Homemade Blueberry Jam

I am not really a jam person. There are only a few times when I actually had jam on toasted bread. I specially don't like the store bought jelly like set jams. No, they are not for me. The first time I actually liked having jam was when I bought a bottle of blueberry jam from IKEA. Since then I started enjoying it with Crepes, Scones and on Crispbreads.. But, I really never thought of making it at home.

Recently when I saw these berries on sale, I thought to try making jam at home. I have seen many fellow bloggers swearing how homemade jam is so much better and that one would never buy a bottle again, once they have tasted the homemade jam. I know now what they mean.

Home made jams are so much more flavorful and it is so easy to make them at home. But, one should be always cautious while storing them. Properly sterilized jars can increase their life and you can enjoy them longer. The lemon juice used in the recipe gives it a bit of tanginess in addition to helping it set. Lemon juice had a high pectin content which helps jams in setting.

Ingredients:

1 cup Blueberries, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup sugar (if you like your jam sweeter add more, up to another 1/2 cup)
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon rind

Process:

1. In a large deep pan, add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring it to a boil.
2. In 5 minutes or so, the berries will burst and give out it juice and the mixture will become liquid. Turn the heat to medium.
3. Continue heating for another 10-12 minutes. The mixture will thicken. Heat for another 5 minutes if you like it thicker. It will get thicker as it cools.
4. Take it off heat and let it cool completely before storing it in a sterilized jar. It should keep well for month in refrigerator.


Enjoy it on toasts, pancakes, crepes, scones etc

Note: Using the same recipe you can make jam of any berries or mixed berry jam.

Linking it to Jagruti's Super Food~Super Power Event

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Event Round Up ~ Cool Summer Sips

It has been quite a while since I announced the 'Cool Summer Sips' event and finally today I am up with the round up. I must admit that I didn't give this event the due attention. I was more prone to cough and cold this summer and hence didn't try out as many cool drinks I would have liked. My board for Cool Drinks on Pinterest is full of beautiful summer drinks that need to be tried. I guess there is still time for those.

Coming back to the round up, I have arranged the drinks mostly in chronological order. My event was all about cool drinks, so I have excluded the entries of ice creams. Enjoy this virtual display of cool drinks. Thank you very much for sending in your entries. 

Strawberry Smoothie by Culinary Vibes

Strawberry Lassi by Sobha of Good Food

Strawberry Lassi/Smoothie by Follow Foodie

 

Raspberry Cooler by Anamika of Taste Junction

Mango Lassi by Vardhini of Cooks Joy

Cucumber Cooler by Hema of Aromatic Cooking

Plush Purple Beauty by Food Frenzy

Strawberry Lemonade by Shweta from Shweta in the Kitchen

Strawberry Orange Smoothie by Vardhini of Cooks Joy

Orange Lemon Soda by Vardhini of Cooks Joy

 Watermelon Lemonade by Zaika-E-Hind

Pati Lebur Serbat by Sudeshna of Cook Like a Bong

Pineapple Juice with ginger by Hema of Aromatic Cooking

 

Strawberry Mint Shooter by Geeta of My Veggie Delights

Chikoo Dates Smoothie by Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds

Limeade by Johanna GGG

Mango Lassi from Daily Cuppa

Solkadhi by Food Frenzy

  

Apple Oats Smoothie by Ayeesha of Taste of Pearl City

Amras by Chandrani of Cuisine Delights

My contributions: Sweet Lime Soda 

and Blueberry Lassi

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

My Friend Jesus Christ by Lars Husum

Synopsis:

Having lost his parents at an early age, Niko has always looked to his older sister for protection. So, when she starts wanting a life of her own, Niko tries everything to keep her attention, taking greater risks with his life and the lives of others until one day tragedy arrives. On returning to his flat afterwards, Niko finds an uninvited biker sitting on his sofa. Big, bearded and apparently Jesus, the biker gently but firmly advises Niko to clean up his act. And Niko does what he is told with surprising consequences...

