Simple Chickpea Hummus … some things are good when kept basic. It’s nice to master the simplest form of a recipe, then treat is as a canvas and build on it. This is my simplest hummus, absolutely no fuss and finger licking good. It uses basic pantry ingredients if you don’t count the tahini that is. You could always skip it, or make your own. However, a bottle of tahini in the fridge is always handy, and lasts for absolutely forever.I am probably the laziest cook you’d ever find even though I do everything from scratch. So whenever I soak chickpeas overnight for a chana masala the next day, I make sure I soak LOTS! That way I have a cooked batch ready for this, that, AND everything in between. Think savoury chickpea parfaits, oven roasted spicy chickpeas {great snack by the way}, chickpea pumpkin salad, falafal … and so much more.Just toss a handful of cooked chickpeas in any salad to get a hearty helping of plant protein and fibre too. If you are like me, a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of chaat masala or sea salt, maybe chopped onions, green chilies & fresh coriander and my meal is done! Layer this with a nicely spike garlic Greek yogurt, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, maybe some nice crispy topping to finish it off … and you have a parfait you can carry to work!
Simple Chickpea Hummus ... some things are good when kept basic. It's nice to master the simplest form of a recipe, then treat is as a canvas and build on it. This is my simplest hummus, absolutely no fuss and finger licking good. It uses basic pantry ingredients if you don't count the tahini that is.
Keyword eggless, gluten free, glutenfree, no bake
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Total Time 5 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Chickpea Hummus
2cupscooked chickpeasroom temperature
3clovesgarlic
1tbsptahini
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1tspSea salt
1tsproasted cumin powder
Juice of 1 lime
a little aqua faba if required
Garnish
Pomegranate pearls and fresh mint to garnish
A glug of extra virgin olive oil to pour over
Instructions
Place all ingredients except aqua faba in jar of food processor. I used the KitchenAid artisan blender
Process until smooth, adding a little aqua faba if required.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Transfer to a bowl. Top with a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate pearls and fresh mint.
Chocolate Walnut Granola & a Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart … yes it’s two recipes in one post today because one thing led to another. The chocolate walnut granola I made is minimally adapted from the recipe at Minimalist Baker was fabulous and needed to be celebrated. I thought it might fit straight into a tart, yet I didn’t want to do a breakfast tart. The chocolate walnut granola needed some hard core coffee something and that’s just what the tart turned out to be.
It was just one of those days where I began sorting out the larder, and bits and bobs of leftovers were strewn across the counter. Some popped amaranth, a bag of flax seeds, a 1/4 tin of cocoa powder, some coconut sugar. Just looking at ingredients like this reminds me of granola, possibly cookies, and before I knew it I hit Google search! Easiest way to find a delicious end to small portions of leftover ingredients. In so many more ways than one, Google is still God! Always has an answer.
One of the first results was the granola from Dana who has one of the most fun pages on Instagram, a place where you can literally bookmark every recipe to try! Thought her feed is vegan and gluten free, I adapted her recipe to use things I had on hand. I just had to bake the granola a little longer as it took forever to crispen up. Of course, that was quite expected since I had lowered the baking temperature since I’m quite wary of chocolate burning in the oven. Also, as with any altered recipe, ingredients tend to behave differently, so it’s best to keep an eye out!
Both the Chocolate Walnut Granola & a Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart are relatively healthier and you get good plant fibre and a hearty dose of protein. The coffee cream is as simple as it gets. Whipping cream, mascarpone, instant coffee, sugar & Kahlua which nestles luxuriously in the baked chocolate granola walnut tart base. It’s eggless, it’s vegetarian and it’s gluten free. It can be easily turned vegan too if you follow the basic sea salt dark chocolate granola recipe. Also, for the filling, maybe use coconut cream? You could also make a vegan lemon curd if you like, and top the tart with berries! All yours!
Chocolate Walnut Granola & a Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart
This Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart is a relatively healthier tart since you get good plant fibre and a hearty dose of protein. The coffee cream is as simple as it gets. Whipping cream, mascarpone, instant coffee, sugar & Kahlua which nestles luxuriously in the baked chocolate granola walnut tart base. It's eggless, it's vegetarian and it's gluten free. It can be easily turned vegan too.
