Mango Lassi and Rose Lassi- to beat the heat!!!!

Lassi refers to any yogurt based drink. The traditional ones are the sweet lassi and the spicy lassi. Now a days people are getting creative and varieties of lassi are introduced using different fruits. Today I am here with two lassi ideas which I am sure you all will like and try.

We can see the mango lassi in almost all the Indian restaurants. Kids to elders, everyone likes this a lot. The perfect combination of mango slices along with curd and milk with required amount of honey is what it makes an amazing thirst quencher which gives a cooling effect.

To make mango lassi , we can either use canned mangoes or mango pulp or frozen mangoes. During the fasting time this used to be a filler. These days as it is very hot, this is an amazing drink to make. Adding a dash of cardamom powder will take this lassi to another level. With the mango season and the soaring heat, this is the perfect time to make mango lassi.
Here I have used my Moscow mule mugs, which I used previously for dry ginger coffee post. Doesn't it look beautiful???

Ingredients:
For Mango Lassi:

1. Mango Pieces- 1 Cup
2. Curd- 1 Cup
3. Milk- 1/4 Cup
4. Honey- 3 tbsp
5. Cardamom Powder- 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

• Blend all  the ingredients in a blender and serve in tall glasses, garnish with slivered nuts and enjoy.

Rose Lassi is a another variety, that is made using rose syrup, which is homemade or store bought. I made this using a homemade rose syrup which I made for falooda. We can make the rose syrup and can be stored in air tight jars in refrigerator. This can be used later for making rose milkshakes, lassi and many other drinks. We can also use roohafza, which is easily available, instead of rose syrup. The nice aroma of the rose will enhance the flavors and makes you feel refreshing. Garnish with some fresh or dried rose petals.

For Rose Lassi:

1. Homemade Rose Syrup- 3 tbsp
2. Curd- 1 Cup
3. Milk- 2 tbsp
4. Honey- 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy on a hot summer day.

These drinks will be enjoyed by the guests and will be a super hit if served in a party. Just sprinkle some almonds and pistachios on top for the crunchiness, which makes it simply irresistible. Hope you all enjoyed today's post and please try this and let me know.

Homemade Rasgullas- By my dear friend...

Rasgullas are one of the most popular Indian sweet, which we get in almost all the bakeries. My friend gave the rasgullas which she made from scratch. They were so soft, spongy and delicious which I wanted to share with all of you. I took the recipe from her and here it is today in my blog. She is an amazing cook and loves to try new dishes. These rasgullas were so heavenly that we finished off one after the other. But before finishing off, I managed to take pictures for my blog.

In this, the milk is curdled and then drained for some time. Knead the cheese well and drop into the sugar syrup and let it cook till done. Proper kneading is important, or else the rasgullas will break while cooking in the sugar syrup. The flavors are enhanced by the addition of rose essence.

As Holi festival is nearing, this is a perfect dessert to share with friends. With just minimal ingredients we can make an appetizing dessert. Try this a dessert and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Milk- 6 Cups
2. Lemon Juice- 2 tbsp
3. Sugar- 2 cups
4. Water- 4 cups
5. Rose Essence- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil the milk on a medium flame, stir the milk in intervals. Reduce the flame to low and add the lemon juice. Mix and the milk start curdling.
2. As soon as the milk curdles, switch off the flame.you will notice the whey and the curdled milk separated.
3. Pour this cheese in a cheese/ muslin cloth strainer. Wash this cheese under running water to remove the acidic flavor from the lemon.
4. Gather the muslin cloth from the sides and squeeze it using hands so that excess water is drained. Place a heavy weight on top of the muslin cloth for about 30- 40 minutes so that all the moisture will be drained off.

For sugar syrup:

1. Add sugar and water to a wide pot, bring it to a boil.
2. Knead the cheese well using hands till it forms a smooth dough. Take small portions of this and roll into tiny balls. Make sure that they are tiny, not big and also that there shouldn't be any cracks in the balls.
3. When the sugar dissolves, add the tiny cheese balls one after the other gently into the syrup.
4. Add the rose essence and close with a lid. Let the cheese balls boil in the sugar syrup for about 10 minutes on a low to medium flame. In between stir them to ensure that they are cooking evenly. By this time they will double in size and sink when done.
5. Allow the rasgullas to rest for some time. When they are cool serve them and enjoy.

Shahi Falooda using Homemade Rose Syrup

Falooda is a dessert beverage which we all like the most. In India, during summertime, we used to have falooda often. I never tried making this at home, as we will be getting falooda in India in almost all the restaurants.

Only after coming to the US, I realized that it is difficult to get falooda in restaurants and if we get also, it’s not the same as India. So I decided to make this at home. But to make this falooda, the main ingredient required is the rose syrup or rose milk. Many will use roohafza, but as we don’t like the taste of roohafza, I tried to make rose syrup, which we can use for other different beverages as well. I googled and got the recipe for rose syrup from Raks Kitchen. Which we can easily make and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Whenever required we can make it to our convenience.

Once when I made the rose syrup, the search for falooda sev/ corn sev started and I got it from the Indian store. The other main ingredient is the sabja seeds/ tukmaria which is soaked and added to juices. Which is also a perfect coolant.

Falooda is a combination of corn sev, soaked sabja seeds, chilled milk and rose syrup. No need of adding sugar as the rose syrup contains enough sugar for the falooda. All the other like the jelly, ice cream and nuts are optional.

This is a best-layered dessert in a tall glass which will be loved by all and enjoyed during a hot day. Just try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

For making Rose Syrup:

1. Sugar- 1 ½ Cups
2. Water- 1 ½ Cups
3. Rose Essence- 2 tsp
4. Red Food Colour- 2 tsp

Method:

1. Mix sugar in water and heat it up on a medium flame, till it boils.
2. When it starts boiling, check for a one string consistency. Slowly add the red food color. Stir.
3. Switch off the flame and add the rose essence. Mix and let this cool.
4. Once when it cools, store in a glass bottle in the refrigerator and use as required.

Ingredients for Falooda:

1. Corn Vermicelli/ Falooda Sev- 1 Packet
2. Sabja Seeds/ Basil Seeds/ Tukmaria- 2 tbsp
3. Milk- 3 Cups
4. Pistachios, Almonds, and Cashews- ½ Cup crushed
5. Rose Syrup- 3 tbsp
6. Jello/ Jelly- 1 packet (optional)
7. Ice Cream- 1 Cup (optional)

Method:

1. Prepare jelly according to packet instructions and cut into small pieces. Keep this aside.
2. Soak the sabja seeds in water till it blooms. Drain and reserve.
3. Boil the milk and keep this aside to cool. Add 4 tbsp rose syrup, mix well. When cooled, keep this in the refrigerator.
4. Crush the nuts and keep this aside.

Assembling:

• In a tall glass add 2 tsp soaked sabja seeds followed by jelly pieces, corn vermicelli, refrigerated rose syrup mixed milk and then again repeat the above process and at last add a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with nuts. Serve immediately.