Banoffie Pie

For the caramel (To save time, use bought dulce de leche instead of making your own caramel)

• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 400g/14fl oz can condensed milk

For the banoffee pie

• 150g/5 oz digestive biscuits, crushed
• 230g/8oz pecans, halved
• 75g/3oz butter, melted
• 3 large bananas, chopped
• 250ml/10½oz double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
• cocoa powder, for dusting

1. For the caramel, place the butter and sugar into a non-stick pan over a low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the condensed milk and slowly bring to the boil, stirring continuously, to make the caramel. As soon as the mixture thickens and begins to smell of caramel, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, for the banoffee pie, place the crushed biscuits and 115g/4oz of the pecans into a bowl. Add the butter and mix well.
4. Transfer the mixture to a 25cm/10in cake tin. Press in to pack the mixture evenly into the base.
5. Add the chopped bananas to the caramel mixture and mix well, then spread the mixture over the biscuit base.
6. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from the fridge and spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the banoffee layer.
8. Place the remaining pecans over the top in a circular arrangement and dust with cocoa powder.
9. For the caramel sauce, place the butter, sugar and coconut milk into a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it forms a thick, light golden-brown sauce.
10. To serve, cut out slices of the banoffee pie, place onto plates and pour over the caramel sauce.

Shamika'a Aunt's Alle-Belle

So one rainy day in September when the clouds were grey and heavy and the sky looked like it was going to fall, I decided to surprise my grandparents with alle belle for tea.

Ah ha! Does the word alle belle make you hungry too?



          Delicious, soft, melt-in-the-mouth... this sweet

          Goan pancake is a favourite in most Goan

          households.  It is a favourite at mine.  The only

          tip I can give you is to get the pancake real thin

          and fine, just like a dainty lace handkerchief.

          The type of handkerchief a pretty damsel would drop

          by mistake, so that a handsome prince picks it for

          her and sniffs it for its perfume.



I digress, for cooking makes me creative and happy. Or is it happy and creative....



Like patolleos, alle belle uses freshly scraped coconut and Goan jaggery.  You could even stuff the pancakes with coconut and a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of sugar.  If you ask me my preference, coconut jaggery alle belle wins hands down.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 gms Maida
• 2 Eggs
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 150ml coconut milk/water
• 
  

FILLING

• 1 fresh coconut, grated
• 3 Goan Pyramid Palm Jaggery 
• quarter tsp ground cardamom
• quarter tsp grated nutmeg

METHOD

In a bowl, sift flour and salt. Add egg and coconut milk. Beat lightly into a smooth batter, ensuring that no lumps form.

Mix filling ingredients together. Melt a little butter in a frying pan and pour in enough batter to lightly coat the pan. Tilt to spread. Cook for a minute and flip and cook the other side.

To assemble the pancakes, put filling on each pancake and roll up or fold into 4 (ie, a triangle).

To serve, place 2 pancakes on each plate and lightly brush with melted butter and warm through under the grill. Both pancakes and filling can be made beforehand and then warmed through before eating.

Shamika' Grandmother's Patolleos

It was August 15, 2013. I still remember the date. My sister and her kids had just arrived for their summer break. India commemorated 66 years of Independence and the Catholic Church celebrated the feast of our Lady of Assumption.

 At home, after early morning mass and a multicultural flag hoisting event, we rejoiced like every other veritable Goan family by making patolleos (pronounced pathayo).  If you are Goan and you are reading this, then I'm sure your eyes are glowing, your tummy rumbling and your mouth salivating by now.

 So for our annual patolleo-making ceremony this year, ladies of all shapes, sizes and age groups gathered around the dining table.  This included my niece who is six years old to her Pontimai who is 86.

 You see, we had a very important mission at task... Goan rice was soaked overnight and then ground into a fine paste with a pinch of salt. It then had to be flattened onto turmeric leaves and filled with juicy freshly scraped coconuts and copious amounts of Goan jaggery. And then, this divine creation is steamed. At this time, the men of my family of all shapes, sizes and age groups, captivated by the aromas finally venture into the kitchen.

