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Recipe: On Openness (And How The Road Continues) – Eggless Rose Cardamom Mawa Cake

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After over nine beautiful years of growing and sharing, I thought I had come to the end of an era, the completion of this blog. We had, that is, for some of you had been with me from the very beginning. I was ready to bid farewell to my life as a blogger with a full heart, and was planning the recipe that follows as the final one, when more than a few of you reached out to me privately. You shared such lovely sentiments with me; these convinced me that even as a new adventure begins, this one does not need to conclude. Rather than mark the end of the road, this eggless rose cardamom mawa cake now only represents only a shift in stride, as you’ll see when you read on…

I was able to reimagine the trajectory of this blog for the same reason that I had earlier been able to prepare for its winding down: because I had been musing for much of this past year about the concept of openness. It is the spirit of openness that allows us to experience more of life, to take big leaps and to keep ourselves motivated after every sea change. For me, launching re:store as a food delivery and bakery business out of my home was one such major transformation.

Then, a couple of years later, in October 2016, this online presence was born as a complement to the business, which continues to thrive. With this blog came so much discovery and delight as I explored my storytelling skills and found a renewed career in the visual arts as a photographer. At every step, with every post, that sense of openness carried me forward. Being open to learning, being open to experiments, being open to challenges, and more importantly, staying open in spite of them. I know that a lifestyle blog like this one – that is, a repository of memories and recipes that originate in one’s own experiences – going steady for almost a decade is unusual. I could not have come this far without so many blessings, and so much encouragement, and I am preparing to go further still.

I am at a new cusp now, choosing to focus my energies on creating a book, which has been a cherished dream of mine for a long time. It is also something that many of you requested from me over the years, only one of many ways in which you made me feel cared for and appreciated. My gratitude for your support is immense.

That support truly means the world to me, which is why the blog will continue, but with fewer posts each month, while I am concurrently working on the book.

To return to this special recipe, then: to me, it’s an amalgamation of flavours I am fond of and that are true to the essence of the re:store kitchen. This eggless cardamom rose mawa cake remains in my tradition of sharing Christmassy recipes near the end of the year. It comes from Parsi cuisine, which is known for very unusual, delicious recipes that carry an English touch. Parsis are especially known for their baking skills.

I first encountered a mawa cake at my sister’s home in Mumbai. She had ordered it from a baker there whose praises she sang, so while I could not get the recipe, I tasted it thoughtfully, trying to figure out ingredients and even aspects of the method with every bite. It was delicious, and I was eager to prepare it for my loved ones too. After much research, trial and experimentation, I perfected my own version of that cake sometime later, adding my sublime twists of cardamom and rose.

“Mawa” means milk khoya (solids) and is related to “mewa”, the word for dry fruits. This recipe contains both of them. It is an eggless recipe as that is what my sister enjoys, and I wanted to make this treat in a way that is inclusive of all my relatives and well-wishers who also prefer an egg-free diet.

My sister and I are both daughters of a terrific cook, so it is unsurprising that we both take to the kitchen. She is more traditional in her culinary style, while nothing excites me more than innovation. We have a nice balance there, and often exchange recipes. You would have noticed her being mentioned many times on this blog over the years, and of course, there is no one I owe more to in my gastronomic life than that “terrific cook” I mentioned: our mother.

She continues to be my biggest inspiration, not just in terms of how I cook, but also how curious I am and how much I love to share. One of the many things she showed me was that she always got back so much more than she gave. Here I am, doing the same thing. That is what this blog has always been about for me. Even when I have posted recipes that I ought to have kept secret, right out of the re:store menu, I have always felt that doing so would cost me next to nothing – but bring me so much good in return. And so it has.

Eggless Rose Cardamom Mawa Cake
(Serves: 4)

¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon ghee
¼ cup milk powder
½ cup sugar
½ cup curd
½ cup melted butter
1 cup maida
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon rose water
A pinch of saffron
½ cup nuts and dry fruits (chopped, in slivers)

Preheat oven to 160°C and prepare the baking pan by greasing and dusting with flour.

In a non-stick pan, add the milk and ghee. Mix well. Now, add the milk powder and stir on a low flame until it thickens and the ghee separates. Set aside. This is mawa – the milk khoya that is the base of this cake.

In a bowl, add the sugar and curd. Stir well. To this, add the butter and mix. Next, add the prepared mawa and mix again, until there are no lumps.

Sieve the flour along with the baking powder, baking soda and cardamom powder.

Mix these gently into the curd mixture. Add the rose water.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes. Then, upturn it and let it rest on a stand.

Make tiny holes with the help of a fork on top of the cake. In a bowl, add 1 tablespoon milk and the saffron. Mix these together, then brush the liquid all over the cake. The infused milk will sink into the cake and add depth and flavour.

Your eggless rose cardamom mawa cake is ready to be served.

And there you have it – an exquisite dessert to signify not the end of an era, only an exciting new bend in the road. Here’s to keeping our hearts, minds, hands and eyes open to all the good things still to come! May our stories and journeys continue, and may they be filled with beauty and brightness.

