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Calamondin Orange Marmalade- Simple Quick Recipe

I have a plant of this gorgeous beauty in my garden. I planted calamondin oranges as a mere ornamental beauty. Little did I know that they are a remarkable member of the citrus family. Calamondins originated in China and the Philippines. But this fruit soon gained popularity across the world for its versatility. This fruit is a hybrid between a mandarin orange and a kumquat.

The fruits are sour and slightly sweet, resembling a tarter version of traditional oranges. The peel of this fruit tastes sweet and the inside is sour but very flavorful. Despite its sour taste, the calamondin orange is a culinary delight. It’s widely used in marmalades, jams, and as a flavor enhancer in beverages and desserts. In Southeast Asian cuisine, it’s a common condiment, adding zest to dishes.

This fruit yields fabulous marmalade. The distinct aroma and sweet taste of the peels makes this marmalade quite different from the regular orange marmalade you had. And dare I say tastes so much better! If you personally ask me, this is best citrus food marmalade I have ever made.

This vital little fruit is also known for it’s healthy benefits. One of the most common applications is in the treatment of respiratory ailments such as coughs and phlegm. The fruit’s juice, when consumed, can help in loosening and expelling phlegm, making it easier to clear congested airways.

The fruit’s acidity can aid in digestion and help alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort such as bloating and indigestion. Its mild laxative effect can also be beneficial in regulating bowel movements.

I think I have given you enough insight about this fruit. Now coming to the recipe. You only need 3 ingredients to make this marmalade. The entire recipe will take you no time since you don’t require much cooking unlike other citrus marmalades because the peels are very soft.

Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 12 minutes 
Yields: 700 grams

Ingredients

  • 500 grams Calamondin Orange
  • 500 grams sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp minced Ginger (optional, but adds flavor)

Instructions

  • Before starting the recipe, put a plate in a freezer for later testing the marmalade.
  • Cut the calamondins into half and take out all the seeds. This might take you 10 to 12 minutes but as soon as you are done with this step, this recipe is a piece of cake.
  • Now blend all the calamondins in a blender. 500 grams of this fruit will roughly give you 2 cups pulp.
  • Bring a heavy bottom pan to a medium heat. Add the pulp and cook it for 3-4 minutes.
  • Now add sugar and cook the pulp for 7-8 minutes. After 7 minutes of cooking, do the plate test.
  • Pour a tsp of marmalade on a chilled plate and try to wriggle it using your fingers. If the liquid starts getting wrinkles and it resembles a set jelly, you know that your marmalade is ready.
  • Pour the marmalade in a sterilized glass jar. Now add a tbsp of lemon juice and mix well. It will last you months at room temperature. Refrigerate for longer shelf life.

Enjoy this delicious treat!!! 🙂

Notes:

  • Never try to cook this marmalade beyond 10-12 minutes. Do the plate test precisely after 7 minutes. The marmalade might appear loose but as it cools, it will become thick. If you are still unsure, then once the marmalade coats the back of your spoon, it is time to take it off heat. If you keep cooking it beyond that time, your marmalade on cooling will become like a solid mass.
  • Do not reduce the sugar. Since calamondin is a sour fruit, you will have to add equal amount of sugar to balance the tartness.
  • Always take the ripest calamondins for better flavor.
  • Always store the marmalade in a glass jar due to its acidic nature.
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The Indian Summer Superfood: Chana Sattu

This super food has existed in our country for decades. Sattu atta or Sattu maavu is familiarly mentioned as a quick breakfast option in many households across India. A staple in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, it is cherished and consumed by laborers and farmers.

Sattu, derived from roasted Bengal gram flour, is often hailed as the “poor man’s protein” for its affordability and rich nutritional profile which is now also gaining popularity in urban areas. What earlier belonged to a few states, is now a famous and exotic food ingredient that is easily available even in supermarkets.

Growing up, sattu was not just a food item for me; it was a cornerstone of my childhood memories and experiences. In the bustling kitchen of my Bihari household, sattu was omnipresent, woven into the fabric of our daily lives in countless ways. From savory dishes to refreshing drinks, sattu featured prominently on our dining table, each serving a testament to its versatility and significance.

Interesting History of Sattu

There have been many stories behind origin of sattu. However the most common one is that, Sattu originated in Tibet where it is known as ‘Tsampa’. It was a staple travel food of monks, who traveled long distances in search of enlightenment. It was durable, easy to eat and provided them with required nutrients and energy.

Infact, in the heroic case of the 1999 Kargil War in the Batalik Sector, not many know that the win initially was achieved, courtesy Ladakh Scouts. This unit was instrumental in ensuring that not only the little battalion posted up there got their ammunition and information supply, but food as well— especially Sattu.

