Mysore Pak Kheer / Payasam / Pudding - Fusion Style

          Have any leftover Mysore Pak and do not know what to do with it? Then go ahead and dish out this fusion style kheer. Make the usual rice kheer and add in some crumbled Mysore Pak as sweetener, instead of sugar and voila! you have an extremely yummy dessert in front of you in a new avatar. How cool is that. So go ahead and give it a try and surprise your loved ones with your new creative fusion dessert. Enjoy it just as it is, as an after-meal dessert or as a side dish with poori / paratha.

• 2-3 cups milk
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 5-6 mysore pak, crumbled

          Pressure cook milk and rice for 2-3 whistles. Add the mysore pak and simmer for 4-5 minutes on a low flame. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool. 

          Refrigerate till serving time. Serve, garnished with some crumbled mysore cook as an after meal dessert. They can also be relished along with poori or paratha.

Oats & Mango Kheer (Pudding)

          Mango season! So here comes a healthy concoction of Oats & Mango Kheer. Do try this delicious thick and creamy dessert,  laden with lots of dry fruits, milk and oats. It can be had as it is or as an after meal dessert. 

         The addition of cardamom powder, bay leaves and rose water gives it a mild flavour. Garnish with chopped dry fruits and saffron and serve them chilled. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 500 ml. low / full fat milk
• 2 tbsp. oats
• 1 tsp. ghee (opt)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cardamoms
• 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste (brown sugar can also be used)
• 1 & 1/4 cup mango pulp
• 1/2 cup chopped dry fruits (save some for garnishing)
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp. rose water
• pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tsp. water.

         Heat ghee in a pan and lightly roast the oats for a minute or till you get a nice aroma coming through, on a low flame. Keep aside. Bring the milk, bay leaves and cardamoms to a boil.

          Add the oats, sugar, cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits. Simmer on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes by stirring continuously. Keep aside to cool and discard the bay leaves.

          Now add the mango pulp and rose water. Mix well and serve chilled, garnished with remaining chopped nuts and saffron water.

Keep the chopped dry fruits aside.

Keep mango pulp aside.

   Heat ghee & lightly roast oats for a minute. Transfer

 to a plate & keep aside.

Bring the milk, bay leaves & cardamoms to a boil.

                                 Add oats, sugar, cardamom powder &......

                       .......chopped dry fruits. Simmer on med. flame for 4-5 min. by stirring
                       continuously. Keep aside to cool.

                                  Discard the bay leaves. Now add mango pulp & rose water. 
                        
                

Mix well.

Serve chilled, garnished with chopped nuts & saffron water.

Cake Phirni / Pudding - Fusion Style

          Phirni is a traditional sweet / pudding that has its origins in the Northern regions of India. It is traditionally made of ground rice paste / powder in a milk based creamy dessert. But how about some 'Cake Phirni' for a change? As I like experimenting and giving a new touch to any original recipe, I came up with this idea. 

          It is a great fusion dish and it turned out simply delicious. Any leftover cake of any flavour can come handy here. Do try this phirni in a new avatar by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe  to prepare it.

• 1 litre full cream milk
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 4-5 green cardamoms
• 6-7 tbsp. sugar or to taste
• 1 cup cake crumble
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1 tbsp. chopped nuts
• few saffron strands

         Bring the milk to a boil in a pan along with cardamoms and cinnamon. Add the cake crumble and the nuts (preserve some for garnishing). Simmer, stirring at intervals on a low flame.

         When it is almost half reduced add the sugar and simmer till it is dissolved. Check for consistency. Put off the flame and add the rose water. 

          Keep aside to cool and then refrigerate. Serve chilled topped with chopped nuts and saffron strands.

                                  Cake of any flavour is fine.

                                 Crumble the cake.

                                 Bring milk to a boil along with cinnamon & cardamoms.

                                 Add crumbled cake & nuts. Simmer on a low flame.

                           When almost half reduced, add sugar & simmer till it is dissolved.

                      Check for the right consistency. Switch off the flame & add rose water. 
                      Set aside to cool. 

                                  Serve, chilled, garnished with chopped nuts & saffron.