You can add cardamom if you choose. We choose not to as we like the raw taste of the Goanness -- Goan rice, Goan jaggery and even coconuts from our trees in Goa.  Substitute the jaggery and the rice for anything non Goan and it's just not the same.

 It was a good day. That's all I remember. We all sat by the table and laughed and talked as we filled ourselves with fresh coconut and Goan jaggery caressed by rice, embraced by turmeric leaves and steamed with love...

 August came and went. So fast, just like this year.

Grandma passed away. Grandpa too
But their memories live on
and theirs blessings too


Here's the recipe

1.Soak the rice overnight. Remove the excess water and grind into smooth, thick paste.
2. Rinse the turmeric leaves. Wipe the moisture with a cloth or paper napkin. Place them aside.
3. You could slice them into halves if they are big in size.
4. For the stuffing take a heavy bottomed pan add ghee to it.

5. Place on low heat add ghee or oil and add fresh grated coconut, jaggery powder. Keep stirring the mixture for 3-4 mins.

6. Jaggery would melt, the mixture would leave nice aroma. Switch off the gas once all mixed well. Ensure you don’t over-cook the mixture else the jaggery might harden or get stiff which is not good for your patoleos. Lastly add cardamom powder. Mix nicely. Switch off the gas don’t overcook the mixture. Allow the mixture to cool down.

7. Take some batter in your hand and apply them on the turmeric leaves all over. Repeat the same with the rest of leaves.

8. Place a scoop of coconut-jaggery stuffing over one side of the leaf. Now close or wrap them with the other side of the leaf. Ensure its sealed properly.

9. Place them on a steamer alternatively you could place them in a vessel containing water, place a stand and keep a metal tray or dish over the stand. Keep few of stuffed turmeric leaves. Don’t stack them altogether just place few apart from each other and steam few at a time. You could also pressure cook them or steam in idli vessel.

10. Repeat the same with the rest of patolis. After 7-8 mins they would be ready the color of the leaves would change.

Allow to cool unwrap the leave and enjoy your patoleos warm or cold.


Ingredients (used american measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)
for patoleo
6-7 turmeric leaves
2 cups soaked rice
for stuffing:
1 tbsp ghee or oil
1.5 cup grated coconut
1 cup grated goan pyramid jaggery or any dark jiggery
1 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions
Soak the rice overnight.
Remove the excess water and grind into smooth, thick paste.
Rinse the turmeric leaves.
Wipe the moisture with a cloth or paper napkin. Place them aside.
You could slice them into halves if they are big in size.
For the stuffing take a heavy bottomed pan add ghee to it.
Place on low heat saute charoli if using for 40-60 secs.
Now add fresh grated coconut, jaggery powder. Keep stirring the mixture for 3-4 mins.
Jaggery would melt, the mixture would leave nice aroma. Switch off the gas once all mixed well. Ensure you don't over-cook the mixture else the jaggery might harden or get stiff which is not good for your patoleos.
Lastly add cardamom powder. Mix nicely. Switch off the gas don't overcook the mixture. Allow the mixture to cool down.
Take some batter in your hand and apply them on the turmeric leaves all over. Repeat the same with the rest of leaves.
Place a scoop of coconut-jaggery stuffing over one side of the leaf. Now close or wrap them with the other side of the leaf. ensure its seales properly.
Place them on a steamer alternatively you could place them in a vessel containing water, place a stand and keep a metal tray or dish over the stand. Keep few of stuffed turmeric leaves. Don't stack them altogether just place few apart from each other and steam few at a time. You could also pressure cook them or steam in idli vessel.
Repeat the same with the rest of patolis. After 7-8 mins they would be ready the color of the leaves would change.
Allow to cool unwrap the leave and enjoy your patoleos warm or cold.

