LYCHEE SYRUP

      What would you do when you land up with a lot of fresh Lychees, and a few tins of canned lychees, devour the fresh juicy fruit as fresh as it is.  And as the days go by and a few batches still lying out in the refrigerator staring at me with wide red-eyes, the never ending plan of converting it into some recipe or the other, pops into my head.  Pudding?!!! Sorbet?!!!  Or go to the extent of converting it into Lychee Syrup???

    Well, though making Syrups seemed tedious in the beginning and once I got the knack for it, I realized it is one simple recipe which just need a bit of time and patience.   In recent years I have been making my own Rose Syrups, Nannari (Sarsaparilla Syrup), Lemon Syrup, Caramel Syrup, Apple Syrup, Coffee Syrup etc., that now I have a bit of confidence to convert fruit juices into syrups.  And also, it is one best way to preserve the produce, when you have them in abundance.

    Along with Lychee comes the memory of our first trip to Thailand. Then it happened to be their National Tourism Week, and they handed a big packet of fresh Lychees to each passenger landing up at Swarnabhoomi International Airport at Bangkok.  We had all together 4 big packets of Lychees.  Though we had them in our hands, we were all busy getting our Entry Visa done and waiting for the Taxi.  Suddenly, an old lady pulled my hand. Alarmed and shocked at the same time, I turned to her... There beside me was a pleasant looking Old Lady, with a pleasant smile & beaming with pride, she said these Lychees are from Chiang Mai, enjoy them!!! Me, with my wide & amused smile, thanked her and said I will surely eat them right away.  To the word, we gobbled up a whole packet of Lychees within no time.  They were so fresh, tasty, juicy and the memorable Lychee flavour (my first acquaintance). Went back to the counter and got hold of two more packets. I still remember the day with all those evening twilight in Bangkok Airport waiting for our taxi to Pattaya, fresh Lychee and the sweet old lady. The whole stay I stored the Lychee in the hotel room refrigerator and had it heartily.  Even I bought back home a packet of Lychees, which we couldn't finish off. The reminiscence of these anecdotes, travel with me even after all these years, and I still relate Lychees to our trip to Thailand.

    Water, Sugar, and Lychees are all you need to easily make this lychee syrup at home.  Boil Sugar & Water along with fresh/canned Lychees until it reaches one string consistency or becomes slightly thick & sticky all together. Finally, add a few teaspoons of Lemon Juice, strain it and there you go with a Lychee syrup ready to add taste and aroma to the dishes.

LYCHEE SYRUP

This Lychee syrup has equal parts of water and sugar, lychees.

• This is Lychee Syrup and what you would need are Lychees – You can use fresh Lychees if available.  Peel and discard the skin and seed.  Can use canned Lychees too, just be sure to drain the lychees before using.
  
• Then what you require is Sugar – White Sugar – I have used white sugar in this recipe, which will help you to retain the natural white colour. Add a dash of lime juice to avoid crystallization. 
• Then you would need Water.

    Just 2 simple ingredients and you would be rewarded with a wonderfully fruity Lychee syrup.  This easy and extremely versatile Lychee Syrup is sure to elevate your desserts, drinks, cocktails, and mocktails. This Lychee Syrup can be added to almost anything in which you would love to have a note of tropical flavour in it. It will leave you with an elegantly sweet, dainty, and exotic fruity note. 

For more HOMEMADE SYRUPS, Click here...

HOW TO MAKE LYCHEE SYRUP - HOMEMADE LYCHEE SYRUP

LYCHEE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS: 

For Lychee Syrup:

METHOD:

• If using fresh Lychees, peel off the skin and cut the lychees and remove the seed. 
• Then rinse the Lychees well and leave it in a colander for a few minutes.
• Then cut them into small pieces and grind it into a coarse paste.
  
• In a Saucepan, pour in the water and add sugar into it.
• Stir well to combine, and boil it over a medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved completely.
• Now, add the puréed Lychees and give a quick stir.
• Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
• Boil this over a low flame for about 30 minutes.
• Pour in the Lemon Juice and cook for about 5 more minutes.
• Boil the Syrup until it reaches one string consistency.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool down for a few minutes.
• When the mixture is warm, strain the syrup. 
• Once the Lychee Syrup cools down completely, store it in a sterilized glass jar or bottle.
• Lychee syrup stays fresh for up to 6 months when stored in a dark, cool place. 
• For a longer shelf life, store the Lychee Syrup in the refrigerator. 