Salted Caramel Sauce … some recipes are so simple yet so amazing that you keep going back to them over and over again. This recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce is one of them. Basic, simple, four ingredient, indulgent good and always handy to have on hand. Dangerous too since you somehow keep walking towards the jar to get ‘just another little spoonful‘!
Everyone has their own version of it, and why shouldn’t they. Something this simple should be stirred up often, shared often, gifted for no reason at all, drizzled over dessert. Just a tiny serving of this sweet salty magic adds so much oomph to dessert, whether chocolate or otherwise. It makes for a great gift too if you can keep yourself from spooning it into your mouth before that. It’s also great drizzled over ice cream, pies, in cookies, over waffles, on cheesecake … so much!
The recipe doesn’t require fancy equipment like candy thermometers etc. Also it needs is just 4 simple everyday pantry ingredients namely sugar, butter, cream and salt. Most importantly, it needs your attention, so keep that phone at bay. Also, since sugar can burn very easily and is very very hot once melted, best to keep kids and any other distraction away as well.
You simply need to melt the sugar down in a heavy bottom pan until it’s completely dissolved and looks clear and a beautiful light golden. From here on move fast, so keeping the ingredients lined up is key. Add the butter to the beautiful golden melted sugar and you’ll find very rapid bubbling takes place for a couple of minutes while the butter melts. That’s the different temperatures and consistency trying to even out. I added diced butter straight out of the freezer and it was no problem at all. Once that sizzles and spatters, melting into the sugar giving out the most delicious aromas, you gently add the cream.
Here is where you need to be even more careful because again for a few seconds the mixture sizzles and coughs at you like an angry monster {okay, slight exaggeration, but I did need you to be careful}. Then it all submits most beautifully into a Salted Caramel Sauce! As you can see, I use it often!
See, S I M P L E! Told you. Please make a jar ASAP. I know it’s indulgent, I know the calories are high, but just a little drizzle goes a long way mostly…… unless of course you want to make a Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart! Now we’re talking. Honestly. I made a gluten-free Quinoa Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart a few days ago while working with organic flours for a client. That turned out drop dead delicious. Tell you what. You make a jar of this Salted Caramel sauce, and I’ll share that recipe next! Deal?
Salted Caramel Sauce … some recipes are so simple yet so amazing that you keep going back to them over and over again. This recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce is one of them. Basic, simple, four ingredient, indulgent good and always handy to have on hand. Dangerous too since you somehow keep walking towards the jar to get ‘just another little spoonful’!
Keyword dessert, eggless, glutenfree, homemade, no bake, sweet
Prep Time 2 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 12 minutesminutes
Servings 1jar
Ingredients
1cupgranulated sugar
½cupsingle cream
½cupunsalted butter
½tspSea salt
Instructions
Keep all the ingredients ready. Be careful when you work with melting sugar.
Place the sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, stir a couple of times, else swirl the pan.
Once all the sugar has melted to an even brown, work swiftly because sugar tends to burn very fast. Immediately add the butter {mine was straight out of the freezer} and simmer until the butter has melted, stirring often, for a couple of minutes. Be careful since the mixture might splatter.
Now carefully drizzle in the cream as the mixture will continue to bubble rapidly and splatter until the temperatures settle.
Stir in the sea salt, simmer for a minute. Allow to cool a little bit, then pour into a jar, or use as desired. The sauce continues to thicken up as it cools.
Refrigerate the sauce once cool. It stays good for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Notes
Note: Store in a lidded glass jar. Heat in the microwave briefly for 10-20 seconds before using.
Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Dessert Cakes. Happy World Chocolate Day!! For this special day, I’m sharing something indulgent, something simple, quite delightful, immensely satisfying, pretty, petite … so many adjectives to describe these little cakes. Then again, that’s the beauty of baking with chocolate as an ingredient, and also why it has its own special day!Volumes has been written on the benefits of chocolate, how good it is for you if used well. The more I work with chocolate, the more I fall in love with the promise it holds. It’s an empty canvas to play with, it seldom disappoints, there’s always takers for the end product, and you got to admit, it makes for pretty pictures.There was a time I used to find shooting chocolate very challenging indeed. To be able to bring out the beauty of chocolate desserts or bakes is now quite fun. I sometimes get it right, sometimes not, but it’s a fabulous learning experience. I have had such a satisfying time styling and shooting chocolate, that any opportunity is grabbed, no questions asked!So obviously, for World Chocolate Day, I HAD to share something chocolate, something I baked two days ago, something that I got a whole lot of requests for on Instagram where I shared an image. These petite indulgent Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Dessert Cakes.These little beauties are gluten free, use buckwheat flour – a pseudo cereal, are refined sugar free and use clarified butter. The Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Dessert Cakes are rich and indulgent too, just apt to celebrate this special ingredient on its special day! Do remember to serve them at room temperature or not straight out of the fridge at least. The high ratio of chocolate and clarified butter needs to soften up to allow for the taste to come through! Serve them with a drizzle of unsweetened cream, a cream chantilly, a fruit compote, a coulis, fresh berries, salted caramel sauce, whatever catches your fancy.
Oh, and HAPPY WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY! Treat yourself to a ton of this good stuff!
Deep, dark, CHOCOLATY, indulgent and gluten free, these Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Dessert Cakes do really please the die hard chocolate lover. Use a semi sweet chocolate if you like instead, top these with unsweetened cream, a cream chantilly, a fruit compote, a coulis, fresh berries, salted caramel sauce, whatever catches your fancy.
Keyword chocolate, dessert, glutenfree, sweet
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Ingredients
150gdark couverture chocolate
35ghoney
85gclarified butter {ghee}
1egg
30gbrown sugar
20gbuckwheat flour {kuttu ka aata}
1/2tspvanilla bean powder
Instructions
Preheat oven to 170C. Line 6 3″ dessert rings with foil. Place on baking tray.
Place the chocolate, butter and honey in a large bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, one minute at a time until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
Beat the egg with the 30g brown sugar and vanilla bean powder until fluffy and mousse like.
Fold 1 tbsp chocolate mix into beaten egg to lighten it. Fold remaining egg mix into chocolate mix. Gently fold the buckwheat flour in.
Divide into desert rings and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until slightly firm to touch.
Cool completely in rings and chill for 30 minutes.
Top the cooled cakes with dark chocolate shards and berries.
Serve at room temperature. { Can be made a day ahead and chilled. Allow to come slightly to room temperature before serving}
Jamun/ Wild Indian Java Plum Mousse. When Jamuns {wild Indian Java plums} are in season, a Jamun Mousse is always on the cards, a simple no bake dessert made at least once in the season. Jamuns are an acquired taste because of the astringent edge the fruit has, so the jamun mousse also carries a hint of that edge. If you enjoy jamuns, you will enjoy this.The secret to a smooth mousse is a smooth fruit puree, and this is no different. When we were kids, the first jamuns would only appear during the monsoons. We’d shake them off the trees, foraging was the only way to get to them. A small sprinkle over of rock salt and they would macerate, yielding the most amazing purple juice and taste that would shock the tongue in the nicest of ways. That the clothes would be purple, not to forget purple stained teeth, tongue, fingers & nails for days together. That was the joy of being oblivious to the parental stares of disapproval!Slowly over the last decade, jamun trees are the domain of birds, and kids nowadays don’t love the astringent taste as we did. Besides, they’re so spoilt for choice with so many more fruits now available, so foraging is a thing of the past. Lives in my memories with other fruit like shahtoot {mulberries} , ber {Indian jujube} and mangoes we ate off trees. Now everything comes neatly packaged at the local fruit vendor!However, to cut a long story short, must make the best of what the times have to offer. Use fruit in season when the taste is the best, ripeness at its peak. With jamuns flooding the market, this regional stone fruit makes for a great dessert, the Jamun/ Wild Indian Java Plum Mousse.… and with some left over fruit puree, I made these chia seed breakfast puddings. I’ll share the recipe next if you like!
Jamun/ Wild Indian Java Plum Mousse
When Jamuns {wild Indian Java plums} are in season, a Jamun Mousse is always on the cards.
Jamuns are an acquired taste because of their astringent edge, so the jamun mousse also carries a hint of the edge. If you enjoy jamuns, you will enjoy this.
The secret to a smooth mousse is a smooth fruit puree.
