Kaju Katli so much and living in a place where the sweet stores aren’t as good as India, I had to get down to experimenting and making my own. As much as I was excited about achieving success in making my favorite sweet, the best part was when Mr. Parveez tried them, he loved them too and he said that they actually taste better than any store bought burfi that he has ever tried.

Since then, there have been no more store bought Kaju katlis in our house ever. This recipe is easy to make and you will love them. Just follow the recipe properly and enjoy the wonderful homemade Kaju Katli.

Gajar ka Halwa with Vanilla Ice cream

Gajar ka Halwa is our winter favorite. The lovely sweetness of carrots mixed with sugar and milk and a hint of cardamom with desi ghee leaves you taste buds asking for more.

We always loved the idea of warm Brownies and vanilla ice cream. In fact, my kids are big fans of warm brownies/ cake with Ice cream. Its a desert that they would give away their lunch for. Anyways,  Mr. Parveez happens to be almost  the same when it comes to warm Brownies with Ice cream. With time he wanted try warm halwa with cold ice cream. I wouldn’t have tried making this had it come from someone else, but since it was my biggest food fan, I had to try it.

Warm Halwa and cold ice cream is a super awesome combination. Its something you will only understand after you try it. In this recipe I am sharing the recipe for Gajar ka Halwa and how I combined it with Vanilla ice cream. You can always check the Vanilla Ice cream recipe in the Dessert/ Sweet section.

Aflatoon

My hubby hails from a family where, good food was always appreciated. God bless my father-in-law’s soul. I hear so many food stories from Mr. Parveez, that it truly amazes me on how well he has been introduced to so many delicious dishes.  He has so many different and unheard delicacies that his father brought home every now and then.

The funniest part is that my father in law never let out his secret, not even after the children grew up, not even after they got married, not even after they had children. No matter how much you ask, he would never give out the address to the places, instead he would drive by himself and get you what your heart desires to eat….So, this aflatoon happens to be one of my hubby’s favorites.

This recipe will taste quiet close to pumpkin pie, but it way less in calories and carbs. This goes great for special day breakfast or tea time. It tastes awesome with Masala chai or coffee.

Ohh!! Did you think the story ends here….NO, there is more, I have tried to make this dish almost 5 times to make it taste the way my hubby’s taste buds remember from his childhood…OK! now you think I sound crazy…Well, if you had a man who loved you so much, making him feel happy is all you would want to do…and trust me, the way to a man’s heart and to make sure his heart is your home, the path needs to be carved out through is taste buds to his belly…LOLzzz… Life is beautiful and it stays beautiful and blessed when you color it with love around you….Enjoy!!!

Fried Apple Pie

Apple pie is lovely all year round, but specially during winters, warm apple pies for breakfast or for that evening snack with a cup of coffee is my absolute favorite. Have you ever been for Apple picking in Fall? Its a pretty fun thing to do with your family and a popular one too, in many European countries and in United States.

Usually the farm for apple picking has a few activities for kids too, petting zoo and painting crafts being few among them. Another good part that I enjoy about Apple picking is that since its Fall, they always have little Pumpkin patches as well, which of course for people like me solves another purpose of picking a nice pumpkin for Fall decoration. So, basically its like killing 2 birds with one stone. A lot these places also have pumpkin carving which i believe is great for kids and adults, a pumpkin and a little fee is all you need to learn the basic carving skills.

Getting back to the story of the wonderful apples. So, all these farms also have a bakery that sells wonderful banana breads, pumpkin pies, cakes and Apple pie. So, once at one of our favorite farms, I came across a fried apple pie. I had to read the name again since I believed all the “pies” are always baked and have apples cooked like a thick puree. This was something new and we just felt that it looked tempting enough for at least a try. So, we got ourselves some pie and you know how they say that people meant to be together do meet up at some point of life, that’s exactly how I felt after my first bite.

For years we went to that farm during apple picking season and  always got some apple pie, till they stopped making them for reasons unknown. Well, I had to crack down the recipe and try making it myself. Food should not be bound by a traditional recipe. A bit of change always brings out great flavor and a new recipe.

This Apple pie, since it isn’t just plain Apple puree, but apples cooked in butter, its like no other apple pie you have ever tried. Its crunchy yet soft, perfect sweetness with a hint of cinnamon…and you hardly chew it, it spreads so much flavor in your mouth while it melts with the first bite.

Try the recipe and do let me know if you liked it. Its always nice to do something that gives you flavor, yet a new trend.

Malai Kulfi

This is one of the first Kulfis that I made. Super amazing, super delicious and super easy. Everyone who have tried Malai Kulfi, have always requested for seconds and it melts everyone’s heart.