LYCHEE SYRUP

NOTES:

• I have used white sugar in this Lychee syrup recipe. Brown sugar may darken the Syrup, but if you prefer, substitute White Sugar with Brown Sugar.
• I had a can of Lychees and some fresh Lychees, So used about a Cup of both in the recipe.
  
• Adding Lemon juice while making the syrup is to prevent it from crystallization, and it also acts as a preservative. 
• Boil the Syrup until it reaches one string consistency.
• The Syrup gets slightly thicker after cooling down. 
• Store Lychee Syrup in the refrigerator. This will increase the Shelf life of the Syrup.
• I have added no preservatives or artificial colouring in this Homemade Lychee Syrup.

How to use Lychee Syrup?

LYCHEE SYRUP

LYCHEE JUICE

LYCHEE LEMONADE

LYCHEE MARTINI

LYCHEE PUDDING

 

• For Lychee Juice – Add this Lychee syrup to plain water & top it up with some Ice cubes.  For a variation, can mix it in Soda.  Or add a dash of Lime/Lemon and serve it with a few leaves of Mint.
• Make a simple tea and add a hint of Lychee Syrup in it.
  
• Add a teaspoon of Lychee Syrup into your limeade or lemonade, for a lychee flavoured Lime/Lemon drink.
• Or add it to your Cocktails, Mocktails, Mimosas, Martinis or sparkling drinks.  
• Can add Lychee Syrup while making Lychee Pudding.

Kerala Style Christmas Breakfast Spread

"Kerala Christmas Breakfast: A Celebration of Traditional Kerala Christian Cuisine"

MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

    Those were the days when people looked forward to eating Rice.  Rice was a delicacy to the common man then, and it came to his palate only on special occasions and on festivals. Pongal is one special occasion, a four-day-long festival celebrated at the nook and corner of Tamil Nadu.  As Rice is the staple crop grown in South India, along with other local produces comes this divine dish Sarkkarai Pongal/Chakkara Pongal. Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu to commemorate the divinity of the Sun, and its major role in agriculture and cattle rearing. Even the most poor will try to make Sarkkarai Pongal on this day with a handful of Rice.  So is the speciality of this harvest festival and the dish Pongal.

    Well, coming to recent years, where the folks have turned to eating Millets, Brown Rice etc., the age-old custom of Millet culture is steadily seeping into the kitchens through health conscious minds.  This Sarkkarai Pongal recipe is a twist given to the traditional Pongal where Millets are used instead of Rice. I have used Samai or the Little Millet in this recipe. The cooking method remains the same, with just a mild adjustment in Millet Water ratio. I felt that Pongal made with Millets turned out to be softer with a perfect melt in the mouth like texture. It was tastier than the Rice version, and obviously, a healthier version as Millets are rich in Fibre.

MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

    Though, festivals calls for indulgence and good food, as a norm I would like to prepare Pongal with Rice and Dhal. If you are looking for a twist and a healthier version, then this Millet Sarkkarai Pongal falls gently into the genre.  The cooking method is same as how we make Sarkkarai Pongal with Rice, where millet is substituted instead of Rice. Millet and Moong Dhal(Pasi Paruppu) are used to prepare this Sweet Pongal and Jaggery(Cane Sugar) is used to sweeten the dish, which gives the name Sarkkarai Pongal/Chakkarai Pongal.  Though variant methods are prevalent throughout South India, the major ingredients stick onto the above three major ingredients along with milk, flavoured with cardamoms, dry ginger, edible camphor or clove and garnished with Cashews and Raisins roasted in Ghee.

MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

 

HOW TO COOK MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

INGREDIENTS:

For Samai (Little Millet) Pongal:

Samai (Little Millet) -3/4 Cup
Yellow Moong Dhal - 1/2 Cup
Water - 3 1/4 Cup
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Salt - a Pinch

Cloves - 2 Nos. (Optional)

For Garnishing :

Ghee - 1/4 Cup
Cashew nuts - 10-12 Nos.
Raisins - 3 Tablespoons

METHOD:

• Melt Jaggery with 1 Cup of Water and 1/2 Teaspoon of Ghee until the jaggery pieces dissolve completely and start to boil.
• Switch off the flame, filter the melted Jaggery to remove any impurities and keep it aside.
• Grind Cardamom Pods & Dry Ginger (if using) with a Mortar and Pestle into a fine Powder and keep it aside.
• Dry Roast Moong Dhal on a low flame for about 5 minutes until the colour changes slightly, and it turns fragrant. (Do not over roast the Dhal).
• Wash Moong dhal & Samai (Little Millet) for at least 3–4 times or until water runs clear.
  Drain any excess water from it.
• Pour in 31/4 Cups of Water & 1/2 a Cup of Milk to Samai (Little Millet) and Moong Dhal.
  Pressure Cook on a high flame for a whistle.
• Lower the flame and cook for another 2 whistles and switch off the flame.
• Once the pressure is released, open the lid. 
• Then slightly mash the cooked Samai (Little Millet) and Moong Dhal.
• Pour the melted Jaggery to the above along with powdered Cardamom and Dry Ginger Powder and mix well.
• Leave this on a very low flame until Jaggery is well absorbed into the millet and dhal mix.
• Meanwhile, heat Ghee in a pan and roast Cashew nuts until golden brown colour and Raisins fluff-up.
• Pour this onto the Millet Sarkkarai Pongal Mixture and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for a few more minutes until you get the desired consistency.
• Serve Millet Sarkkarai Pongal hot with a drizzle of ghee over it.

MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL

NOTES:

• But dry roasting the dhal enhances the aroma and gives an even texture while cooking.
• Dry Roast the dhal on a medium flame until they are just hot to touch. (over roasting can alter the flavour of the dish)
• Adjust the amount of water as for the millet variety.
• Can substitute one cup of Water with Milk for a rich Sarkkarai Pongal
• We need the millet and dhal to be well cooked, so a bit of extra water would be needed (more than what we use normally for cooking millets). 
• Do not over boil the Jaggery mix.  We don't need to boil it into string consistency for Sarkarrai Pongal
• Adjust the sweetness to suit your taste preference.
• Adding extra ghee is strictly optional, but gives a wonderful flavour to Millet Sarkkarai Pongal/Sweet Pongal.
• Adding Dry Ginger powder is optional.
• Can also add edible camphor and cloves to Millet Sarkkarai Pongal if preferred.

PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE

    Yet another Wine and Yet another New Year - a new beginning... or is it the same monotonous cycle of day in, day out?  Anyway, let's begin this New Year with a Toast - 'HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023', with my home-made Pineapple Wine.  Also, my blog 'ESSENCE OF LIFE - FOOD' is nearing its Seventh Anniversary in another 16 days on 17th January. 

    On the run this New Year Post turned out to be the 800th Post in Essence of Life - Food and as I noticed that the Statistics says that my Blog has crossed 1 Million Views.  So, this Post, a Wine, suits well to be raised as a Toast for this occasion.  With not much of overwhelming response or income, my hobby of blogging is still fuelled with my Passion.  With quiet of a lot of other chores happening around me, this year turned out to be slow, and I spent very little of my quality time for my blog. Love what I am doing and Happy with what I yield out of it. I would like to Thank all my viewers on this occasion for all the support & encouragement.

Celebrating 1 Million+ Views for my Blog

Thanks for all the support and encouragement...

PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE

     Well, coming back to the recipe... If you have been reading my posts, then you may all know, that making a new wine each year and toasting it for Christmas & New Year had been a routine at home for years.  This Pineapple Wine was the one I brewed during last Christmas Season, and it is ready for the toast this year. Though there are schools which believe in making quick-fix wines, I belong to the school where the thumb rule sticks to the norm - "Wines get better with Age".  Patience is much appreciated while brewing a homemade Wine & it gets better as it ages.  

