Ginger-garlic paste is an essential ingredient in indian cooking. It is probably one ingredient that can be found in every indian household as a part of their pantry. For a long time now, I have been making homemade ginger-garlic paste as I don't like the store bought paste because it is way too vinegary, has a whole bunch of preservatives and wasn't doing much for the dishes when using them. By preparing ginger-garlic paste at home and using them in recipes, it packs on flavors and makes the dishes aromatic and tasty.
Ginger is known for its medicinal value. It aids in digestion and is used to treat nausea, upset stomach and gas. Ginger has effective anti-inflammatory properties that provides relief from arthritis or any sort of muscle soreness. Ginger adds great flavor to food. My consumption of ginger starts with a hot cup of my favorite masala/ginger chai everyday and trust me, it is a nice and refreshing way to begin you day!! I like to use ginger when cooking asian food and always keep in hand fresh and frozen ginger (works great especially, if you need grated ginger).
Despite its reputation for a strong flavor, garlic is used as a seasoning worldwide. Garlic can be cooked in several different ways and used in variety of dishes ranging from breads, pasta, garlic-flavored oils, soups, curries and what nots...the list is endless. Did you know that garlic is also referred to as "the stinking rose" due to its health benefits. It can considerably reduce cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease and cancer. It is also known to improve our iron metabolism. To increase health benefits, you should let the crushed or chopped garlic sit for a while before using them.
With a gist of some of the health benefits from ginger and garlic, I suppose it's kinda double duty when you use them in the form of ginger-garlic paste and why wouldn't you when you can enjoy a healthy as well as a flavorful dish!! Typically, ginger-garlic paste is prepared with equal portions of ginger and garlic (1:1 ratio) but I add a little more garlic than ginger but you can adjust it to suit your taste.
Ingredients:
1 cup ginger, peeled and chopped
1 2/3 cup garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola (or any flavorless ) oil
Method:
In a blender or food processor, add the chopped ginger, garlic, salt and oil. Grind to a fine paste.
Store in an airtight glass container. If you don't use it that frequently, you can store it in an airtight container and freeze it. It stays good for months when frozen (normally, I keep mine frozen and use them till they last and they stay fresh and flavorful until the last bit).
Yields 1 1/2 cups.
How time flies!! It just felt like I delivered our bundle of joy not too long ago and she is already one!! This past year has been a memorable one filled with sweet memories and every single thing done by her will be treasured. Her first roll-over, first time she sat on her own, first tooth, first time she stood up, first time she walked with support, first walk on her own, her first words....the list doesn't end but looking forward for more such experience. Parenting is definitely not easy, every now and then, it has its challenges but then again, it wouldn't be interesting otherwise, would it? Officially, I have a toddler now and am getting my share of exercise by running behind her and watching her mischievous moves.
My 4-month long visit with parents, grandma and cousins was a memorable one because they had a chance to spend time with the little one and enjoy her every little action. After a long trip back home, the last thing I expected was to catch a bad cold. Just when I thought I was done, my little one caught it too and her's was much worse. So, between the jet lag, the cold and cough, it was quiet a while before we could settle down. Not too long after that, we had to plan for her 1st b'day celebration. Although, her actual b'day (June 11th) was a simple celebration with only our close friend's family and a simple vegan funfetti cake (recipe coming up soon) that my little one enjoyed, we had a much bigger party over the weekend. All the planning, prep work, and the celebration has my hubby and me tired out. Apparently, a hectic 2-week schedule after my return home, with not much of a chance to try out some recipes in my list!!
Hoping to make up for the time spent away from blogging. Oh how I missed it, can't wait to start blogging again without any more breaks!!
Phirni (known as rice pudding) is a popular north indian dessert that is made using milk and rice. It has a creamy texture and is typically flavored with cardamom and saffron but can be tweaked in several different flavors to suit your taste buds. It is traditionally served in matkas (small earthenware pots/bowls) to be consumed chilled.
As it is scorching hot summer in India, with mangoes in abundance everywhere, what better way to combine mangoes and creamy phirni??? Sweet heaven!! All of us thoroughly enjoyed the chilled mango phirni, not overly sweet but filled with the goodness of mangoes with the creaminess of the phirni, can't beat that!! Enjoy them while the season lasts :)
Ingredients:
5 tbsp basmati rice/long grain rice, powdered (similar to sooji/rava consistency)
3/4 cup almonds, soaked
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
4 1/2 cups filtered water
10-12 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
Few strands of saffron
1-2 tbsp sliced pistachios, for garnishing
Mango pulp from 2 large mangoes (any variety of choice)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cardamom powder (or kewra essence), optional
Method:
Soak the basmati/long grain rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the rice and place it on a kitchen towel for drying. Once the water has completely dried out from the rice, grind it to a medium coarse powder (similar to sooji consistency).
Prepare almond milk (3/4 cup almonds soaked overnight with 4 - 4 1/2 cups water) or use store-bought and bring it to a boil on medium flame.
Add powdered rice and saffron and boil until the almond milk starts to thicken.
Add sugar, cardamom powder and 2-3 tbsp slivered almonds (optional) and boil until rice gets cooked. The entire process takes about 25-30 mins on medium-high flame.
Cool the phirni.
Peel the skin of the mango and cut them into cubes. Grind the mangoes with little sugar to a fine mango pulp. If you plan to use the mango pulp for later, add 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice along with the sugar when preparing the pulp to prevent it from browning. Refrigerate and set aside.
After the phirni cools completely, just before serving, in a mixing bowl, add the phirni and mix the mango pulp (adjust to taste) as required. Garnish with nuts of choice and serve chilled.
For a variation, you can use carrots instead of mangoes. Pressure cook or boil the carrots until they are tender. Grind the boiled carrots to a fine purée. In a pan, heat the carrots and add sugar (to taste) and cook until the sugar melts and the raw smell is gone. Cool the carrot purée (can be refrigerated for later) and then mix with the prepared phirni and serve.
Makes 8-9 servings.