Health benefits of Sattu:

  • Rich source of protein: Did you know 100 grams of sattu can give you 20 grams of pure protein? Sattu is made from roasted Bengal gram flour, making it a potent source of plant-based protein.
  • High fiber content: Sattu contains dietary fiber, which aids digestion, promotes bowel regularity, and helps maintain a healthy gut.
  • Low glycemic index: Sattu has a low glycemic index, meaning it causes a slower and steadier rise in blood sugar levels, making it suitable for individuals with diabetes.
  • Nutrient-dense: Sattu is packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which are vital for overall health and well-being.
  • Energy booster: Sattu provides a sustained release of energy due to its complex carbohydrates, making it an ideal pre- or post-workout snack.
  • Cooling properties: Sattu has natural cooling properties, making it a popular choice during hot summer months to beat the heat and stay hydrated.
  • Weight management: Sattu is low in calories and fat, making it a nutritious option for those looking to manage their weight while still feeling satisfied and full.
  • Supports heart health: The fiber, protein, and potassium content in sattu may help lower cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, and support cardiovascular health.
  • Boosts immunity: Sattu contains antioxidants and micronutrients that help strengthen the immune system and protect the body against infections and diseases.
  • Promotes bone health: Sattu is a good source of calcium and magnesium, which are essential for maintaining strong bones and teeth, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

How to select Sattu Flour?

When an ingredient becomes more popular, brand race starts to put their stamp on the product which is in demand. In this race, selecting a good brand becomes challenging. Go for indigenous variety of channa that is stone ground to a fine powder. Indigenous pure variety is easy to digest while being a source of insoluble fibre. Traditional stone grinding process preserves the natural taste, aroma, and nutritional benefits of the chana, making it a more authentic and a wholesome choice. You can explore Masala Monk’s Sattu Mix which is made from pure channa and is stone ground sattu flour.

Ways to incorporate Sattu in your lifestyle 

  • Simple Sattu Drink: This one is effective, easy and you just need a few ingredients to make this recipe. It is an easy fussy free recipe which will keep you hydrated in summer heat. All you need to do is mix sattu, lemon juice and some spices in a glass of water. Stir it well and drink this nutritious drink. For the full recipe, click here
  • Sattu Parantha: A staple in Bihar, sattu parantha is delicious and so easy to make, and you can pair it with curd and pickle. Just make simple filling with sattu, onion, green chillies and spices. Then add the filling in the middle of your parantha dough and cook. Check out the full recipe here. 
  • Buttermilk Sattu: Sattu is a rich source of protein and when mixed with buttermilk it is a natural and a potent protein shake. This drink is a quick escape from the sweltering summer heat and a refreshing twist on a classic drink that’s both easy to make and high in protein. Click here for full recipe.
  • Sattu Cheela (Pancake): A good and nutritious breakfast recipe, sattu cheela is easy to make. For this, you need is a mix of besan, sattu, spices and vegetables of your choice. It is simple protein rich breakfast recipe. Know how you can make this iron rich too. Check the recipe here.
  • Sattu Porridge: Sattu Porridge is a wholesome and nutritious breakfast option that combines sattu with creamy milk and a touch of natural sweetness. This hearty porridge provides sustained energy and keeps you feeling full and satisfied throughout the morning. With its easy preparation and customizable toppings, it’s the perfect way to start your day on a healthy and delicious note! Click here for detailed recipe.
  • Sattu Chokha: It is a humble yet flavorsome dish. With no cooking involved and no intricate techniques required, it’s a true testament to the beauty of minimalism in cooking. Made primarily from sattu, this dish celebrates the natural flavors and nutritional benefits of its core ingredient. Mixed with an array of aromatic spices and fresh ingredients like onions, green chilies, and coriander leaves, Sattu Chokha is a delightful medley of textures and tastes. Click here for full recipe.

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Easy Festive Irish Rum Truffles- The Best Truffles

Irish Rum Truffles are a classic holiday treat. Chocolatey and rich. It is a French confectionery traditionally made with chocolate ganache centre and coated with cocoa powder, coconut or chopped nuts. It’s sweet, slightly bitter, fudgy and of course intensely boozy. These are my favourite indulgent sweets. I am absolutely certain that after trying this recipe, you will ditch the boxed truffles which doesn’t even come close to the homemade ones.

Irish Rum Truffles are quite easy to make. They are perfect when you are craving a treat but don’t want to turn on the oven. 

One of the qualities I find most important in food is the taste it leaves in my mouth. It should leave a memory on my taste buds that makes me want the next one. And, these truffles do exactly that.

My husband and I cut a small cake together at midnight on our anniversary each year. This is our moment together before we celebrate the day with our family and friends. 

So for our 5th anniversary I wanted to treat my husband with something different and not the usual midnight cake. That’s when I thought of making Irish rum truffles. I sat down and scrolled through many recipes, adding and omitting what I like and don’t like and finally came up with this recipe. I had my fingers crossed. 

