Mast Mast Mastani

Mastani is a very popular ice-cream shake from Pune. I was not aware of this till the time i met my husband who used to rave about this drink. ( yes, i want to hide my face below a pillow that i didn't knew about Mastani, though being a Maharashtrian). But guess, i never really explored food much before my marriage. The cooking, the love for food, the blog everything happened just after that and for good :)

So, i definitely wanted to try Mastani the first time i visited Pune after my marriage. I was surprised to see Mastani corners almost everywhere on the streets of Pune, the famous and oldest being Sujata. They claim to have started the drink in Pune. But the one i tried that time was at Khatri Bandhu. Gulkand being my favourite ( Gulkand is basically rose petals in sugar syrup ), i ordered for Gulkand Mastani and since then has been my favourite.

One sip/bite of the Mastani and you are in some trance. So during my recent visit to Pune, i again went to the Khatri Bandhu outlet and had a chance to talk with the owner's friend ( who looks after the outlet in evenings after which the owner himself comes and stays back till late). Khatri Bandhu was started by Girish Khatri 25 years ago and since then has been successfully running all throughout Pune . They serve over 8 different varieties of Mastani and have around 6 branches in Pune. Their specialty is they use full cream milk and make the ice-cream with the authentic pot-method. No artificial flavours added, they concentrate on keeping the flavours traditional. 

This is one heavy drink ( I mean, what can you expect with a glass full of ice cream milkshake topped with scoop of the same ice cream??? ). Pure sin, isn't it? So weight watchers, keep your diet plans to rest when u go try this one divine drink.

No one knows the history behind the name of the drink, but the link to Bajirao Mastani is quite popular. She was the wife (or some say lover) of Peshwa Bajirao who was the prime minister to the fourth Maratha Emperor Shahuji. She was known to be a brave beautiful woman with skills of horse riding and swordsmanship. Also a talented singer and dancer, some say she was a dancer in the court where Bajirao fell in love with her. Their love story is one of it's kind wherein he was a Brahmin and she a Muslim, thereby facing lots of rejections and intolerance from Bajirao's family. But their love was so eternal that she died in the same year, soon after Bajirao did.

A painting showing Bajirao and Mastani. ( Source: Google Images )

During this trip, we tried Mastani at both Khatri Bandhu and Sujata. Sujata i felt was over priced, and the only one i loved was the Mango and the Kesar-Mango there. Their ice cream flavours are good too. But the rest of the mastani's we had were average.

Khatri won our hearts with the Gulkand Mastani (Of course!). Hubby's favourite Pista Mastani was absolutely melt-in-the-mouth too. Their Mawa flavor is fast selling, but we liked it's ice-cream better than the mastani ( Maybe the mawa milkshake didn't suit our taste buds).

So next time you are in Pune, you can't leave the city without tasting the Mastani! It's absolutely straw-licking and spoon-licking!!! :) 

"Ice cream solves everything!!!"

How many of you believe that??? Well, just as there are chocolate fanatics, there are ice-cream fanatics too and i am one of them ! An ice-cream i believe can lift your mood any day and it's not just a hot-summer day treat now ! India is booming with ice-cream parlours and the culture of having a chit-chat over ice cream with friends is increasing. In earlier days, we used to be treated ice-creams or kulfi ( Indian version of ice-cream ) only at special occasions. But with so many take-home products coming up, the perception is changing and an ice-cream has become an everyday treat!

Have you ever wondered how ice-cream was invented? I did some R n D and thought would share this with you all. Though there are many versions and many people/regions claim to have invented it first, this widely told tale ( maybe a myth ) is what everyone believes in. In A.D 54-68 Roman emperor Nero sent his slaves to the mountains to bring ice to combine it with nectar, fruit toppings and honey. And look at technology... today we have 3 genius students from MIT who together hacked a soft-serve ice cream maker, a freezer and a 3-d printer - a machine that extrudes soft serve ice cream into any given shape, then quickly freezes it with a blast of liquid nitrogen !!! Gosh!!! Molecular Gastronomy is at it's peak these days ! Check the video !

