Double ka meetha

2013 is here. Everybody has hopes and aspirations for the future. I pray all your dreams come true! Personally I feel,this is the year of being content. Being happy with what God has given and  being satisfied with our achievements. It may not be great in the eyes of others but we all have our own battles to win..our own little mountains to climb.

A lot of exciting things are coming my way this year. A new store in india, new projects around the city to name a few. Most importantly, Aaira turns one in May. Seems unbelievable! She completes us as a family. This reminds me-though I barely ever mention Mr Z in my blog, he’s my biggest critique! He’s the best thing thats happened in my life. And to think that we being together at one point wouldve been one the strangest things that could ever be!

Which brings me today’s recipe. I’m typing this post using my samsung note and have taken pics using the phone camera. Do let me know what you think. The phone is a gift from the mister, and as always I forced him to buy one himself! He’s settled in for the S3.

We dine out once or twice a week, and try to uncover a few hidden gems.predominantly flavours from asia. In one such adventure, we ventured into golconda paradise-a hyderabadi restaurant. The menu there had the usual suspects – biriyani, haleem, kebabs etc. But what caught Mr Z’s eye was the dessert Double ka meetha. I must admit I have not heard of this delicacy ever. He explained and it seemed like a indianised bread pudding or umm ali. When the dish arrived, it looked mediocre but strangely had the taste of gulab jamun.

This is when he promised me that he would make amma’s version. This is one of the easiest desserts to cook. So here goes.

Recipe

Unsalted rusk 10 pieces
Oil to deep fry

For the sugar syrup
Water 1 1/2 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Cardamom 3-4 pods

For the garnish
Milkmaid -small tin 90gms
Pistachios, raisins, pinenuts for garnish

Method
In a thick bottom pan dissolve water, sugar with cardamom and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and wait till mixture thickens to form syrup. Let it cool.
In a separate  pan fry the rusks in oil.
Place the fried rusks into the sugar syrup. Please note that the syrup must not be too hot.
Pour milkmaid in strings when cooled to room temperature
Garnish this with pistachios, raisins and pinenuts.
serve warm or cold.

Here’s wishing you a fun filled Christmas with some Gingerbread men and women!

Christmas in Dubai is simply beautiful! I must say its even fancier than Eid! All the malls are decorated,every balcony has an odd star,  there are so many wonderful events going around in the malls, parks,communities! I love this festive spirit! It’s in my bucket list to once be somewhere it snows, just to enjoy a White Christmas! Since the time Zaara was born, we have gone back to India during this time, not that we celebrate, but just that we had some event in the family around this time, It was a wedding the first time, then a delivery, then 2 weddings!!

Hence for Zaara, this is the first Christmas of sorts.. She enjoyed meeting quite a few Santa’s, but still doesn’t know the story  behind the Legend of Santa Claus.

Christmas is incomplete without cake, and friends to share them(read neighbours). My lovely friends and families who stay in our building have gone home for the do.Hence Zaara and I are missing them much! Me more than her, I must admit! As a result,we made Gingerbread men and women to feel festive. I just thought making a large cake with icing will all be a waste, with just the three of us to finish! So, Gingerbread it is!And all credit goes to Sally for the fabulous recipe and to Sarah who is in my words, the cookie Queen! She gave us some tips for decorating cookies with royal icing.Very fascinated by this! I would love to learn more, it’s so beautiful and creative!

Have fun baking this with your kids, The Gingerbread recipe is fool-proof and yummy, ice them with your kids, simple and sweet!

The royal icing recipe is here

I wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas with my Gingerbread couples! May all your dreams come true and stay Safe!

Healthy Orange cake

This is one of the feel good, any-time cake!I have been craving to bake! Since the birth of Aaira, I have had a sweet tooth.I cannot resist sweets and It has left grave effects on my waist line. I am worse than Zaara and cannot stop at one chocolate! This was not helping me get back to my pre pregnancy weight, and half heartedly I decided that I must get rid of all the junk at home and stop baking cakes and anything sweet!!

As you may have guessed, these weeks were  pure, pure torture!! I cannot resist baking!! That too cakes!!!the mixing of dry and  wet ingredients, the smells that surround me and my home, I was missing it all.. I do bake chicken and other dishes at home, but the smell of sweet, soft, warm cake from within my oven is to die for! Hence inspired by fellow foodies in Dubai, I decided that I will bake the healthy way.

Ahem..mind you,baking a healthy cake is good and sounds perfect, I will not touch it if it’s not tasty.. a cake has to be a cake, fluffy,soft, melt-in-your-mouth kinds.. Cakes are little bites of heaven, every bite gives you a taste of how heaven would be

On a positive note,I have been eating a lot of fruits and vegetables recently(trying to be good) and found some fabulous oranges while grocery shopping, I must say that My eyes are almost always hungrier than my stomach and I ended up buying a hell lot of Lovely, luscious sweet Oranges!!

Too many oranges finally gave birth to Lemon cake! Ahem, not really, I discovered it from this website while searching for a healthy orange cake . You can find the recipe here.

Though originally a loaf cake, I made it in my cake pan.And I’m glad I made this, as I was taken by surprise- Its tasty and fluffy and yummy..I did have it with tea and even sent it in Zaara’s lunch box.This  recipe is for keeps .Give it a go and let me know what you think!