Malpuas : Indian Sweet

Malapua is an Indian pancake served as a dessert or a snack. which is also served to Lord Jagannath in his Sakala Dhupa (Morning food served to the lord). It is during Paush Sankranti, Malapuas are prepared in Bengali homes.

The batter for malapua in some areas is prepared by crushing ripe bananas or (in Bangladesh) coconut, adding flour, and water or milk. The mixture is sometimes delicately seasoned with cardamoms. It is deep fried in oil, and served hot. The Bihar version of this dish has sugar added to the batter prior to frying, while the method prevalent in Orissa has the fritters dipped in syrup after they are fried. Malapua is traditionally made only with thickened milk and a little flour (sometimes rice flour instead of wheat flour).

Although the traditional fried Malpuas taste just heavenly but i tried a less richer version of it, which is easier to prepare and light on the stomach. The taste does vary a little bit from the original version but this can work for frequent eaters.

So, lets get started. This recipe has three stages, all very simple.

Ingredients:

For the Pancake:
4 Tablespoons of Plain Flour
1/2 cup creme (i used the heavy creme)
2 tablespoons of milk/water (i added milk)

For the Sugar Syrup:
3/4th cup sugar
3/4th cup of water
2- 3 drops of Rose essenc(or 2 tspns of rose water)
2 pinches of saffron

For the Garnish:
Pistachio and Almond slivers (optional)

Method
For the sugar syrup

1. Combine the sugar and water in a broad non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes or till the sugar syrup it of 1 thread consistency.
2. Add the rose essence and switch off the flame.
3. Add the saffron, mix well and keep aside.

How to proceed

1. Combine the plain flour , cream and milk in a bowl and mix well till no lumps remain. Keep aside.
2. Heat a non-stick tava or wide pan and grease it lightly with little ghee, pour a little batter on it and spread evenly to make about 2"diameter circle. After the first you could make 2 or 3 at a time.
3. Cook on both the sides, using a little ghee, till it turns golden brown in colour. Cook on slow flame and then medium and then high. Be careful while flipping the pancake (it may break... you may want to use two spatulas)
4. Dip the malpua in the warm sugar syrup and remove in 8-10 seconds.
5. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more malpuas.
6. Serve immediately garnished with almond and pistachio slivers. 

I hope you enjoy making these. Remember, to make them a litttle crispy. You could put the left overs in the fridge and the next day they could be microwaved for a few seconds and enjoyed.

Love
Madhu

Italian Heaven on your Plate : Tiramisu (eggless)

Italian Heaven on your Plate : Tiramisu (eggless)

prep time:30 minutes
freezing time :5 hours
serves:6

Tiramisu is a layered dessert, consisting of alternating layers of coffee-soaked Savoiardi biscuits and sweet mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs and sugar. I am not using eggs for my recipe.
To prepare the biscuit layer, the Savoiardi are soaked in espresso or strong coffee, often with an addition of a flavorful liquor such as sweet Marsala wine or dark rum. I couldn't find the right wine and so i skipped this part.
For the mascarpone cheese layer, a mixture of egg yolks (i used heavy creme instead), sugar and Marsala wine(i used few more tblspoons of espresso) is first prepared , to which the mascarpone cheese is added. The creme is then beaten stiff and folded in to the mascarpone. This mixture is spread over the coffee-soaked biscuits. The layer is then topped with a dusting of cocoa powder, as both a garnish and a bitter counterpoint to the sweetened cheese mixture, and more layers are added.
Countless variations for Tiramisu exist. Some people may use other cakes or sweet, yeasted breads, such as sponge cake, in place of ladyfingers.Other cheese mixtures are used as well, some containing raw eggs, and others containing no eggs at all. Other liquors are frequently substituted for the traditional Marsala wine in both the coffee and the cheese mixture, including dark rum, Madeira, port and brandy.

When i thought of making my first Tiramisu, i was so confused and found a thousand recipes here and there and finally settled for my own. Here it is :

Gather Your Equipment:

2 medium sized bowls
2 spatulas
A wide pan/bowl
8×8-inch square baking dish
Mixer/blender
A sieve

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons instant coffee
2 cups hot (not boiling) water
1 cup thickened cream (heavy creme needs to be whipped)
250g mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar (also known as confectioners' sugar)
4 tablespoons of coffee liquor (i skipped it as i couldnt find the right one and used espresso instead)
20  ladyfinger biscuits (if you cant find it, just use a plain sponge cake)
Cocoa powder for sprinkling
Chocolate Truffles and some shavings for garnish
1 tblspn corn starch (sieved)

Method:

• Combine instant coffee and hot water in a bowl that is wide enough to dip the sponge fingers into.
• Stir to dissolve coffee. 
• Place in the refrigerator to cool completely.  It doesn’t need to be chilled, just near room temperature is fine.
• While coffee is cooling, whip thickened cream to stiff peaks, be careful not to overbeat.
• In a separate bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, caster sugar and coffee liquor, if using.  If you’re not using coffee liquor, take out 4 tablespoons from your brewed coffee and use it instead.  
• Stir mixture until smooth and creamy.
• Gently fold the mascarpone mixture and  corn starch into the whipped cream and set aside.