At home, we all are ice-cream lovers ! In fact, so much so that my father took my mother for a date ( during their courtship days in 1970's ) the first time at K. Rustom Ice-cream parlour in Churchgate, Mumbai. As the tradition goes, love means food and so i definitely wanted to go here with my foodie hubby, and on a Sunday afternoon we visited Rustomjee with our Mom reliving her old-times! You wouldn't like this place if you are that uptown person who is used to eating at Baskin Robbins or Naturals. This place is a little gloomy, has plastic chairs, can't-be-easily-seen board, humid as the fans really don't seem to throw cool air, and non - AC. But the place has it's own charm, and you will always see people crowding outside it. There is no spoon, no cone, no cup... you get ice cream slab in wafer-thin biscuits!!! Yes, the ice cream might drip down from the biscuit slivers but 1-2 ice-creams here and you will be a master at eating it !

In all we had 5 ice-creams amongst 3 people and we loved it ! There are some unusual flavours like candied cream, mint, toffee crunch, coffee crunch, rum and raisin and so on...The pista, kesar pista and rum n raisin remain our favourites :) And you wouldn't believe the prices... One ice-cream slab costs you between INR 50-70. So, this place is not-to-miss and the old Parsi lady sitting at the cashier desk who seemed unbothered by all the business chaos happening around truly seemed relaxed and chilled. Guess that's what happens to you when you believe in your product and your staff !

Another ice-cream which i am a big fan of, is near our home in Thane called Creamchills. The mother company being Cool Camp started in 1998, Cream chills has over 5 ice-cream parlours running successfully in Thane, kalwa and Mulund. They offer almost 31 flavours and combine them to create some terrific Milkshakes, Ice cream shakes, sundaes and kulfis. My favourite with them remains the Gulkand ice cream and hubby's is the Anjeer ( Fig ). The best part about both of them is the ice cream is soft, rich and creamy, and every bite has immense amounts of real fruits and nut bits. Aren't they tempting?? I can dig in a whole family pack right now!!! :)

Kulfi is a type of Indian ice-cream, traditionally served in the shape of cones but now-a-days served also in the form of cubes or various other shapes and sizes. This frozen dairy dessert is famous at Mumbai Chowpati and the one i tasted was the Mawa-Malai Rabdi Kulfi. "Ooh-la-la"...It just melts in your mouth! 

Another famous joint for Kulfi is the "Devang Kulfi Nasikwale" on Gokhale Road, Thane. Priced just at Rs. 20 for the Malai kulfi candy and Rs. 25 for the Kesar Pista candy, you will know it is made of pure milk when you take in just one bite! I never miss going to this place when i go home! Having run for over 8 years in Nasik ( Maharashtra ), they have 4 outlets all over Mumbai. Their Rabdi-bowl is also outstanding if you don't want to have something cold.

And last, but the best is Vijay Ice-cream and Kulfi. Located right in the heart of thane near Talao-pali ( Lake-side ), this one is as old as 25 years ! I have had kulfi here ( specially malai - yes, by now you must have guessed that my favourite kulfi flavour is malai :)) in childhood days and when i had it now, the flavour and texture was just the same. I think what has brought him so long and successful is the consistency and purity that he has maintained and stuck to his original traditional flavours and recipes than trying to change with the growing competition. His only publicity is the walk-in customers who come there for a stroll at talao-pali and word-by-mouth publicity.

A very small shop, people usually take-away kulfi from him which he gives on per-kilo basis and packs them in round slabs. We parceled the Special Rose and Kesar Pista and both the flavours were outstanding. I actually licked my plate till the last drop of the melted ice cream and wished i had got in some more... It is so irresistible !!

So, which is your favourite ice-cream flavour? And Where do you normally buy your ice-cream from?

