29 March

Pune is already sweltering at 40 degrees outside. And it is like 37 degrees in shade today and uncomfortably humid by Pune standards. But I am still thankful it is not as bad as Mumbai or Kolkata at this time of the year. I can still brave the whole summer season without an AC or a cooler. But still the fact remains that every year the summer is a little more harsh than the year before and the impact of rapid urbanization is very much visible on our fragile environment. 

For the uninitiated, Solkadi or Solkadhi or Kokum Curry is a refreshing summer drink from Maharashtra's Konkan region. It cools down your body and helps in digestion in addition to working as an appetizer. Though I am in Maharashtra for more than a decade, I had the first taste of this amazing drink after coming to Pune. The first thing that catches your fancy is the light pink color of the drink which makes it look like a strawberry milkshake and you might be deceived in believing that you are about to taste something sweet. But then the aroma of coconut and tempered spices make you curious about what this drink is all about. Eventually when you taste it you find a very interesting savory concoction of the tangy Kokum, sweet coconut milk and a hint of spiciness from chilly and ginger. Solkadi is almost a mandatory part of any fish thali you have at typical thali restaurants here in the city. And it acts as an excellent palate cleanser before you indulge yourself in the spicy fish curry rice. I think the first ever solkadi I had in Pune was at this famous restaurant called Masemari and absolutely loved it at the first sip. I think even more than the seafood I loved the drink.

There is also a  funny incident that happened once related to Solkadi. This was like 5-6 years ago. We used to frequently go out on team lunches from office and explore new eating joints. So one of our Marathi colleagues had suggested this small thali restaurant which served lovely seafood near the Peth area of Pune. Once we placed our orders the first thing we were served was this pink solkadi in small steel glasses. One of our colleagues was a south Indian guy who was a junior and didn't have much experience in Maharashtrian food. So when he was about to take a sip of this drink, the guy beside him tells, "don't drink that" and he obviously asks why so. The guy tells him, "it is a pink drink and it is only meant for ladies, guys cant drink it". He said it with such a serious face that this south Indian colleague believed him without a question and he didn't drink it! We all laughed at this but he didn't budge from his decision and actually we could not make him even taste the drink no matter how much we convinced! I think till date he believes that solkadi is only meant for ladies :D.

But my love for this drink continues and grows stronger. I actually like my solkadi a little sweet which most of the time comes form the natural sweetness of coconut milk itself. But if not, I like to add a little sweetener to balance the overall savory taste. So this time I tried converting them into these delicious popsicles which I could have instead of the store bought ice cream. You can also convert your leftover solkadis into popsicles and enjoy.

Please note that there are many ways to enhance the flavour of this coastal drink, sometimes people temper it with curry leaves or spices as well. But here I have used the very basic recipe of Solkadi for the popsicles.

Checkout other Summer Coolers from my blog:

• Mojito Popsicle
• Beetroot Rose Sorbet
• Persian Saffron Rose Milkshake
• Kokum Juice
• Beetroot Rose Granita
• Spicy Strawberry Ghol

Ingredients for garnish:

• Roasted cumin Powder

Equipment:

• Popsicle Mold
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixer
• Strainer 

Procedure: 

1.  Start by rinsing the dried kokum pods. Then soak them in a cup of hot warm water for about 30 to 45 minutes. 

2. Using your fingers mash the kokum pods in the water to extract the pulp from them. Now pass this mixture through a strainer and preserve the extracted water. Discard the remaining solids in the strainer.

Note: Color will depend on the quality of the Kokum used. It may vary from brownish to pink.

3. Take a blender jar and add chopped ginger, grated fresh coconut, chopped green chili and 1 cup of water. Blitz it to a smooth paste. 

4. Strain this mixture using a fine mesh strainer to get a thick liquid. 

5. Return the leftover pulp in the strainer back to the blender and add another cup of water. Blitz it again to get a smooth paste. Now strain this in the same bowl to get a thinner liquid this time. 

