Jamuntini /Jamun With Gin -Cocktail#FoodieExtravaganza

Jamuntini is Jamun with Gin which is a cocktail with a desi twist.  Jamun or Java Plum /Black Plum is an Indian fruit that is purple in color and has a sweet and sour taste. 

When this theme was given by our Host Caroline Williams, for this month's Foodie Extravaganza,  this martini drink immediately  came to my mind and decided to make it, since this fruit is available only during this month.  

A twist to the regular cocktails for all those gin drinking ladies and gentlemen, here is a martini with a sweet and sour taste. This does not require any aerated drink. This is a delicious summer drink and it has a awesome color. Serve this Jamuntini for your weekend party and watch your guest relish in the beauty of this rich purple pinkish color.

Ingredients

60 ML London Dry Gin
7 - 8 Jamuns - pitted
15 Ml Lime juice: 10 ml
20 Ml Simple syrup
Salt, Pepper and Chilly powder to rim
Ice to fill shaker

Method 

Muddle the jamuns in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, add the gin, lime juice and sugar syrup. Shake and double strain into a chilled salt rimmed cocktail glass. Serve immediately.
To Rim The Glass 

Run a slice of lemon over the rim of the glass.
Mix red chilly power to the salt as well and then rim the glass 
To make Simple syrup check here
Labels: Jamun, Gin, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Cocktail, Juices, Simple Syrup, Java Plum

See all the other gin-spiration for today's Foodie Extravaganza:
Bulago Gin Breeze from Food Lust People Love
Gin-Steamed Bratwurst with Kraut Slaw from Palatable Pastime
Grapefruit Salty Dog with Fizz from Hardly A Goddess
Jamuntini from Sneha's Recipes
Raspberry Collins Cocktail from Caroline's Cooking
Shrimp Martini from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

Crunchy Salad #FoodieExtravaganza

Prepare this simple, fresh and refreshing crunchy beetroot and radish salad today! It's quick and easy to prepare, filling too.

Since this is National Salad month our Host Camilla asked us to celebrate all things salad. Green salads, pasta salads, potato salads. This theme was absolutely right for this month.. since the heat in India is scorching, having salads more in meals is refreshing and light. Thanks Camilla for hosting this event and choosing this theme.

Ingredients
1 Boiled Beetroot - chopped
1 Radish - Grated

1 Small Tomato - chopped
A Juice of a Lemon
1 Tablespoon Grated Coconut
1 Tablespoon Coriander leaves - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Peanuts - roasted and coarsely ground
½ Teaspoon Pepper powder
½ Teaspoon Salt

For the tadka
1 Teaspoon Sesame oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
½ Teaspoon Urad dal
¼ Teaspoon Chana Dal
A sprig Curry leaves

Method

In a saucepan, heat the oil add the mustard seeds, when they crackle, add the urad and chana dal and brown it lightly , add curry leaves and sauté lightly. Cool it. Add the  beetroot and tomato. 

Mix in the juice of one lemon, the grated coconut, salt, pepper powder, and the peanuts. Nicely stir all the ingredients. In a  plate arrange the radish and then place the beetroot on top, sprinkle so more peanuts and cover this with a cling film and chill it in the refrigerator . Enjoy this  salad chilled.

Labels : Crunchy Salad, Salads, Beetroot, Radish, Tomato, Peanuts, Coconut, Healthy, Foodie Extravaganza Party

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month. This month Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting. She encouraged us: "Let's celebrate all things salad. Green salads, pasta salads, potato salads...whatever you want!"




Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

The Salad Smörgåsbord

Avocado Egg Salad by Making Miracles
Carrot Raisin Salad by Hardly A Goddess
Cilantro Lime Cucumber Salad by Cookaholic Wife
Crunchy Salad by Sneha's Recipe
Lahpet Thoke by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Mexican Street Corn Salad by Caroline's Cooking
Taco Salad Boats by Palatable Pastime
Tortellini Cesar Salad by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Tropical Fruit Salad A Day in the Life on the Farm
Warm Steak and Sweet Potato Salad by Our Good Life

Affogato - Vanilla Ice Cream With Espresso, Caramel Sauce And Salted Almonds

This classic Italian dessert is a coffee-based made with espresso and vanilla ice cream, gelato or sorbet. The word affogato means "drowned" in Italian.