• Remove coffee from the refrigerator and dip the biscuits in it, one by one, for about 2-3 seconds each.  
• Immediately place the fingers into an 8×8-inch square baking dish to form one single layer (break some in half if you need to).  
• Spread half of the mascarpone mixture evenly on top.  

• Dip remaining sponge fingers, as above, to form one more single layer, then spread remaining mascarpone mixture on top.  
• Dust the top with sifted cocoa powder and garnish with truffles(optional) and chocolate shavings (optional). Refrigerate for about 5 hours to firm up, then slice and serve cold. 

Some Tips : If you feel its a little loose to cut, freeze it for 30 minutes (do not forget to cover the tray) and then cut. Be careful while removing the pieces....this is a delicate tasting dessert also very delicate to handle. You can also make this in wine or martini glasses for individual servings (thats how traditionally tiramisu was served).

Well, i hope you have enjoyed reading this and will love making it..just remember, with Tiramisu... all you need is patience and following of steps.

Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes sometimes do not see what eyes are actually seeing. Every nook and corner, everywhere , are those two set of eyes that are eying each other, with the world aware but so unaware. Yes, the affairs of the heart  are such! Look around and you will find plenty and many at your workplace and sometimes you don't even have to look around , you just need a mirror.

Increasingly, today, offices have become a place for heart matters. Bosses, subordinates, peers, colleagues, coworkers..all are involved. The man that you trust with your life and the woman you think as clean as eternity maybe one of these. Blossoming Love, Passion and Recreation day on day..and all the drama..while the world watches with Eyes Wide Shut !

Right, the culprit thinks it is ,and Wrong the victim thinks it is, and sometimes when the story unfolds - Wrong, the culprit thinks it was and Right,the victim think it was.
Starting very simply, just with a 'Hello', a Conflict, a text message ,a forwarded email, a chat message, a travel together, a conference, a meeting,a party or just a Look. It doesn't take too long to appear and takes just a minute to vanish.

The Hide and Seek game that men and women now play with their partners is sometimes also visible to the world. The people around see it clearly in their eyes, actions, reactions, movements and moods, and they keep going, going strong ,this time with their Eyes Wide Shut ! Affairs of the heart sometimes are so strong that they forget that the man or the woman at home are watching and knowing it all.

And sometimes, it goes to an extent that the husband starts calling his wife by his girl friend's name as a result of over cautiousness. The cell phone beeps and the heart stops. The urge to go and see the text message or see the missed call is strong that they almost become stiff in the position they are sitting. After a while they somehow reach, read and delete. When the partner asks, who was it, the answer is so obvious, oh some office colleague or a random marketing call.And then starts the prayer to stop that message on the way which already has been sent or the delivery report. Sundays could become the longest days of their lives. While on a lunch with the partner they might be thinking of whats going on on the other side. Watching a movie could be fun but the urge to let the GF/BF know about it ruins the fun.

The partner knows it all, all the time and there comes a time , a day when things unfold. Comes the time of confrontation, of guilt and sadness. Some couples stand this together and others give up. The ones that get through this take their own time before cursing their partners either in private or in public. And the ones that do not stand this, either bring their families into the scene or just leave. Both the cases leave scars on the relations. Anything and everything gets related to this dirty episode of life. And if others were involved in it, they become a nuisance .

Workplace happens to be the most common and safest place for an extra marital affair. How does the partner know what happens in the long 10-12 hours that are spent outside. Nonetheless to mention, both might be enjoying their so called leisure hours at work. Once home, life can be as pretty as ever or just mechanical. The need to look pretty next day at work or behave like a stud does the trick. Few hours spent at home become easy, even the arguments do not matter. 

Going on tours could be made to look treacherous but the reality is totally opposite . Dedicated 24 hours could be an enormous motivation for a boring tour. Few calls  a day home are enough to keep the balance going.

Office parties which also are made to look pathetic, tiring and boring are of huge interest. Time for fun and frolic. Jealousy might also set in at such instances when the the GF or the BF gets a little cozy with someone else and hence the flames increase. Days could pass texting about the party !

There also comes a time when they urge their partners to meet the GF/BF in a casual setting, so to make life easier, create some acceptance and throw off some guilt away. The smart brain smells it all and the lesser smarter brain takes time ,but they both get there. And when they get there it is not pretty for anyone. Even if the reality doesn't unfold soon, the lies could keeping killing in some form or the other.

All in all, Extra marital affairs should be a no no in any society or culture .Imagine it happening to your loved ones. Imagine it happening to YOU! If you have friends with such matters of the heart you need to bring them out in the sunshine . If it is you who is handling such a matter of the heart all you need to do is STOP, and stop this very moment. And finally,if you were the victim you need to give a chance move forward and let the past rest in peace.