Mango Mastani | Pune's Mango Mastani | How to make Mango Mastani at home

I had been wanting to taste this mango mastani for quite a while after coming to Pune but never got a chance. This year after seeing so many posts from dear blogger friends and how they were describing it to be a Pune speciality, I so wanted to have it. So as many would recommend, I too went to a nearby outlet of 'Sujata Mastani' to have it. But was so diasppointed when what I got was a thin runny and over sweet milkshake. No ice cream and no toppings. I am sure that I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. If I had been to an outlet in the Pune city I would not have been disappointed. Also I later came to know that for toppings you need to order special mastani. 

Anyways as I had no plans to travel to the city during the summer, I decided to make my own mastani. It is so easy to put up and such a treat in the summer when mangoes are plenty. So I made it one fine Sunday afternoon, and bohoo the hubby was very delighted to have it after his afternoon nap. And it looks so pretty too that you will think twice before having them ;) It is said that Mastani, the beautiful Muslim princess who stole the Maratha Peshwa ruler Bajirao's heart is the inspiration behind the name of this drink. Mastani is said to be one of the most beautiful and elegant lady in Indian history. And hence this beautiful drink is also named so after the beautiful Princess warrior. 

And I also read here that, initially when this drink was served people used to remark 'mast' (awesome in Hindi) and hence this drink was named Mastani. If you are in Pune and would want to have this, try at Sujata Mastani or Gujjar Cold Drink. I have not personally had them here but have read rave reviews about them. Also have heard that the Custard Apple Mastani too tastes awesome. So now shall we see how to make them at home, if you are not coming by Pune anytime soon :) I know mangoes are sill available, so grab them and make some Mastani before they disappear from the market !

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Mango	-	2 cups chopped
Sugar	-	1 tbsp
Milk	-	1 cup (boiled, cooled and chilled)
Ice cream	-	2-3 scoops
Almonds	-	1 tbsp (slivered)
Pista	-	1 tbsp (sliced)
Tutti frutti	-	1 tbsp
Glazed cherry	-	2-3 nos (cut into 2)
Mango cubes	-	few for garnish

The Way:

1. Peel and chop the mangoes roughly. Take them in a blender. Add sugar and give a quick blend. Now add milk (boiled, cooled and chilled) and blend to a smooth puree

2. Pour this thick milkshake into a tall serving glass

3. Add to it a large scoop of ice cream 

4. Top it with tutti frutti, slivered almonds, sliced pistachos, glazed cherry and some mango chunks (if needed)

5. They taste great when chilled. So I keep the mangoes and milk in fridge before making them. Or you can add some ice cubes while making the mango puree

Notes:

• I used a large banganapalli mango to make this. Alphonso would taste even better
• I used vanilla flavour ice cream. You can use any flavour like mango or pista of your choice
• Toppings are purely your choice. I use the ones I have available at that time
• You can even use canned mangoes to make this
• Serve it immediately else the ice cream would melt
• Add sugar (or skip) as per your preference
• Do not add water while pureeing the mango. The milkshake should be thick and creamy

Cheers,

Chitz

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Strawberry Milkshake | Easy Strawberry Milkshake without ice cream

Last recipe was with strawberry and this one too is with strawberry.. Blame it on the season ;) Around a month ago, when my parents came visiting us in Pune, we went on a short trip to Mahabaleshwar and visited the Mapro gardens in Panchgani. There we got strawberries at a cheap rate of 150 rupees per kilo. Actually some were saying that if you visit in the morning the rates are still cheaper and you an get them for an easy 80-100 rupees per kilo.. We were expecting to go pluck the strawberries at the farms but the locals there told that since it was peak season we were not allowed to and that would be allowed during March-April time.. So what did we do? We ate a lot of strawberries and bought a lot more and came back :D Dhruv was ready to eat them all as such but he caught a cold two days later, so we didn't give him much.. And me being a strawberry lover in just shakes and cakes, went ahead and made milkshakes with them using chilled milk ;) 

You can have variants of this simple recipe.. You can sneak in some ice cream - anything of your choice, be it vanilla or strawberry. Don't like milk? Then replace with some Greek yogurt or have a mix of both the yogurt and milk. Add in a nice ripe banana or a couple of dates.. Maybe a handful of chia seeds.. Or a tablespoon of cocoa powder ;) Want to cut low on sugar? Then add honey instead or maybe cane sugar..The options are plenty. You can adjust to your cravings and dietary requirements! 