Mango Kulfi

Summer Treats : My earliest memories of kulfi are, when i used to visit my cousins in Badlapur ( a city in Thane district of Maharashtra) during summer vacations, and there used to come a kulfiwala shouting "Kulfiiiii" ( He had a peculiar accent and it took time to understand that he is saying the word kulfi, the pronounciation was always smudged, hehe ). We used to wait for this kulfiwala, who used to come in afternoons. A typical kulfiwala used to wear white loose pajamas and white shirt with a white Gandhi cap. His kit used to consist of a pot surrounded by a cane basket covered with a wet red cloth which he used to carry on his head. The pot had some ice cubes and salt and aluminium kulfi moulds in it. He used to easily take out the kulfi from the mould by rubbing the sides of the mould, and insert a stick and give to all the kids surrounding him and waiting for their share. And the best part!!! We only used to get it for 50 paise!!! Though getting a 50 paise during that time was a task for us. So we always had to catch hold of our elder brother ( who used to get pocket money that time ) to treat us with the kulfi :) Those were fun days!!! And my sister just told me , that though there are very few kulfiwalas left now, we still get it...the price having being increased to INR 10/- considering the inflation in mind. This kulfi was our summer treat along with Pepsi-colas, Golas, and Limlets and poppins :) Ahhhh those old days!!! Nostalgia...

Picture taken from the Google Images :

A Kulfiwala

Well, Kulfiwalas are replaced with ice cream corners now. And we get modern day kulfi's well-packaged, with different flavours, and MRP's written on them. Yes, there are a few places where kulfi is still made the traditional way and they have that authentic taste. One that i remember back home in thane is Sri Ram Ice-cream which sells amazing pot kulfi.There is also the famous  Roller Ice cream , the one i had in Delhi at the National Street food festival and how can we forget the Tillewali kulfi . 

Kulfi is basically a frozen Indian dessert made with full cream milk. The thickening of milk is an important factor while making kulfi. A lot of people make kulfi these days with condensed milk or even milk powder to save on the time and energy of reducing the milk. But i have made this kulfi the traditional way, by reducing full cream milk to 1/3rd. Add any fruits or dry fruits or fruit pulp of your choice to make it more exciting :) The process is very simple, the time consuming factor is only the milk-reducing process. So here's how i made Mango kulfi :

Ingredients:

Full cream milk - 1 litre

Mangoes - 2

Sugar - 1/2 cup ( adjust according to taste )

Cardamom seeds - 5

Pistachios - 8-10

Almonds - 8-10

( You can add any fruits or dry fruits of your choice, and choose the amount according to taste )

Recipe:

Boil milk and reduce the milk till 1/3rd. Stir from the very bottom after every 5 minutes or so, so that the milk doesn't stick to bottom. This process takes about an hour or 1 n half hours. The milk will thicken, and change colour too. 

Now add the sugar and boil till the sugar dissolves.

Now remove from the stove top and let the milk come to room temperature.

Remove the pulp from mangoes and make a smooth paste in the blender. Keep some chopped pieces of the mangoes separately, to add in later ( about 1/4 cup )

Make powder of the cardamom seeds using a mortar and pestle.

Once the milk comes to room temperature, add in the mango pulp and mix well or you can even use a blender.

Add in cardamom powder, chopped pistachios and almonds, mango pieces and mix it all well. 

Pour the mixture into kulfi moulds or whichever mould you want to se the kulfi in. I set it in a large bowl.

Keep it in freezer for 7-8 hours.

Cut the kulfi into pieces an serve along with chopped mango pieces or garnish with some pistachios or almonds.

This summer dessert tastes is unbeatable, and am sure everyone in your home would love it.