This is an elegant, quick and easy, to make dessert. It taste divine and leaves a deliciously lingering taste of the salted caramel and almonds.
Ingredients
Eggless Vanilla Ice Cream - Homemade 
Espresso or strong coffee - chilled
Salted Caramel Sauce - Homemade Recipe below
Salted Almonds - sliced

Method

Scoop ice cream into dish
Pour espresso / strong coffee over ice cream
Drizzle caramel sauce over it and top with,  salted almonds and enjoy

Homemade Salted Caramel

Follow these easy steps to make  salted caramel sauce at home. Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, puddings, cookies, ice cream sundaes, cheesecake, glass desserts,  sweet breads ... endless... as you like it with !

This sauce should cool down completely before using it in any recipe. The caramel will thicken as it cools. Then you can heat it if required and use it.  This should be prepared a day before you want to use it.  This can be stored for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Ingredients
200 Grams Granulated Sugar
25 Grams Salted Butter
200 Ml Heavy cream
100 Ml Milk
3/4 Teaspoon Salt

Method

Mix the milk and cream together keep aside.

Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.

Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added. 
Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes. A whisk helps if you find the butter is separating from the sugar.

Very slowly, drizzle in heavy cream mixture while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble or splutter when added.

Allow the mixture to boil for a minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
Remove from heat and stir in the  salt. Allow to cool down before using. The salted caramel will thicken once it cools down.

My Notes

 Make this caramel in advance. Make sure it is covered tightly and store it for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds in the microwave before using in a recipe.

Labels : Affogato, Italy, Sweets & Desserts, Ice Cream, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Homemade, Salted Caramel, Jams & Sauces

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party where bloggers come together to create recipes using the same ingredient. The host, this month it's Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas, picks an ingredient from the website The Nibble. If you're a blogger and would like to join in the fun, you can request to join on this Facebook page. Posting day is alway the first Wednesday of the month. If you'd like to see past recipes, you can follow our Pinterest board too.

Gooey Caramel Cake – - Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Easter Coconut Bird’s Egg Nests - Palatable Pastimes
Ooey Gooey Salted Caramel Cake - A Day in the Life on the Farm
Caramel Apple Granola - Hardly a Goddess
Caramel Apple Dip - Sew You Think You Can Cook
Banana Chia Pudding with Date Caramel - Caroline's Cooking
Affogato – Vanilla Ice Cream With Espresso, Caramel Sauce And Salted Almonds - Sneha's Recipes
Fa’ausi (Samoan Coconut Caramel Bread) - Tara's Multicultural Table

Veg Paella # FoodieExtravaganza

In celebration of Spanish Paella day, our Host for this month Sue​ ​Lau, choose this theme for March - Paella- seafood, chicken or a vegetarian.

I was all in to prepare a Spanish seafood paella, but could not do so since my hubby a vegetarian had not tasted this dish on our visit to Spain. Hence,  decided make a Veg Paella, for lunch which he enjoyed and had the remaining for dinner too. Happy me.. to see him relish it.

By the way Paella (is pronounced as Pa e ya)  which is a traditional Spanish Rice dish, to which, assorted veggies with combo of seafood or meat is used. 

Though the recipe is very lengthy but its very easy to  make.  I, do not own a traditional Paella pan, had to  make do with a flat, broad pressure pan and it worked very well.

Ingredients

1.1/2 Cups  Rice
5 White Baby Onions -  sliced

5 White Baby Onions -  kept them whole
5  Big Cloves Garlic
50 Grams French beans - cut into two
4 Florets Broccoli
50 Grams Green Peas

2 Carrots - cut into thick sticks

1 Round Brinjal/ Eggplants- cut in thick half circles
1  Red Bell Pepper - cut into long strips

1  Yellow Bell Pepper - cut into long strips

1  Green Bell Pepper - cut into long strips
5 - 6 Button Mushrooms - cut into two pieces
2 Tomatoes - finely copped
10 - 12 Black or Green Olives
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

2 Veg Seasoning cubes
1/4 Teaspoon Saffron
1 Teaspoon Red chilly flakes

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
4 Cups Hot Water
1 Cup Tomato Juice * (see notes)
4 -5 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon juice 

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.  Just before use drain all the water. 

Boil 4  cups of water with the vegetable seasoning cube.  Keep it  aside.  

In  a broad pan, heat oil, add chopped garlic, sliced onions and saute  till onions are translucent and garlic releases an aroma.  Add  bell peppers and saute it again. Add turmeric, saffron, chilly flakes, pepper powder, mix well. Add rice and saute it well so that rice is completely covered with spices. Add the rest of vegetables, baby onions and chopped tomatoes, except olives and tomato juice. Saute again add salt, hot vegetable stock water and tomato juice.  Bring it to a boil and let it boil on high flame for 3 to 4 minutes.  Now reduce the flame to low and cover the pan.

