Drinks | Aapplemint

The Very Versatile Tea

Sep 202012

When you pair the unique ingredient of loose tea leaves with a love for cooking and baking, the unlikely marriage delights the taste buds with indulgent and exotic flavors. Are you bored with rotating your dessert recipes and meal plans? Challenge your skills in the kitchen with an innovative tea confection or food by introducing tea-infused dishes to your traditional menu. Not only does tea as an ingredient flare up your cooking, baking and dining experiences, it even provides excellent health benefits.

Sweet Supplements

FoodNetwork.com’s nutritional blogger Katie Cavuto-Boyle, a registered dietitian and personal chef, discovered that tea, such as oolong tea, is a flavorful replacement for less-healthy sweeteners and additives such as sugar, extra-fat juice or cooking stock. As a cooking liquid packed with mouthwatering tastes and floral fragrances, such as rich caramel, rose petals, refreshing mint and cinnamon bark, tea adds supreme flavor to common recipes. Tea is a universal ingredient with the power to enhance everything from savory marinades and sauces to sweet confections and treats. These teas offer the following distinct aromas and flavors:

White Persian Melon: Succulent nectar and melon
Sugar Caramel Oolong: Burnt sugar blended with smooth caramel
Moroccan Mint: Green tea with fresh-mint infusion
Honey Pear: Juicy fruit with remnants of sweet honey

Healthy Boosts

Drinking three cups of tea a day promotes healthy habits. The Linus Pauling Institute explains that drinking tea daily can reduce the risk of heart attacks by 11 percent. Tea also decreases risks
for kidney stones and helps prevent cavities.

The following types of teas offer excellent health benefits:

Green: Contains antioxidants that help aid cancer prevention and metabolism
Herbal: Contains medicinal remedies that help fight colds, infection and nausea
White: Contains nutrients and antioxidants that help lower cholesterol and blood pressure
Black: Contains components that help reduce the risks of stroke and cardiovascular problems
Oolong: Contains enzymes that help promote weight loss, prevent cavities and protect skin

Tea Treats

The following recipes are delectable desserts that will leave a lasting impression:

Thai Tea Cake with Condensed Milk Custard Sauce: Arouse the palate with the exotic tastes of Thai tea with Thai food blogger Leela Punyaratabandhu’s melt-in-your-mouth Thai Tea Cake. Perfect for an afternoon bridal shower or Sunday brunch, Leela’s Thai Tea Cake is served warm with homemade custard sauce.

David’s Tea-Infused Creme Brulee: Replace boxed brownies or pre-packaged cookie dough with a creme brulee recipe that pleases the palate with nutty and Amaretto decadence. Serve the creme brulee in classic white porcelain ramekins from Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma or Crate and Barrel for an elegant presentation. Fiesta ramekins in bold colors such as cobalt, lemongrass or flamingo are trendy bakeware that catch the eye and enhance the senses.

Jasmine Tea-Infused Truffles: Exceed the expectations of your palate with bittersweet Jasmine Tea-Infused Truffles by Charles Chocolates’ Chuck Siegel. A union of finely chopped, bittersweet chocolate with the floral aromas of jasmine blossoms creates a superior after-dinner treat. Serve the bite-size truffles in small white paper cups on a double-tiered serving tray for a stylish arrangement.

Japanese green tea soup: White tea-infused cantaloupe goat’s-milk frozen yogurt. Chai tea scones. Butter mixed with loose tea leaves. Special tea recipes capture rare aromas and flavors that will draw “oohs” and “ahs” from your friends and family!

The Ultimate Instant Iced Coffee

All, Drinks, Featured 8 Responses »

Sep 072012

The Ultimate Instant Iced Coffee in just about 80 seconds

A video you must watch ‘cuz its quick, its no mess and its cheap – why pay Rs.200 or $4 for a iced coffee when you can do it at home for a fraction of the cost. I know many of you will probably turn your heads and say this is not how coffee is done, but trust me I’ve tried pouring coffee over ice as to the ice going in the coffee and its tastes exactly the same. Atleast with instant coffee. Once you start making your coffee at home, you are not going to like the ones served outside. I honestly don’t. There are times I need a coffee so bad, yet I wont settle for a Cafe coffee … I’ll get home n make my own.The trick (is pretty obvious) in this one is to get really good instant coffee. And Nescafe is surely not it. Actually I don’t like Nescafe at all, but you could try any brand you like. I’ve been using this coffee called BRU here in India, and trust me it would give nescafe a run for it money. And just so that you know what I’m talking about, I’m giving a free pack of this coffee, to one lucky winner who leaves a comment. Its for those out of India to know how good this Indian coffee is, and my Desi friends please just go buy a pack, its all over the place. I’ve always been a ground coffee girl, but there are times when you have so little time, and you need that caffeine in your system immediately. This coffee is for ideal for those times. If you are worried that hot coffee with melt the ice and dilute the taste, yes that would happen, but then again we’ll be making a strong shot of coffee so we actually do need to dilute it a little. And with all that extra ice going on top, your coffee is guaranteed to be chilled.

