ABCDlady Magazine - for the American Born Confident Desi

Cocktails and Cuisine

By Rajni Hatti

Cook Mom Something Special this Mother's Day

For many South Asians, food and family seem inexorably intertwined. A family gathering cannot be complete without a table full of delectable dishes, desserts—and let’s not forget tea or coffee after the meal! Weddings, birthday parties or even just causal get-togethers inevitably seem to result in a satisfied stomach.

For most of us, our moms are in command in the kitchen and are responsible for keeping the family well-fed. Whether it means a few minutes, or a few hours in the kitchen, many moms have something healthy and delicious on the table almost every day.

For those of us who live away from mom, it’s not uncommon to see our favorite dishes waiting for us when we go home for a visit. These meals are more than just sustenance; food is a language of love that connects generations.

Rajni Hatti

Mother’s Day is May 14th and sharing homemade food together is a great way to make the day memorable for your mom! Here are some ideas to make Mother’s Day special this year:

- Pick some of your favorite dishes and cook a meal with mom. It’s a great way to spend quality time together and learn a cooking tip or two from each other.

- Send mom something she enjoys eating, along with some of your favorite recipes.

- Take mom out to eat and then go home for a special homemade dessert.

Here are two South Asian dessert recipes that are great for Mother’s Day. Both recipes are easy, taste delicious, and look elegant when served. You don’t have to make a special trip to the Indian grocery store to make these dishes—all of the items used in these recipes can usually be found at a well-stocked supermarket.

Light and Sweet Rasmalai
Makes 4 servings

This dessert is traditionally made with paneer (fresh Indian cheese), but store-bought ricotta cheese works just as well. Although normally made with whole milk and paneer, I like to use 2% reduced fat milk and part skim ricotta instead. It is healthier—and there is very little difference in taste!

Ingredients:

15 ounce container of part skim ricotta cheese
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons all purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
Pinch of saffron
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon crushed pistachios

Tip: No pistachios? Try sliced almonds, which can be found in the baking section of the grocery store.

Instructions:

1. Place oven rack in center of oven, and then preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar and flour. Mix thoroughly.

3. Transfer ricotta cheese into a medium size baking dish (9” X 9” or similar; ricotta should be a ½ inch thick when spread into pan). Put in oven for 30 minutes or until top of ricotta turns golden brown.

4. While ricotta is baking, put milk in a pot and place over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, then saffron and cardamom. Keep uncovered pot at a low simmer for about 15 minutes.

5. Remove pot from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.

6. Remove ricotta from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Cut ricotta into squares and then pour milk over ricotta.

7. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. When serving, put rasmalai into small bowls and sprinkle pistachios on top.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream with Orange Mango Sauce
Makes 4 servings

This dish melds familiar Indian and American flavors to make an irresistible dessert.

Ingredients:

¼ cup water
1 pinch saffron
½ cup orange marmalade jam
1 mango, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
8 scoops butter pecan ice cream (or vanilla ice cream)
1 cup strawberries (8-10 strawberries), sliced in half

Photos by Rajni Hatti

Tip: Watching your calories? You can use frozen yogurt in place of ice cream!

Instructions:

1. Heat water in the microwave until warm (30-40 seconds in most microwaves). Crush saffron with your fingers and then add it to the water. Set aside for about ten minutes.

2. Place a small pot over low heat and add orange marmalade, water with saffron, and half of the mango pieces. Keep at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.

3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. (The sauce will thicken slightly if chilled).

4. When serving, put two scoops of ice cream in each serving bowl, pour some sauce over the ice cream, and then garnish with strawberries and leftover mangos pieces.

Rajni Hatti is a freelance food writer and is currently writing an Indian cookbook which focuses on simple and delicious Indian cooking. She lives with her husband and son in the Washington D.C. area. Email askrajni@yahoo.com with comments or questions about this column.