 After  5 minutes open the lid and lightly give it a quick stir, if needed add water and again cover the pan,  let it cook for 12 to 15 minutes.  After  12 to 15 minutes check if the the the stock is completely absorbed and rice is done.  Then switch of the flame. Cover the pan again and let it rest for 10 minutes. 

Sprinkle a  tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and lightly mix the rice. Dish out the rice in a serving plate,  sprinkle lime juice, add olives and parsley or coriander leaves and enjoy this Paella.  This is a complete and filling meal.

My Notes

I blended 2 medium tomatoes strained it and added water enough to make 1 cup of tomato juice.

Can use any long or short grain rice to make this paella

Can use any onions if white is not available. Since I had baby onions used it.

Labels : Rice, Vegetarian, Spain, Vegetables, Healthy, Foodie Extravaganza Party

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out  HERE.

Arroz negro (Spanish black rice paella) from Caroline's Cooking
Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Paella from Cookaholic Wife
Easy Mixed Paella from Food Lust People Love
Paella Bogavante from Palatable Pastime
Veg Paella from Sneha's Recipe

Fruity Custard #FoodieExtravaganza

This Fruity Custard is pure vegetarian, healthy, filled with fiber. When this months event - Hosted by Wendy Klik , who choose the theme fiber filled, heart healthy recipes for Foodie Extravaganza {Party}, was very happy since I,  had just prepared this sweet dish for my hubby who very rarely eats a full fruit and refuses to eat a banana . He will eat a slice of any fruit .. that's it.  Give it to him in this form and he will eat a bowl full of fruits.  To make him eat fruits, have devise different ways.. since he has a sweet tooth, I try to make sweet dish with fruits and some time add  nuts too.

Most fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, so it's  good  to include them in your daily diet. Here for this recipe,  have not peeled the  apples, and pears since peeling can reduce the amount of fiber in fruits and vegetables, so one should eat the peel of such fruits . According to nutritionist fiber supplements won't provide the same vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients offered by fiber foods.  Thank you Wendy for choosing this theme. Let's go to the recipe...

Ingredients 

For custard
500 Ml Milk - I used full fat milk can use low fat too
4 Tablespoons Heaped Sugar
2 Tablespoons Heaped Vanilla Custard Powder
Chocolate Sauce as required  
1 Banana -   sliced 

1 Apple - cubed

2 Kiwis - cubed

1 Pear - cubed

1 Cup Cubed Musk Melon 

1 Cup Pomegranate seeds

1/2 Cup Tinned Cherries

1/2 Cup Cubed Papaya
100 Grams Sweet Biscuits  - broken into pieces

Method

Mix in  vanilla custard 2 tablespoons water or cold milk ( I used milk ) till it dissolves.

Heat milk, add sugar and bring it to a boil, keep stirring in between so that is does not burn at the bottom. When it comes to a boil,  add the custard powder mixed in cold milk, stirring continuously ,  cook till sightly thick and creamy (it should be ribbon consistency).  Take off flame and whisk it well to make smooth and silky. Keep aside to cool.

Arrange the biscuits in the base of a serving dish,( have used different sweet biscuits ) sprinkle 2 tablespoons of  tinned fruit syrup, on the biscuits.

Arrange the bananas slices and add the fruits.  

Drizzle  little chocolate sauce.

Pour the cold custard drizzle with chocolate sauce. Then take a fork or tooth pick and swirl it to give a marble look.  Serve chilled... enjoy this healthy and fiber filled dessert.

Labels : Fresh Fruits, Milk, Sweets & Desserts, Healthy, Foodie Extravaganza Party 

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month.




Wendy Klik is hosting this month's event, with the theme Heart Healthy Fiber Rich Foods. Here are some of the delicious, fiber filled, heart healthy recipes.
5-Way Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti Squash Boats from Palatable Pastime 
Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Bake from Cookaholic Wife
Baked Oatmeal from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Black-eyed Pea Salad - Saladu Ñebbe from Food Lust People Love |
Cranberry Nut Muffins from Hardly A Goddess
Easy Breakfast Oatmeal from Basic N Delicious
Farmer's Salad from Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Fruity chewy granola bars from Caroline's Cooking
Fruity Custard from Sneha's Recipe
Heart Beet Smoothie from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Moroccan Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Vegetarian Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps from cookinandcraftin

WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN #FOODIEEXTRAVAGANZA

White Chocolate  Popcorn is a decadent and fun snack. This is a perfect snack that you can make in large quantities,  for munching  while you watch your favorite movies or serials on TV. It’s also great for kid parties! 

