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Diwali is right around the corner, so are the Diwali sweets. What if you are on a diet or have some other health concern to restrict indulging in those sweets? No fear! We have Dates and Coconut Ladoo. This is packed with nutrients and is a superfood ladoo loaded with nuts and natural sweetness. (scroll down for the full recipe) This is a must-make sweet if you are in a rush and have no time to cook. Yes, you can go for the store-bought Diwali sweets. But, let me tell you, Store bought sweets are packed with sugar and there is nothing healthy about that. We will dig into a lot of Indian sweets during the festive season and later on, we regret it. So let us consciously celebrate this Diwali by choosing the right type of sweets. Dates are stone fruits that can be consumed either raw or as dried. Dates are popular dried fruit in the middle east and are used as a sweetener in many Arabic desserts. Dates are considered as one of the healthiest fruits and has many nutritional benefits. They have a low glycemic index and are a safe choice for diabetic patients if consumed in moderation. So introducing dates as a sweetener in your lifestyle is a definite yes! (Dry roast almonds and cashew nuts for 3 minutes) (coarsely ground ladoo mix) Dates and Coconut Ladoo Makes 7-8 Ladoos Ingredients: Dates (pitted) - 1 cup Desiccated Coconut - 1/2 cup +mextra for coating. Almond - 1/4 cup Cashew nut - 1/4 cup Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp. Method: To a frying pan, add almond and cashew nuts. Dry roast the nuts on a low flame for about 3 minutes. Mix the nuts to avoid burning and set them aside for cooling. Add the cooled roasted nuts, dates, coconut, and cardamom powder to the mixer grinder. Pulse the mixer grinder for a few times and then grind them coarsely for a few seconds. The ladoo mix should be a little coarse in texture and not fine. If you grind the ladoo mix for a longer time, the nuts will start oozing oil and will be difficult to shape laddus . Now take a lime size amount of the ladoo mix and roll it in your palm to form a ball shape. Now coat the shaped laddus with desiccated coconut and serve.

Creamy and fudgy Milk Pedas are a must on special occasions. This popular milk-based fudgy sweet is so delicious and easy to make. (scroll down for the full recipe) Milk Peda is a popular Indian sweet, that is made by cooking milk, sugar, and other ingredients together. Usually making milk pedas takes hours. The process consists of slow cooking of the milk where it is boiled and continued to reduce with sugar and ghee to form a solid base. This solid base is then rolled into balls and other shapes while it is still warm. This is the main reason why everyone relies on store-bought pedas because nobody wants to spend hours in the kitchen. The recipe shared here is an instant and quick way to make delicious Pedas. Instant Milk Pedas can be made in 30 minutes and the ingredients needed for this recipe are readily available. When you make this instant milk pedas at home, they taste as good as the store bought ones and they are a lot cheaper and cost effective. Instant Milk Peda Makes 10 nos. Ingredients: Milk -1/3 cup Condensed milk - 1/2 cup Milk Powder - 1 cup Ghee - 2 tbsp. Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp. Method: Take a saucepan and add 1 tbsp. of ghee. Once the ghee has melted, add 1/3 cup of milk and bring it to a boil on medium flame. Now add the condensed milk, stir and cook on medium flame until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and continue to stir for 2 minutes for the milk mixture to cool. Add 1 cup of milk powder and mix thoroughly to remove all lumps and form a smooth paste. Turn on the heat and continue cooking on low flame until the peda mix leaves the sides of the saucepan and starts to form a dough. Now add 1 tbsp of ghee and continue to mix on low flame to form a soft dough. Turn off the heat and mix the dough for a few minutes to avoid burning. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Wait for the peda mix to cool down to a manageable heat. Apply a generous amount of ghee on your palm and take a small lime size amount of peda mix. Roll the peda mix in your palm to form a ball shape and gently press it to flatten and shape the pedas. Garnish the pedas with nuts or tutti frutty. Repeat the process with the rest of the peda mix.