For those of you who love to get into the coffee making process with different coffee beans and ground coffee, in my next post I will talk about making iced coffee with the “cold brew” and thats equally easy too, just need to be prepared a little ahead of time.

Ingredients

please adjust to your taste

3/4th tablespoon strong instant coffee

1 heaped tablespoon caster/regular sugar

about 5-6 tablespoons of boiling water

lots of ice

full fat/skimmed milk

Take a tall glass, put the coffee and sugar. Pour in the boiling water and give it a good stir to make sure the sugar dissolves. Add a few ice cubes and stir again, cooling the mixture. Top with with the rest of the ice and pour some milk on top. Ta Da ! Its as simple as that.

Mumbai Masala Chai

All, Drinks, Featured 53 Responses »

Jan 052011

You must admit that some things just taste so much better when had from and on the streets. Chai definitely classifies as one of them. The masala chai served at Starbucks would loose hands-down compared to the Chai from the streets in Mumbai. My sister had just been to Istanbul and could not stop raving about it. It was a well budgeted trip and she had so much fun, saying the cheapest holidays sometimes are the best. You needn’t be staying 5 & 7 star to have a great time. One of the things we ended up talking about was the incredibly delicious street food and the tea they served there and how she loved it. Almost immediately I had to stand up for our local tea ! Nothing beats a desi road side chai. There is something about it … maybe the way the chai walla keeps stirring the tea endlessly or maybe the rustic way its made … but a cutting chai is difficult to resist . I had to share with all of you what the famous Mumbai Masala Chai is all about, and so we have our 1st video on aapplemint.

There is such a vast difference from the dip dip – tea using a tea bag, and a made on the stove – boiled tea. The aroma wafting from a pot of boiling tea, the fragrance of cardamom, fresh ginger and the aromatic blend of the chai masala mix can turn you into a tea lover. You could very easily make your own chai masala and preserve it. Just a teeny bit could liven up your tea. This spice mix can also be used to flavour cakes and chai lattes. Use you imagination … go wild . There is no fixed recipe for masala mix for tea … it varies from person to person, but this is more or less it. Like some people like their tea milkier and some like it strong, there is no fixed ratio to the spices. This works for me, and just half a teaspoon per cup of tea just perfect.

8 brown cardamoms (skins removed)
20 green cardamoms
6-8 black peppercorns
8 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 tsps ginger powder
12 cloves
4 cinnamon sticks

Grind all these spices to a very fine powder using a coffee grinder . Preserve in an air tight container.

Lassi – Sweet and Salted

All, Drinks, Featured 48 Responses »

Apr 232010

I’m finally back home, the place where I belong, where I was born and brought up – Mumbai. After a long 8 yrs of travelling and living out of a suitcase, not knowing where the next destination will be, it feels good to be grounded. Of course being in Mumbai at this time of the year also means dealing with the scorching heat. A whopping 35 C is good enough to give you a heat stroke, and the minute you step outside, you want to run just right back in. In such days, you cannot really think of food, but only of chilled drinks to hydrate you and give you that energy to go on. Lassi’s have always been a local favourite and mine too. Been brought up on the salted kind and never a big fan of the sweet ones. But ever since I discovered smoothies, I figured sweet lassi’s are India’s answer to smoothies. And ever since I never hesitate to make me one. Below are a couple of my favourite. I always use fresh probiotic yogurt, bring in the friendly bacteria to help the body. You may find the need to add a minus a few ingredients to suit your taste. Not everyone likes it the same, also the quality and thickness of yogurt varies from country to country, so go ahead, try them out and make the teeny weeny adjustments you like. But let me tell you this, nothing is more satisfying – not even ice cream, nothing can beat heat like a chilled glass of homemade lassi !!!!

Roasted Almond Lassi

5o gms Salted Roasted Almonds
100gms Fresh Probiotic Yogurt
200 ml Chilled Water
Salt to taste

First dry grind the salted almonds in a coffee grinder and set aside. When ready, mix together in a juicer blender the dry powder with the yogurt , salt, water and cubes of ice. Give it a good whizz and serve immediately.

