Those Lemons in That Milk

In August 2011, just a few months after I had moved to US, I volunteered to bring a dessert to a pot luck dinner.  The dinner was held at someone's place who was hosting the Teej festival for people around the area, and was expecting about 90 adults and kids for the get-together.  The pot luck was a first for me, and without understanding the time and energy it would take to make something for 90 people on the day I would be fasting – I told them I would bring Ras Malai.  I was an idiot.  An over-confident idiot.

After I brought all the ingredients and was ready to make Ras Malai, I called a neighbor-friend over to help me out.  She was as newly married and as inexperienced in the kitchen as I, but we both were prepared to make Ras Malai.  At least about 90 pieces of Ras Malai to feed 90 people, also considering there would be couple of other desserts brought by two other volunteers.

Angoor Malai | Angoor Rabdi | Mini Ras Malai Recipe

Some people in the past made various wonderful desserts with chhena (paneer), and gave them lovely names, and made it look like only sweatshops could make such tempting desserts that seemed impossible to attain at home.  But the truth is – once you learn to make chhena (paneer) at home, and once you learn how to make basic Rasgulla at home, you can make SO many desserts with it.  

Samosa in a different shape, size, and color | Appetizer Ideas

Samosa can be formed in a shape other than a triangle, for example the bag shaped Potli Samosa.  A samosa can be made in various sizes, some big or some small ones like the Cocktail Samosa.

Samosa can also be given various kinds of fillings, savory ones such as: potato, peas, cauliflower, onion, paneer, and the likes; or sweet stuffing with coconut, raisin, and so on.

Layered Vanilla and Chocolate Pudding | Eggless Dessert

You can easily make some desserts at home look SO good, it will almost make people think they're bought from a bakery.  For example, this kind of a eggless pudding in layers served in a shot glass.  There are different combinations and numbers of layers you can make with this chocolate and vanilla pudding.  I have previously posted a variation to the eggless chocolate and vanilla layered pudding.

Eggless Banana Walnut Muffins | Banana Nut Muffin | Eggless Muffin Recipe

There is a never a dearth of overly ripe bananas at our place.  If Alok does not eat one before going for his work out, the banana almost gets unnoticed.  I have frozen some of the ripe bananas, but when I thaw them they look strange and smell weird, so I have stopped freezing and started using them.  So this time with the ripe bananas on hand I tried Banana Walnut Muffins again with another recipe and some modifications.

Eggless Banana Nut Muffin