This is another book I picked up just-like-that. I had not heard about it nor had any body recommended it to me. I saw a list of books nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in the library and this book was one of the books in the list and the name and the synopsis looked interesting to me. This book is the debut novel of the Danish author, Lars Husum. It was originally published in Danish and has been translated in English by Mette Peterson. Although the name Jesus appears in the title, let me clarify this bit at the outset, this book is not a religious one and it doesn't preach Christianity in any way. The book is all about Nikolaz or Niko, as he known among his friends and family and his screwed up life. It is about how he apparently sorts out his life and finds he way to redemption with the help of a character who calls himself Jesus.

Niko has a mentally troubled life ever since his parents died in a tragic car accident. At the beginning of the novel, I felt he might be suffering from some sort of intellectual disability, but as the novel progressed I realized that was not the case. The shock of being orphaned at the age of 13 was too much for Niko to cope up with and due to that he suffered from great anguish and a terrible pain in the form of a stomach knot. He became far too possessive of his sister and craved for her attention. That ultimately did no good to any of them. Jesus enters in the story when Niko is passing through the worst phase of his life having lost his love, friends and family and he guides him to make a fresh start and sort out all his tangled relationships.

The story centers solely around Niko and all other characters centers around him. The language of the book is simple and straight and holds up the readers attention fairly well from the beginning. Niko is portrayed as a soul in agony right from the beginning. What I couldn't digest was the fact, how a person of Niko's fame would just listen to a stranger who calls himself Jesus and take life changing decisions! Even if you set that aside, the ending of the novel actually comes as a surprise. In fact, the last few pages disappointed and confused me. Almost 2/3rd of the novel is about how Niko tries to sort out his life and in the last few paragraph, the author gives you a jolt. It is not clear if he has finally made truce with his past or if will go back into his former life of anguish and self destruction. As a reader I was flabbergasted and it marred all the good moments I had with the novel.

I would have given it a 3 on 5 rating, but because of the way it ended I give it a 2 rating. This is a book that I would say you could give a miss.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Easy and Quick Kalakand Recipe | How to Make Kalakand in Microwave | Indian Sweets

Quick and Easy Microwave Kalakand #Recipe

Kalakand is an Indian soft milk fudge sweet dish. It is very popular in India. In this post, I am sharing an easy and quick microwave version of this much loved Indian dessert - Kalakand.

It is again the time of year when we celebrate 'Rakhi' or 'Raksha Bandhan'. It is the Indian festival to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters. I had written about it last year when I had shared these decadent chocolate truffles.

This year I decided to go for Indian sweets for this special occasion. So, in this post, I will present you with 5 recipes to choose from for your dear brother. Of course, the first one is this rich milk based sweet - Kalakand. It is prepared by condensing milk which requires great patience as it needs constant stirring and slow prolonged cooking. Such tedious process is often a deterrent to making this sweet at home. But when I saw this microwave version on Suma's blog, I tried it instantly and since have made it many times. It is so quick and easy that you will not think twice to try it.

This recipe needs just 2 main ingredients: freshly made paneer or cottage cheese and condensed milk. Suma had used ricotta cheese but homemade paneer works like a charm too. I have tried it with both cheese and didn't  find any difference.

Recipe Source: Veggie Platter

For homemade paneer: (yields 1 cup of fresh paneer)

1.25-litre whole milk

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

Process:

1. Bring the milk to boil. When it boiling add the lemon juice. The milk will curdle instantly. Take it off the gas immediately. 

2. Separate the whey from the cheese using a strainer. Squeeze out excess water of the cheese. No need to squeeze out every drop of whey, what we need is just a soft cheese. This should yield about a cup of paneer.

Microwave Kalakand Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh paneer

1 condensed milk tin (400 gm). It measures around 1 cup in volume.