Deep fried, hot and crispy on the outside, cold and gooey on the inside. This is a foolproof, vegetarian recipe for making delicious fried ice cream. I guarantee that your ice cream will not ooze or melt during frying. (scroll down for the full recipe) Fried ice cream is a dessert that you can find all around the world. This dessert consists of vanilla Ice cream that has been battered and deep-fried until it becomes crispy and golden brown. Top this dessert with some chocolate sauce, and you are in heaven! The origin of this dessert is uncertain, some say fried ice cream is an Asian dessert, while others say this dessert was invented in the US. Either way, this dessert is one of the best and most ingenious finds. Making fried ice cream is easy, yet there are some tricks to make it to perfection. Things to note for perfect fried ice cream: Ice cream: Let's start with the ice cream. You can choose any ice cream flavor to make fried ice cream, but commonly vanilla flavored ice cream is used. Scoop out a large scoop of ice cream and make sure to freeze it for at least one hour. The more the freezing time the better. It will be easy to wrap it with bread slices if the ice cream turns rock solid. Wrapping the ice cream: When wrapping the ice cream with bread, make sure it is fully covered and there are no cracks or holes in the bread. Otherwise, there is a tendency for the ice cream to ooze out. The number of bread slices used for wrapping depends on the size of the slice. It took a total of two slices for me to wrap the ice cream. Oil temperature: Please be patient and wait for the oil to be super hot. We can only fry the ice cream for a few seconds and it must be crispy and golden brown in that few seconds. Fried Ice cream Serves : 2 Ingredients: Vanilla Ice cream - 2 large scoops Bread slices - 4 no Flour- 1 cup Water - 1 cup Bread crumbs - for coating Salt to taste Oil for deep frying Method: Take two large scoops of ice cream and place them on a plate. Leave space between the scoops and freeze the ice cream for 1 hour. Now take four slices of bread and cut off the sides of the bread. Using a rolling pin, flatten the bread slices as thin as possible but be careful not to break. Onto a flat surface, place a sheet of cling film/wrap. Now place a slice of flattened bread on the cling film, followed by 1 scoop of frozen ice cream and another slice of flattened bread on top. Now gently wrap the ice cream(with no gaps) using the bread slices and tightly seal this wrap using the cling film, Repeat the process for the 2nd scoop of ice cream and let the wrapped ice cream scoops freeze for at least 4 hours. Just before frying the ice cream, mix flour, water, and salt to taste in a mixing bowl to form a thick, lump-free batter. Remove the cling film from the wrapped ice cream. Now, gently roll the ice cream scoop in batter and then in bread crumbs. Fry the battered ice cream in hot oil until crispy and golden brown, Remove and drain the excess oil using a kitchen tissue and serve immediately. You can garnish the fried ice cream with chocolate syrup and whipping cream.

Guacamole is a tasty avocado-based dish. It is easy to make and super delicious. This healthy, creamy, and well-balanced dish can be used as a dip or a spread, or even as a filling in your wraps and rolls. (scroll down for the full recipe) Originating in Mexico, this dish is made with mashed avocados, lime, salt, and other ingredients such as onion, tomato, etc. Initially, used as a dip in appetizers such as nachos and other bread-based chips. But now, guacamole is widely used as a spread in sandwiches, as a filling in burritos, and so on. Guacamole is a versatile dish and there are many versions of guac available based on the region or country. All I can say is that the world adores this healthy, vegan-based dip. As I mentioned, there are many versions of guacamole recipes, depending on the region or the country. For example, in my guac recipe, I have Indianized it a little bit to please our palate. I have used a dash of minced garlic and green chili for an extra kick. This is the one dish you can make on a lazy day, be it a quick snack, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can even impress your guests by serving guacamole as a party snack with nachos, pita bread chips, veggies, and so on. Things to note for a perfect Guacamole: Avocados: For an excellent creamy texture, you must use ripe avocados. The skin must have turned dark brown and soft to the touch. Garlic: This is an optional ingredient. I love garlic, and it gives any dish an oomph with the use of garlic. Lemon/ Lime: Adding lime/lemon juice to the guacamole adds the zest and cuts down the heaviness of the avocado. It also helps to prevent the avocado from browning. Otherwise, you'll end up with a brown mass of guacamole which is not very appetizing to look at. Guacamole (Avacado Dip) . Ingredients: Ripe Avocado (large) - 1 no Onion (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup Tomato (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup Juice of 1/2 lime Salt to taste Garlic (minced) - 1/2 tsp. Green Chilli (minced) - 1 large Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1 handful Method: Remove the pit and skin of the avocado. Add the deskinned avocado to a mixing bowl and mash using a fork until it is smooth with a few chunks remaining. (If you prefer a creamy and smooth avocado base, continue to mash until there are no chunks left. ) Now add the juice of half a lime and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately. Note: If you like to make this dip a few hours before the serving time, then store the guacamole in an airtight container or cover the guacamole in cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator until use.

