Coconut Coriander Chutney – Savory Sandwich Spread

by Trisha Vaz
A coconut coriander chutney is probably one of the humblest of all sandwich fillings. It has so many wonderful flavors that mingle to form one well balanced spread. There is absolutely no cooking involved, which is a welcome relief in these sweltering conditions. I’ve jotted down the quantities and the ingredients that I use for the chutney in this post, but you can play around with them to get the flavors you prefer. In India, theres probably hundreds if not thousands of recipes for this chutney. This is one my grandmother and mother used, but my husband tweaked and I’d dare say perfected it. Its not too spicy so even children can enjoy this, and believe me they do.

This chutney keeps very well. So you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to a week and use it as and when you need to.

Here’s a few options on what you can do with this spread –
1) Chutney sandwich – Spread it over some buttered slices of bread. I think it goes well with slightly toasted slices as well.

2) Chutney Cheese sandwich – Butter a slice of bread and spread some of the chutney over it. Top with a slice of cheese or grated cheese, whatever you have at hand. Cover this with another slice of bread.

3) Veggie Delight sandwich – Butter a slice of bread and spread some of the chutney over it. Place some slices of tomato and cucumber on it. Cover this with another slice of bread.

These are just a few sandwich combos to get you started. I’m sure you’ll come up with many more and I’d love to hear about them. And oh yes, how can I forget –

4) With rice – On days of fasting, my mum used to serve us this chutney with a small portion of warm, plain rice to get us through the day.

Check out how I make my Coconut & Coriander Chutney here –

Coconut Coriander Chutney


1 cup freshly grated coconut
1 large bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and tender stalks (About 1 tightly packed cup)
6 small cloves of garlic or 2 large cloves of garlic
3/4″ ginger
1 green/red chilly
1 tbsp sugar
1 walnut sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1/4 cup water
Salt to taste

Tip all the ingredients except the coconut into a blender or food processor. Blitz to form a puree.

Add the coconut and blitz again. You can leave this spread as coarse or grind it as finely as you like. I like it ground fine but not too fine. You may need to add a dash of water to help the ingredients grind well.

Taste and adjust the flavors, if needed.

Store in a container, refrigerate for up to a week and use as and when needed.

This recipe is linked to –
Mouthwatering Mondays
A Little Birdie Told Me
Tuesdays At the Table
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Delectable Tuesday
Let’s Do Brunch

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Condiments, Pickles & Spice Mixes, Goan Recipes, Recipes, Sandwiches, Vegan

Methi Parathas – Whole Wheat Flatbread with Fenugreek Leaves

by Trisha Vaz

These parathas are another one of my favorite savory breakfast items. Like the Aloo Parathas, it can be served with some unflavored yogurt or pickle. But I like it served pipping hot with a dollop of butter and a mug of good hot coffee. To me that sums up a great breakfast. The parathas are easy to make because there is no stuffing involved, all the ingredients are mixed together to form a dough. They can be made the previous night and kept in  refrigerated in a covered container. All you need to do the next morning while the coffee is brewing, is warm it on a tava (griddle) and you’re all set. 


Usually fenugreek is known to have a bitter-ish taste. These parathas however aren’t. For this recipe, I don’t use the baby fenugreek leaves but the larger ones. Another thing to keep in mind, is that when you are cleaning the sprigs of fenugreek leaves, make sure you pick only the leaves and not the stalk, no matter how tender you may find the stalk to be.


You might want to allow a couple of extra parathas per person as these are not as heavy as the Aloo Parathas are and they are very more-ish. I added a couple of hot green chillies. You can either deseed them to cut down the heat or simply cut down the amount of chillies if you are not used to spice. Also, if you are calorie conscious, you can leave out the ghee and these parathas will still be tasty.





Methi Parathas
(Makes 12-15)


2 cups whole wheat flour
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 cup fenugreek leaves, chopped 
1 tsp carrom seeds, rubbed between the palms of your hands to release their flavor
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter + extra to smear on the parathas while they’re cooking (optional)


In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients well to make sure they are well distributed. 


Make a well in the centre and gradually add enough water to bind into a pliable dough.


