July - August are months when the mango season is at its fag end but, we see a lot of Totapuri mangoes in the market. These mangoes have a distinctive diamond shape and differ in taste from the favorite Alphonso mangoes.

Totapuri mangoes are excellent for making Mango Murabba, a great accompaniment wit any meal. Here is how you can make it -

Mango Murabba

Ingredients:

· 2 medium ripe Totapuri mangoes about 3/4 kg in weight
· 2 cups sugar
· 15 cardamoms
· 2 glasses water
· 1 pinch Boondi/ food colour

Procedure:

Peel the mangoes and cut into vertical strips. Peel the cardamoms and lightly crush the seeds.

In a thick bottomed pan put sugar and water and bring to the boil. Lower flame and let the sugar syrup boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add the mangoes and cardamom and allow to cook on low flame for about 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally, till the sugar syrup becomes thick. Add a pinch of colour and let the mangoes cook for a minute or two. Turn off flame. Allow the murabba to cool by placing the pan in a thali/ utensil with water and covered with a clean cloth. When cool, empty in a glass jar. Serve with hot puris or rotis. Refrigerate the bottle.

Rava Kesari (Sooji Halwa)

Monsoon is the perfect time to have hot rava kesari/ sooji halwa either for breakfast, dessert after lunch or a tea time snack. Sooji halwa is quick an easy to make and here's how you can do is yourself

Ingredients -

1. 1 small bowl/katori of rava or sooji 
2. Half bowl/katori sugar
3. 10 - 12 strands of saffron
4. 3 - 4 cardamoms (deseeded and crushed)
5. 3 - 4 tbl spoons pure ghee
6. 8 - 10 cashew nuts (slit into half)
7. 25 - 30 raisins 
8. 1 pinch bundi/food color (orange)
9. 2 bowls of water

Procedure - 

Put sugar, water, cardamom and saffron in a pan and boil till sugar is completely dissolved. Turn of flame and keep aside. In a thick bottomed can or kadhai, heat ghee, lower flame and add sooji/rava and saute in the ghee by turning it around for a few minutes till it gives out a strong aroma. 

Add sugar water and a pinch of colour and allow it to cook for a minute or two on a medium flame till the water is almost dry. Cover the pan and lower flame and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add cashew nuts and raisins and serve hot in an attractive glass bowl.

You can also serve individual helpings as shown in the picture. Fill a stainless steel bowl with the halwa and then turn it upside down on a plate

Hershey's now at Paanwalas

Innovation in food continues at all levels...from 5 star cuisine to the street corner sandwich wala and now also to the paanwala in Delhi.

This picture was taken on a recent visit, when I was amazed to see every paanwala in Connaught Place having an exotic menu board of offerings and a range of Hershey's syrups displayed on the counter, to dip the paans in.

Sauted Mushrooms & Raw Papaya and Carrot Salad

Over the weekend, I had a nice meal with friends at Salt Water Cafe in Bandra. We ordered their sauted mushrooms as a starter. They were really tasty. The mushrooms were slit into two, and sauted in a little butter, with finely chopped spring onion, a little ground garlic, salt & pepper and chopped parsley/ cilantro. A very quick, easy to make yummy starter.

We also ordered an interesting salad.... Raw papaya and carrot in mayonnaise dressing. The papaya and carrots were peeled and cut into very fine , long shreds and mixed with a little mayonnaise and served as a semi circular heap. Very unusual combination, but great taste!