Valentine’s Day Special: 3 Heart-Warming Recipes to Celebrate Love

Valentine’s Day at home is probably in the cards this year. But keep in mind that Valentine’s Day at home can be plenty romantic with your kids & family members at home with delicious recipes (desserts) to try and express your love.

Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji a Chef, Mentor, Culinary Expert and a Food Blogger shares her 3 recipes to celebrate Valentine’s day 2021.

Valentine’s Day Recipes

Coconut Ice Cream (Eggless) Recipe

Overloaded with the goodness and rich flavour of fresh Coconut. The best thing to gorge on is a coconut Ice Cream on Valentine’s day.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Freezing Time: 08 hours

Serves: 04

Ingredients and Quantity:

• Full-fat Coconut milk, chilled- 1 ½ cup
• Coconut Cream, chilled- ½ cup
• Coconut peeled and finely chopped / flaked- 1/4^th cup.
• Organic Sugar- 1/4^th cup
• Sea Salt- a pinch

Method:

• Stir full-fat coconut milk, coconut cream, chopped coconut, sugar and salt in a glass bowl.
• If you have an ice cream maker, simply transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn at the lowest speed for 15 to 20 minutes.
• If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, and then blend the frozen ice cubes in a high-speed blender. Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze it for 08 hours.
• Serve Chilled garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Chef Tips:

1. Ensure that you use full-fat coconut milk, as it gives great volume to the ice-cream.
2. You may skip adding the sugar and add organic honey.

Masalewali Gud Di Kulfi (Spiced Jaggery Kulfi)

Indubitably the most delectable kulfi in an Earthenware Pot. A frozen dessert that is prepared with grated and chunks of spiced jaggery, reduced full-fat milk , Almond paste and garnished with lightly toasted slivered almonds, fennel seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Served chilled in the Earthenware Pots (Matka / Kulhad)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Chilling Time in the Freezer: 08 hours

Makes: 04 medium sized matkas / kulhad

Ingredients and Quantity:

• Masala Gud (Spiced Jaggery), grated- 1/4th cup
• Masala Gud (Spiced Jaggery), chunks- 02 tbsp.
• Full-fat milk – 2 litres
• Almond paste- 1/4th tbsp.

For the Garnish:

• Lightly toasted slivered almonds- 04 tsp.
• Lightly toasted fennel seeds- 02 tsp.
• Lightly toasted pumpkin seeds- 04 tsp.

For the Covering of Matka-

Muslin cloth, unbleached and food safe- 1/4th metre Or Food Grade Aluminium foil – as required.

Method:

• Boil milk in a heavy bottomed non-stick pan. Keep stirring till the milk reduces to ½ of its actual quantity. Add almond paste.
• Remove from the flame and pour it in a wide glass bowl and cool it completely.
• Add the grated spiced jaggery. Mix well. Now add the chunks and mix lightly so that this can give a chunky texture to the kulfi.
• Pour into soaked Kasoras / earthenware pots.
• Sprinkle with the slivered almonds, lightly toasted fennel seeds and pumpkin seeds.
• Cover each matka / kulhad with a small muslin cloth and tie it.
• Place the kulfi matkas / kulhad in the freezer for 08 hours. Serve chilled.

Rose and Quinoa Pudding

Try this absolutely delectable and healthy rose flavoured quinoa pudding with the goodness of coconut milk, sweetened with organic jaggery, garnished with lightly toasted slivered Almonds, pistachio nuts and dried, edible rose petals.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 to 35 minutes

Chilling Time in Refrigerator– 01 hour

Serves: 4

Ingredients and Quantity:

• Quinoa, coarsely ground- 1/4^th cup
• Rose petals, dried and edible- 1/4^th tbsp.
• Dried rose petal powder, edible- 02 tsp.
• Coconut Milk, unsweetened- 06 cups
• Cinnamon Powder- ½ tsp
• Jaggery, organic, grated- 01 tbsp. / as desired.
• Salt –a pinch

For straining the Jaggery syrup:

Muslin cloth- 1/4^th meter

For the Garnish:

• Rose Petals, dried and edible- 03 tsp.
• Almonds, lightly toasted and slivered- 02 tsp.
• Pistachio nuts, slivered- 02 tsp.

Method:

• In a small non-stick pan add ½ cup of water to that add grated jaggery. Give it a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Strain through a muslin cloth and keep aside.
• Wash and drain quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh.
• In a deep heavy bottomed non-stick pan pour the coconut milk add the drained quinoa and cinnamon powder, bring to a boil and simmer.
• Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Now add the rose petals and rose petal powder. Add a pinch of salt. Mix well.
• Let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Switch off the flame.
• Ensure that the pudding is thick, and the quinoa has absorbed enough milk to be cooked through and is tender. Let it cool add the jaggery syrup. Mix well.
• Pour the pudding into bowls, cool them completely and refrigerate for 01 hour.
• Enjoy this chilled delectable and healthy pudding garnished with Rose petals, slivered almonds and pistachio nuts.

Happy Valentine’s Day.