Ingredients
150 Grams Popping Popcorn Kernel - popped
2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
1 Tablespoon Salted Butter

Method

Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat , when heated add a handful of popping corn kernels and cove with a lid, after about a minute or two the kernels will pop up. 

Like wise prepare all the popcorn's. Take the popcorn in a large plate and discard any un-popped kernels. Keep a side to cool for an hour or better still overnight.

Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave - 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until .. just melted.  Add the butter and give it quick stir.. again microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out and mix till smooth and grain free.

Pour the chocolate over the popcorn mixture and stir to coat everything.

Spread the mixture out in a single layer onto baking sheets and let set for 2  to 3 hours, it will be clumpy, but not to worry, after it hardens just separate them.  

Store in an airtight container and enjoy.

My friends and their kid's enjoyed these popcorn's... they did not know where exactly the sweetness came from.. till I could tell them... do try ...  enjoy...

Labels : Popcorn, White Chocolate, Snacks, Foodie Extravaganza Party

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month. This month we celebrate National Popcorn Day (which is January 19th) by serving up popcorn as creatively as we can.

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting and here's the challenge she shared with the crew...

"National Popcorn Day is celebrated annually January 19th. It can be sweet, savory, buttered, plain, and even shaped into balls. So, bring your most fun, creative – or just your favorite – twist to eating popcorn."

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

POP on Over to These Posts...

• Hubby's Vanilla Caramel Popcorn by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Kirsten's Popped Corn Crack by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Parmesan Popcorn with Lemon & Thyme by Caroline's Cooking
• Pepperoni Pizza Popcorn by Food Lust People Love
• Popcorn Cornbread by Palatable Pastime
• Popcorn Pairings (Yes, With Wine) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Spicy Za'atar Popcorn by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• White Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Popcorn by Hardly A Goddess
• White Chocolate Popcorn by Sneha's Recipe

BASBOUSA - EGYPTIAN SEMOLINA CAKE #FOODIEEXTRAVAGANZA

Basbousa - Semolina Cake is a famous Egyptian and traditional Middle Eastern syrup soaked sweet cake. The cake itself is not too sweet but it is soaked with a sugar syrup, here I have reduced the sugar quantity and used honey.  This is a superb tea cake and will make an excellent dessert dish too.

Very simple and quick to make, with ingredients that are always available in the pantry.

Ingredients

100 Grams Butter
150 Grams Icing Sugar
1 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence
2 Eggs
2 Cups Fine Semolina
1/2 Teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking soda
1 Cup Yogurt
Skinned Almonds as required

For the Sugar Syrup
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Method

Sieve the icing sugar. 

Sieve the semolina and baking powder and baking soda together.


Beat the butter and icing sugar till light and fluffy,  then add an egg at a time beating it well before incorporating the next one.  Add the vanilla essence , keep adding the sieve semolina little by little simultaneously adding little yogurt too and continue beating till all the semolina and yogurt is incorporated. 

Pour it into a greased and  lined baking tray top just draw line lightly into squares or diamonds and then place each slice with almonds and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes. 

 
As the cake is being baked make the sugar syrup and mixing it together and keeping it on low flame till the sugar melts only. Take off flame and cool the syrup.

When the cake is out of the oven slice the cake in the tray itself. Pour  the hot cake. Keep it  to rest at least  for an hour then only remove the pieces from the tray. 

Have this cake as a dessert or like we had it with a hot cup of tea or coffee.... Enjoy...

Labels : Cakes, Semolina, Yogurt, Eygpt, Foodie Extravaganza Party

 

The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share with you. We take turns hosting and this month it's Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE. December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day and Lauren challenged us to bake with, cook with, or make a beverage with maple syrup. (For some international bloggers who can't find maple syrup, they'll be joining the fun with honey as a substitute.) And don't forget to check out all these other maply recipes:

Basbousa - Egyptian Semolina Cake from Sneha of Sneha's Recipe
Bangin' Breakfast Potatoes from Rebekah of Making Miracles
Gluten-Free Maple Chestnut Cookies from Caroline of Caroline's Cooking
Maple Pecan Bars from Nichole of Cookaholic Wife
Maple Sugar Cookies from Sue of Palatable Pastime
Maple Walnut Vinaigrette from Tara of Tara's Multicultural Table
Momiji Tempura from Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Overnight French Toast Casserole from Elaine of Cookin and Craftin
Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots from Wendy of A Day in the Life of the Farm
Rosemary Maple Glazed Turkey Breast from Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook
The Back Forty Cocktail from Stacy of Food Lust People Love