On Being Random & Pineapple Kesaris....

How random are you? Or let me be precise, how random is your behaviour at times?

I am sure we all (me included in capital letters) behave randomly at times. At times, to be honest I behave extremely randomly. Sometimes it is big, sometimes not so. Like I plan my life one way and then ditch it all and go off to do something completely different. I know it is a bit of a whopper. Mostly I am not that random. Mostly it is small things like I start to say one thing and then end up saying else. Or I start planning one meal and then cook something altogether different.

If at this point you are nodding your head in solidarity, cheerio my friend! Let the random souls of the world unite and shake hands or exchange recipes or just say hi.

For this month's Blog Hop Wednesday my usual randomness has been in full force. I am paired with the sisters Harini and Jaya of Tamalapaku. Now when I first checked out their blog, I loved the watermelon drink they had made. Since summer was knocking, I decided that we must have that drink. Then it started to rain in London and it got cold again, so summer drink seemed wee bit inappropriate. Since my husband's graduation was right after the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, I thought their microwave cupcake would be ideal. Also the fact that it is super quick to make added to the attraction. Right now I am BUSY. My in-laws are visiting and I am rushed off my feet. Literally. Then today, being already two days late, when I sat down to copy the recipe, I chanced upon another--their recipe of Pineapple Kesari. Now this is something I have been planning to make for sometime, I have got an old recipe of Sanjeev Kapoor's bookmarked for the last couple of years. Also a pineapple has been languishing in my fruit basket for sometime, I am sure feeling sorry for itself while its other fruity friends got devoured and it got left behind. So I decided to use the pineapple and make some halwa. I know pineapple halwa is the last dessert one expects while looking at photos of Oxford. You would expect some scones, or Victoria sponge, or at least some fairy cakes. But instead I have some halwa. Talk about being random. 

Okay, I know I have been rambling for sometime, let me shut up and share some photos of Oxford and of course the recipe.

The famous Radcliffe Camera of Oxford. You can read more about this library of the University of Oxford here.

Cycle stand in city centre. Now Oxford for me would never be complete without its numerous bicycles. Most of our friends who bought cycle in Oxford at the beginning of their term, had their stolen. So whenever students gathered they would invariably discuss cycles! 

How could a photo album of Oxford be complete without students?

Vice Chancellor giving graduation speech! The ceremony was solemn and traditional, some of it in Latin and most of the medieval customs still followed today!

This was the dessert served during the college lunch. Frankly the food was nothing to write home about.

                                                                         *****

Now onto the pineapple halwa/kesari. I followed recipe step by step, the milk did curdle like warned, but it not much affect the taste of the finished product. Maybe next time I will try it with water. You can find the recipe here.

Ingredients for the Halwa 

• Semolina / Sooji /  1 cup
• Pineapple bits 1 cup 
• Milk/water 2 cups 
• Sugar 3/4 cup
• Ghee / Clarified Butter 1 tbsp
• Cardamom Powder 1 tsp
• Saffron few strands
• Dried Nuts ( slivers of almonds, pistachio and raisins) for garnish

Method Of Preparation 

• In a heavy bottomed, non stick pan dry roast the sooji until it turns golden brown in colour and becomes aromatic. Set it aside and let it cool down.
• In the same non stick pan, heat milk (or water if using), pineapple and sugar. Add in a tablespoon of ghee and cardamom powder. Let it boil until the pineapple bits are cooked enough. (About 8-10 minutes)
• Soak the saffron strands in a teaspoon of milk and set aside.
• When the pineapple is cooked well enough, slowly sprinkle the roasted sooji while mixing well so there are no lumps formed. Add the saffron strands soaked in milk.