Divide into portions the size of a golf ball and keep ready.


Roll this out to a thin disc on a floured surface.

Place this on a well heated tawa / griddle and roast for a while moving it around till light brown spots appear on one side. Turn over and cook on the other side till light brown spots appear on the other side as well.

To finish off, spoon a few drops of clarified butter on the paratha and spread. Flip over and repeat this on  the other side letting it roast for a few seconds after you add the clarified butter to the side.

Serve hot with butter and a mug of hot coffee.

You can leave out the clarified butter if you want an even healthier version, but it does wonders for the taste.
Enjoy.




This recipe is linked to – 
Just Another Meatless Monday
My Meatless Mondays
Meatless Mondays
Let’s Do Brunch
Not Baaad
Mangia Mondays

Herbs and Flowers in my platter- Fenugreek leaves 

(http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com/p/herbs-flowers-hosting-schedule.html)

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Bread, Breakfast, Recipes

Monster Cookies

by Trisha Vaz
I think these bad guys need no introduction. Their reputation definitely precedes them. This was the first time I tasted one, let alone made one. I was very pleased with the way they turned out. They were nice and chewy. There are so many flavors and textures in there. In every bite you can taste the peanut butter, the chocolate and the candy. I think this is also a lot healthier than the average cookie since this recipe uses no flour. It just uses old fashioned oats, which are packed with fiber, which is really good for your health. This cookie is now one of my favorite ways to eat oats 🙂


When you sit down to eat these cookies, please make sure that you have a tall glass of milk to go with it. The experience will be totally blissful.



Monster Cookies


1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
3/4 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups peanut butter
4 1/2 cups old fashion oats
1 cup M&M’s candies (or Smarties or Gems)
Preheat oven to 175º C.
Lightly grease cookie sheets and set aside.
Cream together the butter and the sugars.
Add the eggs, peanut butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and beat well.
Add the oats, baking soda, and salt and stir well.


Stir in remaining ingredients.
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out batter onto the cookie sheets, leaving some space between them. Flatten them out a little.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. The center of the cookies will be slightly soft. 


Enjoy.

Note: I halved the recipe and got about 20 cookies.
 
This recipe is linked to –
Sweet Tooth Friday
Fun with Food Friday
Sweets for a Saturday
The Homespun Bake Shop
Mangia Mondays

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Cookies, Recipes

Potato Chops

by Trisha Vaz
Most of you have heard of lamb chops, pork chops etc. but I’m pretty sure you’re wondering what on earth is a Potato Chop. Its one of my favorite little treats. I usually make these at quite a few dinners and parties. My mum used to make these for our birthday parties and other gatherings and I tell you these are simply the best. To give you a gist of it, its like a cottage / shepherd’s pie that you can almost call finger food, except that its a little larger than finger food but you get the picture. It is also the perfect way to use up any leftover beef mince (only you might want to make sure you don’t use any pieces of potatoes that may be in the mince). If I’m making some mince just to make the chops, I leave out the potatoes, because the mince is stuffed in a pocket of mashed potato anyway.

They taste best if served hot with some tomato ketchup. They also keep well, refrigerated. All you do, is pop them in a pan, cover and let it heat through on a low flame before serving. These chops are a good option to consider as travel food for a road trip.The crumb coating gives this a nice crunchy exterior.

Potato Chops


1/2 a recipe of Beef Mince (You can substitute mutton mince, if you don’t eat beef)
4-5 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp cumin powder
A pinch of turmeric powder (optional)
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 egg
Bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

Make half a portion of beef mince and keep aside. This should come down to room temperature before you proceed with this recipe.

Boil the potatoes only when you are ready to make the chops you need to work when the potatoes are still warm. Cold potatoes make handling difficult.

Peel and mash the potatoes well. Make sure there are no lumps. Add salt to taste, cumin powder, turmeric powder and coriander leaves and using your hands mix well to ensure all the spices and herbs are evenly distributed. Feel free to adjust the quantities of the spices and herbs used to suit your taste.

