#RecipeCorner: Thandai Mousse, Wheat Almond Bytes And More!

Bored of eating the same
sweets every Diwali ?

 

Why not unleash your culinary talent and create a all new festive platter for your family and friends?

Our home chef readers have just made your task real simple with these exclusive time tested recipes from their box of festival secrets!

Wheat Almond Bytes

Ashwini Jayant Patil: By profession Ashwini is an IT Consultant but is passionate about baking and decorating. Having a sweet tooth encourages her to prepare lots of healthy sweets.

Ingredients: 3/4 Cup Almond flour, 1 Cup Wheat Flour, 1/4 Cup desiccated coconut, 1 and ¼ cup clarified butter (Desi ghee), 1 cup grated jaggery, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, Few drops of almond essence, Pinch of salt.

Preparation:

• Dry roast wheat flour along with a pinch of salt in a heavy bottom pan for 3-4 minutes.
• Add clarified butter to it spoon by spoon. This will help in getting the bytes crispier.
• Add poppy seeds to the mixture.
• Keep roasting for another 20-25 minutes. By this time the mixture will start leaving sides of
• the pan and will have a nice golden-brown colour.
• Add desiccated coconut and almond flour at this time.
• Roast for 2 minutes or until the mixture is well combined.
• Add almond essence and mix well.
• Now switch off the flame and add grated jaggery. Mix very well such that all the jaggery is
• melted and well combined.
• Pour the mixture in a greased pan and flatten/level the mixture.
• Take a greased knife and cut into pieces.
• Allow it to cool down completely and then with the help of knife cut through the mixture
• again, on the cuts we did in previous step.
• Garnish with desiccated coconut and pistachios.

Useful tips:

• You can make your own almond flour by grinding it along with a little corn starch.
• The entire recipe needs to be done on low flame. If not, then the mixture will start burning and will leave a bitter aftertaste.
• You can make many variations of the recipe by replacing almond flour by the nut flour of your choice.

Thandai Mousse With Gulab Jamun 

(Serves -5-6)

Menkka Agarwaal: An aspiring home chef, holding less but strong experience in the food and beverage industry who is also backed by a team of people with great ideas, strong convictions and unshakable integrity. She into serving pure and hygienic vegetarian packed food, live outdoor catering and corporate lunches and packs.

Ingredients:  2tbsp thandai syrup (used here- guruji thandai), 5gms china grass powdered, 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp sugar, ¾ cup whipped cream, ½ tsp lemon juice, 8-10 mini gulab jamun (here made from chitale gulab jamun mix or you can buy also from sweet shop), pistachios and almonds, saffron dipped in 1tsp of water.

Preparation:

• Combine the china grass, milk and ½ cup of water in a pan and boil and stir continuously.
• Add the thandai syrup, sugar mix well and cook on slow flame for around 2 minutes.
• Strain the mixture using sieve.
• Place the bowl in a deep vessel filled with ice for 10 minutes or until the mix cools and get thick.
• Whisk the mix continuously while cooling it so no lumps are formed.
• Add the whipped cream and lemon juice and mix well.
• Now pour the mix equally in bowls or glass and refrigerate for 3-4 hrs to set.
• Take it out and put gulab jamun in the centre and garnish with almonds, pistachios and saffron water.

Lemongrass Chai Matchamisu (Matcha+Tiramisu)

(Serves: 4 )

Shrunkhala K Sharma: She is a well-known vegetarian and vegan chef, the winner of Pune super chef 2016 . Her USP is that she enjoys amalgamating various flavours to create mouth-watering customised gourmet delicacies and deserts. She operates by the name, The shakahari chef on Instagram and has her premium house party catering unit known as ‘Treat Away ‘.

Ingredients:

Black Tea (1/2 tea-spoon), Lemongrass (5 Strands), Matcha Tea powder (1/2 tea-spoon), Coconut Milk (1/2 Cup), Water (1/4 Cup), Sugar (2 table-spoons), Heavy Whipping Cream (1/2 cup), Mascarpone Cheese (1 cup), Plain Custard (1/2 Cup), Matcha Tea Powder (1/2 tea-spoon), Plain Vanilla Sponge Cake Discs (8 Pieces), Plain Vanilla icing for garnish, Matcha Tea Powder For Dusting, Tiny Silver Balls, Lemongrass Strands Optional

Preparation for Lemongrass Chai Concoction:

• Add black tea granules, lemongrass strands and sugar to water and place it over high heat till the mixture simmers.
• Turn the heat to low and let it reduce down a little about 2-3 minutes.
• Then add coconut milk. Take it off the stove and keep it aside to cool completely.

Preparation for Cream:

• In a bowl, whip together – mascarpone cheese + plain vanilla custard + Matcha Tea Powder until creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness.
• In another bowl beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peak forms. Add this into the mascarpone cheese and fold gently. Taste and adjust sugar as needed.

Assembling:

• Take 4 chai cutting glasses or any shot glass.
• Dip the Vanilla cake sponge (cut into small disc shape- using cookie cutter), into the
• lemongrass chai concoction.
• Put a layer of the prepared cream.
• Repeat step 2 and 3 again to create layers.
• Repeat the same process for remaining cups.
• Place a plastic wrap touching the top of the cream. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
• Putting a plastic wrap touching the top of the cream will avoid water from condensation.

Garnishing (Before serving)

• Decorate top with plain vanilla icing.
• Sprinkle the top with Matcha Tea Powder and Tiny Silver Balls.
• Place Lemongrass Strands on top of the glasses for the complete look.~~

#Curated by Loveleen Kaur for Pune365Desk