Spring delight with desserts and an award!!

The much awaited SPRING is here finally and it is a favorite season for many people. The spring is when the earth comes back to life after a long cold winter, and it is in the spring when the first flowers begin to bloom and the green world begins to return after its winter slumber.

From Passover to Easter, it seems that every culture marks spring with a celebration of renewal and new life. Spring means the opening of baseball season, a joy for spectators and players alike.

There is no doubt that the spring is one of the most beautiful, and most colorful, of all seasons. So when we are talking about colors, I thought y not I post something which is very colorful….so here I come up with some colorful desserts n beverages just for you.

The desserts n beverages i'm sharing today are:

PISTA KULFI

MANGO MOUSSE

ORANGE LASSI

MANGO MILK SHAKE

PISTA KULFI: Kulfi is a popular flavoured frozen dessert of the Indian Subcontinent, made from milk. In taste, texture and preparation, it shares commonalities with ice cream. We can prepare Kulfi with different flavours and here's one of them. I would like to thank my wonderful friend Raji for sharing her recipe and gorgeous pics!

You will need:

3 1/2 cups milk [1/2 cup for bread mixture and 3 cups to boil]

1 slice of white bread

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar, adjust to taste

10 pistachios sliced

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Directions:

Remove the crust from 4 sides of the bread and cut the bread into small pieces.
Blend bread pieces, cornstarch, and a ½ cup milk, making it into a smooth paste.Keep it aside.
Place the milk (3 cups) in a Non stick pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Continue to boil the milk for 20-30 mins on a low flame, until the milk is reduced to half.
Then, add the bread mixture to the milk in the pan and cook for another 4 minutes.

Now add sugar and pistachios and cook for 2 more minutes.
Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder.
Cool the milk to room temperature and pour into a bowl.
Take Plastic wrap/cling wrap and cover the bowl completely.
Put it in freezer for 6-7 hrs, until the Kulfi is Set.

Serving tips: To serve, dip the bowl in hot water for 10 seconds, run a knife around all the sides of the bowl and transfer immediately to a dessert plate.

Serve as a whole or cut into smaller pieces, garnish with chopped pistachios.

There are debates regarding cornflour and cornstarch,whether both are same or different. In Europe and asia it is known as cornflour , where as in America it is called as cornstarch. Cornstarch or cornflour, is the starch of the corn (maize) grain. It is also grown from the endosperm, or white heart of the corn kernel.

MANGO MOUSSE: Whenever you are in need for a quick dessert, a little cream, some fruits and a blender is good enough to satisfy your cravings and whip up a luscious dessert. And could you think of any better flavors than king of all fruits Mango for a Mousse. Mousse is one of the easiest desserts to prepare, without compromising on the taste and indulgence factor. Try this Mango Mousse; it is heavenly, and I'm sure you are going to get hooked to the taste.

You will need:

8 oz mango pulp (i used tinned mango pulp)

1 number mango jelly (veg friendly, available in stores)

8 oz heavy whipping cream

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

Directions:

Mix warm water and mango jelly and add it to mango puree .
Warm it up and bring it to room temperature.
Whip the cream with little sugar and fold in slowly with mango mixture and mix.
Pour in cups or bowls and set in fridge for an hour till the mixture is all set.
serve cold in the bowls or cups.

Call it a Mango Mousse or a Mango Kulfi; any way you make it, this is one easy and delicious treat, perfect for spring evenings or a weeknight dessert cravings!

Tip: You can add the saffron strands and some chopped pistachios in the batter itself, leaving a few for garnish. This gives it a better flavor, color and aroma! Decorate as u like!

ORANGE LASSI: So many words to describe this fantastic beverage. Orange Lassi is a tasty, mouth-watering, colorful and easy to prepare drink. It is a source of vitamin C. It is very popular in the middle-easter countries. You can have this lassi anytime of the day. Its a true refreshing treat to have if chilled.

You will need:

2 cups Yogurt

2 tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder

2 Oranges (peeled)

Directions:

Put all the above ingredients into the blender.

Blend until smooth.

If you don't like the thickness, strain the juice before pouring in the glasses.

Serve chilled.

Tip: To get the most juice out of a fresh orange, bring it to room temperature and roll it under your palm against a hard surface before squeezing.

MANGO MILK SHAKE: Mango is the most beloved fruit of all and a milk shake with mango adds a breath of freshness and increases craving to have more! This is a delicious, refreshing and easy-to-make drink for hot summer days. You can make interesting variations on this recipe by using plain yogurt for some or all of the milk, and by adding a tart counterbalance to the mangoes, such as shredded kiwi fruit.

You will need:

1 lb Mango pulp (1 mango pulp tin from Indian store)

6 cups whole milk or any milk of your choice

3 tsp sugar

10 icecubes

Directions:

Put half of the quantities of the above ingredients into the blender.
Blend until smooth.
Make another batch.
Serve chilled.

So these were the desserts and beverages for Spring......hope you liked them.

The beverages r on their way to : Mahi's 15 minute cooking event.

Pista kulfi and Mango mousse to My Favourite Things -FROZEN DESSERT event hosted by Aquadaze and which was originally started by Bindiya.

NOW FOR MY AWARD: This award was given to me by a very lovely, bubbly girl Ashrita who wrote these sweet words for me..

"For the yummy woman whose recipes are a treat to all the 5 senses! Women with so much love for cooking are a rare breed in today’s world. And u r one of them, I salute you, Aruna!"

Wow Isn't that great!!!!.....thank you sooo much Ashrita................you made me feel very special!!! Those were really nice words!