Yipeeeee we are one year old today. It's indeed been a year of celebrating my culinary sensibilities, meeting a whole bunch of food passionistas, learning numerous gastronomic nuances, food styling, food photography, experiencing gourmet delights , gasp!!! , I can go on and on.........
I was always passionate about two things writing and eating. When a dear friend Imane Guennioui, Marketing And Communications Manager, The Address Hotel, Dubai Marina invited me to do a review of their gorgeous restaurant Mazina and then insisted that I pen down my experience in a Blog, the nemesis of my Blog was laid. Mr.S suggested the name My Tryst With Food And Travel as my Blog was to be the stories of my romantic rendezvous with food and culinary travel compiled together.
Later on my Mum-in-law wanted me to open my kitchen up to my readers who were already showering a lot of love on me. I too wanted to recreate the amazing dishes I would get to sample on my culinary adventures or simply on a day to day encounter. Once I would perfect them as per my satisfaction and get approval from friends, family, colleagues, neighbours etc. I would put it up in my Blog not only to record these recipes but also to enable anyone desirous of recreating them in their kitchen a detailed pictorial guide to help them cook these wonderful dishes with ease.
The most wonderful aspect of Food Blogging has been the interactions with Super talented fellow Food Bloggers. Learning different facets of cooking from them has been like gathering jewels in a treasure hunt. Food Blogging has also brought me back to my Bengali roots. Dishes which I grew up eating, again started getting cooked in my kitchen, as I wanted to introduce my multicultural family to the nicety of Bengali Cuisine. I have been fortunate enough to sample various other INDIAN and Global cuisines and they have finally been saved for eternity in my Blog. My Blog has also been a quest to discover the wonderful stories which resulted in a dish being cooked for the first time. Oh I am truly enjoying myself on this enthralling journey which has given wings to my passion for everything related to gastronomy.
What inspired me to blog about food:
I have been an avid traveller and whenever I had the opportunity of visiting a new country, I could see that the closest you could get to knowing the local culture, traditions, their way of life was through their food. Every dish had evolved through a deep rooted history or traditions or was invented out of necessity. No matter what the story was behind the nemesis of a dish one thing was constant, it gave you an insight, like none other into the lives of the native. It was this beautiful connection between the kitchen and people which was almost like unraveling a pathway which led straight into the hearts and homes of people inhabiting different geographical dimensions of the globe, that made me want to document food.
The seed was sown through these travels which later on manifested in a desire to open up my Indian kitchen to the World. A wish to take the nuances of Indian food to kitchens across the globe with a story which would get people interested not only in the dish but also intrigue them about the enigmatic diversity and euphoric celebrations that encompass the essence of India. Would get people inquisitive about our gorgeous spices and cooking techniques and would propel them to not only cook Indian food but also explore our stunning country.
Another huge impetus was provided by the new wave of dressing up Indian food with international flavours. I too was hooked onto this concept and started to explore on this new found marriage of flavours, textures and cooking styles.
Thus was born my Food Blog, MY TRYST WITH FOOD AND TRAVEL, a place where I would document and share, heirloom recipes, recipes which were a reflection of a country and its people, recipes which marked festivities and celebrations and simultaneously experiment and exchange, about food which had evolved as a result of two delectable cuisines coming together in a delicious amalgamation and producing a platter fused with the best each had to offer. Not only this, my Blog was the platform to express my creative acumen and open up an influx of knowledge resulting in a continual learning process.
I am a foodie :
Luckily I am a foodie, got to attribute it to my Bengali genes and to the fact that I grew up in a family full of proficient cooks, who had mastered the art of cooking, had impeccable knowledge of each and every ingredient used, were pros in different techniques of cooking and had a treasure trove of recipes mentally, born out of years of cooking non - stop for family and friends.
My love for cooking was instilled in those formative years, unconsciously, watching my mother, grandmother and all the grand old ladies of the house proficiently putting up one delectable platter after another. The joy that they infused into the whole experience of creating a dish is palpable in my cooking even to this day. Another thing which was prevalent in my home even then was the keenness to experiment with other regional fares and dishes which were a legacy to us from the British. Thus this overall environment surrounding food, stoked my love for food and left an indelible mark on the way I look at food.
Honestly I feel you have to either be a foodie or be passionate about cooking for others, to successfully author a food Blog.
As a foodie who not only loves to indulge in the multitude of dishes available but also wishes the dish reaches to maximum number of people, I wanted to share the recipe of KULFI to celebrate my Blogiversary. KULFI is an Indian ice-cream but you can make it in part of the globe as the ingredients used are available easily throughout the world. The making process is very simple, with neither any complicated cooking nor any big gadgets used. Also these colourful KULFIS embody the true essence of INDIA, vibrant and colorful.
I am a huge huge fan of Ishita Saha who Blogs at ISHITA UNBLOGGED . Some pictures in this post has been inspired by her post COLOURFUL KULFIS/CELEBRATING THE COLOURS OF HOLI.
As a foodie who not only loves to indulge in the multitude of dishes available but also wishes the dish reaches to maximum number of people, I wanted to share the recipe of KULFI to celebrate my Blogiversary. KULFI is an Indian ice-cream but you can make it in part of the globe as the ingredients used are available easily throughout the world. The making process is very simple, with neither any complicated cooking nor any big gadgets used. Also these colourful KULFIS embody the true essence of INDIA, vibrant and colorful.
I am a huge huge fan of Ishita Saha who Blogs at ISHITA UNBLOGGED . Some pictures in this post has been inspired by her post COLOURFUL KULFIS/CELEBRATING THE COLOURS OF HOLI.
