Kitchen Corner-Try It

   Coconut Pumpkin Halwa/ Pumpkin Dessert- Mathanga Varattiyathu Fall is the perfect time to enjoy your favorite pumpkin recipes. We have been enjoying it this season in several ways, making pumpkin bread , muffins ,pies , and pancakes. Are you looking for dessert ideas with pumpkin? Then why not try a delicious halwa. The recipe I am sharing today is a sweet delicacy, a rustic confectionery from Kerala. It is one of the many traditional forgotten sweets of Kerala made with simple, locally available ingredients.  Rice and coconut are a staple in all traditional Kerala snacks and sweets. The sweetener can be regular sugar or jaggery. It is gently laced with the flavor of cardamom and ghee/clarified butter. Pumpkins are in season, and there is no better time to try this recipe. Making chakka vilayichathu/ Jack fruit preserve was a yearly tradition back home in Kerala. Vilayichathu/ Varattiyathu is a term used for something that is cooked and reduced like halwa. But a halwa...

Mango Kalakand-Mango Milk Sweet-Indian Mithai Kalakand is a soft, creamy, milk fudge, served during festive occasions like Holi and Diwali. It is a luxurious sweet with a unique texture and taste. The key ingredients of this sweet/mithai are milk and sugar. I have shared several Indian sweets made with milk like Sandesh, Milk Peda , Cham Cham, etc. Each of these is unique in their way. Kalakand sweet belongs to the category of traditional old-fashioned milk fudge.  It became popular in the early 1900s with a uniquely moist, grainy texture due to the addition of chenna/ fresh paneer or coagulated milk solids. It is popular in North India but, I find that it has a similar texture and taste to South Indian sweet Thirattupal.   It is gently laced with the flavor of cardamom powder and rose water.   Now coming to today's recipe, there is a delicious twist to this classic sweet. It has the added sweetness and taste of mangoes. If you are a mango lover, here is a decade...

Pandan Crepe with Sweet Coconut Filling Do you like crepes for breakfast or as a dessert? Crepes have always been a fun breakfast option at home and mom makes ones with jaggery, sweet coconut or caramelized banana. It was also my choice when I want a quick dessert, not overly sweet, but the right amount of sweetness to satisfy sweet cravings. Today's recipe is just your basic crepe recipe with an Asian twist. It looks and tastes exotic with the beautiful aroma of coconut milk and Pandan extract. The coconut filling is also flavored with the beautiful aroma of Pandan leaves. Pandan Crepes is a rolled-up dessert with beautiful vibrant color. The filling is sweetened coconut with palm sugar and the color is all natural from pandan extract. It is delicate and thin. Biting into the soft buttery crepe with sweet coconut filling is a gratifying experience, especially if you have a sweet tooth. Pandan Crepes is called  Kuih Dada/ Dadar gulung  and is popular in  Ind...

Easy Coconut Pudding Coconut pudding is magical with a refreshing taste and lusciously light texture. Coconut lovers will surely love this creamy, rich, and delicious pudding. Each scoop of this delightfully tender coconut pudding will transport you back to a tropical paradise. Coconut pudding is simple but tastes exotic. Take a look at the list of ingredients, it will make you wonder- tender coconut, tender coconut water, fresh coconut milk, coconut cream, crispy toasted sweet coconut-all in one bowl. You can't get more coconut crazy than this!    Coconut pudding is delicious and perfect for any occasion. It is perfect for summertime potluck parties. If you want to make a special dinner try this comforting after-dinner treat, your guest will surely love it. In addition to coconut milk, this recipe also calls for tender coconut meat. Tender coconut has a sweet and refreshing taste. It also adds to the texture of the pudding. This pudding is an egg-less version but uses ...

Chocolate Mousse Chocolate mousse is a rich and classic dessert. It is a favorite among many chocolate dessert lovers. It is rich, airy and light dessert with chocolate goodness. This recipe is my absolute favorite,it is an easy no fuss recipe from Nigella Lawson . I have tried this many times and it is a no fail recipe. This is also perfect for those who do not want raw eggs in their dessert. It sets faster  than the regular mousse. Try this, you will surely love it. Ingredients Mini Marshmallows- 2 1/2 cups Semi sweet chocolate- 6 oz. ( preferably dark chocolate ) Butter- 3 tbs Heavy cream- 1 1/2 cup Sugar- 3 tbs Hot water- 1/4 cup Vanilla essence- 1 tsp Rum extract- a few drops Into a sauce pan add marshmallows, butter, chopped chocolate and hot water. Cook in low flame and stir. The chocolate will melt faster. The marshmallows will take about 5 minutes to melt completely. Stir till the mixture is smooth and velvety with no white streaks. Allow this to...

Croissant Bread Pudding Classic old fashioned bread pudding served warm with caramel sauce is one of my top favorite desserts. Left over bread can be converted into a baked classy and yummy dessert in no time. Instead of the traditional bread this recipe uses the rich buttery croissant bread. Flaky buttery bread with rich custard takes this dessert to the next level. Add chocolate chips, nuts or raisins and serve warm or chilled. This recipe is inspired from Nigella Lawson show.Try this,you will surely love it. Ingredients Croissant bread- 8 (mini or 4 regular) Eggs large- 5 Milk- 1 1/2 cup Heavy cream- 1 1/4 cup Sugar- 3/4 cup Semi sweet chocolate chips-1/2 cup Butter- 1 tsp Salt- a pinch Rum extract- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract- 1 tsp Pre heat oven to 350 degree. Melt butter and grease baking dish with it and spread the left over butter in the pan. Slice croissants lengthwise but not all the way through. Place this in a single layer in the baking dish. In a bow...

