A Party Welcome Drink Idea

There's quite a story behind this drink and although I don't usually share much stories with the recipes, this one can't come without out so here goes. My dad's sister, athamma, is quite a cook but more than that, she is a very eager hostess. Whenever we go back home on vacation, dinner at her place is a done thing and all our favourites line up on the table from one end to the other.

She recently hosted my newly married niece and her family and my mom was very taken by the "welcome drink". She immediately got the recipe, got all the ingredients and was on the phone with me the next day insisting she will make it and send me pics for the blog. I said I wanted to be there as she made it and anyway, I was going home on vacation in another month or so. So she made this while I stood around taking a zillion pictures.

None of us know the name of this and my aunt got it from someone on her husband's side of the family so this drink shall just be called a party welcome drink idea.

The ingredients and combinations will sound a bit bizzarre but it was delicious!

A Party Welcome Drink Idea (Recipe)
Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients:
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp orange tang (experiment with flavours here)
1 litre chilled sprite or club soda
1-2tbsp sugar (increase if using club soda)
1 apple peeled and finely chopped
A few sprigs of fresh mint, finely chopped

How Its Made:

1. Add the condensed milk and tang to a bowl and whisk until well combined. (My mom uses what we call the "Horlicks beater" back home. Many years back, the UK version of Horlicks that was sold in duty paid shops came with these and my dad gifted one to his mom. She later gave it to my mom and she uses it to beat egg whites stiff, make cappuccino, and of course to make Horlicks).

2. Add the powdered sugar and give it another whisk. Then add sprite making sure you pour through the sides gently. The mixture will foam up quite a bit.

3. Transfer to glasses, top off with some chopped apples and mint, and serve cold with ice cubes if you like.

Serve immediately.

Green Mint Chutney & Cheese Sandwiches

Picnic food is fun to make, especially if you are not really going on a picnic but just pretending to on a rainy, weary weeknight.

About once a month, TH and I have sandwiches for dinner. Its just one of those inexplicable things we do.

Since I got my mint plant, there's no dearth of fresh mint and I love using fresh herbs in my cooking. Well, don't we all?

This is a quick sandwich recipe that works great for a picnic, tiffin box or even brunch or tea party. It tastes great and is filling too!

Mint Chutney and Cheese Sandwiches
Makes 4 - Serves 2

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread of your choice
4 slices of cheese

For the Mint Chutney:
A bunch of fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
1 green chilly
1/2 tsp minced garlic (optional)
A pinch of dry ginger powder or 1/2" piece of fresh ginger
Salt to taste

Grind all ingredients together with very little water to a smooth paste.

To assemble and toast the sandwiches: Spread a generous amount of the mint chutney on one side of the bread slice. Top with a slice of cheese and toast in a sandwich maker until done. You can also toast in a pan on the stovetop with a pat of butter until both sides are golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Serve hot with ketchup.

Mint / Pudina Coconut Chutney Recipe

I bought a mint plant the other day and its growing like a wild bush in its small pot. To use up some of the fresh and insanely flavourful leaves, I made a mint coconut chutney to go with wheat dosas. 

Yes, they are over-exposed, but too lazy to edit much :D

Its incredibly simple and takes all of 10 mins to whip up. That's my kind of dinner, any day night!

Mint / Pudina Coconut Chutney
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh grated coconut (not desiccated)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
2 shallots
A tiny piece of ginger
A tiny piece of tamarind
2 green chillies (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste

To make chutney - grind all ingredients with very little water. Serve immediately with dosa, or even rice. This goes really well with the slightly dense and bland wheat dosa.

All pictures in this post taken in the home made light box for food photography.

Pudina Pulao / Mint Rice Recipe

A bunch of you have been complaining about the rice recipes I have been posting over the last couple of weeks saying if I post all the rice recipes, then what do you all send me for The Monthly Mingle :D Its a good point, but don't hesitate to send me the same dish. I am sure that the same dish can me made a zillion different ways and it will be interesting to see that too.


Anyway, I made this mint rice about a month back because I got a huge bunch of mint leaves from the Indian vegetable market and had no clue what to do with it all. There is only so much you can use up to make mint chutney, right?

The rice came out super nice and since TH is a huge mint fan, he loved it too!

Pudina Pulao / Mint Rice
Serves : 2 to 3

What I Used:

2 cups rice (I used basmati rice)
2 cups fresh mint leaves / pudina, lightly packed
1 onion, chopped fine
3 to 4 green chillies
¼ cup grated coconut (fresh works best, frozen will do too)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
4 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
1" piece of cinnamon
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp ghee
12 roasted cashews for garnishing (optional)
Salt to taste

How I Made It:

1. If using basmati, soak the rice in 4 cups water for half an hour and cook in pressure cooker for 1 whistle. Once pressure leaves the cooker, spread out on a plate and let it cool without clumping. If using rice cooker or any other method, cook until the rice is done yet firm.

2. Grind the mint leaves with the coconut, green chillies and ginger / garlic (if using fresh) to a paste.

3. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the cashews until golden brown (if using) and drain. Add the spices - cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and star anise - and saute for about a minute, taking care not to burn them. Then add the chopped onions and saute unil it turns transparent.

4. Add the ground paste to the pan and fry for about 2 to 3 mins until it turns fragrant. Again, take care not to burn! Add salt.

5. Mix in the cooled rice without breaking it too much. Garnish with the roasted cashews and serve with a raita of choice.

Rush in your rice recipes (mixed rice, biryani, pulao, poha, rice flour, etc) for this month's Monthly Mingle - Ravishing Rice event at Edible Garden. Last date for entries is June 15, 2009.