CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

The most easy and quick dessert you can ever make...the luscious chocolate mousse which I made from the leftover egg yolks!

When it comes to making use of the leftover ingredients in your fridge I find it most satisfying as I believe in zero waste...this thought has been instilled in me since childhood by my mum as she had a very practical approach to everything she would cook or create...and would never waste even the water from boiled eggs, which she would use for feeding plants.

I recently hosted dinner for friends where I made pavlova for dessert and I had those leftover egg yolks and some whipped cream which I wanted to incorporate into something quick and easy...this was my approach to put those leftovers into its best use. Mousses are a welcome dessert which my family loves and they loved it even more as I made it after such a long time and they were all yearning to eat something sweet and luscious.

---

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

ASSEMBLY TIME: 5 minutes

PASSIVE TIME: 2 hours

SERVES: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 350g semi-sweet chocolate chips(I used Hershey’s)

• 4 egg yolks

• 125 ml hot water

• 1/2 cup caster sugar

• 200 ml whipping cream

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For Garnishing

• 100 ml double cream

• 6-8 strawberries

• Red currants

• Rosemary sprigs

• 1 tsp cocoa powder for dusting

METHOD

1. I used Hershey's chocolate chips but you can also use dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa) chopped into small pieces and follow the rest of the recipe as is.

2. In a heat proof bowl, add chocolate chips, pour hot water and whisk until the chocolate melts completely. Bain-marie if you still find chocolate bits in it, or microwave it for 20 seconds to melt completely.

3. In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour a small amount of melted chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk with an electric mixer, now add rest of the melted chocolate and whisk. Leave 5 minutes to cool the mixture.

4. Now whip the cream and vanilla until stiff. Drop small amount of whipped cream to the chocolate egg mix and whisk with electric mixer. Add the rest of the whipped cream and whisk until just combined.

5. Cut strawberries in half. Take glasses of your choice, place one or two halves of strawberry against the glass wall, cut side out. Pour the prepared mousse in the glasses with the help of piping bag and let it set in the fridge for 2 hours.

6. Whip the double cream until it’s slightly thick but not stiff. Gently spoon it on the set mousse and dust it slightly with cocoa powder.

7. Garnish with strawberries and rosemary sprigs.
   

COOK'S NOTES

• Chocolate mousse can be prepared without eggs as well...make it by completely omitting the egg yolks. Instead of eggs and caster sugar, take the whipping cream with half a cup of confectioners sugar and fold it into the melted chocolate. Set in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.

• Another version can also be prepared without adding any whipped cream. Bain-marie the chocolate on a double boiler until completely melted. Whisk egg yolks with caster sugar in a bowl and place it over a pan of hot water to gently cook eggs. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks and fold it in the chocolate mix. Set it in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.

• Adjust the sugar according to your taste buds.

• Do not over whip the double cream as the stiff cream will not let you have soft and delicate dollops on top.

• You can garnish this with any fruit of your choice.

GAJRELA (CARROT HALWA)

Hello my insta family... hope you are doing well. It’s been a while since I interacted with you all... as some of you know, I recently moved houses and I’ve been completely swamped! As much as we love to believe that we’ll set it all up quickly, these things take time but only with patience do we get the results we want!

So in the meantime I thought I’d share this humble traditional recipe called Gajrela or Gajar ka Halwa, which is a very popular desert adorned by all, especially in North India.

When you talk about Indian comfort desserts, this is it! The rich flavour of cardamom brings out the sweet warmth of the carrots, and along with the subtle crunch of Indian dry fruits and creaminess of the khoya... what more could you ask for? It’s the perfect wintertime dessert, and I’m sure any Indian would agree - it’s both humble and decadent, I’ve garnished it with gold leaf to bring that extra oomph to this all-time favourite dish.

I made this dish because it was my mum’s favourite dessert... as a kid my mum would make it every winter... Muscat has been extra cold lately and eating this Gajrela was like a wonderful and nostalgic warm hug!

The recipe for this beautiful dish is up on my website - the link is in the bio!

What was your family’s winter favourite?

---

PREP TIME: 15minutes

MAKING TIME: 45 minutes

SERVES: 15-20

INGREDIENTS

For Gajrela

• 1 kg red carrot, grated from bigger holes

• 1 ltr/ 4 cups full fat milk

• 350g granulated white sugar

• 50g ghee

• 10-12 green cardamom

• 40g green raisins

• 40g raw cashews

• 40g almonds

• 40g pistachios, sliced

For Khoya

• 100g milk powder ( full cream)

• 100g cooking cream

For Garnishing

• Gold or silver leaf

METHOD

1. In a heavy bottom large pan, add grated carrot and milk, bring to boil stirring occasionally. Reduced heat to medium low, stirring on regular intervals, cook the carrots until all milk is evaporated, approximately 25-30 minutes.

2. Add sugar and ghee, cook on low heat until sugar is dissolved and cook for further 5 minutes until it becomes semi-dry and is not watery anymore. Add cardamom powder, mix and cook for 5 more minutes on low until gajrela leaves the pan, remove from fire.

3. In a small pan, warm a tsp of ghee. Keeping on low heat, add cashews and lightly toast them, just for a minute. Add other nuts and raisins and remove from fire immediately. Stir to lightly toast it from the residual heat. Reserve a little amount for garnish on top and add the rest to the prepared gajrella.