4 cardamom pods pounded

Chopped pistachios for garnish

Process:

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl mix the fresh paneer and condensed milk such that the mixture is uniform.

2. Microwave it for 10-12 minutes stirring every 1 minute. By the end of this process, all the liquid will have evaporated. If it is not so at the end of 12 minutes, continue it for a couple of more minutes.

3. Line a tin with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly. Sprinkle the cardamom powder over it and garnish it with chopped pistachios. 

4. Let it cool down to room temperature and then slice it in the desired shape. At this point, the kalakand slices may not hold its shape. It is always a good idea to refrigerate it overnight or a couple of hours to get firm slices. Enjoy a slice cold.

Wondering what else you could make, why not try any of these:

Kheer - Indian Rice Pudding

Basundi/Rabri

Bread Ras Malai

Malai Kulfi

Let me know what special you are making for Rakhi.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Mint Dressing ~ Healthy Food

There are days when I am in no mood for an elaborate meal. That happens mostly when I have to prepare something solely for myself. Cooking for self has never motivated me to go for elaborate cooking. In such cases I try to go healthy and make some healthy filling salad or a one pot meal like khichdi or sometimes a large glass of smoothie. This chickpea salad is one I make quite regularly because it is healthy as well as filling. And if I am in a mood to indulge a little, I can go for a decadent brownie for dessert (an ardent brownie fan I am!).

I used to make a simple Chickpea Salad often but I got the idea of pairing it with a minty yogurt dressing from Rachel Allen recipe I spotted in this book.

This is how I make it:

Salad:

1 cup boiled Chickpeas
1 tomato chopped finely
2-3 tbsp chopped red onion
2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

1/2 cup low fat yogurt
1 tsp crushed dried mint
1 tsp sugar/honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Process:

1. Mix the salad ingredients together and toss them well. Keep it in fridge until needed.
2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients and keep it in fridge until needed.
3. Before serving pour the dressing over the salad and serve. Enjoy!

Linking it to Show Me Your HITS~Lentils N Legumes and Lets make Salads.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Saturday Snapshot ~ Munnar in God's Own Country!

This week for Saturday Snapshot I am sharing some pictures from Munnar, India. We went for a holiday there a couple of years back and I still have sweet memories of a relaxing holiday there.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. It’s easy to participate – just post a picture that was taken by you, a friend, or a family member and add your link on Alyce’s site.

Set at an altitude of 6000 ft in Idukki district,Kerala, Munnar was the favored summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. Munnar is essentially a tea town with unending expanse of tea plantations. As far as you can see, you see a green carpet of tea plantation. It is breathtakingly beautiful, an the idyllic tourist destination in God's own country. It is a haven of peace and tranquility and is the place to be, if you are looking for a relaxing holiday! 

I will leave you here with some beautiful pictures.

Blueberry Lassi | Blueberry Smoothie ~ To Beat The Heat

I find Irish weather very unpredictable. During this summer some days have been rain washed, some over cast and gloomy and a couple of times we are blessed with bright sunny weather. Such unpredictable weather poses more than one problem. For one thing one can't decide how to dress up. Each day is different, so simply cannot do away with the woolen clothes or shove the quilts and pull overs in the overhead drawers. You buy a big tub of ice cream and from then onwards, the weather gets cold and you feel like having Onion Bhajjis with a cup of masala chai.

Today is one of those few bright and sunny days and I was craving for a cold flavorful drink. On going through my fridge I found a bottle of 'Home Made Blueberry Syrup' which I usually use for making Blueberry Lemonade. But lemonade was not what I wanted to have and I whipped up this Lassi or Smoothie as it is called in this part of the world.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup low fat yogurt
1/4 cup water
3-4 tbsp Homemade Blueberry Syrup (follow link for recipe)
Ice cubes
6-7 fresh blueberries, optional

Process:
1. In a mixer jar add yogurt, water, ice cubes and blueberry syrup and give it a quick whiz.
2. Pour into a tall glass and top with fresh blueberries. Serve immediately.