Take a portion of the mashed potato, the size of a tennis ball, roll into a ball and flatten to form a thick disc on the palm of your hand. Place a spoon of the mince in the center and bring the sides of the potato disc up and over the filling to cover it well. Make sure that no mince is sticking out. If you feel the need to add more potato to it, feel free to do so. The mashed potato merges well. Shape it to form a patty and keep aside. Continue till you’ve used up all the mashed potato.

Crack an egg in a shallow bowl, wide enough to fit the chops. Beat well to incorporate the white and the yolk.

Pour some bread crumbs onto a plate and keep it ready. I have a little assembly line going for this, starting with the chops at one end, followed by the bowl with the beaten egg, the bread crumbs and a plate lined with some absorbent kitchen paper at the other end.

Heat some oil in a pan.

Briefly dip a chop in the egg and turn over, making sure it coats the chop well.

Dredge it through the bread crumbs making sure the potato chop is well coated. This is what will give it a good crunch.

Carefully place in the pan with the heated oil and shallow fry till it takes on a nice golden brown color. Turn and let the other side fry as well till it gets golden brown.

Carefully take it off the pan and place on some kitchen paper to drain out any excess oil.

NOTE: You don’t need to fry these one at a time, place as many as your pan can accommodate, making sure theres a little space between them to help you turn these over.  


Here’s what it looks like on the inside –

Enjoy!!!

This recipe is linked to –
What’s Cookin’ in the Kitchen
Feed Me Tweet Me Follow Me Home
Friday Potluck
Fat Camp Friday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Beef, Goan Recipes, Mains, Recipes, Sides, Starters / Appetizers

Beef Mince with Potatoes and Peas – a.k.a Beef Kheema

by Trisha Vaz
My parents are both wonderful cooks and I’ve learnt many a kitchen trick from them. Most of the food that I cook is based on something or the other that they made. Ofcourse, the lack of written recipes, leaves me with no choice than to improvise with ingredients and quantities as I go along. You see, both my parents mostly cook without any recipe and they eyeball not only quantities of ingredients used, but the ingredients themselves. It happens so often, my mum or dad whips up something spectacular and then when they’re asked for a recipe, its always you can do this or that or even the other. Pretty frustrating, I tell you! I now know better and if I like something, I try and get them to dictate a recipe, which I hurriedly scribble on a paper napkin or something, before they claim to have forgotten, or confused between a couple of ways about how they usually make it.

So you see, when they come over for a meal, I have pretty high standards to live up to. One dish, I know for sure, I make much better than both of them do, is a minced beef with potatoes and green peas. Today, I’m going to share that recipe with you. I love this preparation.

Here are some serving options –

  • with fresh bread
  • in a toasted sandwich
  • with plain rice
  • with a wheat chapati, naan or roti
  • in a tart shell
  • within puff pastry layers
  • in a potato chop
  • with a lovely pulao
  • over some pasta
  • as a pizza topping
  • …. and many more
One thing to note though, is if I’m using it in a potato chop or using it as a tart filling/puff pastry or in a toasted sandwich, I cook it till all the juices have dried up, to avoid a soggy mess when used. I also leave out the potato.  For other purposes, I take it off the heat before it absorbs all the moisture, leaving a little gravy.

Beef Mince with Potatoes and Green Peas


1/2 kilo minced beef, (I pick up lean meat)
1 large or 2 medium sized onions, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies, finely chopped
5-6 curry leaves
1″ cinnamon
6 cloves
5-8 black pepper corns, whole
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 potato, cubes
1/3 cup green peas
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1-1 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a large vessel. Carefully tip in the cinnamon stick, cloves and pepper corns. When they warm up and release their flavors, add the curry leaves and let it sputter. Be careful not to burn it.

Add the onions and green chillies and sauté till the onions have softened, stirring to avoid burning.


Add the ginger garlic paste and let it fry off for a couple of minutes, stirring well to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the vessel and burn.


When the onions have slightly browned, add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder and garam masala powder. Still well and let the spices fry out for a few seconds.


Add the minced beef, and sear it well on a medium high heat, till it browns, stirring well. 


When you see that all of it has browned, (no pink patches should be visible) and it has released some of its juices, add salt to taste and the Worcestershire sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and green peas. Stir well and let it cook for about a minute or so.