6. Add the kokum water into the bowl and mix everything well

7. Add salt and sugar as per taste.

Note: Coconut milk is already a little sweet, so if you don't want to add more sweetener you can skip the sugar. I like mine a little sweet.

8. Add water if you want a thinner consistency. Your solkadi is ready.

9. Now take the popsicle molds and pour the solkadi. Freeze it for at least 10-12 hours or overnight.

Serve the popsicles with a sprinkle of roasted cumin powder or have it as is.

16 March

Its almost Holi. This year probably we can expect the Holi scene to be very similar to pre pandemic days. When we speak of Holi can we not talk about some refreshing drinks to cool us off after all that playing in the sun? The usual Holi recipes would call out for Thandai, Kanji, Mojitos and all the known suspects. But why not try a different cooler this time? Something very creamy, delicious and refreshing? Something which doesn't involve nuts, especially with people like me who doesn't really have a liking towards nuts, will absolutely enjoy this drink. 

Till now the only Mexican thing most of our subcontinent is aware is nachos or burritos. But Mexican cuisine has a lot of different things to offer. They are so similar like the Indian cuisine and yet very different. In fact when I was living in States, whenever I missed a good rice meal, I would head over to Chipotle ( a famous Mexican fast food chain) instead of any Indian restaurant (because the kind of Indian dishes served over there is not exactly what appeals to my palate) and gorge on the scrumptious burrito bowl. It is my most favorite meal till date! Also you might not be aware but some Mexican drinks are really amazing. 

When I was staying in San Diego, we visited the border town of Tijuana, Mexico. It was such a thrill that we were crossing borders to reach a different country. We had taken a city tour ticket and the conductor dropped us at a designated spot, dishing out many statutory warnings like 'don't buy silver, people will swindle you here', 'be cautious when you are crossing roads' etc. etc. To the point that it almost sounded scary. Me and my roommate skeptically set out to explore the area while all the warnings still ringing in our ears loud and clear. Maybe we looked like a couple of teenagers (we always got that wherever we went!) so no one thought we would be having enough money to buy silver! Thus we weren't approached by any so called swindlers. Tijuana appeared a very lively place. Whenever we were walking past the restaurants we smelled some heavenly aroma coming from inside. There was lots of music playing everywhere. It was in one such restaurant we got to taste Horchata for the first time. Back then I wasn't such a food connoisseur. So I didn't make out much form the drink apart form the fact that it tasted awesome and had a beautiful rich cinnamony aroma which lingered on the tongue. We left Tijuana that day but the taste of Horchata remained with us for quite long. 

Fast forward many years after that, I had completely forgotten about that experience. A few weeks ago  Facebook threw me a notification of photos from the Mexican trip and that's when I remembered about this unique drink from Mexico. I just had to revive that memory so I got down to work of gathering all the essentials. The key to this recipe is soaking the rice and cinnamon for almost 5-8 hours or better overnight. It helps develop the flavors nicely. So you need to be a little patient to enjoy this drink. There can be a good number of variation with the base recipe and I think I will be trying them out this summer and posting on my blog. So stay tuned on that.

Horchata (pronounced or-chah-tah) is a popular Mexican drink that is often described as a sweet rice milk beverage. One would find this drink at most Mexican restaurants in the United States and abroad. Mexican food is usually spicy and this refreshing drink helps to balance out the heat from those dishes. This recipe has several different adaptations depending on where you are drinking it. Mexican versions are usually made from rice, while the Spanish kind uses tiger nuts. 

Some additional trivia : The Mexican horchata dates back to the 16th century, but there are even older versions. In fact, the term "horchata" describes a group of related drinks with roots in ancient Rome and North Africa. The Romans' version was not based on rice or nuts, but on barley, which for a time was believed to possess curative properties. The Romans "milked" dried barley in water to form the basis for the drink they called "hordeata," which literally means "drink made from barley". As both the Roman and North African versions of horchata de chufa made their way around Europe, different cultures adapted the horchata using different grains, nuts, and seeds. 