Makes: 1 tall glass

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

I Used:

Strawberry	-	4-5 nos
Cashew	-	5 nos
Almond	-	4 nos
Sugar	-	2 tsp
Chilled Milk	-	1 cup

The Way:

1. In a mixer/blender, crush the cashews and almonds together

2. Once they are coarsely/finely (as you need) crushed, add the strawberries and sugar and give a nice blend

3. Now add the milk and blend smoothly. Serve cold !

Notes:

I normally boil the milk and let them cool down and then refrigerate them and use in my milkshakes and smoothies

Cheers,
Chitz

Kiwi Smoothie

I am an ardent fan of exotic fruits. I love tasting and experimenting with new fruits & also veggies for that matter, but Deeps mostly prefer to stick to tested & approved tastes! What's your choice? Having said that, now you wouldn't mind me posting this recipe at a time when kiwis are not much in season, right? This post had been in my drafts for quite long & I feel it's high time for it to feature here.

Kiwis or Chinese gooseberries are native to some European nations & New Zealand. When ripe, they taste real sweet & can be devoured as such. Loaded with anti-oxidants, they make an excellent & quick option for making smoothies for your busy packed mornings.

I Took : 10 minutes

Serves : 1 tall glass

I Used:

Kiwi	-	2 nos
Milk	-	¼ cup
Honey	-	2 tbsp
Mint	-	2 sprigs
Lime juice	-	From 1 lime
Ice cubes	-	½ cup

The Way:

Dunk in all the ingredients in a blender & blend to a smooth consistency. Adjust sweetness to your taste & serve chilled

Cheers,

Chitz

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie

I know I go on long unannounced breaks, but that has become completely unavoidable these days.. So what am I back with? It is another refreshing and healthy smoothie for all fruit lovers out there. Trust me, this combo tastes great and I just couldn't resist making them over and again..  And for those who do not like to eat fruits raw, what better way to take in those nutrients, than with this sugar free smoothie?

I Took : 10 minutes

Serves : 2 tall glasses

I Used:

Avocado	-	½ of a large one
Kiwi	-	2 nos
Milk	-	¼ cup
Almond powder	-	2 tbsp
Honey	-	2 tbsp
Mint leaves	-	A sprig
Ice cubes	-	3-4 cubes

The Way:

1. Place milk, almond powder, honey, mint leaves and ice cubes in blender & blend smoothly.
2. Now add the scraped avocado and cubed kiwi and blend again till smooth & creamy.
3. Serve chill for the refreshed feel !

Cheers,

Chitz

Roasted Nectarine Smoothie

Hellova dear friends ! A big hi to all those who missed me & have been wondering where the heck I am :D I had been on a short break coz of my relocation to India. So now that's done & am slowly settling to the clock & climate of Chennai, I thought I would take a peep into my humble space & post something from my drafts. It's been quite a while since I met & heard from you guys & yes, I AM missing you people. Getting back to a full time work after the year long break is fun & challenging, but it would not be a complete truth if I told that I do not miss the all time blogger life ;)

So want to know what my comeback recipe is. It is a simple smoothie with a twist, which by guarantee would be loved by a fruit phobic or a picky fruit eater too ! Want a name? None other than Deeps ! Yes, he is a very picky fruit eater & u can say at times me too ;) We are not great fans of fruits that are bitter or sour. So I find ways to mask that sense of taste very often.. And this one (which I found while gawking on foodgawker) was an instant hit with Deeps. He was like 'This is good' which actually translates to 'Wow, this is great !!' The roasting of the fruit before turning it into a smoothie actually did wonders. So, if you are on the watch out to use a nectarine or a peach (as the original recipe called for) in ways other than the raw form, then this is the recipe. Try it out & do let me know how you felt about it ! 