Add about a cup of water to the pot. Let it come to a boil. Cover and simmer till the meat is cooked. If you see that there’s too much liquid left in the pot after the meat has cooked completely, cook uncovered on a medium heat till the liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.


Lastly add the chopped coriander leaves and stir it in.


Enjoy it hot!!!




This recipe is linked to –   
Full Plate Thursday
What’s Cooking Thursdays
Thrilling Thursday
Its a Keeper

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Beef, Goan Recipes, Mains, Recipes

Healthy Spring Rolls

by Trisha Vaz
I know, you’re thinking ‘How can spring rolls be healthy?’ These I know for sure are at least healthier that the deep fried variants. Theres no flour, no oil, its almost like a salad. If you’re looking for an interesting side, not to mention impressive looking one, once you get the hang of it, these spring rolls are the way to go. They are an interesting way of serving up some greens. The best part is, there’s practically no cooking involved and the rolls are so versatile you can use whatever you like (or have at hand) for the filling. These rolls are light and tasty, you can leave out the seafood and make it completely meatless. I think it would add a nice touch to any party spread too.

To be honest, I was pressed for time when I made these and hadn’t really planned on making them. So I had to make do with whatever I had on hand and improvise as I went along. I didn’t have a dipping sauce at hand and didn’t have the time to whip one up at the last minute. The next time I make these, I think I’ll make the sauce in advance. Anyway, I knew there had to be something saucy to go with the rolls. So what I did was, combine a cocktail sauce that I use for my shrimp cocktail with these rolls. You could think of these as shrimp cocktails in a wrapper =o)  I was quite happy with the way they turned out and I plan on serving these at the next party or family gathering, whichever comes first.

Healthy Spring Rolls


4 sheets of Rice paper
A few prawns, peeled, de-veined and boiled for a few minutes with a pinch of salt till tender
Some iceberg lettuce, chopped fine
A carrot, julienned
A cucumber, julienned
A few fresh coriander leaves whole
2-3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp tomato sauce/ketchup
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
Salt, to taste
Freshly crushed black pepper, to taste

The trick to assembling these well, is to prep everything and keep it ready.

For the cocktail sauce, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup and Tabasco sauce in a bowl. Taste and adjust the flavors to your linking. If you like a hit of spice, you can use a tomato-chilly sauce and some extra Tabasco sauce.

Cut up all the veggies and keep aside.

I slit my prawns in half, lengthwise, like Candace suggested.

To assemble the rolls – 


Place warm water in a shallow dish large enough to fit your sheets of rice paper.

Dip the sheets of rice paper in the water for a few seconds till they have softened and then place them on a flat tray or cutting board.

Place the ingredients prepped for the filling in the center. I placed the coriander leaves first, I like how they look through the wrappers. Place the veggies and prawns. Season with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spoon some of the cocktail sauce over the filling and roll the wrapper tightly to form a spring roll.

Just to give you an idea I included the first sheet I rolled. It wasn’t rolled snug enough.Its the first one on the left. I wrapped the others tighter and I think they look so much better than the first one.

I hope these instructions can be understood. I now realize that it would have been simpler if I had pictures for each step. In any case, you can visit Candace’s blog for a step by step pictorial demo. Her spring rolls are really pretty.

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to –
A Little Birdie Told Me
Hearth and Soul
Tasty Tuesdays
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tuesday’s at the Table
Delectable Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try
What’s On the Menu Wednesday
Real Food Wednesday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Seafood, Sides, Starters / Appetizers

A Glimpse of Spring – A Basket of Flowers Cake

by Trisha Vaz
This is a cake I’d made a couple of years ago. I know it’ll bring some cheer to those of you longing for warmer weathers. I for one, can’t wait for summer to end. I think I’ve had my share of the heat. This cake is really simple to put together. This cake is covered with marzipan and fondant and decorated with royal icing and gumpaste flowers. Everything is made from scratch. I will try and put up a step by step post when I make this again. It will also dress up an Easter table well. I think it makes a lovely gift for Mother’s Day too.