Linking it to my event - Cool Summer Sips.
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahari

It has been a while since I read this book, but somehow I was not able to bring myself to write about it.  Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of 9 short stories each distictly different from each other yet they collective serve as a mirror that shows various shades of our society. These stories are about Indian people in India or about Indians who have immigrated to United States. Some stories deal with personal lives of people, a few touches some social and poltical issues while others dwells on how Indian immigrants adjusts to the life in a foreign land.

Very often short stories fail to hold my attention for long, or they don't intrigue as much as I would like them to, but that is not the case with this book. Each and every story kept me absorbed, some made me sad, some made me wonder but each touched me in profound way. The book started with the story - A Temporary Matter, a poignant tale of a failing and disintegrating realtionship. Taking advantage of a temporary electrical outage, the couple shared their most intimate secrets in the shelter of darkness. As their story unfolded you couldn't help but empathize with the characters and shed a tear or two at their predicament.

The next story, 'When Mr Pirzada came to dine' brought to the horrors and aftermaths of war through the perspective of a young girl. The title story of the novel, Interpretar of Maladies dwells upon the power of interpretation. Lahiri has the ability to spin a yarn out of the seemingly most ordinary things. One can't help but marvel at her deep observation. Real Durwan, Sexy, Mrs Sen, Treatment of Bibi Haldar, The Blessed House each have a different story to tell. Each of them is thoughtful and intense in their own way. It was make you sit back and ponder of it. They are mostly sad, yet they have a charisma of their own.

The book ends with a relatively positive story, The Third and The Final Continent, where the protagonist takes the changes in good strides and slowly adapts with the life in America. These short stories are not so much about the plot, but about the characters, their lifes, aspirations and dreams.

I will end this post with a quote that I find very profound, it reflects the author's ability to make ordinary things seem extra ordinary

"Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination."

A Small Island in a Big Ocean

 Ireland - A Small Island in a Big Ocean (Video)

There are times when I tell people that I live in Dublin, I am met with the question - where is that? I tell them it is the capital of Ireland. I get the answer, OK...and where is that?

 Image Courtesy- Wiki 

Yes, it's true and it has happened to me quite a few times. People from this part of the world might feel it a weird question or blame it to lack of general knowledge, but let me tell you many in India hadn't heard of this country until recently. You might ask why until recently? It's all because of Cricket.

Sometimes back, my husband showed me an article on Times of India which said that when Kevin O'Brien made the world record to scoring the fastest century, people in India went about locating Ireland on the world map. Team Ireland astounded the world by beating the veteran England team in a game during the Cricket world cup 2011.

 When I recounted my experience to him, even he asked me, what I knew of this country before coming here.. Well, my general knowledge is not very good and geography has never been my favorite subject, but I did know of a few famous Irish names.

  Jonathan Swift

 I am sure most of us have read Gulliver's Travel and have been fascinated by the little Lilliputs and the giant Gulliver's story. It was a part of our school curriculum and all thanks to that, I knew Jonathan Swift was an Irish man and was born in Dublin.

  George Bernard Shaw  

 The Bernard Shaw cafe/pub near my house.

Another famous Irish man I knew because of my school curriculum. I remember having read an essay as a part of my studies (I can't remember the name). Today, the place where this great man was born is just walking distance from my home.

James Joyce
I am sure most of us have heard about Ulysses. Again thanks to my English lessons, I remember having read a story named Ulysses and the Cyclops. I was very fascinated by the tale of Ulysses and the giant one eyed Cyclops. I knew then that Ulysses is the novel by the Irish author, James Joyce.

May be I could not have located Ireland in the world map then, but I did know something about this country. I had read about the great famine and I knew Dracula had its origin here. Long back when I had seen the video below, I was amazed and proud to know of the significant contribution this little country had made to the world. Do check out the video below.

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