Passion Fruit Sorbet

Summer is at its peak here in this otherwise 'mild weather' city. This year the temperature has crossed 40C which was something unheard of till a few years ago.So naturally everyone is looking for ways to keep cool, literally and otherwise!!

The most refreshing desserts to beat the heat are Sorbets and granitas .These simple and easy desserts are made with fruit and sugar.

Passion fruit sorbet has a very pronounced flavor and taste because of the fruit. A perfect dessert to be enjoyed on a summer evening !!

 Passion Fruit Sorbet

Ingredients

2 cups  sugar
4 cups  water
2 cups passion fruit puree



Method


In a pan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let it cool, and stir in passion fruit puree. Transfer to an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. 

Sol Kadhi

The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside- Mark Twain

This time it has been a long break from blogging .With so much happening at one time my favourite activity had to take a back seat. Anyway life is back on track . Its summer break and one is at its creative best, coming up with activities to keep the kids busy and occupied or else they do so!!

Sol kadhi is an appetizer drink from the Konkan region. It is made with kokum and coconut milk. Kokum is a dried spice and has a deep blackish purple colour. It is used to give a sour taste to the dishes and  is said to have digestive properties .
The first time I had Sol Kadhi was way back in 1990s in Mumbai. It was served with Manglorean/Malwani sea food which is hot and spicy and Sol kadhi cools down the palate.

I was quite fascinated with the color of the drink which comes from dark kokum. It also has a mild garlic flavor and green chillies give a slight kick.

Ingredients

12             Kokum pods( dried or moist)
1 Cup        Coconut cream
2T             Coriander leaves
4-5            garlic flakes grated
3-4            green chillies
                 Salt


Method

Pour 2 cups of boiling water on kokum and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes or till it becomes soft .Mash and strain ,keep it aside.

Crush garlic,green chillies with salt .Pour strained kokum extract in a chilled bowl and add coconut cream.Add crushed garlic and green chilie. Serve it cold.

Hidden Veggies- Daring Bakers

Rhubarb and Almond Cake

Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results!!

Now this is an interesting challenge, to use veggies in baking,these not only add nutritional value but also add moisture and texture to your bakes.I wanted to try a new veggie bake since it is a good opportunity to get experimental.Thank you Ruth for this fantastic challenge!!

 I have been quite intrigued by rhubarb which is what I used in my almond cake.

Rhubarb is quite versatile and can be used in innumerable culinary uses. Though its not readily available here, I was fortunate enough to get it from a local farm.Rhubarb stalks are used which are tangy in taste and moistens the cake well.

Rhubarb and Almond Cake

The recipe has been taken from here

For the stewed Rhubarb

4-5         rhubarb chopped in 2cm pieces
70g         sugar
20 g        butter
50ml       water

Place the rhubarb sugar butter and water in a saucepan.Cook on medium heat stirring frequently,until the rhubarb softens.Remove it from heat and set aside to cool completely.

For the Sponge

190g       butter
140g       plain flour
190g       sugar
3             eggs
1tsp        baking powder
50g        ground almonds
1/2 tsp   ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp   ground ginger
25 ml     milk
100 g     stewed rhubarb
15g       flaked almonds

31/2 x 7 in loaf tin

Preheat oven to 170 C. Grease the loaf tin with butter and dust with flour.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time,mixing well after each addition and scarping down the sides to ensure everything has been mixed well.

Sift together the flour,baking powder,ground almonds,cinnamon and ginger and add half the mixture to creamed butter and eggs followed by half the milk.Mix well and add remaining dry ingredients and the milk.
Stir in the stewed rhubarb and mix.Put the mixed batter in the loaf tin and sprinkle almonds on the top.
Bake it for 50-60 minutes till its firm to the touch.Allow the loaf to cool for a while in the tin before turning it out on a wire rack to cool completely.