It is a heart shaped cake with a basket weave pipping to resemble the basket, dotted with gumpaste daisies and royal icing pipped leaves, finished off with a bow made out of curling ribbon.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Recipes

Caldeirada or Goan Fish Stew

by Trisha Vaz
Goa – what can I say about this little piece of heaven? Well, our ancestors hail from Goa and ever since I was a little girl, we spent most of our summer holidays there. Even today, my husband and I love going there. We drive down for a few days whenever we get the chance. Goa is along the West Coast of India and the place really needs no introduction. Folks from all over the world holiday here. It has some really amazing beaches, lots of Portuguese influence in the culture (the architecture, the way of life and the food) and, in my opinion, some of the best food, especially the traditional Goan seafood preparations.

This recipe is a mild stew compared to the otherwise spicy food found there. This is the second time I’ve made it and I’ve got to tell you I love it. Its easy to make, the flavors are clean, the colors are really vibrant and have I mentioned that its really delicious. You really should try this, you wont regret it. This one is definitely a keeper for me. The recipe I used is from this really great book that I picked up a couple of years ago called “The Essential Goa Cookbook” by Maria Teresa Menezes. This is a book I use very often and I’ve never been disappointed.
Caldeirada
Adapted from: The Essential Goa Cookbook

6 slices large fish, or 6 small fish whole (I used Kingfish)
10 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1″ ginger, chopped fine
4 green chillies, chopped fine (I used 3)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3 large onions, sliced to get rings
3 large tomatoes, slice to get rings
1 tbsp vinegar (I used Apple Cider Vinegar)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish
Clean and wash the fish. Apply a little salt and keep the fish aside for about half an hour.
Mix the ginger, garlic, chilly and turmeric powder and a little salt in a bowl. 
In a shallow pan, arrange half of the onion slices to form a layer. Layer half the tomatoes over it. Place half the fish over it and sprinkle half the spice mix over it. Repeat the layers with the rest of the onions, tomatoes, fish and spice mix. 
Over this, pour the olive oil, vinegar and one cup of water. Do this carefully so as to not disturb the layers. 
Cover the pan and cook on a medium heat till the fish is done. Shake the pan gently and tilt it to prevent the contents from sticking to the pan. 
Turn off the heat when the fish is cooked and sprinkle with the chopped coriander leaves. Cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
We had this with some plain rice. 
Enjoy!!!
This recipe is linked to – 

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Goan Recipes, Mains, Recipes, Seafood

Homemade Doughnuts – Three ways

by Trisha Vaz
I’m really excited as I write this post. Those of you following my blog will know that I’ve been venturing into the world of baking with yeast lately. Obviously this is just the tip of the ice berg. There is so much more I need to learn and try. But so far its been great fun. So when I made these doughnuts yesterday and they turned out great, I was thrilled to bits. Now, for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been craving doughnuts. Sinful, luscious, indulgent doughnuts. Strangely this craving pops around over the weekend. The past couple of weekends have been a little busy, so I really haven’t been able to do anything about this craving for a long time. But this weekend I needed to get my doughnut fix. I really didn’t want to stop by the mall and pick up a box of doughnuts. I wanted to try making them on my own. I had bookmarked a recipe that I liked a few months ago. And please don’t laugh, but I really wanted to try out this doughnut cutter that I’d picked up over a year ago. I tend to do that every now and then, buy stuff planning to put it to good use, but sometimes it gets pushed right back to the deep dark recesses of my shelf and doesn’t see the light of day for a while. But now I can happily justify this impulse buying. **wink*wink**