Spicy, crunchy, and healthy Arabic bread chips. This is the best way to use leftover Arabic bread, commonly known as Kuboos. You can use any type of flatbread to make these healthy and tasty chips. (scroll down for the full recipe) Kuboos or Khubz, or Arabic Pita Bread is a middle eastern flatbread served as wraps for sandwiches or to dip in delicious curries or dips. Usually, Kuboos are large in size and are shared on a table. But the Kuboos that I used in this recipe are smaller, not more than 20 cm in diameter. This middle eastern staple food is made from wheat flour and is a healthier version of other flatbreads. So, making these healthy flatbreads into snacks is even better. They can be easily made in less than 20 minutes and is great with hummus, guacamole, and other cheesy dips. You can make them into plain pita bread chips, but I like this spicy, garlicky flavor better. Give this healthy chips recipe a try. I promise you will love these healthy chips. You can make these easy healthy chips in advance and serve them as a party snack with a side of hummus or guacamole. Things to note for crispy and tasty Kuboos Chips: Oven temperature: Always preheat the oven to 200°C before baking the chips. This will help to make the chips light and crunchy. Spice Mix: I used chilli powder and garlic to add a spicy flavor to the chips. If you prefer a plain version of Kuboos chips, skip the use of chilli powder and garlic. Do not overlap the chips: While baking, leave enough space between each chip and do not overlap. Overlapping the chip while baking will result in soggy, soft, and chewy chips. Bake them evenly to get a light and crunchy texture. Baked Kuboos Chips Serves: 2 Ingredients: Kuboos/ Arabic bread - 2 no Olive Oil - 2 tbsp. Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp. Minced garlic - 1 tsp. Salt to taste Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Using a scissor or knife, cut the Kuboos to yield 16 small triangles like nachos. (Cut the Kuboos into half, then cut each half in quarters and cut each quarter to form 1/8th-sized triangles.) Add oil, Kashmiri chilli powder, garlic, and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix well and add the Kuboos pieces into the bowl. Toss the kuboos pieces in the oil mix until each piece is well coated. Now place the Kuboos pieces one by one onto a well-greased baking tray. Do not overlap the chips, and leave enough space between the chips. Bake the chips at 200°C for 5-8 minutes or until they turn golden brown and firm in texture. Let the baked chips cool for a few minutes, and serve them with hummus or guacamole. You can store the chips in an airtight container for a couple of days.