PISTA KULFI RECIPE:
AUTHOR: PIYALI
YIELDS: 4
CUISINE : INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT
TYPE : DESSERT/SWEETS
TIME : 10 MINUTES PREPARATION+30 MINUTES COOKING+OVERNIGHT FREEZING
INGREDIENTS:
1) 500 ML full cream milk
2) 100 GM of Condensed milk
3) 50 Gms of Pistachios
4) 25 Gms of raw almonds
5) 2 Green Cardamom pods
THIS IS WHAT YOU DO:
1) Boil the milk in a thick bottom pan till it becomes 1/2 (from 500 ml to 250 ml) its original quantity.
2) Grind the almonds coarsely. You need not remove the skin. Add the almonds while the milk is boiling and stir.
TIP: Keep a good control of the heat and continuously keep stirring as you don't want your milk to stick to the bottom and burn.
3) Chop the pistachios and add them while the milk is boiling. Stir and mix well.
4) Grind the cardamon pods and add to the boiling milk. Stir.
5) When the milk is almost reduced to its desired quantity add the condensed milk. Keep stirring and mixing the condensed nicely into the milk. Leave it boiling till you get the desired consistency.
TIP: Keep scraping the sides of your pan with a spoon/spatula, while the milk is boiling as that will make the milk more thick and creamy.
6) Remove from flame, bring to room temperature and pour into KULFI moulds.
TIP: Before removing from the flame check for sweetness and add more condensed milk according to your taste.
7) Put it in the freezer overnight.
TIP: If you do not KULFI moulds , use your ice cream moulds.
8) Remove from the moulds, transfer to a plate and serve just like that or by sprinkling some chopped pistachios. You can even pour some flavoured condensed milk over the top before serving.
MANGO KULFI RECIPE :
AUTHOR: PIYALI
YIELDS: 4
CUISINE : INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT
TYPE : DESSERT/SWEETS
TIME : 10 MINUTES PREPARATION+30 MINUTES COOKING+OVERNIGHT FREEZING
INGREDIENTS:
1) 500 ML full cream milk
2) 100 GM of Condensed milk
3) 50 Gms of Mango Pulp
4) 25 Gms of raw almonds
5) 2 Green Cardamom pods
THIS IS WHAT YOU DO:
1) Boil the milk in a thick bottom pan till it becomes 1/2 (from 500 ml to 250 ml) its original quantity.
2) Grind the almonds coarsely. You need not remove the skin. Add the almonds while the milk is boiling and stir.
TIP: Keep a good control of the heat and continuously keep stirring as you don't want your milk to stick to the bottom and burn.
3) Grind the cardamon pods and add to the boiling milk. Stir.
4) When the milk is almost reduced to its desired quantity add the condensed milk. Keep stirring and mixing the condensed nicely into the milk. Leave it boiling till you get the desired consistency.
TIP: Keep scraping the sides of your pan with a spoon/spatula, while the milk is boiling as that will make the milk more thick and creamy.
5) Remove from flame, add Mango pulp, mix well, bring to room temperature and pour into KULFI moulds.
TIP: Before removing from the flame check for sweetness and add more condensed milk according to your taste.
TIP : You can put a spoon of thick mango pulp in the mould, followed by the kulfi mixture from the pan. This gives two textures and two layers of flavour to your kulfi.
6) Put it in the freezer overnight.
TIP: If you do not KULFI moulds , use your ice cream moulds.
7) Remove from the moulds, transfer to a plate and serve just like that or by adding some chopped mangoes. You can even pour some flavoured condensed milk over the top before serving.
ROSE KULFI :
AUTHOR: PIYALI
YIELDS: 4
CUISINE : INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT
TYPE : DESSERT/SWEETS
TIME : 10 MINUTES PREPARATION+30 MINUTES COOKING+OVERNIGHT FREEZING
INGREDIENTS:
1) 500 ML full cream milk
2) 100 GM of Condensed milk
3) 2 TBSP of Rose water
4) 25 Gms of raw almonds
5) 2 Green Cardamom pods
THIS IS WHAT YOU DO:
1) Boil the milk in a thick bottom pan till it becomes 1/2 (from 500 ml to 250 ml) its original quantity.
2) Grind the almonds coarsely. You need not remove the skin. Add the almonds while the milk is boiling and stir.
TIP: Keep a good control of the heat and continuously keep stirring as you don't want your milk to stick to the bottom and burn.
3) Grind the cardamon pods and add to the boiling milk. Stir.
4) When the milk is almost reduced to its desired quantity add the condensed milk, followed by the rose water. Keep stirring and mixing the condensed milk nicely into the milk. Leave it boiling till you get the desired consistency.
TIP: Keep scraping the sides of your pan with a spoon/spatula, while the milk is boiling as that will make the milk more thick and creamy.
6) Remove from flame, bring to room temperature and pour into KULFI moulds.
TIP: Before removing from the flame check for sweetness and add more condensed milk according to your taste.
7) Put it in the freezer overnight.
TIP: If you do not KULFI moulds , use your ice cream moulds.
8) Remove from the moulds, transfer to a plate and serve just like that or by sprinkling some crushed dried rose petals. You can even pour some flavoured condensed milk over the top before serving.
NOTE :
- Dear friends there are other ways to make KULFI too. But trust me this is the simplest way to make it and the result is the creamiest KULFI ever. I have come to this conclusion after trying other methods. The verdict from friends, family has been a thumbs up in unison for this KULFI. Try it out and let me know what you think by leaving your valuable comments below the post.
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