These doughnuts are fried, but are not in the least bit greasy. They are ever so light and did I mention, really delicious. The dough is not too sweet, just the way I like it. And I think I got a little carried away while dressing them up. I had some with a vanilla glaze, some with a chocolate glaze and some dipped in cinnamon sugar. The cinna-sugar ones were my favorite. I would also suggest making sure your vanilla glaze is nice and thick or else it won’t be seen. You can’t really tell but the vanilla glaze is supposed to be a lovely yellow. In any case, they are really delicious, so no one will really mind. I halved the recipe and I got 19 doughnuts. I guess your yield will depend on the size of you cutter. The recipe below is the full one that should yield 30. 
Homemade Doughnuts
Recipe from: La Mia Vita Dolce
4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
3 tbsp caster sugar
100g butter, melted
3 eggs
4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Activate the yeast by placing the water, milk, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Keep aside for 10 minutes. It will turn into a frothy concoction, indicating that the yeast is active.
Mix the flour, butter, eggs and the yeast mixture to form a sticky dough.
Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for about 45 minutes or till the dough has doubled in size.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface till it becomes smooth and elastic.
Roll on a lightly floured surface and cut out. Place the doughnuts on lightly greased baking paper. Cover with a tea towel and keep aside for about 30 minutes to rise.
Heat oil for deep frying. Carefully fry the doughnuts on a medium flame till golden brown. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
For the chocolate glaze – 
(Makes enough to glaze the whole batch)
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup warm milk
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Sift icing sugar and keep aside.
Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted.
Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted.
Turn off heat, add the icing sugar, and whisk until smooth.
Dip the doughnuts in this glaze and sprinkle as desired. 
For the Vanilla glaze
(Makes enough to glaze the whole batch)

¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
Gel paste food colouring (if using)

Warm the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan set over low heat.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk slowly until well combined.

If tinting glaze, using a toothpick, add a drop of gel paste at a time, whisking to combine well, until you’ve reach the desired colour.

Remove from heat and set over a bowl of warm water (you may have to reheat over low heat occasionally).

Dip the doughnuts in the glaze and sprinkle as desired.




Cinnamon Sugar Topping

1 cup caster sugar
Cinnamon powder 
1/4 cup Melted butter

Mix the caster sugar and enough cinnamon powder, till you get the intensity of flavor you are looking for.

Dip the doughnut very briefly in the melted butter and then dip in the sugar and cinnamon mix to coat well.


This recipe has been linked to – 
Sweet Tooth Friday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Bread, Cakes, Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Recipes, Snacks

Ice Tea – The Lemon and the Strawberry way

by Trisha Vaz
UPDATE: If you don’t have loose tea leaves in your pantry, you don’t need to buy some just to make this. Simply use tea bags to make the tea and then proceed as mentioned below. Enjoy!

In my part of the world, summer is upon us in all its glory. Sometimes I think that besides a couple of weeks that we can call the monsoon and an even shorter time span that we call winter, what we experience is varying degrees of summer. How I long for colder weather. Anyway, to help deal with the heat levels around here, we make a good pitcher of Ice Tea. We’ve tried a couple of flavors and I think they’re simply lovely. We’ve also sampled the ready powdered stuff that you get, brands like Lipton and Nestea and stuff, but let me tell you, there’s nothing better than the real deal. It takes a few minutes more to make, but its so worth it.

Lemon Ice Tea

3 cups water
1/2 tsp tea leaves
2 lemons / limes
Sugar, to taste
Sprigs of mint, to garnish
Ice cubes, as required
Bring the water to a boil. 
Tip in the tea leaves and let it simmer for about 30 seconds to a minute. If you like a stronger tea flavor, let it simmer longer. If you prefer it mild, you should take it off the stove sooner.
Strain the tea to get rid of the tea leaves. Add sugar to taste. (You can substitute with a sweetener of your choice.)
Let the tea cool down.
Add the juice of about 2 limes. Again, taste and see how much citrus you’d like.
Give it a good stir.
Decant in glasses with lots of ice. 
Garnish with a sprig of mint or a wedge of lime.
Strawberry Ice Tea

For this variant, make the tea just like you would for the lemon ice tea.
Add the sweetener of your choice. 
We like to add some lime juice to this as well. It adds a nice touch. Of course, quantity needs to be adjusted to suit your preference.
Lastly, add some strawberry puree or crush to this and stir well. Don’t forget to top the glass with some ice. What you see at the bottom of the glass is a whole strawberry to munch on after you’re done with the drink.
Make your own ice tea. You will get hooked, and yeah, in the bargain you’ll beat the heat as well.
This recipe is linked to – 

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Beverages, Recipes