Pucker Up & Spiked Cucu

Pucker Up (Right)

For the sweetest amongst the lot flying in from Minnesota – I had to make a super sweet drink (nonalcoholic ofcourse!) Here’s to R, pucker up!

Fruit Punch – 1.5 Measures

Ginger Ale – 1 Measure

Lemon Concentrate – 0.5 Measures

Mint Leaves

Stir together, and drop the mint leaves in. Let rest for a few minutes before serving!

Spiked Cucu (Left)

For the lady with a hugely successful food blog – a drink without spices wouldn’t do! So I made this pleasing cucumber drink that has a little spicy kick! This is to SS, affectionately called Gandy! Visit her blog here: www.thefoodoverip.com

1 Cucumber – Chopped roughly and crushed to extract the juices

Soda – 1 Measure

Mint Leaves

Lemon Pepper Powder – 1 teaspoon

Line the glass using a lemon wedge to wet the rim. Dip into a plate with lemon pepper salt to line the rim. Stir together ingredients and strain into a glass. Add the Mint Leaves and serve cold!

 

You can make these alcoholic by adding a bit of Tequila to both!

Peach Crush

Peach Crush

For my creative super star friend – I had to get creative and make a non-alcoholic drink with a twist! Here’s Peach Crush for S ! Visit her blog here: http://www.cinnamonsncloves.blogspot.com/

Peach Juice – 1 Measure

Orange Juice – 1 Measure

Mango Juice – 1 Measure

Soda – 1 Measure

Mint Leaves

Shake well, strain into a glass. Decorate with Mint Leaves and serve cold!

Hippie Chic

Hippie Chic

This cheery drink is for my lovely gal pal – R. She flew in from Netherlands for the girls and has been a strong pillar of support for most of us through college. Bold, Outspoken and yet Classy – describes both her and her wardrobe. Hence, this drink ….

 
Orange Juice – 1 Measure

Maraschino Cherry Juice – 0.5 Measures

Vodka – 1.5 Measures

Lemon Juice – 0.25 Measures

Lemon Soda – 2 Measures

Shake together, strain and decorate with lemon wedges and cherries!

Coffee Addict

Friends from around the world were here in NY in April! Our yearly ritual for 2013 was at the Big Apple ! S volunteered to spend the weekend with the boys, and the girls came over to my home. Reliving hostel times... chatting through the night, shopping and enjoying some quality girl time. And ofcourse - there was martini night, accompanied by Kati Rolls & Mani Sir movies.

I love to host, and I love bar-tending. I took it up a notch, and created personalized cocktails for each one of my friends this time. Here's the first amongst those - tailored for me :)

Coffee Addict

This one was for me. I am like a dead battery without my morning coffee! For a long night of partying – coffee is even more essential ! :)

UV Coconut Vodka - 1.5 Measures

Sugar Free Sweetener - 0.5 Measures

Freshly Brewed Coffee – 2 Measures

Shake with ice and strain into a glass. Line the martini glass with Chocolate Sauce & Serve cold!

Achari Baingan

We went a whole week without cooking! Yes, that's right. No standing in the kitchen for 4 hours on a Sunday. Instead, we spent time with some of our good friends and got back home well past midnight. I had work M-F, and usually that means I go to bed worrying about what to have for dinner or lunch the following day. Not this time. We kept it simple with frozen parathas and curd for dinner, and something equally ready to eat for lunch.


Anyhow, 5 days is about how long I can last on frozen food and maggi. So, Saturday lunch deserved some effort in the kitchen :-) Here's Achari Baingan!





What You Need:

Small Brinjals or diced eggplant - 1 cup
Diced Tomatoes - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1.5 tsp
Curry Powder - 1 tsp
Fennel, Cumin, Fenugreek, Mustard - 1 tsp total
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tsp
Chopped Cilantro - 2 tsp

• Heat the oil in a non stick pan, and saute the eggplant with a little salt and let it sweat until tender
• Transfer to a bowl, and keep aside
• In the same pan - heat some oil, and toss in mustard, fennel, Cumin, Fenugreek seeds and let splutter
• Add in tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Cover with a lid and let the tomatoes cook until soft.
• Add all the spice powders and ginger garlic paste and stir until well blended
• Lastly, add the cooked eggplant, cook for a few mins and garnish with cilantro!

Enjoy with rotis / lachcha parathas!