Keyword dessert, eggless, fruit, gluten free, glutenfree, no bake, sweet
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 3 hourshours40 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Jamun puree
500gJamun/ Wild Indian Java Plum
50graw sugar/boora
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
Whipped cream filling
50mlmilktepid
1 1/2tspgelatin
100gwhite chocolate
400mlsingle cream
30mlclarified butter {ghee}melted, cooled
50graw sugar/boora
Topping
1tspbrown sugar
1tsplime juice
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
Fresh mint to garnish
Instructions
Jamun puree
Wash the jamun well, drain, ass 50g sugar. Leave to macerate for about 30 minutes. Mash well with clean hands, removing as much pulp as possible. Blend the pulp until smooth, stir in the balsamic vinegar. Chill. Can be made a day in advance if need be.
Reserve 1/2 cup for topping. Add 1 tbsp brown sugar to this reserved cup, and microwave for 30 seconds, full power. Stir to mix, then stir in lime juice and salt. Chill.
Jamun Mousse
Melt the white chocolate with 100ml cream. Whisk until smooth. Leave to cool.
Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tbsp of warm water. Leave to soften, then stir until clear. {Stand the bowl over warm water if required}
Place chilled cream, sugar and clarified butter/ghee in bowl of stand mixer and whisk on highest speed for 5-7 minutes until medium stiff peaks form.
Gently stir in the melted white chocolate mix and jamun puree, taking care not to lose the whipped in lightness of the cream. Taste for sweetness.
Strain over the gelatin mix, and gently fold in. Reserve 1/2 cup and pour the rest into stem glasses.
Stir about 1 tbsp of the reserved jamun pulp into the 1/ 2 cup reserved mousse, and top each glass. Leave to set in fridge.
Once set, top with jamun topping and fresh mint leaves.
Saffron Cheesecake …the best thing ever! Smooth, beautifully flavoured, most addictive, so satisfying. I know I’ve said this before, but honestly, this is my ALL TIME favourite cheesecake, a recipe I’m sharing here today. Flavouring this beautiful recipe is a very special product, the best quality saffron I’ve ever used, and it’s from Tahmina International. There is a heart-warming story behind the brand, and how it contributes back to society; a brave story that helps communities in conflict zones.One whiff of Tahmina transports you into another world, and I’m not kidding. I use a lot of saffron, always ensuring its good quality. After all you can’t go wrong with the most expensive spice in the world!I still remember when my son came back home from school years ago telling me they had learnt about the most expensive spice in the world! He was most impressed by his mothers in-depth knowledge when she said must be saffron! And his eyes opened as big as saucers when I showed him some from my pantry. He thought I was the richest mama in the whole world! Little did he know that in almost every kitchen here in India, there will always be saffron!Saffron is an inherent part of our existence, deeply rooted in our culture, both culinary and religious. While most auspicious ceremonies are embarked upon by a ’tilak’ that includes saffron, a wide variety of Indian desserts are delicately flavoured by this beautiful spice. You’ll also find savoury dishes that celebrate the fragrance – kormas, pulaos, kebabs and so much more. A little goes a long way, which is why using the best quality you can find makes so much sense.
