Shavige Payasa - Sweet Vermicelli

Payasa is an Indian dessert from the Karnataka region. I discovered it when I was in India, and what I immediately loved was the cardamom cream flavor. The vermicelli in the dessert was more an acquired taste. But I think at the end, it gives an original texture to the cream.

For about 4 portions, you will need:

• 15 grams of vermicelli
• Some butter (about 2 teaspoons, only to roast the vermicelli)
• 2 cups of milk
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 5 cardamom pods

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: At least 2 hours

Start by breaking your vermicelli in small pieces.

Remove the shells from the cardamom pods and crush them in a mortar or with a heavy pan.

Keep the cardamon powder on the side.

Place the butter into a saucepan and add the vermicelli pieces. Let them brown.

Once the vermicelli is golden brown, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the milk and stir for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Then add the crushed cardamom and the sugar, and stir for about 4 to 5 minutes.

 

Turn off the heat, transfer your dessert into a container and let it cool down.

Once it had cooled down, place the container in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy cold by itself, or with a few brownies!

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Mayonnaise

A mayonnaise is often a good addition to your meals; it marries perfectly with French fries, burgers, shrimps, potato salad, boiled eggs, our recipe for refreshing starters, and so many more.

Here's a simple recipe for a mayonnaise, you won't even need a hand-mixer; a simple fork or even a whisk will suffice. But just a quick tip, the ingredients have to be at room temperature.

You will need:

• 1 egg yolk*
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard (according to your taste)
• Some vegetable oil (the more you add, the more mayonnaise you will get)
• Some salt
• Some pepper

Preparation time: 5 minutes


Making a homemade mayonnaise is actually quite easy (and so much better than the one in the tube). 

You just have to follow these few steps.

In a bowl, mix with a fork (or a whisk) the egg yolk and the dijon mustard.

Then add a little bit of the vegetable oil and beat with the fork until the mix becomes smooth and thick.

Once you mayonnaise became smooth and has thicken, add a bit more of the vegetable oil, and beat with the fork until the mix becomes smooth and thick, and so on.

Here's the consistency, the smoothness, and the thickness of how your mayonnaise should be.

Finish by adding some salt and pepper according to your taste, and give it another good whisk.

Reserve in the fridge until you serve it.

*Tip: Don't throw away your egg white, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use your egg whites.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Apple Muffins

According to an old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. I would say an apple muffin a day will keep your guest coming back for some more! Not sure about the doctor though, I will leave that reflection to your judgment.

This recipe will delight kids and adults and can be served as a dessert, as a snack, or even for breakfast.

It is very simple and quick to make.

The quantities are for 6 individually sized muffins (7 centimeter diameter at the top, 4 centimeter diameter at the bottom, and 4 centimeter tall).

You will need:

• 175 grams of flour
• 11 grams (1 paquet) of baking powder
• 100 grams of sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 50 grams of soft to melted butter
• 1 egg
• 100 milliliters of milk
• 1 big apple or 2 small apples

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes

Start by pre-heating your oven to 200 C (390 F).

In a bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) and slightly mix.

Add the melted or soft butter to the dry mix ... 

... until you obtain a mix with a texture similar to breadcrumbs.

In another bowl, mix the egg and the milk.

Add the milk/egg mix to the previous batter and mix.

Peel the apples and cut them into pieces.

Add the apple pieces to the batter and mix.

Pour the batter into muffins moulds.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the muffins are golden and your knife comes back clean after poking a muffin.

You can serve cold or warm, as you prefer.

Note:

You can serve your muffin with a scoop of ice-cream or even with a delicious Apple & Maple Syrup Icing (coming soon to our menu)

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond