Jil Jil Jigarthanda - Madurai Special

Jigarthanda:(Regional Delicacy)

Madurai Special Jigarthanda: Jigar - means Heart, Thanda - means cold. This regional special drink is considered soothing to heart. Many ingredients present in it are natural body coolants. In a tropical climate like India, it becomes as a perfect summer drink.

And coming to the recipe, no body knows completely till today...as it remains as a trade secret! One could see Jigarthanda being sold all round the city (at Madurai) during peak summer. Though it is very popular among the push-cart sellers, now a days even hotels and restaruants provide this kind of refreshments. I got introduced to this drink through several Tamil movies, where the story revolves around the city and the characters simply rave about this drink! Ever since, I wanted to fix this at home for myself. I had been to Madurai only twice, during my school days(education tour)!! All I thought is..its much like Falooda, with some variation.

However, when I said to my Dad that I wanted to recreate it at home...he generously offered me many tips and pointers. Since, he has been to Madurai several times and enjoyed this drink, he tweaked my recipe a lot. Well, edible Sea algae(China Grass), Indian Sarsaparilla Syrup and Takhmaria Seeds(resembles like basil seeds) happens to be main ingredients. Besides, they also use pretty much a wide range of secret syrups and concoctions, which makes it highly delightful. Anyhow...I had hard time finding those ingredients here. Somehow managed to bring a decent drink today. Here you go...

For more Delighful Beverages using more or less same ingredients, take a look here:

Falooda
Nannari Sorbeth
Rose Milk

Ingredients:

Edible sea algae/Agar Agar(china grass) 1 fistful
Rose syrup - 1 table spoon
Sarsaparilla syrup(Nannari syrup)) - 1 table spoon
Basil seeds (Takmaria/Sabja)
Sugar syrup(I didn't use any, as rose syrup had enough of sugar in it)
Milk 4 cups - reduced into half of its original content
Fresh cream 4-6 spoons
Vanilla ice cream 2 scoops.

Method:

Soak china grass, in warm sugar syrup. I used rose syrup to soak the algae, today. Once it consolidates into jelly, slice them down, set aside.

Soak the takhamaria seeds in water or milk. Once it bulges beautifully, set aside.

Now mix all the above mentioned ingredients together and leave this set-up in the refrigerator.

Chill and serve as a refreshment.

Kulfi - A Primitive Form of Icecream

Kulfi - Creamed Ice: (Reposting)

Indian Home-Made Icecream. Indian Heavy Cream Icecream. Douple Cream Icecream. Malai Icecream. Malai Kulfi. Kesar ka Kulfi. Malai ka Kulfi. Doupe ka Kulfi. Saffron Kulfi. Rich & Authentic Indian Icecream.

Chinese were enjoying the frozen drinks for several centuries(since time immemorial)! Marco Polo(13th Century) is credited with bringing the recipe from Oriental to Italy. Maybe it was Arab traders who learnt the recipe and customized it to their needs, which we call 'Sorbet' now. Arabs popularized the frozen sorbet' throughout the subcontinent!! So, Indians did enjoy frozen treats for a long time!

Like many other countries...people living upon highlands like Himalayas, would have accidentally tasted their frozen sweetened liquid dessert 'boom' iced dessert' was born! Cream ice will be more appropriate name though! It was said that King Akbar(The Great) introduced salt petre in India(15th Century). And kulfi was made ever since! Considering the fact of today's ice cream (cream being whipped), our (assuming most of my readers are Indians/India originated) kulfi is kind of 'Technically Primitive'. Probably the later traders passed the procedure of cream ice' to various countries like Rome and France! Where Romans enjoyed it big time, they improvised it with pureed fruits, enriched with honey and then mixed with snow! Emperor Nero (Who played violin, when Rome was burning down) had special chambers of cold rooms, beneath his Palace.

(I know my above paragraphs are kind of overdose...I am beating around the bush, let me come to the point)!!!

In France (17th Century), they really mastered it...repeated it number of times...churned the cream custard, thus whipped Ice cream was invented. Later, British and French enjoined in reflecting in their cookbooks...all about it!!! Who will globalize it? You know, a persevering American, Frederic Tudor(18th Century), after struggling for about quarter century...succeeded in shipping huge containers of frozen dessert to South America, Iran and India.