Candied Fruits in delectable and soft muffins. This is an easy recipe with just a few ingredients and steps to follow. Make these colorful tutti frutti muffins in less than 40 minutes. (scroll down for the recipe) Muffins are my favs! I actually prefer muffins over cupcakes because they are so easy to make. There are no tedious steps like creaming butter or folding the dry ingredients. It is a foolproof recipe that anybody can follow. It is all about mixing your wet ingredients with the dry. So what are Muffins? How are they different from cupcakes? To answer these questions, we must look into the components that make up a muffin. Muffins are considered to be healthier because we mostly use oil instead of butter. Since there is no creaming of butter and sugar, the texture of the muffin is denser and not soft and fluffy like a cupcake. We require only less time to prepare muffin batter, where we only mix the ingredients lightly to remove lumps. In short, muffins are like bread. Now let's talk about the flavors and types of muffins. To choose a flavor, I would say the world is your oyster. You can use anything and everything to make muffins. They can be sweet. savory, spicy, healthy, and so on. Things to note for perfect Tutti Frutti Muffins: Ingredients at room temperature: It is important to know that all the ingredients that you use for the muffin batter must be at room temperature. If the milk is cold and the oil is at room temperature, it wouldn't emulsify. (it will be difficult to mix all the liquid ingredients together.) Over mixing the batter: Once you pour in liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, just mix lightly to combine the mixture lightly to remove lumps, otherwise, the muffins will be tough and not soft. Baking time: The time required to bake muffins in my oven is 20 minutes. This varies from oven to oven, so keep an eye on them while baking. Eggless Tutti Frutti Muffins Makes 6 large muffins. Ingredients: Flour - 1 1/2 cup Baking powder - 1/2 tsp. Baking soda - 1/2 tsp. Sugar - 3/4 cup Salt to taste Milk - 3/4 cup Oil - 1/3 cup Vinegar - 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp. Tutti Fruitti - 1/3 cup + extra for garnish Method: Take 3/4 cup of room temperature milk and add vinegar to it. Mix well and set it aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180-degree celsius and line a 6-cup muffin tray with muffin liners. If not using liners, grease the cups using butter or oil. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now to the milk mixture, add oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Using a hand or electric whisk, mix this mixture until the sugar is dissolved and the milk and oil are emulsified. (mixed well) Add this liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and lightly mix to form a lump-free batter. Now, gently mix the tutti frutti into the batter. Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, fill each muffin liner with the batter. Fill about 3/4 of the liner so that we get a beautiful muffin top once baked. Gently tap the muffin tray to remove trapped air and sprinkle extra tutti frutti on top of each muffin. (about a teaspoon of tutti frutti) Bake the muffins in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden brown in color and when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once baked, let the muffins cool down for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them from the tray. (if you haven't used muffin liners, then let the muffins completely cool before removing them from the tray) Enjoy these sweet and colorful muffins with a cup of tea or coffee.

Beautiful and vibrant-looking iced drink to quench the summer heat. Though the fruit has a very mild taste, this iced latte is so tasty and appealing to look at. Give this recipe a try and leave your guest amazed. (scroll down for the recipe) Dragon fruit is native to Central America and is a tropical fruit with a mild flavor which is a mix of kiwi and pear. As I said before, this fruit doesn't have a strong flavor. It is the hot pink color of the fruit that attracts everyone. It is truly nature's gift. They are a must on your plate if you want to add some color, let it be fruit salad, chia pudding, smoothies, or mocktails. You can make your food look jaw-dropping with this fruit. Dragon fruit comes in two variants as of now. One with white pulp and the other one is a beautiful, eye-catching magenta pink color. Usually, it is the color of the fruit that attracts me. Whenever I see the pink variant available in my supermarket, I'm thrilled to get my hands on them. I just love the color and you can cook up something with this fruit for an insta-worthy shot. Since the fruit has a subtle taste, I prefer to add this fruit to smoothie bowls and smoothies. Dragon Fruit Iced Latte. Serves: 1 Ingredients: Dragon fruit (cut into small cubes) - 1/3 cup Condensed milk - 2 tbsp. Ice cubes - 3/4 cup Vanilla Ice cream - 1 large scoop Milk (chilled) - 1/2 cup Method: To a blender, add dragon fruit and condensed milk. Blend to form a smoothie-like consistency. Pour the blended dragon fruit into a serving glass followed by 3/4 cup of ice cubes. Top the ice cubes with 1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Now gently pour the milk over the ice cream. Garnish with a few pieces of dragon fruit. Add a straw and serve immediately. Give the iced latte a good stir to mix in the milk before consuming.

Crispy, flaky puff pastry on the outside, soft and gooey, warm apple on the inside is the ultimate comfort snack. Though this is a store-bought puff pastry recipe, Trust me! Everyone will love this sweet treat. (scroll down for the full recipe) I love to bake, and I like to serve home-baked goodies to my guest and family. They also prefer my homemade treats rather than the store-bought ones. The only problem is, I don't want to spend my entire day in the kitchen. Now, who wants to do that? Using store-bought puff pastry is a lifesaver. Make the filling of your choice, either sweet or savory, and make these delicious puffs or turnovers at home. You only need to remember that when you buy puff pastry, make sure you buy a good quality brand. The brand that I always go for is "Switz puff sheet". They work well and give you beautifully textured, crispy, flaky puffs. When you have leftover apples at home, use them to make delicious apple puffs. The flavor is so comforting and filling, soft and gooey, and pairs well with the flaky crispy puffs pastry. When you make the filling, check the sweetness of the apple and adjust the sugar accordingly. Things to note for perfect apple puffs: Puff Pastry: Buy a good quality ready-made puff pastry. Ready-made puff pastries are usually stored in the freezer section, so make sure you thaw the puff pastry for about 40-50 minutes before using it. I used a brand called Switz. They are available both in sheets and in squares. Apple: When choosing an apple, keep in mind that they need to be sweet and slightly tart. If you find the apple super sweet and not tart enough then add a little bit of freshly squeezed lime, about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp, Brown Sugar: Try to use brown sugar in this recipe. Yes, you can use regular sugar if you have no choice. But, there will be a huge difference in the flavor. We need that caramel, molasses kind of flavor for the filling. Egg Wash: For the puffs to be nice and golden brown, apply egg wash over the pastry just before baking. For a vegetarian version, you can replace egg wash with milk. Apple Puffs Makes 10 puffs Ingredients: Apple - 3 no (chopped into small pieces) Cinnamon - 2 no ( 1 inch long sticks) Clove - 4 no. Brown sugar - 3 tbsp. Butter (salted) - 2 tbsp. Puff pastry squares - 1 packet ( 10 pieces in 1 packet, or use 1-2 puff pastry ready-made sheets) Flour - 1 tbsp Egg - 1 no Water - 1 tbsp, Method: To a frying pan, add 2 tbsp. of salted butter. Once the butter is melted, add the cinnamon and clove, and cook on low flame for about 30 seconds or until the raw smell is gone. Now add the chopped apple and fry on medium flame for a minute. Add sugar and continue to cook on medium flame until the water has fully evaporated. Turn off the heat and let the apple filling cool down to room temperature. Once cooled remove the whole spices (cinnamon and clove) from the filling. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour onto a cleaned surface and spread a fully thawed store-bought puff pastry sheet cut them into 8-10 squares. (If the the pastry sheet is small, use 2 sheet in total to cut 10 squares). I used ready-made pastry puff squares. Beat an egg with 1 tbsp. of water to make the eggwash. Take a square piece of puff pastry and add a spoonful of the apple filling in the center (make sure you have left enough space to close and seal the sides) Now apply eggwash on the edge and carefully and carefully fold into a triangle and press the edges using a fork. Repeat the process to make the rest. Now place the puffs onto a baking tray lined with silicone sheet or baking sheet. Make sure there is about an inch of space between each puffs. Using a silicon or pastry brush, apply eggwash and sprinkle with some sugar on top. Make a small slit on top with the help of a knife. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown in color. Transfer the puffs onto a wire rack to cool and serve with a nice cup of tea.

