Summer Siesta!

I love summers …I hate summers.. Don’t really know which is true. I hate it because everything is so hot and humid. It really kills me. 😰😰 But I have more and better reasons to love the summers! 

The drinks…the ice-creams…sorbets..popsicles! The “not so traditional” twist on the desi favourites!

I have done all this and more on PolkaPuffs! this summer…I like to call the Summer Siesta! 

Strawberry Panna cotta..

The name itself sounds so exotic , seductive and not to forget romantic 😍 I love the silken texture and the smoothness! And I am rather good at making them. 😉💃

Strawberry Panna cotta !

Spiced Mango Popsicle!

I have used some exciting flavours to give these popsicles a bit of warmth that will take you by surprise between icy cool licks!! ☺️

Spiced Mango Popsicles

Iced Green Tea Limeade!

This delicious twist on the popular lemonade results in a sweet, slightly tart & refreshing drink!

I’ve spiked it with a bit of fennel seeds (saunf) and the taste is amazing!

Iced Green Tea Limeade

No Churn Orange Ice Cream ! 😀

It’s summertime! It’s ice cream time! Who doesn’t crave ice creams in summers!? I know I do…
Why not start with a no – fail recipe, which requires just under 15 mins of prepping! 😋

No Churn Orange Ice Cream!

Mint & Kiwi Sorbet!

I adore Sorbets! They are so incredibly fresh and flavourful without being too loaded with calories! For those who haven’t yet tried it so far or heard much about it, Sorbet is a frozen dessert made with mildly sweet water flavoured with puréed fruits or liqueurs…whatever one prefers.. 😊 And it’s really a boon to know that it’s super easy to make these…🍧

Mint & Kiwi Sorbet!

Tropical Iced Tea!

Summers for me, call for a cooling and refreshing drink! Something healthy and easy to do !
Today I bring to you another of my homemade, easy and delicious drink that will leave you feeling refreshed! It’s my Tropical Iced Tea!

As the name suggests, it obviously has a strong flavour of tea…but what brings a twist to these beauties are the sunny tropical notes it’s sweet and tangy! Chilled and loaded with ice cubes! What more could one ask for on a hot summer day?!

Tropical Iced Tea

Thandaai Mousse!

My twisted take on everyone’s favourite! ☺️

Thandaai Mousse!

Dahi Wadas on a Skewer!

I gave our good, old Dahi Wadas a bit of swagger! 😉😉 check these babies out..!

Dahi Wadas on a Skewer!

Minty Pomegranate Mock Mojitos! 

So…it’s getting hotter here in Mumbai for the last couple of days..and my lemony, minty, zingy pomegranate mock Mojitos are perfect to beat the heat! They are super easy to make and total party pleasers!!

https://polkapuffs.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/minty-pomegranate-mock-mojitos-%f0%9f%8d-%b9%f0%9f%8d/?preview_id=102

I hope you guys will enjoy each of these soon… These are too good to let go!

Love,

Shreya ❤️

Strawberry Panna cotta !

….Panna cotta.. The name itself sounds so exotic , seductive and not to forget romantic 😍 I love the silken texture and the smoothness! And I am rather good at making them. 😉💃

But I wasn’t always “good” at making them ..LOL. Yeah , my first attempt was a blunder! Forget the “silken texture”, it looked more like split milk! I couldn’t save it. Quietly and quickly I threw everything away before Mr. PP could catch me! 👀😬 (sneaky me) this was almost a year ago. But I did try again last August and the results were better but definitely not there yet… Hmm, I would have to work on it! And work I did! Tried again the following week and nailed it! It was sweet, silky and dreamy 😇 Obviously I was happy! It was a basic Panna cotta with cream, milk sugar ..a bit of vanilla extract and China grass.. And I served it with some chopped kiwis. Ya you read it right, China grass or Agar Agar. I don’t do the version where u mix eggs , cream and honey & bake in a very low oven. Nah! I never tried that. It spelt disaster to me! LOL..

I didn’t exactly arrive on the recipe on my own, did some research all over the Internet..tips from Veg Indian Recipes and was able put together my recipe finally!

But when I planned to woo Him with something special this last Valentine’s Day… I thought of strawberries.. Chocolates … Cream. But I didn’t want to do Chocolates .. Had done something on those lines to ring in the New Yr. just a few weeks back.

Now Strawberries I wanted to use.. Although He isn’t to fond of them. I thought if I could only come up with something with a bit of strawberry and another element to go along. And that’s when I thought of Strawberry Panna cotta😋😋

I had the look in mind (in a jar) and even the recipe was ready. All I had to do was put it together…and those who have made this beauty on their own know that its relatively easy to put together this exotic yet easy dessert.

I have these beautiful jam jars that I saved from Moshe’s (yes, I love their jams & preserves) so the first thing I did was sterilise these beauties and air dry them. That’s actually the difficult part coz what follows is a cakewalk! 😉

Here goes the recipe… 🍓🍓

Yield : 6 servings

Equipments: 2 heavy bottomed sauce pans, a small whisk, a simple blender.

Ingredients for the Panna cotta:

200 ml Double cream / full fat cream ( I used Amul fresh cream)

1 cup full fat milk

1/4 cup fresh strawberry purée ( else use strawberry crush available in supermarkets )

1/2 cup superfine sugar ( use more as per your taste )

4 tsp chopped agar agar strands / 1.25 tsp of agar agar pwd

2/3 cups warm water to soak the agar agar strands / pwd

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the strawberry jelly layer :

1 cup fresh strawberry purée / store bought crush

2 tbsp superfine sugar (add more or less as per your taste)

4 tsp chopped agar agar / 1.25 tsp agar agar pwd

2/3 cup warm water to dissolve the agar agar

Method for the Panna cotta:

Soak the chopped agar agar or the powder in the warm water for 10-12 mins until completely dissolved.

Husk and clean the strawberries & purée them and divide into two parts of 1/4 cup and 1 cup separately. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan stir together the cream, milk and sugar for the Panna cotta. Let this mixture simmer gently on the stove until the mixture comes to very gentle boil, keep stirring the mixture with the wired whisk. The sugar has to melt completely. Once it has come to the boil, turn off the heat and add the strawberry purée & the the dissolved agar agar mixture to the cream & mix well with the whisk.

Pour this cream n strawberry mix into the serving bowls / jars up to 3/4th of its capacity & place them in the refrigerator to set for at least 1 hr.

Method for the strawberry jelly layer:

Dissolve the chopped or powdered agar agar in warm water for 10-12mins. It’s be dissolved. In another saucepan add the strawberry purée and sugar. Stir them together on gentle heat until the sugar has melted completely.

Now add the dissolved agar agar mixture to the strawberry coulis and stir well.

Remove the set Panna cotta bowls / jars from the refrigerator & pour a slightly thick layer of the strawberry jelly mix. Set the bowls / jars back in the refrigerator for another 1-2 hrs for the jelly to set.

You can garnish them as you please and serve cool.

Hope you will enjoy these as much as I did ☺️❤️

Love,

Shreya ☺️