I believe the start of Kulfi must have been with malai kulfi. A standard Malai Kulfi does not have any nuts but I added some to mine to make it thicker and also to add a little crunch to it. Adding nuts and types of nuts is optional and doesn’t make a difference to the taste of the Malai Kulfi .

Anjeer Kulfi

Figs / Anjeer are a big part of dry fruit family. Sweetness of their own they are a splendid source of fiber while they taste great. After making lovely Kulfis with Almonds, Pistachios and saffron, I felt that figs would be a great choice for the next flavor.

Figs are sweet, healthy and rich in vitamins and minerals. Doctors suggest that consuming figs with milk is an excellent source of nutrition. I am not a big fan of figs by themselves, but trying them for Kulfi was one of the best decisions I ever made. It really enhances the flavor and as much as I was apprehensive at first, I was proud with the finished product.

One thing that you need to pay attention to is adding sugar. Figs are sweet and the longer they cook in milk, they keep oozing their sugar out, bit by bit and I always advise to add sugar towards the end, since you will get a perfect sweetness.

Another fact is about making a puree of the figs. Making a puree of half of the figs and chopping the other half to small pieces is better than making all puree. First reason being that all puree makes the milk extra sweet and second is that little chunks of Figs in your mouth while eating the delicious kulfi.

Cold Coffee

Coffee is an all times favorite. Some like it hot, others cold, some with milk and some Black. I usually enjoy my hot coffee Black but I love the frappuccinos and never miss a chance to buy them from my favorite coffee place.

I always loved making cold coffee at home since I was in my teenage. It was kind of one of the first few things I started making and it was always a family favorite, which of course continued after I got married and had my boys. My boys loved cold coffee as well. A hot summer afternoon and a chilled cold coffee was all one needs to cool down.

So, with time I started noticing a lot of difference between the frappuccino we had at our coffee place and the one I made home. As much as its acceptable to believe that there is always that difference between homemade and restaurant bought stuff, its also tough to give up without trying.

I got to trying to make the frappuccino restaurant style.  A few failures, not so good tries, loads of trials and errors  and I perfected the cold coffee and made a perfect Frappuccino. Creamy, chilled, thick , sweet and the perfect amount of coffee.

Waffles With Cream

Waffles are one delicious breakfast. Be it any type, Plain, Belgian, Chocolate or fruit. They are always so satisfying and delicious. My boys can do anything to get their favorite waffles. The American food kind of wins over my paranthas every time. I call that to be the blessings of settling down in USA…LOLzzz. The fact that my boys have huge variety to pick from is a delight in its own way and as a mom who loves cooking, I always find their food demands wonderful.

Waffles are super easy. The recipe below is for Belgian waffles. Basically, this recipe can be used for any waffle by adding your favorite fruit or chocolate and the flavors are always so delicious and warm.

I have even served my boys waffle as an after school snack. They always taste extra scrumptious during winters, they love the warm waffles drizzled with maple or chocolate syrup. You can also add some whipped cream and drizzle some chocolate sauce on it with some colorful sprinkles.

Choco Milkshake Waffle

A family who loves Chocolate would go to any extent to have chocolate in different forms…LOlzzz. Trust me, I try to make chocolate in all ways and forms possible. One of the best creations I ever did was making my own chocolate Ice cream which didn’t just make an excellent dessert by itself , but a perfect base for so many different desserts.

Chocolate Milkshake is super easy if you have chocolate Ice cream and want to serve your guests with something fancier, this is your go to dessert drink. My Boys love it as an after school snack or to entertain their friends on a play. Honestly, I have never seen an adult leave even a sip behind when served, so basically, its just a super fab Chocolate shake.

I used my home made chocolate Ice cream, little heavy cream, little sugar and milk. I made sure that the milk and cream were chilled before using. Blending the ingredients together, not only turns them into more liquid but also brings them to room temperature. Therefore, its important that cream and milk are chilled. Blending Ice cream with milk and cream and adding the chocolate syrup makes it more chocolaty and yummy.

This was my Chocolate Milkshake and then came along my boys one day asking to have a special Milkshake with waffle… I made chocolate Milkshake, and added some milk chocolate bites, some chocolate syrup and some oreos…Only for the brave of hearts…LOLzzz.

Super chocolaty and super amazing flavors…Hard to resist and much harder to not finish. The recipe for the waffles can be found in the Bread section. You can make the waffle in any of your preferred flavor. I picked Belgian waffles, since I felt they would go best with chocolate milkshake.