fascinatingfoodworld

This drink Rose masala spritzer is inspired from my childhood memories. But first things first, how cute are these jars? I am obsessed with serving drinks in empty glass jars. FYI- Even the most happening restaurants are serving beverages in glass jars these days. As soon as mom would go in her room for afternoon nap, me and my brother would silently take out ice from freezer and crush it with a rolling pin between kitchen towl. Only thing left to do after that was to fill our bowls with  beaten ice and slather it with our choice of syrup which was always Roohafza (rose syrup) for me and Rasna (orange) for my brother. Remember Roohafza? Every kid in India knows what Roofaza is!After a long day at school, nothing seemed more refreshing than a glass of chilled Roohaafza. Made with just rose syrup and cold water, this famous Indian drink is served as a welcome drink in most of the houses. Another drink which is very popular in India during summer is Masala soda. Numerou...

Growing up I was always fond of Mangoes. I mean look at them, how on earth can anyone not love them! Back in Bhilwara, Alphnonso didn't make appearance often. Even then father always made sure that I got to relish them during season. Not only are they juicy and delicious, they are ideal for people who are anaemic. Apart from being a yum tropical fruit, mango is high in Vit C and Vit A. Mumbai is over flowing with Alphonso variety of mangoes. I wait for summers to start and get that first batch of mangoes in house. You really have to see my eyes glowing at the sight of mangoes. That being said, I am here to talk about this Tropical Mango-spinach smoothie I made other day and not about my craze for mangoes. I love smoothies. There is just so many variations which can be tried. Strawberry season has just ended in India and I am already missing this Strawberry smoothie which I have been having for the past 4 months. This layered tropical mango-spinach smoothie is hydratin...

My first time in Bangkok and I loaded up on Thai food. From stir-fry to Tom Kha Ghai soup, simple, clean and bold flavours of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime with minimal oil made me fall in love with it. Just when you wonder what could be a better than Thai food galore, you come across this cold Thai iced tea. That gorgeous flavour of tea steeped with condensed milk, it is a perfect accompaniment with Thai food and mellows down the heat. Thai tea or 'cha-yen' is a cold tea popular in Thailand. It is poured over chilled ice across street markets and stalls in Thailand. Every second person seems to be gulping it down in tall glasses. As soon as summer starts, ice-trays are stacked up in freezer. Refrigerator door is lined with bottles of water to quench thirst. Husband can't get enough of   Aam Panna and Mint chaas (buttermilk). I personally enjoy Watermelon-jalapeno lemonade more which I tried last summer. Heat and humidity in Mumbai is often talked about. To ta...

Dried-fruits are highly nutritious and excellent for snacking. Contrary to popular belief, dried-fruits don't make you fat. Snacking on dried-fruits doesn't mean having a big bowl of it. Excess of anything is bad for health. This navratri don't forget to include them in your "fasting food" list to keep yourself energized all day. There are lot of ways to include dried-fruits in your everyday diet:- Add to your bowl of cornflakes, muesli and even oatmeal in the morning. Add in baked goodies like cakes, muffins, breads. Nuts and dried-fruits are great in salads. My personal favorite are walnuts and sticky raisins. Lightly roasting and salting nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts makes a great snack and enhances the flavour too. I like to add tiny bit of red chili powder to make them spicy. Add in traditional Indian sweets, kulfis and ice-creams. Use in making chocolates. Though figs(anjeer) are seasonal, they are available throu...

MANGO SMOOTHIE If you are like me, you'll always find reason to eat mango. Surprisingly I had my first smoothie at a Juice bar only few days back, it was really yum. I decided to make the same smoothie at home using mango! This was my first attempt at it, it's not rocket science anyway. You just put all ingredients in a blender and press start button. That's it! Your smoothie will be ready. But first thing's first, let's talk about what "Smoothie" is exactly! Smoothie as the name suggests is a smooth emulsion of fruits, ice, museli, oats, yoghurt, honey, juice, milk, ice-cream etc. There's no rule of-course, you can add more ingredients or remove some ingredients. Smoothies can be even made with vegetables. Just remember that consistency of a smoothie is thicker than that of a milkshake. Often referred to as a Health Shake, it's super filling and really very good for health if made the right way. Also, it's ideal for workin...

WATERMELON JALAPEÑO LEMONADE It's unfair that we talk about summers and not about watermelon. Most people believe that because watermelon is 92% water, it has very little nutritional value but that's wrong. Eating watermelon means packing up your body with multi-vitamins. Watermelon fights stress and makes you sleep better. To be honest with you, it is quite recent that I have started consuming watermelon. I am getting the hang of this fruit because of this watermelon juice I have been blending up!!! It's really very simple and adding jalapeños gives a spicy and tangy kick to it. You can even add green chilli if you like your juice spicier. Have you ever sprinkled salt and red chilli powder over watermelon, it really brings out the flavour. I like making this drink even spicier so that's the reason behind this salty and chilly rim on this drink!!! INGREDIENTS  (Serves 2) 1/2  small watermelon  Jalapeño  5...

Summer is here and I keep craving for thirst quenching drinks to keep my body hydrated and cool. I am someone who adds mint to almost every dish. I even add it to my tea everyday, the flavour of tea becomes fantastic. Minty and earthy aroma of mint makes almost anything and everything delicious. Mint is known to calm stomach and copes with stomach pain and indigestion. It also helps to cure nausea and headaches. It is a natural stimulant, smell alone can help reduce fatigue and depression. Buttermilk is India's favourite summer drink . It's usually made by adding spices like cumin (jeera), ginger, salt, green chillies, coriander, pepper, curry leaves etc. It's pro-biotic nature is good for your stomach and improves immunity if taken regularly. High in calcium, buttermilk is excellent for people who don't like to drink milk everyday. It helps in weight loss and beneficial if you have acidity problem. PUDINA CHAAS (Serve...