Things have taken quite a busy turn here, and it's been a while since my last post. Suffice to say that since early September, I've taken up a new pastime - pool; specifically 8-ball and 9-ball. It all began last month when I cordially said yes to a quick game with an older gentleman who lives in the same complex as Pranav and I. It wasn't long before I was calling him "Uncle" and he had introduced me to several of his friends who played spirited rounds of pool each evening. I've gotten good enough to beat a few of them, and sometimes when I'm lucky I might even win a game or two against Uncle. Pranav has been tolerating my obsession very well, after all, he himself is an accomplished player of snooker and doesn't mind taking me on for a round or two after we hit the gym. Thankfully, my cooking hasn't taken a back seat. Here's the recipe for a quick little dessert that you can whip up with very few ingredients.
Meethe Chawal (serves 2)
- 1 cup of basmati rice
- a pinch of turmeric
- 1-2 sticks of cinnamon (depending on the size)
- 1 cardamom
- 4-5 cloves
- 3-4 almonds (chopped)
- 4-5 cashews (broken into pieces)
- 1 tbsp of ghee
- sugar to taste
Cook the basmati rice with a pinch of turmeric in the water for colouring. Remove the rice from the stove when it's 80% done and strain any excess water. Keep the rice aside for later.
Now, heat the ghee in a kadai on low heat. Add all the other ingredients except for the sugar.
When you can smell the aroma of the spices, add the rice. Be sure to keep turning it so that it doesn't stick to kadai. Add some sugar and keep turning so that it blends well. The rice grains shouldn't stick to each other or the kadai, and they should be only about 95% cooked. Enjoy this as a dessert, or as a snack on a rainy day.