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Recipe: A Diwali Recipe To Keep – Kopra Pak With Rose

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Over the years, I have shared recipes for special treats for Diwali. These include desserts from the Gujarati kitchen such as laapsi and ghugra. Joining these is kopra pak, a lovely sweet that is exquisite in both its taste and its simplicity.

When kopra pak occurred to me as this year’s Diwali recipe, I thought about how it is a dish that is often taken for granted. It utilises just a few basic ingredients, with the ubiquitous coconut as the core. “Pak” means “sugar syrup”, which preserves the sweet and makes it travel well.

As with all staples, there are many versions. Some use condensed milk rather than milk, which is a more modern take on a traditional recipe. Others use sugar syrup, not sugar, or else jaggery. Which ingredient is chosen has an impact on the softness or solidity of the dish. Those using jaggery set differently, and have their own flavour and texture. Hardened kopra paak becomes a kind of coconut candy, whereas the softer kind is naturally easier to cut and to shape. A version with jaggery is prepared for Ganesh Chathurti, and stuffed inside a rice flour modak (a dumpling that is offered to the deity during this festival). I love that one, and desperately wait for those treats at that time of year, which a friend of mine obliges me with.

Here, this kopra pak is for our Diwali celebrations – and hopefully yours as well, not only this year but for many years to still come. While sweets are always a part of our festivities, in our home, my health-conscious side and the fact that my husband is not a huge fan of desserts mean that we aren’t extravagant in our consumption of them. However, kopra pak happens to be one of the rare sweets that he really enjoys. And between watching our erratic cholesterol and BP readings, and still giving an occasion like Diwali its due, I decided that this is going to be the only sweet that I prepare at home this year. How lucky we are that it is so very delicious, and gives us just the right amount of indulgence, without immoderation.

As I prepared it, with excitement, my mind filled with memories of many festivities past. In my childhood, it felt like literally every other family we knew made kopra pak, or some version of it. Coconut is pan-Indian, and so is the concept of exchanging mithais or sweets during special occasions. Whether making a selection, or making just one type, it’s the thought that matters, and the love that is conveyed in the process.

Here, I have chosen to add a dash of rose to this traditional Gujarati sweet. It happens to be a signature flavour at re:store, and I offer this recipe to you with much gratitude for your support and recognition of my work.

This is my ninth Diwali as the creator of this blog, and if you have been with me all this while, it has truly been a journey. One of learnings, growth and change, all driven by my heart’s calling toward food and its intricate relationships with love, culture and life itself. I want to take this moment to share that I will be winding down my regular posting on this blog by the end of this year, in order to focus on a large project that has been close to my heart for a long time. That is, as you may have guessed – and if you are among my dear well-wishers, may even have enquired about – a book.

Kopra Pak With Rose
(Yield: 10-12 pieces)

1½ cups coconut (grated)
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
A pinch of saffron in 1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
¼ cup pistachio (finely sliced)
½ teaspoon rose water
Ghee for greasing a plate

Heat a kadai and add the milk and coconut. Allow to cook on a low flame, stirring continuously. Make sure it does not stick at the bottom. Continue to stir until the milk has almost evaporated.

Now, add the sugar. Allow to cook. Keep stirring.

Once the mixture thickens, add the cardamom powder, saffron and rose water. Skip the rose water if you prefer not to have that flavour in your kopra pak.

Allow to cool slightly, then transfer onto the greased plate. Flatten with the help of a cup until it looks flat and smooth. Sprinkle with sliced pistachios. You may also wish to garnish with rose petals.

Refrigerate for an hour or until it sets well.

With the help of a sharp knife, cut the kopra pak into the desired shape.

As I said earlier, the gifting of sweets during Diwali is a tradition that conveys love. To me, that is what recording these precious recipes has always been about. I hope that they bring joy to you, and to all whom you share them with!

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Recipe: Sweet, Seasonal Indulgence – Indian-Style Summer Fruit Salad

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Indian sweets aside, my experiences of desserts while growing up consist largely of two particular treats: one was ice cream, and the other was fruit salad. While my mother did also bake cakes, and as mentioned in various posts, crafted a wide array of Gujarati and pan-Indian delights, there was something about either ice cream or fruit salad that was just unbeatable in my eyes. With the heat now in full swing, and having become too sugar-conscious to eat ice creams the way I did as a kid, I decided to put together a lovely Indian-style summer fruit salad to make the most of the season!

I do want to take a moment to recall the ice creams of my childhood fondly, though. Back then, our family would visit a long-gone parlour called Joy Ice Creams, which sold ice creams both on sticks and in cups. This would be a rare indulgence, and we would really look forward to those outings. However, I must confess I also enjoyed eating ice creams every day – every school day, that is. There was an ice cream seller at my school, and my friends and I would literally buy his products on a daily basis. Well, I use the word “buy” a little loosely. The truth is that we would beg him to let us have some ice cream even if we didn’t have cash on us, and would wind up accumulating bills at the end of each month, not all of which got cleared. Many years later, some of our classmates happened to meet the gentleman and reimbursed him for his kindness to us back then!

My favourite at that time was pistachio ice cream, and somehow this flavour has never tasted quite as good when I have had it anywhere else since. Some things just can’t be replicated, I guess. I am grateful that many of my late mother’s recipes can indeed not just be prepared now because she shared them with me – but also that those dishes can be enjoyed just as much, if not more, that I did back then because the recipes are accurate. She ensured I would be able to recreate the taste of her cooking as precisely as possible. This fruit salad happens to be one of them, and I am so glad that I still have it in my life.

My mother prepared fruit salad once a week during the summer, using basic fruits like apples, bananas and chikoos. Sometimes she would add tinned peaches as a treat. She would avoid tangy ones in case they soured the milk in the dish.  Now, of course, our access to fruit varieties is so much greater, and we can make our fruit salads in much more exotic ways, perhaps prioritising seasonality or a certain colour. You can see from my photographs what I have chosen, but you should select your fruits according to your preferences and the availability of the same.

Essentially, there were four ingredients in mom’s fruit salad: sugar, milk, fruit and custard powder. Custard powder was very easily available back then, and it continues to be today. I believe it was introduced to India by the British and was basically a flavourful type of corn flour that could be used as a thickening agent in desserts including puddings and of course this fruit salad. While Continental in concept, this is quite Indian in terms of popularity, as far as I know. She also occasionally made a custard and jelly combination.

Once a week, we would have lighter dinners so we could eat more of this treat. Mom knew we loved it, so she always made a large quantity so that there would be leftovers. It often tasted even better the next day. My siblings and I would be given measured cups so we wouldn’t fight over portions. Even so, there was such a sense of joy in what we all shared, limited or not. There was great satisfaction in just having one cup each. This effortlessly lovely dish was a part of so many of our evenings. It was made as a small, regular treat, but it was also served to guests, when one of us got good marks in school and so on. In this way, it was a big part of our childhoods.

I used to prepare it for my children when they were younger too, and they enjoyed it then. Now, their exposure to food is so vast that I am not sure a humble fruit salad has as special a place in their hearts as it does in mine. Nowadays, there seems to be an abundance of everything. When you can tap a few buttons on your phone and have amazing gourmet ice cream arrive at your doorstep, the idea of wearing your best dresses and going out to a parlour for a special occasion becomes a relic of the past. So too with many basic, homemade dishes. Still, some days call for very simple delights. On those days, nothing beats this Indian-style summer fruit salad.

Indian-Style Summer Fruit Salad
(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons custard powder
½ litre milk
3-4 teaspoons sugar
2-3 cups cut fruit of your choice
2 dates

Peel and cut all the fruits and the dates. Keep in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Remove ¼ of the milk and keep it aside. Boil the rest.

Meanwhile, add custard powder to the cup of room temperature milk that was kept aside. Mix well until there are no lumps and gently add the mixture to the boiling milk. Keep stirring constantly on a low to medium flame, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Be careful here as the milk may get burnt. It will release a distinct smell if it does, and we don’t want this.

As the milk is thickening, add the sugar and stir.

Turn off the flame and after giving it a last stir, cover the mixture well. Allow to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until cold.

Once cold, add the cut fruits and dates to the prepared custard milk and mix. Refrigerate again and serve cold. Garnish with nuts of your choice, if you’d like to.

The season really does call for more fruit consumption, and offers some great harvests too, so I encourage you to explore more fruity recipes in my blog archives!

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Recipe: A Bit Of Summer Cheer – Baked Yoghurt With Strawberry Compote

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As mentioned in my previous post, strawberry compote is a versatile topping that can be used on a wide range of desserts. After sharing the recipe for it, I was debating whether to prepare a cheesecake or a baked yoghurt using the same, as a suggestion for you in case you are exploring the compote’s usage too. I chose the latter. Summer is setting in in Chennai and a cooling yoghurt-based dish rather than a rich and heavy cheesecake just made sense. This baked yoghurt with strawberry compote, using seasonal strawberries, is ideal for the climate in every way.

We have recently had a number of celebrations in the family, and to be honest, given the quantity of sweet treats we have all been consuming, I have also begun to veer towards lighter desserts now.

Strawberries remain in season, and I want to make the most of them before we move towards mangoes. Already, I can see small fruits on my own trees as well as those around the city. The days are becoming longer and the heat is steadily rising. I have a feeling the mango harvests will be good this year, and look forward to them. But meanwhile, right now, strawberries continue to have my heart. Pairing them with yoghurt – an item that I relish perennially – makes for even more pleasure.

As I’ve mentioned in various posts, dairy products in general are considered sacred in Hindu traditions and used in rituals. Any form of dairy is enjoyed across India in general, as well. Come mango season, for example, a lot of buttermilk is going to be consumed across the country, as the coolant is used to counteract the heatiness of the fruit, as per Ayurvedic practices.

Yoghurt in particular is my personal favourite among the various dairy products, and the reason why I have not been able to go vegan even during periods when I have tried to adapt my diet as much as possible to those principles. I prepare it at home, and I have shared the method earlier too.

Yoghurt by itself is enough for me, but elevating this quintessential Indian component into a dessert that to me has both Continental and subcontinental influences was a very intriguing idea. I first enjoyed baked yoghurt at a popular café in Chennai. It was moist, soft and had just a hint of sweetness. The subtlety of the sweetness was what I found most attractive. Gujarati shrikhand and Bengali bhappa doi are similar in texture, but usually made much sweeter. To me the bhappa doi is one of the inspirations for my baked yoghurt. I don’t know much about the culture and cuisine, but my research also suggests that the two dishes are connected. Baking is not traditionally Indian, but I would venture a guess that baked yoghurt dishes on Indian menus may have evolved from bhappa doi.

While I grew up with shrikhand, on the other hand, I would have to say that I have come to prefer baked yoghurt to it. The minimal use of sugar is what creates the distinct advantage, in my view. Furthermore, by preparing strawberry compote or other toppings at home, I also get to control the sugar quantity for all aspects of the dish. If your strawberries are naturally sweet enough, you may not even have to add sugar to the compote at all.

That said, this baked yoghurt can be paired with a variety of other toppings too. Rose jam, mango purée or salted caramel are some wonderful options. The base itself is very versatile that way.

I began making baked yoghurt at home only recently, so I’m also excited about trying out new varieties. They are perfect for when you are entertaining guests, which is why I have suggested making them in individual portions below. Alternately, you can also prepare it in a large glass dish and spoon out the required portions.

Baked Yoghurt With Strawberry Compote
(Yield: 5-6 ramekins)

250 grams yoghurt
200 grams condensed milk (or less, if you prefer)
50 grams cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rose water

Prepare a bain-marie by pouring water into a wide tray and placing it into the oven. Make sure that it has a tall lips or sides. You may want to check that the water will reach midway to the ramekins you will use. Preheat the oven to 160°C for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, add all the ingredients gently one by one.

Using a whisk, gently bring them all together until there are no lumps. Pour the prepared mixture into the ramekins equally. You will get 5 or 6 portions depending on their size.

Place the ramekins into the bain-marie, after checking that the water is hot, and bake. This should take approximately 15 minutes, depending on your oven. Bake only until the centre looks jiggly.

Remove the ramekins from both the oven and the tray. Allow the baked yoghurt to cool completely and then refrigerate.

Serve chilled, with a spoonful of strawberry compote or any other topping of your choice.

If you’d like to enjoy more strawberries or more yoghurt this summer, I have a selection of recipes on this blog that feature either ingredient. Don’t forget that the former will soon be out of season, but as I said earlier, here in the Indian subcontinent we have something equally or perhaps even more wonderful to look forward to: mangoes! I am still thinking up some recipes that will highlight this them year, but in the meanwhile, I hope you’ll explore my archives.

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Recipe: One To Bring The Year In With – Orange Cake

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As I have mentioned at various times on this blog, I do love the festive season. Diwali is an occasion I look forward to very much, but I also enjoy the December festivities, in particular Christmas. I find that people tend to be in a more buoyant spirit now, and I love to elevate that further through providing recipes that add more cheer. This past year has been rather difficult and very busy for me, and I would not be surprised if it has been the same for you, but I believe you can always make time to bake an orange cake. It will immediately improve your mood, as I have experienced time and again.

So yes, let’s bring the coming year in on a happy note. To me, there is something about the scent of oranges that is particularly uplifting, and Nagpur oranges happen to be in season. They are particularly juicy and sweet right now, as well as inexpensively available. These fruits were what inspired me to come up with this recipe. It was such a pleasure to put this one in the oven. The whole house smelled of citrus fruit, and was imbued with a sense of celebration. It was a treat to slice it up after the photoshoot. I like to bake my cakes lightly sweet, so that we can eat more without finding them too rich, and with less guilt over the indulgence. This one has the perfect combination of citrusy, sweet and buttery flavours, resulting in a moreish delight.

Long-time readers may recall a date and orange cake and a citrus bundt that have made appearances on this blog, but this one is different. It has a beautiful balance of tartness and sweetness that I love.

Yes, it really is all about balance at the end of the day. But I do believe in something called hope, which is why I dare to say: I hope that no matter what has come before, let the coming year bring a large share of sweet experiences our way. I read somewhere long ago that one of the things that differentiates human beings from animals is our capacity for hope. It is a mental concept that comes from higher evolution, and is what makes us innovate. That idea has stayed with me.

It is said that we have to consciously manifest what we want, asking the universe to provide it. This requires a positive mindset: thinking positive, wishing for positive things, even as we work hard to bring our dreams to life.

“Manifest” happens to have been the Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2024, and I have been pondering the concept. I know that nothing happens overnight. Hard work must be present, and we must change things for ourselves in small ways wherever possible (and in larger ways if we get a chance to). It’s not like we can sit still and just wait for the Universe to give us what we want. We have to reach out, choose and act. There will undoubtedly be challenges along the way, but what allows us to stay motivated is hope.