4. To make khoya, in a microwave safe bowl, combine milk powder and cream, mix until well combined. Microwave on high for 1 minute, remove and stir to mix, return to microwave and cook on high for 1 more minute. Remove from microwave, stir and leave to cool down. Add the khoya to the room temperature gajrella.

5. To serve, warm gajrella and garnish with reserved nuts and gold leaf.

COOK'S NOTES

• Gajrela is also known as gajar ka halwa/carrot halwa.

• A pinch of saffron can also be added along with cardamom powder for extra flavour.

• I use bigger hole grater for making gajrela as I prefer little texture in the dessert. But if you like mashed consistency of halwa, you can use thin hole grater or can use food processor for grating.

• This dessert can easily be preserved in an airtight container for upto a week in refrigerator.

• I like to add khoya for bringing that extra traditional richness to the dessert but you can always skip if you don’t want.

• Adjust the sugar according to your taste buds.

#diwali #festival #dessert #almond #indian #indiandessert #winter #warm

FRANKINCENSE PINNIES

Winters are already knocking on the door and the festive months have already started... My mum used to make gond atta pinnies each winter, and I wanted to renew this memory by putting my own little spin. Made Frankincense and Gond Atta pinnies packed with lots of dried fruits and nuts this Diwali merging the traditional Indian winter energy balls with an Omani touch.

These pinnies are delicious but packed with tons of health benefits as frankincense is anti-inflammatory and helps strengthen joints, as does the gond. Frankincense is basically a resin of boswellia tree which is very traditional and prominently used in Omani homes, not just for food but also used to provide a beautiful aroma throughout the house, or steeped into teas. The health benefits are endless as it improves your gut health, arthritis or even helps reverse the cancer in some cases. Instead of normal sugar I’ve used jaggery which is an unrefined sugar again perfect for your immunity and enhances blood supply...

These energy balls are perfect to make in big batches and store them in jars to consume through out winter...

---

PREP TIME: 15minutes

MAKING TIME: 15 minutes

PASSIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

YIELDS: 16

INGREDIENTS

For Dates Layer

• 1/3 cup khus-khus (white poppy seeds)

• 100g gond, (edible gum) small pieces

• 10g frankincense gum (take fairly small pieces)

• 100g almonds

• 100g pistachios

• 1/2 cup dedicated coconut

• 20g watermelon seeds (magaj)

• 1/4 cup green raisins (kishmish)

• 1/3 cup desi ghee

• 2 1/2 cups atta

• 400g jaggery, soft and cut into pieces or jaggery powder

• 1/2 cup water

METHOD

1. In a heavy bottom wok or deep frypan, dry roast the khus-khus for 2 minutes on a medium low heat until fragrant and slightly golden. Remove from pan.

2. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in the same pan, keeping it on medium low heat. Add frankincense gum and fry for few seconds until it puffs up, remove from pan. Wipe the leftover ghee in pan.

3. Add 1 tbsp of ghee in pan, melt ghee on medium low flame, add half the quantity of edible gum and fry stirring constantly on medium low heat until it puffs up. Remove from pan.

4. Now melt another tablespoon of ghee in a pan and fry the remaining edible gum keeping the heat on medium low. Remove from pan.

5. Now melt a tablespoon of ghee in the same pan, still keeping the heat on medium low add almonds and fry for 2 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from pan.

6. Add half a tablespoon more to the pan if need be and fry cashews stirring constantly on medium low heat for just a minute. Take care not to over roast it. Cashews should slightly change its color and not brown. Remove from pan.

7. Now add raisins to the same pan and fry for few seconds and remove from pan. Add coconut and roast stirring constantly for 2 minutes until slightly golden in color. Remove from pan.

8. In the same pan roast watermelon seeds on medium low heat for a minute and remove.

9. Melt rest of the ghee in the same pan. Keeping the flame on medium low, add atta and roast it stirring constantly until the atta turns slightly golden. Take care not to burn the atta. It’s perfectly ok if you feel the atta is bit dry while roasting. Do not be tempted to add more ghee. Remove from the pan.

10. Wipe the pan, add jaggery and water, keeping the pan on medium high heat, let the jaggery melt. Once melted cook on medium heat for just couple of minutes until it forms one sting consistency. Do not over cook the jaggery as your pinnies will get hard if it’s over cooked. Remove from heat.

11. Meanwhile the jaggery is melting, grind the roasted khus-khus, remove in a large bowl. Coarsely grind roasted almonds and cashews and add it to the khus-khus bowl.

12. Grind the fried frankincense in mortar and pestle. Add it to the khus-khus bowl along with roasted atta, watermelon seeds, raisins and coconut. Mix them well.

13. Now pour the melted jaggery while it is still quite warm on to the atta mixture. Mix well with the spatula. Add edible gum and mix again. Now quickly shape them into round balls by firmly pressing it in your hands.

14. Cool them to room temperature and store it in an airtight jar.

COOK'S NOTES

• choosing the small pieces of frankincense is important as the larger pieces will not roast properly.

• Wiping the pan after roasting frankincense is important as it’s slightly bitter in taste and it will make the rest of the ingredients coated in that bitter flavour.

• Keeping the heat on medium low is important as nuts has the tendency to burn quickly.

• Take a great care when cooking jaggery syrup as overcooking the jaggery will make your pinnies tough.

#diwali #festivalmithai #mithai #attapinnies #frankincensepinni #frankincense #jaggery #pinnies #almond #ghee #gondpinni #pinni