Notes
1.Turmeric leaves are must for this dish.


2.You could add nutmeg powder and also nuts if you wish to but it's optional.

Garvita's Indoor s'mores

Ingredients

2 whole graham crackers, broken in half
4 marshmallows
2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

Instructions 

1. Position oven rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat.

2. Place graham cracker halves on a baking sheet; top each with 1 marshmallow. Bake, with the oven door ajar and watching carefully, until the marshmallows are golden brown, 45 to 75 seconds. Remove from the oven and drizzle each S’more with a little melted chocolate.

P.S: To melt chocolate: Microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Or place in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

Garvita's Healthy Peach Sundae

INGREDIENTS

2 peaches, halved and pitted
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 scoops nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt or fruit sorbet
1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut

STEPS

Preheat grill to high. Brush peach halves with oil. Grill until tender. Place 2 peach halves in each bowl and top with a scoop of frozen yogurt (or sorbet) and coconut.

Lorraine's Oreo Cheesecake

Sometimes the most hopeless situation actually presents a hidden opportunity. Yes this applies to baking too :-)

When I tried this dessert for the first time for a friend’s surprise birthday celebration it was suppose to be Oreo Cheesecake Bars. As usual I was excited about trying something new and I did not have a lot of experience in baking cheesecakes then. When the baking time was almost done I checked the cheesecake it was browned all over with small cracks, I was disappointed as it was far from being presentable. A friend then gave the bright idea of covering it with Chocolate Ganache. Wow! Why don’t I think of such amazing ideas? It would be perfect, the ganache would take this dessert to the next level. What’s more? After covering it with Ganache I went one step ahead to decorate it as well and what started out to be a simple dessert finally became the Birthday Cake for the party. Everyone including the birthday boy loved it, but little did they know, it all began with a mistake. :-)

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
23 Oreo cookies (store-bought or homemade)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake:
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sour cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
12 Oreo cookies (store-bought or homemade), coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing it to hang over two of the sides.

2. Make the Crust: Process the Oreo cookies in a food processor until they are turned into fine crumbs. Drizzle the melted butter over top and pulse a handful of times until the butter is evenly distributed and all of the crumbs are moist. Dump the crumbs into the prepared baking dish and press into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes (leave the oven on).

3. Make the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until incorporated.

4. Slowly add the eggs, beating well after each addition, and mix until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sour cream and vanilla, beating until incorporated.

5. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos, then pour the batter over the prepared crust, smoothing it into an even layer. Bake until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles slightly, about 40 to 50 minutes.

6. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or up to 24 hours) before serving.

7. To serve, lift the cheesecake out of the pan using the parchment or foil handles. Slice into bars and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

(Cheesecake Recipe adapted from Table for Two)

Leena's Gulab Jamun made out of bread

White bread slices - 12
Sugar - 1.5 cups (300 grams)
Full cream thickened milk - 1 cup
Ghee - 2tsp
Almonds , Cashew - 6-7 each
Cardamom powder

Method:

Syrup:  Take 1.5 cups of sugar and half a cup of water and put the pot on the burner and place. Cook the sugar syrup until dissolved. And cook till the syrup is of one string. You can add a pinch of elaichi in the syrup for flavor or add kesar as well.

Jamuns : Cut the edges of the bread and use the softer portion of the bread and blend in a mixi ensure its not over blended.Collect all the sawdust bread.
Take the Bread crumbs in a bowl add ghee and thickened milk. Knead the dough and keep it for 10 minutes.

Greese your hands slightly with little ghee, and make small dough balls of it.

Put oil or ghee in a pan and heat it and on a low flame fry the jamuns. When slightly cooled,  dip them in a syrup.

2- 3 hours absorbing the syrup the jamuns will be ready to eat.

You can serve them with rose petals garnished and you can serve them chilled as well. Hope you like the quick gulab jamun recipe :)