I want to say another word here about manifestation, though. It’s not, if you don’t mind the pun, “as easy as cake”. When we put our intentions out there, even with all sincerity, we still have to make sure that we don’t feel dejected if things don’t play out like we thought they would. I once tried to manifest something in my life. I deeply wished and wished, and it didn’t happen – at least not in the way I expected it to. Now, much later, I feel glad, because what did happen instead turned out much better in the long run. But at the time, I was very sad. In retrospect, the lesson for me is in trusting the bigger picture. The Universe knows what it is giving each of us, and whatever happens is for the best. We may not feel that right away, but some day we might. Hopefully. Yes, it really is all about hope when it comes down to it. Let’s enter 2025 with hearts full of hope about what we can look forward to, and how we can make peace with all that has already come to pass.

Orange Cake

265 grams maida
45 grams corn flour
2¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
250 grams sugar, granulated
⅓ cup oil
¾ cup unsalted butter
3 teaspoons orange zest
½ cup milk
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs

Cream cheese frosting

1 cup butter
450 grams icing sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons zest

To prepare the cream cheese frosting, which you can do ahead of time, cream the butter using a hand-held blender. Now, add in the sugar slowly. Making sure the sugar is covered as you pour, as it can fly all over the counter.

Next, add the cream cheese, zest and orange juice. Mix well until it all comes together. Refrigerate until use.

To bake the cake, preheat the oven at 160°C. Prepare two 8-inch cake tins by greasing and dusting them. Set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients: the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the sugar, butter, oil and orange zest. Using a hand-held blender, beat this mixture well until it is creamy. This will take approximately 1-2 minutes.

Now, slowly add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously. Add the milk, orange juice and vanilla extract. Beat well. Now rest the hand blender.

Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Use a spatula to fold the mixture gently until it all comes together. Do not over beat at this stage.

Divide the mixture evenly into the two prepared baking tins. Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Check that it is thoroughly baked by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean your cake is ready.

Remove the tins. Allow them to cool on the counter for 10-15 minutes before turning them on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now you can ice the two cakes, layering them with cream cheese frosting in between as well as on top.

Your festive, fruity orange cake is now ready to charm anyone you serve it to – and I hope that by sharing this recipe, I have brought more joy to you, too!

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Recipe: The Scent of Childhood – Rose Shortbread Cookies

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Every time our uncle visited from the USA when we were growing up, he would hand my siblings and I a beautiful, round, dark blue tin filled with shortbread cookies. When the tin was opened, these lovely and aromatic delights would be layered inside. As children, we waited for these treats every year and we would inevitably start fighting over them before dividing them up between the three of us. The emptied tin itself was a thing of joy, and never discarded. These precious memories made me smile recently, as I began planning ahead for my Christmas baking here at re:store. I decided to put a batch of rose shortbread cookies in the oven for old times’ sake, and I wanted for you to be able to do the same too.

Do you remember those cookies from far away too? Many of us grew up with these tins of shortbread cookies, and both the contents as well as the packaging itself have a nostalgic quality for us. They are a favourite of my mother-in-law as well, as they were enjoyed by her generation when they were younger, too. It’s funny how our love for this cookie has travelled through generations. My grown-up kids love them, I love them, and their grandmother loves them. Perhaps it is similar in your family as well. Nowadays, I visit London often and buy shortbread cookies there every time. There is something about bringing them back from a trip that just feels special.

There is also a bakery in Pune that makes shortbread cookies that are almost like the European original. These have their own distinct taste, but I would say they are a close cousin. Relatives coming from there sometimes bring me a box of these. That’s right: a box rather than those classic tins are what cookies tend to be packaged in in many places nowadays.

That takes us back to the tins themselves. Back when the cookies were annual gifts from my uncle, I would save the tins and keep various things in it. Handkerchiefs, stationery, school items and so on would go into them. Each time I opened one, the scent of the cookies – already eaten and enjoyed – would still rise from it for quite some time after. That scent itself would make me anticipate my uncle’s next visit, year after year, and it would also seep into whatever I kept in the tin.

I will let you in on a secret: I enjoy collecting anything kitchen-related, and can be a bit of a hoarder when it comes to such objects. So I still have a few of those old cookie tins in my home. When I bake shortbread cookies, I pull a lovely dark blue tin out, line it and store my own homemade cookies in it too. They then evoke the childhood experience all the more. And that lovely buttery, sugary, freshly-baked fragrance is once again retained in that tin for some time after, with any knick-knacks stored in it taking on that aroma too.

Receiving them as a gift is wonderful, and baking them at home brings an equally good feeling. They may not turn out quite like the store-bought ones, but they will be imbued with the joy of making a treat from scratch, which is a pleasure of its own. You can also add personal touches that suit your preferences: for instance, the addition of rose to this recipe is my own take, incorporating a beloved ingredient into the treat.  Often, when I eat something that I really love that is a bit difficult to make, I take it up as a challenge to achieve the perfect flavour and taste – or at least the perfect flavour and taste for my version, to be replicated and enjoyed many times over. That’s how it was with these rose shortbread cookies too, and I think that that is the right spirit to approach any cooking and baking in general!