Mango n Ginger Lassi

1 Mango
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Dry Ginger Powder
100 gms Fresh Probiotic Yogurt
150 ml Chilled Water

Peel and stone the mango. Puree the flesh of the mango and then add it to the juicer blender with the rest of the ingredients + some ice. Blend it well and serve immediently

Fig Lassi

2 Figs
2 tsp Sugar
100 ml Fresh Probiotic Yogurt
200 ml Chilled Water

Puree the 2 figs and then blend with ice, yogurt, sugar and water. Blend well and serve right away.

Spiced Mint Lassi

Ingredients

30 Mint Leaves
½ a Green Chilli ( the hot kind)
100 gms Fresh Probiotic Yogurt
½ tsp Cumin powder
½ tsp Dry mango powder
½ tsp Fresh Ginger Juice
Few drops of Lime
150 ml absolutely chilled water
salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a juicer blender with a couple of cubes of ice. Give it a good whizz till all the mint has broken down. Serve immediately.

Avocado Lassi

1 Avocado
100 ml Probiotic Yogurt
Salt n Pepper to taste
Squeeze of lime
200 ml Chilled Water

Stone the avocado and scoop out the flesh. Make sure the avocado is absolutely ready/ripe and not hard. Puree the fruit and the blend in with the rest of the ingredients. Serve chilled over cubes of ice.

Penne Arrabiata & Blackcurrant Iced Tea … the games continue

All, Drinks, Vegetarian 30 Responses »

Feb 042010

Are you the kind who always orders the same food when you go out to eat? Or you like to try different stuff on the menu. I was thinking of this one friend I have who always ordered the same dish. And its been a long long time since I met my buddy. These days everyone is so tied up in their busy lives, they hardly get a chance to spend time with people they care about. Strangely enough we get the time to log on to various networks and add each other, but still not find the time to call or write to catch up. Instead waste more time by adding irrelevant people who you meet for two seconds, remember the name, get home n search that person up and add them. I mean is there some kinda race out there, who’s got more people on the contacts list ? Who’s the most networked or who’s more famous? Jeez ! Sometimes I really miss those good old days when we were not so advanced and overexposed to technology. When there was no twitter nor facebook, n we didn’t spend so much time online, but rather in the real world doing real things. When there were no mobile phones and we used those old fashioned rotary dial telephones where you stuck your finger in the dial and waited till eternity for it to rotate back to its position, and let the call get through .. lol. Can’t imagine doing that right now can you .. lol. Well you have to admit all those times were beautiful and did have that charm to it. Well now I’m far away from what I had begun with … always the same order And at this particular time being far away from home, I miss my buddy, and wish we could hang out together, just like before n go out for lunch, and so this Penne Arrabiata and Blackcurrant Iced Tea, the regular order to reminiscence those good times.

Penne Arrabiata

Serves 2

1/2 white onion finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 large red chilli – de-seeded
1 can of tomatoes – (I prefer using tinned tomatoes )
Two handfuls of penne, or as must as you need
1/2 cup white wine
Parmigiano Reggiano – as much as you like
10 black olives, pitted and sliced
Handful of parsley

In a pot, boil the water and start to boil the penne. In another heavy based pan, pour some olive oil and fry the onion for a minute. Add the garlic and chilli, and fry till just about fragrant. Splash in the wine and let it burn off, and add the entire tin of tomatoes (cut in a large dice). Toss around and let everything come together n cook for 4-5 mins. Strain the penne and add it to the tomatoes, add the olives and parsley and toss some more. Plate up and garnish with Parmesan.

Blackcurrant Iced Tea

Serves 2

I tried making this 1st with a cup of dried blackcurrants n sugar equally with 2 cups of water to extract a syrup, but the colour didn’t turn out so nice. The taste however was very strong and tasted like the real deal, but it didn’t look pretty n this is not what they serve at the restaurants. They use ready made syrup, which I find too sweet and no real goodness in it. So I made this with blackcurrant preserve instead. Colour + the real deal in it.

1/2 tin of blackcurrant preserve (with the blackcurrant bits in it)
2 teabags Assam tea -they are they are stronger than Yellow Label Lipton (basically use a strong tea)
1 large lemon
ICE
Sugar – optional (if you like it sweeter – I think the preserve is sweet enough for me)

Take the blackcurrant preserve and a 250 ml of cold water. Blitz it in a blender and pass it through a sieve. In another cup place the two teabags and pour boiling water over it and let it sit for a few minutes. Let it cool or simply pour over ice. Mix this with the blackcurrant syrup and keep adding cold water till you think its right enough for you. Slice the lemon and squeeze the juice of half the lemon in and use the rest as a garnish.