Ingredients:

Chilled Heavy cream 1 cup
Half and half 1/2 cup
Condensed milk - little
Saffron few strands
Sugar syrup
Cardamon seeds powder 1 spoon
Salt pinch
Skim milk/powder milk - 1/4 cup
Pistachios nuts (powder)1 spoon
Cashew nuts (powder)1 spoon
Almonds (powder)1 spoon
Sliced almonds
Cashew nuts sliced
Pistachios sliced
Kulfi molds - I used short glasses here:)
Saffron - few strands for garnishing

Method:

In a heavy-bottomed, non-stick, deep vessel. Heat milk, along with sugar syrup, saffron and cardamon seeds.

Let it come to boil. Then simmer it down. Allow it to consolidate. Reduce the milk over medium heat....by often stirring it. (Like if you heat 4 cups of milk...allow it to reduce to 1 cup) Do not burn the milk at the bottom. As you prepared enough 'heavy cream' . Carefully take the cream formed into another dish, set aside.

Now stir in powdered nuts to the remaining milk. Plus add skim milk, half and half and condensed milk. Allow this to incorporate well. Once again allow them to reduce.

Further add sliced(almonds, cashewnuts & pistachios)nuts and remove from heat.

Allow this milk mixture to cool down to room temperature. Then stir in...double cream to this. Mix them well.

Pour this mixture into 'Kulfi-molds'. Do not pack them with air bubbles or too tight at the same time. Cover them carefully. Now in a tray...gather some ice cubes, throw hand full of salt in it...place the kulfi monds on it. Leave this step up in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until it freezes.

Just before serving, take these molds. Hold them under running water for few minutes. Then remove the cover and scrape the edges of 'Kulfi' with fine knife. Now try removing & transferring into a serving plate.

Garnish with saffron strands and sliced pista nuts on the top. Now microwave it over high for 2 minutes, ha ha just kidding! Serve chilled as a dessert.

Qubani Ka Meeta - Happy Thanks Giving Y'all

Kubhani ka Meetha:(Hyderabadi Style)

Qubani Ka Meetha. Qubani Ka Meeta. Apricot Halwa. Hyderbad Apricot dessert. Peach Pazham Halwa.

Another exciting recipe from the city of Char Minar (Hyderabad). I am reposting one of my old recipe, here today to Wish Y'all Happy Thanks Giving.:) Enjoy your holidays and have fun shopping:)

Ingredients

Dry apricot 250 gms
Sugar 150 gms
Almonds 1/4 cup(Toasted and peeled)

To Garnish:

Ice cream - vanilla
Fresh cream/Condensed Milk
Mint leaves.

Method

Wash the apricots and soak them in water, overnight...preferably in the fridge.

The next day...once the water is all sucked up, blend and puree them. Set aside.

In a heavy vessel, melt sugar with 1/4 cup of water. Bring it to syrup like consistency.

Now to this sugar syrup, add the puree and continue cooking over low flame/heat.

Once halwa consistency is achieved, remove from heat.

Transfer the contents into a serving dish. Serve warm or chilled accompanied by ice-cream. A spoonful of fresh cream can be used to garnish the dessert.

Kulfi Ice Cream

Malai Kulfi:

Indian Home-Made Icecream. Indian Double Cream Icecream. Rich & Authentic Indian Icecream. Nuts Icecream. Almonds Icecream. Cashewnut Icecream. Pistachios Icecream.

Whatever you call this. I am crazy for this icecream. I love 'double cream' in any form......in my diet. This is the only fat food, I am addicted to.

Ingredients:

Chilled Double cream 1 cup
Milk 4 cups
Saffron few strands
Sugar 1-2 cups
Cardamon seeds powder 1-2 spoons
Skim milk/powder milk - 1/4 cup
Pista nuts powder 1 spoon
Cashew nuts powder 1 spoon
Almond's powder 1 spoon
Silvered and sliced almonds - 1/4 cup
Cashewnuts - thinly sliced 1/4 cup
Pistachios thinly sliced 1/4 cup
Kulfi molds - as much as required
Saffron - few strands for garnishing
Pista nuts - thinly sliced few for garnishing.

