PESAHA PAAL

For me Holy Thursday/ Mondy Thursday always meant long hours of standing outside the crowded church and then sipping on the hot Pesaha Paal from church and home.

This year, I had to call Amma to get the recipe and as usual I got a reply of 'li'l bit of this & a li'l bit of that' :) So, I decided to dance to the tune and make it! And the end result was really delicious!

PESAHA PAAL
Recipe source: Amma

Coconut milk from 4 coconuts [Both thin & thick milk]
Jaggery- 1 kg
Rice flour- 3/4 cup dissolved in 2 1/2 cups of water
Dry ginger powder- 1/2 - 1 tsp or to taste
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Melt jaggery using 2 cups of water. Strain it. Let it cool.
• Mix coconut milk + jaggery and cook it over a medium flame, stirring continously. Do not let it boil.
• When it  is heated thoroughly, add the rice flour dissolved in water.Stir well.
• Let it thicken a bit.
• Add the powdered spices.
• Let the milk cool down a bit.
• Serve.

Me & my mom like this the best when chilled. We make this only once a year but would love to have it all around the year! :D So,we usually make a large quantity, send a share of it to our friends &neighbours and keep the rest for ourselves.

This is usually served with Indri Appam which is an unleavened bread. I couldn't make it this year...so we broke an Irish Soda Bread. I fell in love with that bread so much that I need to knead one very soon! :)

♥Surprise Surprise!!♥ It's a Pink Surprise! ♥

It's been a WEEK since I last blogged???? That's exactly how I reacted this morning when I opened my blog. I got a bit busy having my cousin around .So I was determined to type out a post today no matter what!! :P So here I am with a SURPRISE for y'all, a Pink Suprise :)♥

Do you want to surprise your guests? Do you want to impress them? Then this is the recipe for you! Serve them as soon as they have comfortably settled in your homes and be ready (maybe carry a bucket too! :P ) to fetch the compliments they are going to shower upon you! :P :P :P But trust me, they will be floored! :) [Is Ria exaggerating?? Why don't you try it and find out for yourself?? :P]

This is a simple, quick,make-ahead drink which has been made over n over again in our house.

♥ Pink Surprise ♥

Recipe by my mom

Ingredients:

Black grapes- 1kg

Sugar-750g

Water-16 glasses

Method:

• Boil water and sugar together.
• Add washed grapes into it. Let it boil.
• When the grape skin starts to break open, stir and take it off fire. ( don't worry if 5-6 grapes stay adament and do not open up! :P )
• Strain the grapes and let it cool.Reserve the strained juice.
• Peel away the skin and squeeze the skin. Collect that juice and add it to the strained juice.
• Take another vessel which can hold that amount of juice.
• Pour the juice into that vessel from a height.( Yes! It will splatter a bit ...but go ahead! )
• Repeat this for another 3 -4 times.This will help to de-seed the grapes.
• Refrigerate the juice and use within 4 days.
• Pour into tall glass and serve. You can see the skinless,seed-less grapes floating on top.
• Now go ahead and surprise your guests! :)

Sip! Sip! Sip! and ENJOY!! ♥♥