Pumped-up Panna Cotta

Most people are scarred by memories of their parents' attempts to explain the "birds and the bees". Since I never had that talk as a child, I was most recently scarred by the birthing story of my favorite childhood dessert...

I was reminiscing about "junnu," a dessert that I would rarely get on vacations to India. It was this sweet, custard-like milk and cardamom pudding that I loved. Today, I (mistakenly) decided to Google it. What was in this mysteriously rare childhood treat?

Answer: cow colostrum.

Ah! Not to mention the fact that I selfishly stole the antibody-rich, first milk of many a baby calf, that's just UDDERly unappetizing.

So, I've decided to memorialize my favorite "junnu" into something a little less disturbing...a cardamom infused panna cotta drizzled with a ginger-saffron honey.

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"Cool your Chili" Chicken

One of the first live sporting events I ever went to was an India vs. Australia cricket match in Sydney. As an Australian citizen, I thought it only made sense for me to cheer for my home team. Yet, as the only brown person screaming "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oy Oy Oy," my eyes quickly met the bewildered stares of my fellow Indian fans (including my father's). Since then, I've concentrated less on the sports, and more on the stadium food. In fact, the best time to visit India is during cricket season (which I'm convinced is year-round). The matches last the whole day, sometimes multiple days, and so does the endless food. Instead of wings, the go-to game day food in India is chili chicken. It's spicy, it's fried, it's chicken, and it's lick your fingers good. 

This is a recipe for chili chicken with a twist. The spiciness of the red chillies is balanced with a touch of yogurt. Whether it's India or Indianapolis, people love their sports and stadium food, and this dish is guaranteed to spice up your spread this football season. 

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Cuppa Chai

Chai is an enigma in many ways: so simple, yet so hard to get right.  It is often ruined by things like "tea masala" and Starbucks' "chai tea latte". The former is nothing more than a stale packet of garam masala and the latter a glass of hot milk with cinnamon. A good cup of chai is light on the tongue and strong on the taste buds with a kick of spice at the end. This is a recipe for my perfect cup of chai.

Back in the day of arranged marriages, making a good cup of chai was a prerequisite to being an eligible bride-to-be. While that might not apply today, I'd say people (well at least I) still judge a person by the quality of the tea they serve.

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Desi Deviled Eggs

Brunches are a pretty big deal in my family. Mostly because when you invite Indian people for a meal, you can never be sure of when exactly they will arrive. We've had more than one "lunch" party where the guests have shown up at either 10am or 4pm. So, my mom (and now I) have made it a habit to always serve a little breakfast with lunch. These desi deviled eggs are a great addition because they are super easy but also fancy enough to entertain with!

I will warn you though, the idea of cold eggs might take a little cajoling and coaxing when it comes to elderly Indians, but they'll love them!

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