Mango Ginger Cardamom Mini Bundt Cakes

It poured all day yesterday and not just your average rain but the kind that you hear loud and clear even when all locked up inside the house over the sound of the movie playing on TV. It is surely daunting at first, scary even with the occasional loud thunder but then you start to enjoy it. Hubs decided it was perfect weather for some backyard grilling. First we decided to grill some corn-on-the-cob followed by our favorite veggie pizza. When I went looking for my pizza stone in the drawer where I keep all my baking trays and pans, that is when I saw my mini bundt cake pan sitting idle stacked away and hidden under several other trays. If you noticed recently I have made a few mango based drinks from which I had some mango puree left over. That's when this dish was decided. The cakes turned out perfect with the exotic flavor of Alphonso mangoes and a hint of ginger to kick it up a notch.

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Gulab Jamun

This sweet dish is another one of those from the Indian kitchen that needs no introduction so I will not write much about it. The soft sweet syrupy balls of goodness are every sweet lovers absolute favorite. These are in fact so popular that if you have ever been to an Indian restaurant even once in your life, chances are you have probably had Gulab Jamuns. In India they are sold by practically every place that carries anything sweet. Every high end or average restaurant, every odd sweet shop around the corner, every festival, every wedding dinner, if you stop by at a friend's place and they serve something sweet, more often than not, it will be these jamuns... you get the idea.
I will accept that they are a little tricky to make. The recipe is strictly to be adhered to and if you do, they come out great. It took me a couple of attempts to get it right but I am glad I tried. Here's my attempt to recreate these Jamuns from a recipe I really liked on Manjula's site.

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Kesar Phirni/Saffron Rice Pudding

Phirni is an Indian sweet dish. It has a texture that is a cross between custard and pudding and is made with ground rice and milk. The popular flavor variations are Badam (using almond paste), aam (with mango pulp) and rose phirni (obviously with rose syrup). Here however I am sharing with you the variation that is one of my most favorite flavoring for sweet dishes - kesar (saffron) phirni. The saffron gives the phirni a level of sophestication which is just perfect for oncoming festive occasion of Deepawali. During the festival of Deepawali, or the festival of light, no Indian family can do without sweet dishes.  Many families use the store bought sweets and even more families are busy making sweets at home. The list of those universally liked Indian sweet dishes is really long. Some dishes can be tricky and time consuming to make but phirni is quick and easy. The smooth creamy cool taste of this dessert just puts you in a good mood. Its so good that my princess, who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth and is a very fussy eater, ate a whole bowlful. She just started to learn Spanish at her pre-school and lovingly gave it the name "blanco ice-cream" :)
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Ras Malai - My 50th post :)

 can’t believe its my 50th post already.. and it’s been loads of fun all the way. USMasala is not even two months old and I am very very proud of this milestone :) I have been totally addicted to the world of blogging... my hubby can vouch for that :D as am ignoring everything else. Your encouraging comments is always the first thing I read in the morning and they always make my day. I have made so many friends and have discovered so many wonderful blogs it feels awesome!! I am thankful to all my readers especially my fellow bloggers who welcomed me with an open heart in the blogsphere with their encouraging words. Guys your love and support is the reason I have become 100 times more passionate about cooking, experimenting, taking beautiful pics... ok now the big confession all the pics of USMasala which I always get compliments for is taken by my dear hubby... so I thank him too for making my blog wonderful and so colorful... Thanks sweetheart!
So to all you wonderful people out there, a big THANKYOU and watch out for more from USMasala. LOVE you all!!
For my 50th I have chosen my hubs all time favorite Indian sweet Ras-malai. Hope you guys like it.Ras-Malai, soft spongy and delicate cheese balls in a creamy thick sweetened milk sauce with a hint of saffron, nuts and green cardamom, is a delectable and one of the most popular of all Indian desserts.

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