Note : If you want to make this recipe quick, then you can boil 1 cup milk with 500 gms khoya, rest of the procedure is same. And if you want to use condensed milk to add thickness to the kulfi, use 3 cups milk and 1 cup condensed milk ( Since you are adding condensed milk, which is already sweet in taste, check before adding sugar and adjust according to taste )

Happy Cooking :)

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Gajar ka Halwa : Bollywood special

I'm sure every Bollywood movie fan would know this dish!!!! For those, not aware, "Gajar ka Halwa" was a popular dish made by all Bollywood mothers for their sons and apparently, all the Heroes' favourite dish was the same :)))) "Maa ke haath ka Gajar halwa" ( the carrot pudding made by mother ) or "Beta, maine gajar ka halwa banaya hai.. tujhe pasand hai na?" ( Son, i have made your favourite dish of carrot pudding ) were some of the very common dialogues in Bollywood Films in 70's or 80's. 

Gradually , with time, "Maa" became "Mom" and there is no more "Gajar ka halwa" that i remember seeing in any film recently. Nevertheless, Gajar ka halwa is a dessert relished by us all at any given point of time !

Gajar Halwa basically got introduced during the Mughal period and is associated with state of Punjab in India and Pakistan and is also known as "Punjabi Gajrela" or "Gajar ka Gajrela" in the northern parts of India. In earlier days, it was made by using carrots, pumpkins, potatoes, zucchini and snake squash. This halwa is especially cooked and served hot in winter days, as carrots are cheaper during that time and of good quality too. Cooked on festivals like Diwali, Holi or any special occassion, this dish tastes good even when served chilled. It usually lasts for a long period when kept in refrigerator or at room temperature in winters.

Recently a friend asked me to post recipe of homemade Gajar Halwa with some twist. Normally, this halwa is made with milk, sugar, carrots, nuts and dry fruits. I really scratched my brains, to make this recipe into something exciting and new. Did some R n D, cooked with a few changes here and there and here is the result :

I love replacing sugar with jaggery. Not many would like the taste and would prefer the traditional taste of adding sugar to the halwa but trying this in small quantity is no harm. Also, i used rich whole milk instead of skimmed milk. I used the traditional khoya, but you can also use condensed milk. The twist was : a few saffron strands dipped in rose water!!!! Not only does it add taste to the recipe, but also the aroma is breathtaking :)) And yes, don't think of calories while making or eating this recipe. Use Ghee as much is needed. There is no "short-cut" or " fat-cutting" there ! The halwa tastes yummy only when the carrots are saute'd well in ghee. 

Another twist was to add " Rabdi ice cream" on top!!! It just couldn't get better. We get ready  made Rabdi ice cream here. You can make Rabdi at home or buy ready made and top it on halwa. Or you can even freeze the Rabdi in kulfi or ice cream moulds and use it for topping.

Ingredients :

Carrots : 2 cups (Wash, peel and grate them )

Jaggery - 3/4 cup ( if using powdered sugar, use the same amount or according to taste)

Desi ghee - 4-5 tsp

Full cream milk - 3 cups

Khoya - 3/4 cup ( Use 1/2 cup or even less if using condensed milk or 3 tbsp of powdered milk. Some even add paneer instead of khoya for a different taste)

Saffron strands - a few

Rose water - just to dip the saffron strands in

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Raisins - a few ( You can even add cashews or any other mixed nuts of your choice. You can even add dates)

Recipe :

Always use a wide flat pan or kadhai to make carrot halwa as it promises even cooking. 

You can also make this in a pressure cooker vessel. 

Dip the saffron strands in rose water and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pan and add grated carrots and saute for 8-10 mins. Keep stirring it in between. This prevents burning of the carrots.

Add the milk, raisins and cardamom powder and cook till all the milk is absorbed by the carrots and the mixture turns into thick consistency. This is when the carrots are cooked. It will take about 20-25 minutes. Cook on low flame and let it take its own time.

Add the jaggery or powdered sugar and cook for another 5 mins.

Remove from heat.

Lastly, add the khoya and saffron with rose water and mix well.

If the mixture is watery, cook for another 5-10 minutes till it becomes dry.

Serve with a scoop of Rabdi ice cream or Rabdi.

Happy Cooking :)