Method:

In a heavy-bottomed, non-stick, deep vessel. Heat milk, along with sugar, saffron and cardamon seeds.

Let it come to boil. Then simmer it down. Allow it to consolidate. Reduce the milk over medium heat....by often stirring it. (Like if you heat 4 cups of milk...allow it to reduce to 1 cup) Do not burn the milk at the bottom. So use only heavy bottomed-non-stick vessel for this.

After reducing this milk. Stir in powdered almonds, pista, cashewnuts & skim milk. Allow it to dissolve well.

Further add silvered and finely chopped nuts(almonds, cashewnuts & pistachios) Let them boil atleast 3-5 times.

Allow this milk mixture to cool down to room temperature. Then stir in...double cream to this. Mix them well.

Pour this mixture into 'Kulfi-molds'. Do not pack them with air bubbles or too tight at the same time. Cover them carefully. Leave them in your freezer for 2-4 hours or until it freezes.

Just before serving, remove the molds from the freezer. Hold the molds under running water for few minutes. Then remove the cover and scrape the edges of 'Kulfi' with fine knife. Now try removing & tranfering it...into serving plate.

Garnish with saffron strands and sliced pista nuts on the top. Serve chilled as a dessert.

Chai Ice Cream

Chai Icecream: (Indian Tea Ice cream)

Ingredients:

Vanilla ice cream 250 grams
Hard caramel candies 10
Ground black pepercorns 1-2 spoons
Ground ginger 1 spoon
Ground cloves less than a quarter spoon
Ground cinnamon less than a quarter spoon
Ground cardamon less than a quarter spoon
Granulated strong tea - 4-5 spoons
Hard caramel candies 2-4 for decoration.
Mint leaves for decoration.

Method:

Place the hard caramel candies(10) on a butter sheet......leaving enough room between each candy. Now cover them with an other butter sheet. Place then in an oven for few minutes or until.....the candies melt.

Melt these candies till they become to thin fritters like density. Remove them from sheets and place over a plate. Maybe one can refridgerate too.

Melt the other caramel candies(2-4) in a pan, over stove top. Reserve this for decoration.

Boil tea leaves, using very limited water. Maybe less than a cup water. Boil them completely over sim-medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until tea leaves gives away its all color and flavour to the water.

Filter this tea atleast 2-3 times.....to remove all the fine tea dust from the decotion.

Let this tea decotiuon to cool either in fridge or just at room temperate.

When the tea is cool enough.....Take your vanilla icecream out(from the freezer) and transfer it into a large bowl.

To this ice cream add all the ground ingredients mentioned above, further add tea decotion too. Mix them thorughy.....then refreeze them. Maybe transfer them to the vanilla box and refreeze it.

Once when it is done.....just before serving. Take your semi-melted candy fritters. Shape them into decorative cup. Probably using your creativity.....into flower shape or any. Then place a scoop of chai icecream on this cup. Then drizzle them on tp with yur extra melted candies. Decorate them with few mint leaves each time. Repeat this process for all the remaining icecream too.

Qubani Ka Meeta - Hyderabadi Dessert

Kubhani ka Meetha:(Hyderabadi Style)

Qubani Ka Meetha. Qubani Ka Meeta. Apricot Halwa. Hyderbad Apricot dessert. Peach Pazham Halwa.

Another exciting recipe from the city of Char Minar (Hyderabad).

Ingredients

Dry apricot 250 gms
Sugar 150 gms
Almonds 1/4 cup(Toasted and peeled)

To Garnish:

Ice cream - vanilla
Fresh cream/Condensed Milk
Mint leaves.

Method

Wash the apricots and soak them in water, overnight...preferably in the fridge.

The next day...once the water is all sucked up, blend and puree them. Set aside.

In a heavy vessel, melt sugar with 1/4 cup of water. Bring it to syrup like consistency.

Now to this sugar syrup, add the puree and continue cooking over low flame/heat.

Once halwa consistency is achieved, remove from heat.

Transfer the contents into a serving dish. Serve warm or chilled accompanied by ice-cream. A spoonful of fresh cream can be used to garnish the dessert.