Rose Shortbread Cookies

250 grams cold unsalted butter
50 grams powdered sugar
115 grams sugar
1 heaped teaspoon salt
250 grams maida
2 teaspoons rose water
2 tablespoons rose petals

Using a hand blender or a stand-mixer, beat the butter in a bowl until it is soft. Now, add both sugars along with the salt. Beat for 2 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy and has risen. Add the flour slowly, little by little, and beat on low. Now, add the rose water.

Once it comes together, using your fingertips, fold the dough gently.

Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours before using. You could also freeze the dough for 3-4 hours before using.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Make 2 balls of the dough and roll one out to ½ – ¾ inch thickness. Using a cutter, cut into the desired shape. Making sure the cookie dough shapes don’t become too thin else they will spread while baking. Sprinkle rose petals on top.

Gather all remaining bits of the dough and repeat with the other ball.

Arrange the cut cookies in a tray, keeping a distance between each, as they will spread while baking.

Bake until golden. Keep a close watch and make sure they don’t turn too dark or remain partially baked.

Remove the tray from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool in the tray for about 10 minutes. Then, remove and place in airtight tins.

These shortbread cookies are delightful on their own, or with tea. They are sure to evoke some fond memories for you – and perhaps be a part of new ones that you’ll make with your loved ones too. For more baked goodies, do check out my blog archive. If you’re in Chennai and are looking for some special treats for Christmas and New Year, do explore the re:store menu and get in touch!

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Recipe: Charmed Out Of My Bias – Caramelized Bananas

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The festive season is about to begin here in India, and sweets galore are going to be produced, shared and consumed across the length and breadth of the country. It will be almost impossible to avoid consuming significant amounts of sugar at this time, but aside from moderation, we can also tweak the dessert offerings in our own homes and serve sweet but balanced treats. This will add a touch of novelty too. These caramelized bananas are a perfect addition to a more thoughtful celebratory menu.

Bananas provide not only a great sugar rush, but they are high in potassium and kept on hand by many gym-goers as they replenish electrolytes. Living in a country that produces over a quarter of the world’s bananas, and especially in a region where the plant is prevalent everywhere, my exposure to the fruit and the plant are certainly high. The plant itself is one of my favourites, and is beautiful to look at. I frequently use the stems and flowers in dishes, such as this banana stem buttermilk. I do bake the fruit into a loaf now and then, or cook it in a kela nu shaak but to tell you the truth, I am personally not a great fan of it. The fact that I thoroughly enjoy these caramelized bananas is therefore a testament to their tastiness.

The first time I had them was on a surprise holiday with my husband. We went on a really long trek wherein we got lost. Two hours later, we found the little spot that we were supposed to reach, and here, the organizers of the journey prepared a freshly-made picnic for us. It is difficult to carry a lot of items on a tedious hike, so the meal contained simple ingredients. Bananas, being such a portable fruit and good for after a workout like an outdoor trek, were a practical part of the menu, in the form of this dessert.

Despite everything I said earlier in praise of the fruit’s nutritional qualities, my longstanding dislike usually trumps my desire to consume it. Still, a few bites of this dish during that picnic were all it took to charm me. You can imagine my surprise when I found myself carefully observing as more caramelized bananas were being prepared, mentally noting how to make them myself later! They were made in a jiffy, too. I knew right then that I’d found a lovely dessert that would be easy and quick to make, and possibly healthier than most traditional treats.

I believe what made me like them so much was the use of cinnamon and other spices, which flavoured my far-from-favourite fruit in a lovely way. Who knew that a fruit we take for granted and a few ingredients common to an Indian kitchen could result is something so delightful?

Caramelized Bananas

(Serves 2)

1 tablespoon butter
2 small bananas (cut lengthwise)
¼ cup sugar (use less if you prefer)
3 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated ginger
A pinch of salt

Heat a flat pan. Add sugar and allow it to melt. Once it has melted, add water and stir continuously so it all comes together. Now, add the ginger, cinnamon powder and salt and keep stirring.

While the sugar is melting, heat another pan and add the butter. Once it melts, place the sliced bananas on the pan and allow them to turn golden on both sides.

When the sugar syrup is ready, add it to the bananas. The mixture will splutter so be careful. Sauté for a minute on a medium to high flame. Turn off the flame and allow to cool a little.

Serve with fresh cream, or just on their own.

These caramelized bananas really changed the way I think of bananas for the better. They are such a simple dessert. I can attest that they satisfied someone who doesn’t even enjoy the fruit, which says a lot about how tasty they are!

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Recipe: Still Sweet, And So Delicious – Sugarless Date Payasam

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I have often been attracted to making sugarless desserts for two reasons. First and foremost, for myself, as I have an incredibly sweet tooth that I can’t seem to control, and I hope to satisfy it without making as steep a health compromise. I try to convince myself that when a dessert is sugarless or sugar-free I can also eat it guiltlessly, or guilt-free! I know this isn’t true, of course. Natural sweeteners and the sweetness that is intrinsic in certain ingredients like fruits do contain sugar, and anything sweet will spike your glucose levels even if you don’t add processed sugars to it. Still, I know that so many of you struggle with the same concern, which is why a treat like this sugarless date payasam can still make a difference in our dessert indulgences.