Dalgona styled hot coffee with a splash of vanilla. This recipe is for one serving and can be made in no time with the help of a milk frother or an electric whisk for a frothy, foamy coffee. The foamy texture will remind you of the cafe-style cappuccino. (scroll down for the recipe) Whipped coffee has become popular over the past two years. The process behind it is whisking instant coffee with the help of an electric whisk or milk frother. If you do not have an electric appliance, you can use a regular hand whisk, but the task is a little tedious and takes more time. You can drink whipped coffee either hot or cold. Dalgona coffees are usually served chilled and enjoyed during the hot summers. It is monsoon season over here and the weather is wet and cold. A good cup of hot coffee and a beautiful view of the rain is a must during the rainy season. The star ingredient of this recipe is instant coffee powder and we are aerating the coffee to form a thick foamy texture, like whipped cream. If you ask me about the taste, it tastes like normal instant coffee. But, it is the foamy texture that makes this coffee stand out from the rest. Things to note for a perfect whipped coffee: Strength of the coffee: The strength of the coffee can be adjusted to your liking. I like my coffee strong and love that bitter kick. If you prefer a lesser strength, do reduce the quantity of coffee powder or add more milk. Whisk: Please use an electric whisk or milk frother. Trust me, using a hand whisk require more time and effort and will not be a pleasant experience. Milk: I'm using regular milk in this recipe. You can use plant-based milk for a vegan version. Whipped Vanilla Coffee Serves: 1 Ingredients: Instant coffee powder - 1 tbsp. Sugar - 1 tbsp. Hot water - 1 tbsp. Hot Milk - 3/4 cup Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp. Method: Take a coffee mug and add coffee powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and water. Using a milk frother, whisk the coffee for 3 -5 minutes or until the coffee is thick and foamy. The foam must be thick and have a soft peak consistency, not runny. Now pour in 3/4 cup of hot milk, and you'll see that the foam is rising to the top. Dust a little bit of coffee powder on top. Gently stir the coffee and enjoy it right away.

Mango cheesecake in the form of delectable ice cream with easily available ingredients. They are easy to make with the least worry about the appearance of the dessert, unlike cheesecakes. Let's just say that it is a creamy delicious deconstructed mango cheesecake made with less effort and trouble. (scroll down for the recipe) We are almost moving towards the end of summer and towards the end of mango season. Just before bidding adieu to the delicious mangoes, make the most of it and my mango cheesecake ice cream recipe. And what is the best part of making cheesecake ice cream? Well, this dessert tastes like cheesecake with no fuss about the overall look and appearance. When we make cheesecake, we get a whole lot of stress and thoughts behind it. First, we need a perfect round cheesecake with clear layers for presentation. Secondly, the number of ingredients and time consumed for the prep is higher compared to ice cream. So why go for the trouble? Just make mango cheesecake ice cream. I like a little bit of saltiness in my desserts. Just like the savories, Salt gives excellent balance and improves the taste of desserts. Adding digestive biscuits and cream cheese to the ice cream levels up the game and they taste so good. Please give this recipe a try, you can thank me later. Things to note for a perfect mango cheesecake ice cream: This recipe is to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. So including all the ingredients mentioned in the list are essential. Do not substitute condensed milk with sugar and whipping cream with fresh/regular cream. Both of these recipes are essential for creamy ice cream. Use digestive biscuits for a little bit of saltiness in your ice cream. Crushed biscuits in this recipe complete the cheesecake ice cream. Do not crush the biscuits into a fine powder. Leave out a few chunks because it tastes so good! Always use an airtight container to store the ice cream. This will help to prevent the formation of ice crystals. If you do not have airtight containers, use an open container such as bread loaf tins or cake tins and tightly seal the top using cling wrap. Mango Cheesecake Ice cream Makes - 5 cups, approximately 750 gms Ingredients: Mango (cubes) - 1 cup Digestive Biscuits - 50gm Whipping cream - 1 1/2 cup Condensed milk - 3/4 cup Cream cheese - 100gm Method: Crush digestive biscuits using a rolling pin or in a mixer grinder. Do not crush them too fine, leave out a few chunks. In a blender, add the mango chunks and blend until you get a fine puree and set it aside. Add whipping cream, cream cheese, and condensed milk to a mixing bowl. Now using an electric whisk, whisk for a few minutes until you get a soft peak consistency. Now take an air-tight container and add 1/3rd of the ice cream mixture. Spread the mixture evenly using a spatula. Take 1/3rd of the mango puree and drizzle on top, you can use a toothpick to give a swirling effect on top. Now, sprinkle about 1/3rd of the crushed digestive biscuits on top. Repeat the process until you get three layers of cheesecake ice cream. On the topmost layer, you can add a few mango pieces as garnish. (optional) Close the container and let the ice cream mix freeze in the freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight. The more hours in the freezer the better. Before serving, take out the container and let it rest at room temperature for 3-5 minutes. Scoop and serve immediately. .