     Wine making has become a routine in my kitchen, with a few varieties of well brewed homemade wines always ready to be catered. Recently I re-bottled all my Wines from my collection.  And seeing a wide range of collection, my son said, they are going to sue me for brewing Illicit Hooch! Ah! That sounded a bit gruesome.  And all those bottles lined up, and used occasionally when a guest visits our house and in my baking, what was I doing with so much of Wines? As such, it all started as a hobby, backed up by my husband (but the irony is, he never drinks it just apart from tasting it.)  The fact is, I do not drink or even like to taste the Wines, I make.  I have professional wine tasters at my disposal... ha… ha… ha… just joking.  My Wine tasters are my beloved hubby & kids. 

PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE

    Believe it or not, I do not drink...  Thinking, all the while - though it may not be a virtue of its own, it stayed as much as a preference, a personal choice. 

Ah! 

I never want to know
The fun of a fermented liquid
Which spreads joy
Shrinks the Sorrows...
When it flows into my mouth
Slips past my tongue and 

Slides down my throat
I won’t flinch, nor feel the after-burn left in its wake

Nor the ecstasy of the drink ...

I may never be able to share...
Stories of peers who gathered for a booze
Who’s bottoms were up as was mine downing & drowning & gulping
Until all were washed away & all were sloshed

Only the sane & sober
Would wake up to give an exact account of what transpired

Of the untold stories
And no one would fill in the blanks 

For the best of all...

    Here's a very simple recipe for an old-fashioned wine made out of Pineapple Peels. This is a recipe from my old cook book which I had jotted down during my college days with an all sceptical idea, whether I would make a wine at all in my life and a wine with Pineapple Peels??? But it looked different and out of the box then.  But life has taken me into a stroll where I am brewing wines in the name of illicit hooch, and it has become a hobby of my OWN!

    This is a simple Pineapple Wine recipe with simple home-made wine making technique, but the results are really awesome.  And the colour which I got naturally from the brew took me offhand when I was shooting the pictures.  The sunlight which probed into the wine glass gave it a wonderful and catchy spectacle with a golden hue!
    

Recipe Type - Wine
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 3-4 Bottles
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 30 -45 Minutes
Brewing Time for Wine - 3 Months - 1 Year

HOMEMADE PINEAPPLE WINE  

PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE

INGREDIENTS:

For Pineapple Wine:

To Activate the Yeast:

Yeast  - 1 Packet (11 Grams)
Sugar - 5 Teaspoons.
Warm Water - 1/3 Cup

PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE

METHOD:

For Pineapple Peel Wine:

• Using a knife, slice off the top & bottom part of the Pineapple.
• Cut off the outer layer (the Peel) and reserve it.
  
• Slice the Pineapple and then cut it into small Pieces.
• Chop the Pineapple Peel into small pieces.
• Add the chopped Pineapples, Pineapple Peels, Sugar, and the Lemon in a large glass or ceramic jar.
• Pour 5 litres of boiling water into it and leave it aside for 12 hours.
• Activate the Yeast by putting it in warm water and 5 teaspoons of Sugar.
• Add activated yeast to the mix after 12 hours
• Can add some extra Sugar and few sticks of Cinnamon to add more sweetness and flavour to the Pineapple Peel Wine.
• Stir it every day for a week.
• After a week, strain and press the juice out of the mixture and bottle it. 
• Keep the bottles tightly closed.
• Store them in a dark and dry place for about 3 months.
• Re-bottle the clear wine, leaving the sediments behind for another one month. 
• The Pineapple Wine should be filtered properly at this stage.
• Taste the Pineapple Wine after two months, add sweetness and flavour if needed.
• Do the above process until there are no sediments left.
• Good quality Pineapples yields the best Pineapple Wine. 
• Like most of the wines, it will improve with age.

NOTES:

• Cutting the Pineapples & its peels into small pieces will yield more flavour and body to the wine.
• Pineapples are naturally sweeter, so adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
• I just used normal yeast, as it is very difficult to get wine yeast in my area.
• If you can get hold of Wine Yeast, go ahead with it and also can add Campden Tablets.
  
• Stirring the wine is very important for the fermenting process.
• Store them in clean and dry bottles in a moist free place.
• As I am staying in a tropical area, my wine brewed up sooner. But I strictly followed the regime.
• I did not use any artificial colours, food preservatives or enhancers in this Pineapple Wine.
• The colour and flavour, which I got naturally out of it, were more satisfying.

PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE

SM