And as for game we played last week … thank you everyone for sending in your answers. The guy who likes Gelato most is

Madhvan – the guy right below

And the winner is … tatada tatada … drumroll ….

Sara of Sara Ms. Adventures in Italy !! Congratulations ! (pls mail me your address Sara)

This weeks question is … What is the highest game you can have in Teen Patti aka Flush ?

Send in your answers and win kewl prizes … and if you haven’t already visited the Teen Patti website, let me tell you that you are missing out on something. I’ve never seen anything like it. Click on the thumbnails and icons to and move your arrow key all over the page to see different clips from the movie … the site is wicked !

Beat the Heat ….

All, Drinks 32 Responses »

Jul 212008

… with this fantastic summer Nectarine Iced Tea, followed by my White Chocolate and Blueberry Mousse. If you are wondering why these 2 random choices for my blog post … well honestly, I’ve been lazy, unmotivated and just out of the blogging mojo lately, and facebook is hogging up all my other free time … That also explains why i haven’t been visiting your blogs and i sincerely apologize for that. I promise i’ll be back in action soon … meanwhile here are these 2 treats from my folder …. recipes will be up sometime in the near future … frankly … cuz i haven’t measured these yet … u know … how you all make things just by the measure of the hand … well just like that ….

Aloe Summer Coolers and Paying It Forward

All, Drinks 78 Responses »

Jun 132008

I’m sure everyone is familiar with Aloe Vera. Very famous for all its wonderful properties Aloe Vera is probably consumed by everyone in some form or the other. If you like to know more about its health benefits you can look them up here

This is yet another treasure from my garden. A fantastic way to consume them is in coolers. Simply take 2 Aloe Vera leaves, and peel the green skin off. They are very slimy and slippery, so be careful they don’t slip out of your hand. Wash the translucent flesh under running water and then cut them in little cubes. Put then in a saucepan and top it with water, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and boil them for 10 mins. The cubes will absorb the sweetness and are now ready to add to any drink. You can add them to fresh fruit juices, fruity drinks, fizzy drinks, non- alcoholic beers, cold teas, cocktails, mocktails, jelly desserts, fruit salads, anything your heart desires. Bringing a crunch to every sip, aloe vera in a drink really adds a new dimension to summer coolers. And its healthy too !

And for the “Pay It Forward” …. not long ago Sara of Sara, Ms Adventures in Italy had selected me to Pay It Forward and sent me this wonderful parcel from Italy.

I dont really know who started this , but i know its been travelling around the world. Helene from Tartlette paid it to Sara and she paid it to me, and now i will pay it forward to someone else, hopefully nominate a person who leaves a comment on this post. The idea is to spread some blogger love around. To send local food items/ingredients to bloggers from another nation.Since i am currently in India, i will send some lovely Indian food ingredients to the lucky winner. So good luck, and i cant wait to see who is going to be the winner.

Flower Power

All, Drinks 88 Responses »

Mar 132008

Hibiscus is not only a beautiful flower to look at, but also a very useful one. It has numerous medicinal values, and it has been used for centuries by Indians, Mexicans , Egyptians , Malaysians, Chinese, Africans … practically by the whole world, for its therapeutic properties.
When incorporated into the diet, the hibiscus tea emits high levels of antioxidants, such as flavonoids, which help our bodies fight free radicals, which can cause cell damage and disease.
This miracle flower is rich in vitamin C, and has been widely used as an herbal method of controlling high blood pressure, controlling bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also used to control tempering fevers, alleviating digestive problems, as well as improving circulatory disorders. And the best part is its caffeine free and herbal. You can read more about its health benefits here and here and here . Infact this is one of the botanicals we export from Ghana, for which we even won the national export award last year. We mainly export this product to Belgium and UK, where it finds its way into supermarkets and retail outlets.

There are many ways you can have it, hot or cold, sweet or tangy. U can compare the flavour to that of cranberries. This deep crimson red drink can entice just about anyone. When having it hot make your own tea bag with a muslin cloth. Put a few slices of ginger, a few cloves and a handful of hibiscus leaves. Pour over boiling water, little honey to sweeten and let the flavours infuse for a couple of minutes. 2 cups of tea a day can reduce hypertension and have a calming effect. So drink away to a healthier life.

And then theres my favourite way … The Iced Tea ! Famous all over Mexico n Jamaica, this is probably the best way you can consume this drink.

There is really no recipe for this, just boil a cup of leaves with 2 cups of water and sugar to your taste. Strain and chill. When ready to serve, add some more chilled water as the juice would be a bit concentrated. Bring it to life with some lime juice and pour over ice. Perfect for margaritas , sorbets, ice creams and jellies. This one i promise you will be a regular in your household once you try it.

