Homemade Chocolate Icecream

Hello everyone!

Well it's been a long long time since I blogged about my experiments with cooking and food.I have been very active in the kitchen lately,just couldn't manage blogging alongside.But I promise, I'll be regular now, will atleast improve my frequency of blogging. :-)

So here I am with my take on homemade chocolate  icecream.What got me into making this is actually a very interesting story.This is infact an outcome of a dream.I dreamt that one of my dearest friends is treating me with homemade made chocolate icecream and the effect of the dream was so much that it got me to making the icecream.I really hope I get such dreams more often. ;-)

You really never know what all can be the source of inspiration for you.Sometimes it can be a dream too.Here's a proof. :-)

So as I was too desperate to make a chocolate icecream, I also wanted it to be an" easy to make " one.Mostly because I have seen my mother making a lot of icecreams when we were kids and she used to use cmc,  gms and china grass as ingredients and I knew we didn't have any of those ingredients at home and neither did I have the patience to go and buy the ingredients.I was looking for a quick and easy recipe to satiate my homemade chocolate icecream craving.So I searched for an easy chocolate icecream recipe and was glad to find it on one of my favourite food blogs-Edible garden.

Here's the recipe that I followed -

http://www.cookingandme.com/2014/01/homemade-chocolate-ice-cream-recipe.html

A helpful note on my Take-

1. This recipe advices on using cream that has atleast 35% or more fat.I could only manage to get Amul fresh cream, which I found had only 25% fat, but still I thought of going with it.I used two packets of 200 ml Amul fresh cream and followed rest of the recipe as it is.

2. I also made it without using an icecream maker.Instead I used an electric double beater.I just didn't get the soft serve texture before freezing but the icecream turned out flawless.I churned it twice in an interval of 2 hours and then 8 hours. Although I felt it had turned out great after one churn only.I churned it in the icecream box using an electric beater.

3. I used a frozen aluminium icecream box , i.e., I kept it in the freezer before using it.It worked out well.This was a handy tip from my mother as she has made umpteen icecreams in the same box and she was there to remind me to freeze the box before using it.

I totally loved the recipe and the icecream.It is completely a lip smacking one, one that will totally satisfy your sudden cravings and you'll love it more if you make it on your own for yourself and your loved ones.The joy of making your icecream is unmatched and unbeatable.Do go for it and experience this piece of chocolaty heaven! :-)

Happy Takes & Happy Bites! 

Rasgullas!

Hi Everyone!

I am glad to share this post on rasgullas after my sucessful attempt at it.To be honest, I perfected it the third time this Friday and I am glad for not giving up so easily and for the learnings from the failed attempts that helped me come up with the right ones!

Please don't get bogged down by reading about my 3 attempts.You can and I am sure you will get it right in the first attempt only.It is very simple to make rasgullas- You will agree with me once you make your own, trust me! :-)

I never knew making rasgullas was so easy until I tried it myself! It always felt as if rasgullas were some sort of miracle food! :-)

Let me begin with the recipe first , followed by few pics of my Take:-

Ingredients:-

1 litre milk- I used Amul Taaza (Skimmed milk)-2 half litre packets
Curd- around 2 to 3 big ladle full
2 cups sugar
4 cups water
4 drops of kewra essence or cardamom powder
4-5 ice cubes

Note :- No.of cups of sugar= no.of half litre milk packets used & Water =2* No.of Sugar cups

Main Requirements  :-

Muslin cloth
Food Processor
Presure cooker

Procedure :-

1. Bring the milk to a boil, simmer to the lowest flame and start adding curd with continuous stirring till the milk curdles completely and the whey water clearly separates. You will begin to see the water turning yellow to green and a thick chenna -milk precipitates formation in the pan. Turn off the flame.
2. Add the ice cubes and mix well. Ice cubes are added to prevent further curdling of milk.Also helps to keep the chenna soft.
3. Put  a muslin cloth over a pan/any milk container.Pour the curdled milk  in it. The whey water will seep through the muslin cloth into the container and the chenna will be left on the muslin cloth.You can use the whey water in kneading the dough or making dals as it is has a high nutritive value.
4. Wash the chenna well in the running water under the RO/Water purifier tap.This helps to remove the smell and sourness from the chenna.
5. Squeeze the excess water gently from the muslin cloth and hang it for 30 mins.
6. After half an hour , take out the chenna and process it in food processor until it comes out as in one cluster and is bit greasy.
7. Make a smooth round of it and cover it up with the wet muslin cloth to prevent it from drying and becoming hard.
8. Make small , smooth  round balls and keep them covered with the muslin cloth.
9. Take a pressure cooker, add sugar and water in it.Bring the sugar syrup to a boil and then slid  all the  rasgulla balls together into it. Cover the pressure cooker and cook till you get one whistle .After a whistle , simmer to the lowest flame and keep it for another 5 minutes.
10. Turn off the flame and when the pressure gets released by its own , then open the lid to see the rasgullas- they would have doubled in size.

Enjoy them hot or serve them chilled!-As you wish!

Can also make rasmalai using the rasgullas

Note- 

1.You can prepare the sugar syrup simultaneously while making the rounds to save time.

2. Many recipes use 1 tbsp of semolina/rava/sooji too for binding purpose. I tried using it in my earlier versions but this one came out well without using it.So I thought why to complicate the recipe. 

Total time required :1 to 1 hour & 15 mins.

Few pictures of my take  :-

                                                                    Hung Chenna

Processed Chenna

Smooth Chenna Ball

Rasgulla balls covered with muslin cloth

Rasgulla balls just before sliding into the pressure cooker

Rasgulla is ready !The size doubles on opening the lid of the pressure cooker

Rasgullas in the serving bowl

Devour!:-)

Have a soft & smooth bite! :-)

Do try! You'll love yourself for making it! :-)

Best thing about these rasgullas are that these are healthy too as I have used skimmed milk.Over and above it's simple- you just need milk and sugar- need not have to buy special ingredients for it!

And the pleasure of making home made rasgullas is unmatched.

Happy Takes! & Happy Bites! 

P.S- Would be glad if you share your experiences too. :)