Nightcap to aid digestion

There are those days when you know you have over indulged on rich and spicy food too close to bedtime. You know your stomach is not going to thank you for it the next day, but you really don't have much choice after the deed has been done. Or do you? This drink speeds up digestion, and makes you feel slightly better. Most effective after a meal, you can even have it first thing in the morning to start your da with a dose of healthy.

1/2 tsp ajwain seeds

1 tsp saunf seeds

1 1/2 cups water

Method:

Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the flame, add the ajwain and saunf seeds, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, till the water is reduced to 1 cup. 

Turn off the flame, and let it seep for an additional 10 minutes. Have warm. 

Ragi Milk

I know it is ridiculous, but ever since I bought ragi flour, ever meal seems to have become a ragi meal. This ragi milk is very popular in Karnataka, and though my mother has it often, I made it for the first time today. And we all loved it.

For 3 cups ragi milk:

1/4 cup ragi flour

1/2cup water

2 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar-cinnamon mix

Method:

Heat the water, add some water to the flour to make a paste. Add the paste to the water, and cook with constant stirring till the paste turns shiny. 

Blend milk, ragi paste and sugar in a mixer till smooth. Serve chilled. 

You can replace the cinnamon with cardamom powder. 

Mango milkshake

Summer time means mango time. More specifically, Alphanso time. And this year, we are lucky- for some reason, the EC has banned imports of mangoes, which means prices are lower than they have been for years. And therefore, time to indulge!
Presenting the most basic drink of all- the mango milkshake.

2 ripe mangoes
2 cups milk
Sugar to taste (optional- I prefer not to add)

Method:
Peel the mangoes, and slice all the pulp into a blender jar.
Add milk, and sugar (if required), and blend on the lowest speed setting for about 90 seconds.
Pour into glasses and enjoy.

Cashew milk

I saw this lovely recipe for an East Indian desert using cashewnuts and milk, which looked like marzipan, but was softer, and wanted to try it out. Nothing about it seemed difficult, and I jumped into it with my normal enthusiasm. Unfortunately, I didn't know what "softball stage" meant and never thought to ask (I now know that if you put a blob in water, it should solidify), so I ended up with something that tasted good, but just didn't hold any form.
I thought I would have to bribe the kids into eating it, but at the last moment, remembered the "badam milk" that my mother makes. So I added the cashew paste to milk, and whisked it in the blender. The result was amazing!

500 ml full fat milk
200 gms sugar
50 gms cashewnut powder (cashew whirled in the mixie to get a powder)
1 tsp butter
Few drops of vanilla essence
 

Method

Boil the milk until reduced to half
Add sugar and cook until the mix thickens
Add the cashewnut powder and mix well
Cook until softball stage, add the butter, essence and mix well and let it cool.

When ready to serve, put 2 tbsp of the paste in 1 glass milk and whisk well.

Serve chilled.

Aam panna

Decades later, I still remember those days. Those oppressively hot days in April, when old-timers would nod and predict that it would rain before the day was over. The sudden darkening of the sky, the howl of the Kalabaishaki winds, the electricity getting knocked out, the clatter of water hitting the rooftops, the smell of wet earth filling your nostrils. And the next day, hunting for the mangoes that were brought down by the gale, some alchemy in the kitchen, and cool glasses of aam panna being thrust into your hands.
Even today, when I have a tall glass of aam panna in my hand, I am transported back to that lovely bungalow in Jharkhand, and I am 8 once again.

Raw mango - 1 large size
Sugar - 3 tbsp or as required (depends on the sourness of the mangoes and how sweet you want it to be)
Roasted jeera powder - 1/2 tsp (dry roast the jeera, then roughly pound it)
Mint leaves - few
Rock Salt to taste

Cook the mango in the pressure cooker till soft (2 whistles should do it- I cooked it along with the dal), and let it cool
Gently peel off the skin, and remove the pulp
In a blender, blend the mango pulp, rock salt, powdered jeera and sugar till smooth.

This forms the stock of the aam panna, and can be stored in the fridge for upto a week. When you want to drink, you dilute it with 3 parts water, add a few torn mint leaves, top with crushed ice serve.

Spiced Chocolate

When I saw this recipe in the newspaper, I nearly gagged. Chocolate and chilli flakes- how could they. But when something sounds as counter intuitive as that combination does, it pays to check it out. Made it first on Monday, and have made it once a day, every day after that. I better start looking for a slightly lower calorie version- this cannot be good for me in this quantity!

Place 1 cinnamon stick and the leaves of one sprig mint in a mug of milk, and bring it to boil. Remove from heat, and let it stand for 5 to 10 mins. Strain out the cinnamon and mint, return to the fire, and add 50 gms of chocolate (I used CDM) broken into small pieces. Stir on a low flame till the chocolate melts completely (recipe called for making it really frothy, but it is better otherwise). Serve garnished with one tsp chilli flakes.