Recipe Source: Scarletta Bakes

I Took: 50-60 minutes

Serves: 4 tall glasses

I Used:

Nectarines	-	4 large, pitted & quarted
Canola Oil	-	¼ cup
Sugar	-	¼ cup
Greek Yogurt	-	2 cup
Vanilla Ice cream	-	6 cup (I used 3 cups)

The Way:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degree C 
2. Toss the nectarine quarters with oil & sugar until well coated
3. Arrange the quarters on a parchment lined baking tray with the cut sides facing up. Roast them until the fruit is shriveled & darkened which would take about 30-40 minutes
4. Allow them to cool once roasted. Add Greek yogurt & Vanilla ice cream & blend it to a smooth uniform consistency. Blend in batches of half if your blender cannot accommodate the whole quantity
5. Serve in chilled tall glasses :)

Cheers,

Chitz

Raspberry Iced Tea | Raspberry Ice Tea Recipe

Hi mates, so I am back after my short vacation trip to Venice & Pisa. It was really hot at this time of the year there & I have had its effects too, the nasty tan ;) But we did have a great time there walking around the entire city through the calle (alleyways) & travelling in their water boats, which by the way is their main mode of transportation like the bus & train in other cities !! And not to forget the exquisite cuisine, we experienced sea food at its heights there with a wide variety to choose, ranging from lobsters & king crabs to squids & giant prawns & the local sole fish. All contended & tummy & heart filled, I reached back with a slight fever & cold. So not much of cooking happening now. It's just some hot kashayam brewing & light food to munch on, so I am utilizing that to post an iced tea recipe that has been in my drafts for quite some time now :)

Raspberry is one fruit that I find very difficult to eat as such :D But it's benefits are too great to ignore this fruit - antioxidant rich, fights cancer & even increases metabolism rate & cuts down that extra fat :) So I decided to somehow include it in our diet. That's when the google search yielded this beautiful Iced tea recipe. And Deeps is a die hard fan of iced tea or any drink of the tea & coffee family & that made me all the more excited to try this awesome drink. It's pretty simple to brew up & a lip smacking drink when served chilled with ice cubes. Sip it over while you munch your evening cookies & you will definitely want to make more soon :)

I Took: 20 minutes

Serves: 5-6 glasses

I Used:

Raspberry	-	2 cups
Sugar	-	⅓ cup
Water	-	4 cups
Tea Bags	-	5 tea bags

The Way:

1. In a saucepan bring 2 cups of water & the raspberries to a boil. Reduce the heat & allow it to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Then strain it & discard the pulp. Keep aside
2. In another saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil.Stir in sugar until dissolved
3. Remove from heat. Add the tea bags & steep for 5-8 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Alternately you can add tea dust or leaves too. If then, strain the tea leaves/dust
4. Add the raspberry juice to the tea mixture. Chill them in refrigerator for 3-4 hours & serve with ice

Cheers,

Chitz

Oreo Milkshake

Milkshake with Oreo biscuits

This one had been bookmarked for quite a long time now. Actually I wanted to make this when we had some kiddo guests the other day. I got the inspiration from my niece who loves the Oreo biscuits like anything. Even if she doesn't get any food, she will be more than happy to adjust (winks) with the Oreo biscuits. So I knew that my kiddo guests would love the drink. But somehow it didn't materialise that day !! 

  And I was in a mood for a chilled chocolaty drink after my lunch one fine day. So here it goes, tada... Happy drinking guys !! Hope you too will enjoy this :-)

I took: 10 minutes

Serves: 2 glasses

I Used:

Oreo biscuits	-	4 nos
Ice Cream	-	1 cup
Milk	-	2 cups
Chocolate	-	4 cubes
Vanilla Essence	-	1 tsp

The Way:

Blend together all the ingredients in a blender. Refrigerate the shake and have a chilly treat :-)

Cheers,

Chitz