Horchata is a simple yet satisfying drink on a hot summer day. So lets get to the recipe now.

• Can you add nuts?
• Yes you can. Almond compliments the best. For this recipe you can add 1/4th cup of almonds.
• Can it be made dairy free?
• Yes you can. Replace whole milk with canned coconut milk or non-dairy milk such as almond milk.
• Which Rice can I use?
• Avoid glutenous rice in this recipe (e.g Indrayani). Use long grain rice like Basmati or some fragrant rice like Ambemohar, Gobindobhog etc. They impart a nice floral smell.
• How long can you keep Horchata?
• The horchata base will stay nice in the fridge for up to 3 days. Don't leave it at room temperature. Always refrigerate.
• What are the different sweeteners you can use?
• You can use sugar, condensed milk, honey, maple syrup etc. can be used. Stevia can be used for a sugar free option. Adjust the sweetness level as per your liking. 
• Any Serving suggestions?
• This drink tastes divine when served on the rocks. Chill the Horchata in the refrigerator for an hour and then fill up a glass with ice cubes. Pour the horchata over ice and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder or cinnamon sticks. 

Ingredients for serving:

• Ice Cubes 
• Ground Cinnamon Powder

Equipment:

• Blender
• Mixing Bowl
• Spoon
• Strainer & Cheesecloth

Procedure: 

1.  Add rice, cinnamon sticks and water to a mixing bowl. Let soak at room temperature for about 2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator overnight until the rice softens and the cinnamon stick is soft enough to break into smaller pieces.

Note: Some people recommend slightly blitzing the mixture in a blender just enough to break up the rice and then soak it overnight. I did not do this.

2. After 8 hours or the next day, transfer the cold rice mixture to a high-powered blender and blend to combine. Blend about 30 - 60 seconds on high speed or until finely pulverized, stopping occasionally and shaking blender if mixture sticks to the bottom. I blended it for about a minute in total. 

3. Now strain this mixture with a cheesecloth lined fine-weave mesh strainer. When finished, discard the remaining solids in the strainer and transfer the strained liquid to a pitcher or big container. This is the Horchata Base.

Horchata Base after straining

4. Now add the vanilla essence, milk and condensed milk. The condensed milk will give it sweetness as well as a thick consistency. Add the condensed milk as per your taste. For me I added 200 ml of condensed milk for this recipe for optimum sweetness.

Tip: You can also make this without condensed milk. Just add full cream milk to the consistency you want and add sugar or any preferred sweetener along with it.

5. Mix all the things together nicely, making sure the condensed milk is well incorporated.

Tip: You can also blitz this mixture for 20 seconds in a blender to achieve the final consistency quickly.

6. Now transfer this drink to the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving or until it is chilled.

Serve it in a glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder. Enjoy!

11 March

Been a long since I wrote a blog post. I think with the onset of summer I feel super lazy now a days over weekends. Usually all my creative energies would be at peak during the weekends earlier when I would shoot, edit, write, plan for what to post. But now after a crazy hectic week of work, at weekends I feel like just loafing around, reading good books, making some very easy recipes and watch a lot of K-Dramas or anything new on Netflix. Somehow I am not able to convince myself to make all those elaborate dishes now a days. And on top of this, I have started eating very healthy and protein rich stuffs for breakfast and lunch to compensate for the workouts. These dishes are very simple like a glass of smoothie or boiled chicken and veggies and stuff like that. So basically the point is, I am not making any unique dishes throughout the week which I can post about. Maybe that is also adding to the draught you see in my blog. But I am thinking that maybe I should start writing about some of the healthy recipes I am trying out now which might help some folks in their weight loss or becoming healthy journey. I am still playing with that idea but you will see if soon on my page if I decide to go that way.

One more thing which is digressing me from food thoughts is thoughts of travel. With the Covid restrictions almost done and dusted with, everyday I am seeing new beautiful untouched locations coming up on my Facebook feed and makes my mind flutter with anticipation of visiting those places. I never realized I missed travelling so much in the last two years. So now in my free time pockets during the weekdays I keep browsing faraway places tucked away in the hills somewhere and just wish I can land up there someday. Being a Gemini, I am a compulsive day dreamer and with so many things to occupy my mind I barely feel bored, even if I am not engaging in Instagram these days or writing a blog post. In fact after a long time I again feel happy becoming free from the shackles of social media screen time. Now I spend my spare time just like the way I want it. I'm not chasing posting deadlines anymore on social media.  The downside is I have lost a few followers, but strangely it doesn't bother me much now. 

So after spending a lot of time doing things I felt good about I thought of again trying to write a post today. This is a special recipe post I will tell you why. This post is about Kolmi Shaak Bhaja - one of my absolute favorites after Kochur loti from childhood till day. Kolmi shaak is also known as water spinach, Chinese watercess, swamp cabbage, Kangkung or ong choy and is widely used in South Asian cuisines. These greens are so delicious that you do not need to add a bunch of spiced to make them taste good. Even a few basic things like red chilli and garlic tempering brings out the beautiful earthy flavors of this greens.

Whenever I go to Kolkata Kolmi Shaak Bhaja and Kochurloti are the two things I would ask Mom to make without fail. It is as if I cannot come back from Kolkata without having these two things. More so because in Pune its like one in a million chance to find Kolmi Shaak at a local produce market.  This particular green thrives in warm and moist tropical and subtropical climates. It also needs the right kind of soil like marshy land or swamp ponds to grow and hence in Bengal you find this in abundance but the soil in Maharashtra is different and not conducive for these greens.

Thus never have I ever thought that one day I would be making this in my Pune home. But it happened recently. I made one of my favorite stir fry here. All thanks to a wonderful vendor I had found in facebook. She sources all kinds of Bengal groceries and vegetables from Kolkata and stays very near to my home. That is what I call godsent! Previously I had vendors who would source grocery items but this is the first time someone sourced vegetables. I got both Kolmi Shaak and Kochur Loti form her in one go out of excitement, not calculating the amount of work it will take to make both of them together! But all that handwork cleaning and cutting them made sense when I had them with rice and daal. It was like a dream come true moment, even if it sounds a tad dramatic. So now lets' head over to the recipe without further ado. 

Checkout other recipes for Greens on my blog:

• Chola Shaker Ghonto - Green Pea greens medley
• Lau Palong er Ghonto - Bottle gourd spinach medley
• Kumro Shaker Chorchori - Pumpkin Leaves medley 

Equipment:

• Kadai / Wok

Procedure: 

1.  Clean the leaves first. Remove any wilted or rotten leaves. Wash the the rest of the Kolmi shaak under water a couple of times till all the dirt is removed. Drain all the water in a colander. 

Now chop off 1 inch from the stem base. Roughly chop the rest of the leaves 

2. Heat a frying pan or kadai and add vegetable oil. 

3. Once the oil is hot temper it with crushed garlic cloves ( about 10-15), broken dried red chilies and one green chili. Sauté it on medium flame till you get a nice aroma of garlic.

4. Now add the chopped Kolmi shak in batches. Let it reduce a little and add the next batch. 

5. Once you have added all the shaak, add turmeric and salt. Fold in to mix the spices. Now cook on medium flame and keep stirring in between. The shaak will release water and then the water will dry up. 

Tip 1: Cover the kadai for 30-40 seconds and then give it a stir. Repeat this throughout to get the shaak cook faster and maintain the green color. Note that prolonged covering of the shaak will lead to loosing its vibrant green color. 

Tip 2: You can add a few whole garlic pods at this point if you are a garlic lover like me. They will get nicely cooked along with the shaak.

Tip 3: Throw in a few green chilies if you want the stir fry to be more spicy.

6. The shaak will get cooked in about 8-10 minutes on medium flame. 

Serve it with piping hot rice and masoor daal tempered with radhuni or kalo jeere.