Be Summer Ready :Giggle, Gobble and Gulp !

It doesn’t matter whether you like your milk warm or cold or you like it plain or flavored. There are so many different ways to have your milk, it’s almost like a painter’s plain canvas. I might have a slight bias any form of milk as long as it is cold. But that’s only because the summer season is here!

Needless to say that the key ingredient, Klimom’s desi cow milk, will keep you healthy and nourished in every form. We deliver fresh milk to your home within just a few hours of milking. The milk is as fresh as it can get and has no preservatives added. Nor is it refrigerated.

So what can you do to retain the nutrition?
Before you decide what recipe you want to try with your milk, it’s important that you know how to handle it. The options are limitless, however, there are some ground rules to be followed. One of the important rules is to not overboil your milk. It is a myth that you need to keep boiling the milk repeatedly.

Our milk is handled with a lot of care and just one boil is sufficient to take care of any germs that you might be worried about. Overboiling greatly reduces the nutritional content of the milk. Isn’t that the last thing you want?

Just remember the three easy steps to follow with the fresh Klimom milk delivered to your home:
One: Boil the milk in a clean vessel and allow it to cool down.
Two: Refrigerate it if you are not going to consume it soon after.
Three: Take only required quantities from the fridge whenever required, especially if you need to heat it again.

So now coming to the fun part. You can come up with many new creations with just one core ingredient that is so versatile and also rich in nutrition.The much-dreaded season of the year, summer, is just around the corner. So what better time to look at some cold goodies we can whip up with milk

Most of the times, I just use milk as the core ingredient. If you are looking for something different, you can also prepare some icecreams or yogurts and store them in the refrigerator. They form a great base for drinks and desserts as well. So let’s turn a cup full of milk into a dozen delicacies!Let’s look at a couple of ice cream recipes that are great to stock up on this summer.

I’m yet to meet someone who doesn’t like ice creams. This is one food item that is a true global favorite with young and old alike. Just the thought of the yummy and creamy cold scoop makes my mouth water.

It’s quite easy to make your own ice creams at home too and not worry about getting a sore throat. Commercial ice creams use lots of preservatives and artificial colors that are not great for you. The real problem is not that ice cream is cold, but it’s the additives that cause irritation. This we can totally avoid if we make our own ice cream.

1. Recipe for plain milk ice cream:

Ingredients:
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Ice for churning

Method: Mix the sugar into the milk until it has fully blended. Add the cream and blend in. Put the mix on the stove until it is slightly hot and some foam appears on top. Pour the entire mixture into a container and freeze overnight. If you are in a hurry, freeze it for at least two hours.

Remove the mixture from the freezer and churn it in an ice cream maker for 15-20 mins. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can also use a hand churner. This is an important step as it ensures that the ice cream is rich and creamy and not icy. If needed, repeat the churning process a couple of times, returning the mixture to the freezer every hour or so.

If you are churning the ice cream manually, put the container with the mixture over another one filled with ice. This will ensure that the mixture remains firm and doesn’t fully melt while you are churning it.Your plain milk ice cream is ready to be served or stored in the fridge to have later. The most simple yet delicious ice cream.

2. Recipe for Kulfi ice cream:
Ingredients: 1-liter full-fat milk 200 gms condensed milk3 tablespoons of powdered sugar 4-5 strands of saffron, soaked in warm milk2 pieces cardamom (elaichi), powdered8-10 pieces pistachios, roughly chopped

Method: Boil the milk along with all the ingredients. Stir well and bring to a thick consistency. Allow it to cool down to room temperature and place it in the fridge for a few hours. Once the mixture has cooled down, pour it into the molds and transfer to the freezer compartment. Now find something to do for the next 7-8 hours as your delicious kulfi sets and is ready to devour.

3. Recipe for cookies and cream ice cream:
Ingredients: Same as plain milk ice cream10-15 Small cream-filled cookies (preferably chocolate flavor)

Method:The ice cream base is prepared in the same way as described above in the first recipe. To this, we can add the cookies and cream for a nuanced flavor and some texture. Take a clean ziplock bag and place all the cookies in them. Use a rolling pin to crush up the cookies into small bits. Try not to completely powder them so there is a good bite to your ice cream. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and blend in this cookie mixture gently. Place this mixture back in the freezer for at least 2 hours for the flavors to blend it. Your crunchy creation is ready!

4. Recipe for fresh mango ice cream:
Ingredients: Same as plain milk ice cream1/2 cup mango pulp or crushed bits.

Method: Blend in the pulp into the ice cream mixture as soon as it cools down. Then continue with the same steps as outlined in the first recipe. Enjoy fresh mango ice cream. Nothing like having the king of all fruits in the form of an ice cream. Also, a great way to continue to enjoy it’s yumminess even after the season ends. These ice cream recipes are my go to during the summers. It’s super easy to spend a few hours over the weekend preparing different flavors of ice creams and storing them. You can easily whip up some delicious smoothies during the week without laboring over them in the kitchen. Take a scoop of ice cream, add some cold milk to it and some fruit for texture and blend it into your favorite smoothie.

If you are more comfortable with having yogurt based drinks or desserts, there are plenty of options available for you there as well. All you need is some nicely set yogurt and you can blend in a variety of ingredients to turn it into flavored yogurt or a slurpy shake. Mangoes and yogurt go really well together. There is no dearth of this fruit in summers and I’m sure you are thinking of different ways of including it in your meals throughout the day.If you want to turn your smoothie or shake into a complete meal, you can also add some powdered nuts to it. Just one smoothie for breakfast will keep you going until lunchtime. It can’t get quicker, easier, and yummier than that!

Have you thought of some cool and refreshing milk recipes to tackle the heat? Start thinking and let’s be summer ready!