The other reason why I learned how to make more sugarless desserts was that my father-in-law used to put me up to the challenge of inventing ones for him. He was diabetic, and he would always say, “Just add Splenda or aspartame!” I would always refuse to, knowing that these have other side-effects. I would instead reach out for natural sweeteners like coconut sugar or dates, as their glycemic index is lower than that of refined white sugar. While my father-in-law is no longer around, the dishes I learned or came up with for him remain in my repertoire, and so does the habit of cutting down sugar content as far as I can.

Awareness of the dangers of too much sugar consumption is of extreme importance in India, which has one of the largest percentage of diabetics in the world. I often have diabetic visitors, which doesn’t surprise me at all given the prevalence of the disease in our country, and I ensure that I serve sugarfree desserts when they come over. There are also sugarless options on the re:store product menu. Whether or not my guests or family members are diabetic, I do keep an eye on balancing out our sweet consumption in multiple ways. Making dishes like these is one such way, and a necessary concession since giving desserts up completely is quite a big ask!

This particular sugarless date payasam is one that I learned from my dear friend Girija. I hadn’t heard of it before she served it to me, and I was wary of trying out the recipe, but I am very glad that I did. It is utterly delicious. For those who haven’t heard of it, a payasam is essentially a South Indian milk pudding, and I am thrilled to have a version of it that doesn’t require, let alone rely on, sugar or even jaggery. All it needs is the sheer sweetness of dates.

Sugarless Date Payasam

(Serves 6)

2 cups deseeded and chopped dates

1 cup cashew nuts

Water (for soaking)

2 cups milk

3-5 strands saffron

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

 

Soak the dates and cashews separately in fresh drinking water for an hour.

Then, grind the cashews with the water that was used for soaking. Once the paste is smooth, add the dates. Grind once more until the paste is smooth again. Add the cardamom powder and saffron strands. Place the mixture in a pot and refrigerate until cool.

Once it has cooled, add the milk and stir well until it all comes together nicely. Adjust the milk quantity to your preference. I like it to be a little thick. Return to the refrigerator and let it cool again.

Serve very chilled. This is a perfect dessert for these hot summer months. As you can see, this delicious sugarless date payasam requires only grinding and mixing, which also makes it an easy dessert that even beginner cooks can prepare.

I have used cashews as I enjoy the rich flavour the nuts provide, but you can substitute them for another kind if you prefer. I also feel that the cashews sort of tone down the sweetness of the dates, which can be intense.

Ultimately, the payasam is both rich and sweet, which means that it is best in smaller portions.

Here is a suggested tweak to this recipe: add a handful of cooked rice to the milk, and then add then to the ground cashewnut-date paste and mix. This will give the dessert more substance, and more of a mouthful in each serving. The sweetness quotient will also further reduce. This preparation may technically turn it into a kheer rather than a payasam, but I have little doubt that anyone will complain! It will turn out delicious both ways, and while my father-in-law is not here to enjoy this dish in either variation, the rest of my family certainly does. As for me, my sweet tooth is sated, with a spoonful or two less of… guilt!

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Recipe: Strawberries, Cream & Cake – Simple Victoria Sponge Cake

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There are elaborate ways of making a Victoria sponge cake, but after various experiments, I came to realise that an easier method makes for a very satisfying dessert indeed. While it has a fancy name (it is called this because it was the favourite dessert of the British Queen Victoria), in truth the Victoria sponge cake is itself actually one of the simpler variations of the sponge cake. It consists of two layers, between which cream and berries are sandwiched. It’s a lighter cake, ideal for the summer, and I’m delighted to share the recipe with you.

It certainly wasn’t only Queen Victoria’s favourite. I think my mother enjoyed baking it too, as much as I enjoyed eating it, and it was often the special treat when we came home on some days, like birthdays. I can’t help but repeat myself, as I have so many times over the years, but my mom was my first teacher in the realm of the kitchen and my inspiration in all my culinary adventures – whether that’s cooking, exploring cuisines, food studies, eating mindfully or crafting this blog. She has been gone for a few years now, and nowadays I think often about how we as children both little and grown-up take our moms for granted. All those times when they call and we say, “Sorry, I don’t have time” – and all the regrets, later on… If your mother is still in your life, do try and spend more time with her. Take it from me, as someone who misses hers a lot.

Missing my mom also means reminiscing about all the food she made for us over the years, and returning to those experiences in my own kitchen. This Victoria sponge cake is obviously one such experience for me, for the scent in particular brings her to mind vividly. My mother’s handwritten cookbook contained a recipe for Victoria sponge cake. To me, the cookbook even smelled of this cake, so I have a strong association between it and my memories both of my childhood and of my mother herself.