Double Chocolate Brownies Brownies are addictive with rich chocolate flavor.  These brownies are rich,moist and melt in mouth. If you are a chocolate lover what richer and more delicious taste can you think of than a rich and gooey decadent brownie. This is the first desert I tasted when I first came to the US several years ago. Ever since I have been hooked to this dessert. I have many failed attempts trying to recreate the same taste and texture.  I found this recipe from the book Hershey's Fabulous Desserts and followed the exact recipe. This is my go to brownie recipe and it comes out perfect.Try this,you will surely love it. Ingredients All purpose flour- 1 1/2 cup Cocoa powder- 1/2 cup Sugar- 1  cup Baking soda- 1/2 tsp Salt- 1/4 tsp Boiling water- 1/2 cup Butter- 1/4 cup melted Oil- 2 tbs Egg- 2 Vanilla extract- 1 tsp Chocolate chips semi- sweet- 3/4 cup Pre heat over to 350 degree.Grease 9 inch square baking pan and set aside. ...

Bread Mango Layer Pudding One of my fruit of the moment is mango. I am enjoying the fruit before the season ends. Today I am sharing mango pudding that is refreshingly light and sinfully delicious. If you are a mango lover, here is a decadent treat for you!  Luscious mango pudding has layers of white bread and mango custard. It is topped with fresh whipped cream and studded with mango pieces. Does that not sound like a delectable dessert? It is the quickest dessert you can ever imagine and is a perfect summer treat. Mango bread layer pudding is no-bake pudding, a last-minute dessert idea for entertaining. It can be effortlessly made well ahead of time and ideal dessert for an informal family gathering. The basic custard recipe is simple, and it is versatile- you can use it in a million ways. But the simplest way to serve the luscious creamy custard is chilled with chopped fruits or jelly. Mangoes are naturally sweet, and it enriches the luscious custard with so much flavor....

Lychee Pudding Lychee pudding is a delicious after dinner treat. It is easy to make yet exotic with flavor,taste and texture. Lychee is a summer fruit and is now in season. I picked a bag of lychee from the Asian market. I love to snack on this fruit. I tried this pudding recipe from the book Everyday Chinese Cooking by Leeann Chin. Try this, you will surely love it. Ingredients Lychees- 1 1/2 cup White Grape juice or coconut water- 1/2 cup Lemon juice- 1 tbs Sugar-1/2 cup Unflavored gelatin- 1 tbs (or you can use agar agar powder) Sour cream- 1/2 cup Whole milk- 1/3 cup Few drops of rum essence or rum- 1 tbs Take half of grape juice or coconut water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin and mix well. Let it stand for one minute. Meanwhile heat the rest of the grape juice. Add the gelatin and stir till it is dissolved and well combined. Make a fine puree of lychee, lemon juice and sugar. Transfer into a bowl and mix in sour cream, milk, gelatin mixture and rum. ...

Cherry Sorbet Sorbet is a delicious frozen dessert perfect for summer parties. It is very simple and yet refreshing.The chilled  fresh fruit juice with a melt in mouth texture makes it really unique. In this recipe I have used pitted fresh cherries, strawberries and fresh ginger. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Cherries- 2 1/2 cup Strawberry- 1 cup Sugar- 1 cup Water- 1 1/2 cup Ginger - 2 thin slice Mint- 5-6 leaves Juice of one lemon Rum extract- a few drops (optional) Remove the seeds from the cherries and the top stem of the strawberry. In a medium sauce pan add half of the pitted cherries, one cup strawberry, sugar, sliced ginger, mint leaves and water. Bring this to a boil. Simmer in low flames for 6-8 minutes till the fruit is soft and the syrup thickens. Switch off the flame and strain and allow the syrup to cool down. Add the rest of the cherries, rum extract, lemon juice and the syrup into a mixer and blend into a smooth puree. Po...

Pandan Mango Cake I always love making cakes with fresh fruits. Today's recipe is a mango cake with fresh cream. This is a cake to celebrate the mango season. This summer we got ripe, juicy mangoes that are perfectly sweet. Is it not a perfect reason to celebrates? Especially if you love and adore mangoes. This cake is a die for! Each slice of fruity goodness, creamy luxurious and rich will surely satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. Now coming to the other star ingredient- Pandan extract. Now you may ask what is pandan? Pandan or Pandanus amaryllifolius is screw pine leaves. If you are from Asia you might already be familiar with it.Pandan is a familiar ingredient in southeast Asian cuisine. It has a sweet aromatic leafy flavor and is extensively used in Asian cuisine. So this cake is a blend of western and Asian cuisine. There are many many recipes out there that combine pandan flavor and mangoes. I have been eying on a few pudding recipes, but finally decided to make a ...

Karikku Payasam/Tender Coconut Payasam Tender Coconut/karikku is a favorite among Malayalees. The water of tender coconut  is refreshing and is a thirst quencher on hot summer days. It is available year around and is used to make several tasty desserts and puddings. Karikku payasam is a simple and quick dessert made with the fleshy meat of the tender coconut along with coconut milk and jaggery. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Karikku/Tender coconut meat- 1 cup Tender coconut water- 1 cup Thick coconut milk- 1 cup Powdered jaggery- 3/4 cup (Adjust according to sweetness you prefer) Water- 3/4 cup Cardamom crushed- 5-6 Raisins and cashew nuts- a few Ghee- 2 tsp In a heavy bottom pan bring 3/4 cup of water and jaggery to a boil. Simmer till it is completely dissolved.Strain the impurities and return to the stove and allow to thicken. Cook tender coconut meat in coconut water till it becomes soft (note if it is too tender you can skip this...