We have always used saffron at home. My old aunt still makes her caramel custard with saffron as the central flavour and swears by it. I use saffron a lot too, and it’s one of my all-time favourite spices. One of my favourite uses has been my own special version of the Indian rice pudding or Zafrani Phirini, a recipe that I fast tracked to make super simple. Of course, now I have a new favourite, this Saffron Cheesecake flavoured most luxuriously and deeply by Tahmina’s saffron. That brings me to Tahmina. Derived from the Persian word ‘tahm‘, meaning strong and brave, Tahmina is an international brand with a vision to export transformational products from different conflict areas of the world. Their belief that economic development is one of the sustainable agents of change to war-torn societies resonates with me deeply, knowing that positivity like this can bring about much-needed change in a world torn apart by strife. It was heartening to hear the story, first hand for me as I was fortunate enough to meet the founder of Tahmina International in Gurgaon recently. She spoke so passionately about their maiden project, Afghan Saffron and Saffron-infused Teas, that I was moved. To see a brand so young and so brave, with such a strong vision to make the world a better place fills me with pride. To be able to get one of Afghanistan’s best luxury products saffron to international markets by connecting local farmers, employing Afghan women, and helping to develop an industry that can offer meaningful alternatives to an illicit drug economy is so meaningful. Tahmina breathes and lives this dream. They work hand in hand with communities, speak the local language fluently and are extremely proud of the quality of saffron made available to the international market.And proud Tahmina should be. I take in strong whiffs of the saffron as I pry open the beautifully designed box. When I first saw the branding and packaging, I was smitten. It was love at first sight. The colours, the design, the branding, the concept. For me, everything works like magic! And believe me, try a few strands of Tahmina’s saffron, and you will know what I mean. As the world’s most expensive spice sees a growing demand internationally, the popularity soaring, it’s so easy to fall prey to poor quality saffron.While Afghan saffron struggles to demand a good price in the international market, currently priced almost a seventh the price of Spanish saffron, Afghan saffron has been named the best in the world by the International Taste & Quality Institute for three years running. Given the relatively newer and largely underdeveloped saffron industry in Afghanistan, proper development and branding of this quality product should fetch it recognition and the price that is rightly due. Tahmina is working towards shaping this future, raising hopes to rewrite their story!And if the saffron is as good as this, it can only be a win win situation for all. The flavours became deeper chilling in the fridge overnight, the cheesecake beautifully fragrant. It tasted like heaven! Light, silky, smooth, sensuous, all the flavours tying in beautifully. It’s a luxurious yet simple cheesecake to bake. I often bake large cheesecakes, but this time chose to bake little and medium-sized ones.The fun part was dressing them up with the saffron mascarpone frosting, then adding the garnish. I love how pretty all the colours look, like a dessert worth celebrating. The Saffron Cheesecake can be made a day or two ahead, frosted a day ahead too. It holds really well, so in many ways is the perfect dessert for a special celebration.And one last word before I leave you, do try their Saffron Black Tea Blend too. I’m not a huge tea drinker but I love iced tea in summer. I made a cold brew with the tea bags {look at that colour!}, sweetened it with a little honey, and added pomegranate pearls to the glass. So refreshing, and bursting with saffron flavour. So potent! I’ve got another saffron dessert brewing in my head as I write. Another time perhaps…
Saffron Cheesecake …the best thing ever! Smooth, beautifully flavoured, most addictive, so satisfying. I know I’ve said this before, but honestly, this is my ALL TIME favourite cheesecake. Flavouring this beautiful recipe is a very special product, the best quality saffron I’ve ever used from Tahmina International.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 6 hourshours10 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
Biscuit base
200gdigestive biscuits
25gpistachiosfinely chopped
50gunsalted butter
1pinchsaffron strandsgenerous
Saffron Cheesecake Filling
150gmascarpone
175gcream cheese
300gsweetened condensed milk
200gsingle cream
25gcornflour
3eggs
1/2tspvanilla bean paste
1tspsaffron strands
Mascarpone Saffron Cream
100gmascarpone
50gwhipping cream
15g{1 tbsp} icing sugar
1pinchsaffron strandsgenerous
To garnish
saffron strands
Pistachio slivers
Organic rose petals
Instructions
Biscuit base
Preheat the oven at 180C. Prepare one loose bottomed 8-9" round tin, or smaller tins as desired. Lightly grease the inside, and wrap the outside with heavy duty foil. Place on baking tray.
Place all ingredients except pistachios in jar of processor. Process until fine breadcrumb like mix. Stir in chopped pistachios.
Turn into prepared tin, press gently. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on rack, then top with saffron cheesecake filling.
Saffron Cheesecake Filling
Place all ingredients other than saffron in jar of processor. Blend for 30 seconds to a minute until well mixed together. {I used the Thermomix, Speed 7, 20 seconds}
Add the saffron strands and mix in on low speed {Thermomix, Reverse speed 4, 5 seconds}
Pour over biscuit base. Pour about 1 cup of water into baking tray.
Bake 170c for an hour/until slightly firm to touch. Cool completely, then cover and chill overnight.
Mascarpone Saffron Cream
Place whipping cream and sugar in a large bowl and whip to medium stiff peaks. Add mascarpone and whip on slow speed until blended, then add saffron strands and mix in on lowest speed for 20 seconds.
Transfer to piping bag fitted with star nozzle. Pipe over chilled cheesecake.
Garnish with pistachio slivers, saffron strands and fresh, organic rose petals.