Coffee in Ethiopia

All, Drinks, Places & Travel 58 Responses »

Jan 312008

Sometimes I don’t know what I like more, tea or coffee. I have my tea days, where I’ll have anything from green to jasmine, rose bud, earl grey, mint, lavender … and then I have my coffee days … the blissful shot of caffeine – my espresso! This way I get the best of both the worlds (or so I’d like to believe). Right now I’m definitely going through a coffee phase. It all started when I stopped over at Addis Ababa – Ethiopia on my way here to Ghana. Did I mention to you that I lived in Addis for a year as well? Work related of course … But it was a wonderful experience. Nicely nestled in the high East African mountains, Addis Ababa is a really beautiful city. Not really developed, but then again thats the charm of that place. This time however I stayed at the Hilton and here are some pics i took in their beautiful garden. I was there only for 2 days, and I managed to do all my favourite things … I had my list ready on the flight: D, which included eating at my favourite Yemeni restaurant, eating the lovely local Injera and Tibbs, and of course drinking the world famous freshly ground roasted Ethiopian coffee. Wow I think all I did was eat and drink … I’m such a die hard foodie!

You must be aware that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia. The story goes …. “According to national folklore, the origin of coffee is firmly rooted in Ethiopia‘s history. Their most popular legend concerns the goat herder from Kaffa, where the plants still grow wild in the forest hills. After discovering his goats to be excited, almost dancing on their hind legs, he noticed a few mangled branches of the coffee plant which was hung with bright red berries. He tried the berries himself and rushed home to his wife who told him that he must tell the monks. The chief monk called these berries the ” Devils work ” and threw the sinful drug into the flames, an action soon to be followed by the smell we are all so familiar with now. They crushed the beans, raked them out of the fire, and distilled the stimulating substance in boiling water. Within minutes the monastery filled with the heavenly aroma of roasting beans, and the other monks gathered to investigate. After sitting up all night, they found a renewed energy to their holy devotions. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Ethiopia‘s coffee ceremony is an integral part of their social and cultural life. An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect and is an excellent example of Ethiopian hospitality.I managed to take some pictures to share with you how they serve coffee or “Machiato” traditionally. I apologize for the bad quality of pictures. It was really dark and I couldn’t avoid the camera shake, but i still wanted to click n share these wonderful pictures with you.

The ceremony is usually conducted by a young woman, dressed in the traditional Ethiopian attire of a white dress with coloured woven borders. The long involved process starts with the ceremonial apparatus being arranged. The roasting of the coffee beans is done in a flat pan over a tiny charcoal stove, the pungent smell mingling with the heady scent of incense which is always burned during the ceremony. The lady who is conducting the ceremony gently washes a handful of coffee beans on the heated pan, then stirs and shakes the husks away. When the coffee beans have turned black and shining and the aromatic oil is coaxed out of them, they are ground by a pestle and a long handled mortar. The ground coffee is slowly stirred into the black clay coffee pot locally known as ‘jebena’, which is round at the bottom with a straw lid.

The Coffee is traditionally served with popcorn, peanuts or cooked barley. In most parts of Ethiopia, the coffee ceremony takes place three times a day – morning, noon and evening. It is the main social event within the village and a time to discuss the community, politics, and basically all kinds of gossip.

They also consider it impolite if you leave until having consumed at least three cups, as the third round is considered to bestow a blessing. Hehe so be sure you are ready to buzz after one coffee session.

The lady finally serves the coffee in tiny china cups to everyone sitting around her, on little kiddie sized stools who have waited and watched her make it for the past half-hour.

After having coffee like this I don’t think I can ever settle for instant coffee. It just doesn’t taste right. And surely it feels so special when I bring out my exotic coffee pot – “jebena” and make some coffee … so therapeutic as the aroma of the freshly ground coffee bean fills up the room and shoots right up to the head through the nostrils. If in Addis you could sample this lovely coffee at the Hilton Hotel.

So I did this little coffee party and made some lovely Chocolate Tarts with sweet Chestnut and Fresh Cream icing. Perfectly sweet, bite sized coffee time treats.

The recipe is really simple. I used some left over chocolate pastry dough for the tart shells. For the filling I used equal amt of chocolate and cream, melted by pouring hot cream over the chocolate. I poured it into the baked tart shells and chilled it till it set. And then the icing … 2 icing bags, one with fresh whipped cream and one with sweetened chestnut puree. Chill it again till sets and serve with hot coffee.