When the clock struck midnight, I surprised him with these. He had a confused expression on his face because it was not the usual stuff. Skeptically, he took the first bite and the wide eyed expression said it all. 😄

They turned out to be so good. It has been 6 years now since I have been making this. I didn’t realise how good these were until one year I didn’t make them.

Not only are these holiday classics or a perfect gifting treats but you can make them whenever you like. It will lift your mood when you are sad. When you are happy, it will just make you happier. 😊

Although if rum or bailey’s isn’t your favourite liquor, you could try making them with bourbon, cointreau, cognac or kahlúa instead.

The taste will depend on the chocolate you are using. I used a total of 100 grams chocolate. 60 grams was Green & Black Dark Chocolate (70%) and 40 grams was a mix of Lindors and Lindt Milk chocolate. 

Pro Tips:

  • Do not use Chocolate chips or cheap bars because they will not melt in truffle consistency leaving you with grainy bits. Chocolate chips are great for recipes like cookies and tea cakes. 
  • Do not use half-and-half or any other liquid because the truffles won’t set properly.
  • Pure vanilla extract adds exceptional flavor to your chocolate truffles.
  • Coffee will accentuate the taste of the chocolate, so do not skip it. 

Truffles are too firm with less liquid. So stick to this recipe for truffle success!

Recipe: makes 12-13 truffles

Ingredients

Chocolate: 100 gms

Fresh cream: 60 ml (25% fat)

Coconut oil/Unsalted butter: 3 tbsps

Rum: 10 ml

Bailey’s Irish cream: 30 ml

Instant coffee: 1/2 tsp mixed in 1 tbsp water

Vanilla extract: 1/2th tsp

Sieved unsweetened Cocoa powder

Some coarsely crushed nuts. I went with Pistachios. 

Method:

  • Finely chop chocolate and keep aside in a big glass bowl. 
  • Heat cream. DO NOT BOIL IT. Remove from heat just when you see bubbles forming on the edges. Add coconut oil or butter. 
  • Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in batches, mixing well each time so that the chocolate doesn’t split. Use a wire whisk. If the chocolate splits, just add a splash of boiling water. 
  • Now, in goes the rum, bailey’s, instant coffee and vanilla extract.
  • Whisk it well for couple of minutes to incorporate some air and till everything mixes well.
  • Cover it with a cling and put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours to set. 
  • Once set, line a plate with butter paper. 
  • Take one tbsp scoop and scoop out to make small balls. You will have to shape really quickly because the heat from your hand might melt the chocolate. 
  • Keep the topping handy in a plate. 
  • Roll the truffle in the topping of your choice and place it one by one on the butter paper. 
  • Refrigerate for one hour or till it is set. It will last you about 2 weeks in a refrigerator. 

Troubleshooting

  • The chocolate is separating: This is one of the biggest concerns while making truffles. If your chocolate splits then your cream was too hot. So make sure you don’t boil it. 
  • The chocolate doesn’t melt: There can be two issues here, either your cream is too cold or you didn’t chop the chocolate into very small pieces. The finer the chocolate chunks, the quicker it will melt. If the chocolate doesn’t melt, craft a double boiler setting and heat the mixture in a heat proof bowl for a few seconds. 
  • Trying to scoop too-warm ganache: Once the cream and chocolate are whisked together, you will have a thick, smooth mixture known as ganache. You might think that it’s scoopable right out of the bowl, but you’ll need to cool it properly before scooping and rolling. Refrigerate it before scooping. 
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Quick Strawberry and Apple Preserve- Healthy Kid Friendly Recipe

I love making fuss free healthy recipes for my little one. Strawberries have literally become synonymous to preserves and jams. With only a few ingredients, you can whip up homemade strawberry preserves in no time and it’ll keep so well in the fridge for weeks to come!

This delightful homemade preserve is one of my son’s favourite and it is super easy to make. He enjoys it with almost anything – pancake, on a toast, parantha. It takes only 5 ingredients and tastes so much better than the store bought ones which are laden with sugar, artificial colours and preservatives.

This preserve is made in smaller batch without the use of pectin. But this recipe can be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch of preserve. If you want the preserves to last longer than three weeks in the refrigerator, you’ll need to process the jars in a hot water canning bath.

Do make this strawberry preserve when berries are in season and I am sure you will love it.
It tastes delicious. It’s healthy and its is ready in flat 20 minutes. 

This preserve does not contain any processed sugar. It is not sickly sweet. This is something your child and your family can enjoy guilt free. I have added chia seeds to it for more nutrition and also it improves the texture of the preserve.