Coffee over ice with a bit of sweetness and milk is a refreshing summer drink for all coffee lovers. Iced Coffee is usually made with brewed espresso over ice but, I'm using instant coffee powder instead. (scroll down for the recipe) Though it is monsoon season over here, we don't have much rain. The days are so hot with scourging sun just like how the summer season goes. I miss the rain and my cup of hot coffee. Well, since there is a change in the weather, the summer days continue and nothing goes wrong with a perfect homemade iced coffee to quench the thirst and bear the heat. Iced coffee is basically brewed, cooled coffee poured over ice and cold milk. Nowadays people use cold brew, where coffee is brewed using cold water and stored in the refrigerator. Cold brews are excellent for making iced coffee, but I use instant coffee powder to make my iced coffee because it can be made in no time. All you need to do is mix in the required amount of instant coffee in hot water. I know! it is different from brewed coffee. If you don't have time to spare then trust me, instant coffee is your best friend. My iced coffee recipe is an inspiration from the Vietnamese iced coffee where they use condensed milk. My twist here is I add extra cream or whipping cream to my iced coffee to make it a little frothy. Things to note for a perfect Iced coffee: Mix the coffee in hot water and let it either cool at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator. The aim here is that we don't want hot coffee and the ice wouldn't melt away immediately. If you have a milk frother at home, use them to froth your milk and cream mixture. Froth the milk and cream for about 3-5 minutes before you pour over the coffee. Iced Coffee Serves: 1 Ingredients: Instant Coffee Powder - 2 tsp. Hot water - 3/4 cup Ice cubes - as required Milk - 1/4 cup Condensed milk - 2 tbsp. Fresh cream/whipping cream - 2 tbsp. Method: Heat 3/4 cup of water and add 2 tsp. of instant coffee powder. Mix well and set aside for it to cool. To a glass add milk, fresh cream & condensed milk. Using a milk frother, froth the milk mixture until it is nice and foamy. Now to a serving glass, add the required amount of ice cubes, prepared coffee, and the frothed milk mixture. Mix and serve immediately.

Healthy, creamy, vibrant-looking smoothie bowl to enjoy as a quick breakfast or snack. Dragon fruit is a low glycemic fruit making this smoothie bowl a guilt-free breakfast treat. (scroll down for the recipe) Dragon fruit has a very subtle flavor. You feel like eating a kiwi that is diluted in water. When we bite into the dragon fruit, the texture is similar to that of a Kiwi. It basically tastes tasteless. But you can call this fruit a superfood. Dragon fruits are packed with multiple nutrients. It is a good source of vitamin C and magnesium and is loaded with antioxidants and fiber. So, try to include dragon fruit in your diet whenever they are in season. Dragon fruit comes in two variants as of now. One with a white pulp and the other one is a beautiful, eye-catching magenta pink color. Usually, it is the color of the fruit that attracts me. Whenever I see the pink variant available in my supermarket, I'm thrilled to get my hands on them. I just love the color and you can cook up something with this fruit for an insta-worthy shot. Since the fruit has a subtle taste, I prefer to add this fruit to smoothie bowls and smoothies. Things to note for a perfect dragon fruit smoothie bowl: Peel and cut the dragon fruit into small cubes. Freeze them for at least for 6-8 hours. Long hours in the freezer give you that sorbet like smooth creamy texture. Please use a decent, heavy duty blender. No, Im not asking you to spend a lot of money on a heavy duty belnder. At least it should have enough power to crush and blend the frozen fruits. I used wonderchef nutriblend for this recipe. It is a 20,000 RPM, 400 watts mixer grinder and does a very good job for the price of it. Dragonfruit smoothie bowl Serves : 1 Ingredients: Dragon fruit (cubed and frozen) - 1 1/2 cup Banana (sliced and frozen) - 1/2 cup Milk (regular/plant based) - 1/4 cup For Garnish Dragon fruit & banana slices Chia Seeds Pumpkin seeds Method: To a blender add the frozen dragon fruit, banana and milk . Blend until all the ingredients are smooth in texture. Immediately transfer into a bowl and smoothen the top. Garnish with dragon fruit cubes, banana slices , chia and pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.