Perhaps my kids will also associate certain dishes and their aromas with me. On Sundays, when they’re visiting, they invariably ask me what I plan to bake for them that day. During the week, they will claim to be on diets and refuse the many goodies that pop into my oven on a daily basis, especially as I’m always baking for customers. But come Sunday, come the demands for baked deliciousness. This Sunday, I’ve already anticipated this request. Guess what I’ll be preparing for them?

I said earlier that one of the key components of a Victoria sponge cake is the use of berries. Seasonal ones are ideal. For mine, I have used a strawberry jam that a dear friend makes at home every year from fruit grown in her backyard. It’s the only strawberry jam we consume. It really is the best there is, and we are lucky to have it.

Simple Victoria Sponge Cake

(Serves: 6-8)

150 grams self-raising flour

150 grams unsalted butter

150 grams powdered sugar

3 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons strawberry jam

½ cup butter cream

 

Preheat the oven to 170°. Prepare two 8-inch tins by greasing the edges and dusting with flour. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well each time. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.

Sieve the flour and add it to the mixture. Fold the mixture and divide the batter into the two tins equally. Each of these will be one layer of the Victoria sponge cake.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake layers turns golden. Then, remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

To assemble the Victoria sponge cake, apply strawberry jam generously on top of one layer. Over this, apply butter cream generously as well. Now, gently place the other layer on top of the first. Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top.

Your Victoria sponge cake is now ready to be eaten. Slice and enjoy the delicious flavours of berries, cream and cake coming together. The cake can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed over a few days – or shared immediately with the whole family, the way I love to do.

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Recipe: Ordinary Yet Special – Kesari

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Kesari is a very common Indian sweet, one that can be prepared in a jiffy. Thus, it is perfect for when unannounced guests show up. Rava or semolina is the core ingredient, and most Indian kitchens will have some, alongside the other required basics. I find that it’s very useful to know a few simple desserts – whether to serve to guests or to satisfy one’s own cravings – and this kesari perfectly matches both requirements.

Kesari is named because of the traditional use of saffron or “kesar”. It is known in Gujarati as “sheero” and is also called “sooji halwa”. Saffron imparts a light yellowish tinge to the sweet, which is usually heightened by colouring. That is, if the spice is used at all, since it is an optional flavour and can be quite expensive. I have chosen to stick to the natural appearance of this sweet, and to avoid artificial ingredients. I have also used saffron – authentic Kashmiri saffron from my trip there this year. I have been fortunate to receive as gifts several boxes of saffron from other parts of the world, but I remain partial to what is grown in this region. However, you can prepare this recipe with colouring and without saffron, based on your preference or convenience.

And convenience really is the basis of the popularity of kesari. It can be made so quickly, and as I said earlier, its main ingredients are usually on hand. The reason why rava is almost always in an Indian kitchen is because it is so versatile. You can make upma, dhokla, porridge and so much more with it – which means it is ideal for savoury food as well as sweets like this one. It can be the base for either dessert, or for dinner – or both. There are numerous variants: refined wheat rava, wheat rava, rice rava and so on. I have used sooji, which is refined wheat rava.

Our mom seemed to make kesari very often in our childhood. It was what she whipped up as a treat whenever we came home from school with good grades or an achievement. While this demonstrates how kesari is ideal for celebrating unexpected joys, I also recall how it was made lovingly and with anticipation for certain special occasions too. For instance, it was usually kesari that was served to us as a greeting when we arrived at our dear grandparents’ home in Vijayawada. It was that “something sweet” that they had ready to welcome their daughter and her family – all of us – after our long journey to meet them. In these ways, it is a part of many memories of mine. If you make it frequently, it will become a part of many cherished moments of yours too.

Kesari

(Serves 4)

1 cup rava

¾ cup sugar

3¼ cups milk + water

8-10 split cashew nuts

8-10 raisins

75 grams ghee or clarified butter

A pinch of cardamom powder

A few strands of saffron in 1 tablespoon of milk

 

Add the ghee to a kadai. Once it has heated, add the split cashews and stir until golden. They darken quickly, so keep the flame low. Remove the cashews and set them aside. Repeat this process with the raisins.

Add the rava to the remaining ghee in the kadai. Roast on a low flame. Simultaneously, in a separate pot, add the sugar and water and stir until the mixture starts bubbling. The sugar water will be boiling while the rava turns golden. This will take about 15 minutes. Keep stirring the rava, ensuring the flame remains low.

The sugar quotient I have used is minimal. Add more if you prefer. I have not added colouring, but you may if you prefer to.

Then, gently add the boiling sugar water to the rava. Maintain a little distance between yourself and the pot as the contents may splutter. Stir. Add the saffron. Cover with a lid for five minutes.

Next, add the cardamom powder, along with the toasted cashews and raisins. Mix gently.

Your kesari is now ready to be enjoyed. You may wish to spread and slice it and then use cookie cutters to make shapes, or simply scoop it out and serve it. I suppose it depends on if you’re making it with or without advance notice. I hope you find this process simple and quick, and will now be able to add this easy dessert to your repertoire!

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