Ingredients

Prep time: 5 minsServing: makes 2 ounces
Cook time: 15 mins
  • 100 gms Strawberries
  • 1/2 cup Apple
  • 30 gms jaggery powder or unprocessed coconut sugar
  • 1.5 tbsps Chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
  • 1/4th cup Water

Method

  1. Chop strawberries and apple finely. Add them in a pan. Keep the flame low. Cook for a minute. Now add coconut sugar or jaggery powder. 
  2. Stir till sugar melts. It should take a minute or two.
  3. Now add water. Cook till apple becomes mushy and the preserve thickens. It will roughly take 9-10 minutes. 
  4. Once it thickens, add lemon juice, vanilla extract and chia seeds. 
  5. Cook for a minute and Voila!!! It’s done 🙂

Notes:

  • You can skip apple here and add 1/2 cup more of strawberries or other berries of your choice.
  • Do not skip lemon juice. Lemon juice is required to set the preserve. The acid in it neutralizes the PH level of the mixture. 
  • Store in an airtight glass jar. Refrigerate for longer shelf life. Use within 3-4 weeks
  • Use a dash of cinnamon for a warm touch.

Enjoy good health! 🙂

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Silky Smooth Lemon Curd- ( Totally Fool-Proof Method)

Lemon Curd is a rich, soft, buttery and custard like spread or topping that has a deliciously tart yet sweet citrus flavour.

This method of making Lemon Curd is totally fool-proof. It will ensure a perfect velvety smooth lemon curd with no lumps. I discovered this perfect trick to make Lemon Curd after few hits and trials.  It is so easy that I started calling it Fool Proof Lemon Curd Recipe. 

I can bet that you will stop buying it from the market once you use this recipe. Your store bought doesn’t even come close to this. One spoonful of this and you will literally go “mmmmmm”. It’s that good.

The trick to make perfectly smooth lemon curd is whole egg. Most cooks don’t use egg white in Lemon Curd because chances of egg white coagulating is higher but egg white gives a very light, almost custardy texture which I love. The trick to get it right is simple. You just have to whip it well, keep stirring and cook on low flame. DO NOT LET IT BOIL!

How to use Lemon Curd?

Well, there are countless ways to use it. While traditionally it was used as a spread for scones. But it makes a delicious filling or topping for tarts, pies, cakes, pancakes, crepes, cheesecakes and the list goes on and on. 

How long does it last?

If stored in a refrigerator in an airtight glass jar, this can last you almost a month. And yes, this freezes well too. Just thaw before using it and it is good to go. 

Points to Remember

  • I like to use Meyer lemon for making this but you can use whatever is easily available.
  • It is always good to weigh the ingredients and not use a rough estimate in recipes like these. 
  • Always use a double boiler for this recipe. If you don’t have a double boiler, make a makeshift double boiler by placing a heatproof glass bowl on top of a larger pot. Just make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water in the larger pot. 

Recipe

Prep time: 5 minsServing: makes 400 ml
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients

  • Egg yolks: 2 large
  • Whole egg: 1
  • Castor sugar: 80 gms
  • Cornflour: 1 tbsp
  • Lemon juice: 90 ml
  • Cold Butter: 75 gms (cut in cubes)
  • Salt: 1/4th tsp
  • Lemon zest: 1 tsp

Method

  1. Before starting, keep all the ingredients ready. Keep butter cubes in refrigerator.
  2. Make a double boiler setting. Take a pan and a heat proof bowl. Use either a glass bowl or a stainless steel bowl. No aluminium. Add some water in the pan. The bowl should not be touching the water. 
  3. In the heat proof bowl, add egg yolks, whole egg, cornstarch & sugar. Whip till it becomes light and fluffy and sugar almost melts. This should take 2-3 minutes.
  4. Heat lemons in microwave for 10-15 seconds and squeeze out 90 ml juice. Add lemon zest to the heat proof bowl and then gradually add lemon juice in 2-3 batches, whisking each time. 
  5. While you are whisking, heat the water. Do not let the water boil. Now put the heat proof bowl on top. 
  6. Cook on the lowest flame. Keep stirring continuously till it thickens. This is very important otherwise chances are the eggs will coagulate. It’ll take roughly 15 minutes. 
    In case the water beneath starts boiling, take it off heat for a few seconds then put it back. The idea is to allow it to cook & thicken on low heat.
  7. Take a wooden spoon/spatula and check after 12 minutes. It should coat the back of the spoon. Slide your finger, if the path is clear then it’s cooked. If not or you are unsure, cook it for a few more minutes. 
  8. Once off heat, add cold butter cubes one by one and keep whisking continuously till it incorporates fully. Then sieve it for a smooth lemon curd. Transfer it to an airtight glass jar and refrigerate. It’ll thicken further on cooling.
  9. It tastes much better after 1-2 days. If you plan to make a dessert using lemon curd, make it a couple of days in advance.