RAINBOW SIGHTED!!

We saw a rainbow today...well..technically..it couldn't exactly be called a rainbow...the kids were quite disappointed..actually.."that's a REAL rainbow?No Umma..the rainbows we see in books are so much better...so much more colourful..this one has no colour to speak of..how can this be a rainbow?"
AAh..I wonder where the thick multicoloured rainbows of the books have disappeared to..I have to admit...this is only the second time in my life that I have seen a rainbow(how come?maybe I was too busy to stand and stare at the clouds before I had kids)...the kids were seeing it for the first time..anyways...to get rid of the anti climactic feeling we all had...I thought...why not make some rainbows at home?
So I started by searching the net for a thing I'd heard a long time ago..rainbow catchers..and glory be to God...the net never disappoints!!
So we set out to capture a rainbow in our home itself with glass paints ..and we did quite well with what we had at hand(I have a sneaky suspicion that i'm biased..)
I'd like to say that the iseas below are not mine at all..I found them on the internet from various sites..just thought someone out there with kids might like to try these out..the're so simple to make!!
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* Unwrap colorful crayons and make shavings, either by grating them with a cheese grater or sharpening them in a crayon sharpener.
* Place the shavings on top of a sheet of wax paper. Place a second piece of wax paper on top to make a “sandwich.”
* Using an iron on low heat, press the wax paper, moving the iron constantly.
* As it heats up, the crayon shavings will melt and form a colorful design.
* Let cool and then cut into a shape. Poke a hole in top and hang in the window from a ribbon.
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* Melt different colored crayons in the microwave or a double boiler and spoon into small molds or an ice cube tray.
* Cool, remove from the mold and use like regular crayons. Because the colors are mixed, the crayon with change colors as it is used.
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I also recreated the rainbow in my kitchen...how could I deny myself?
In Kerala, we muslims make a special dessert called the Falooda.Garishly coloured, it is a favorite for my kids.It's quite easy to make..you could even make all the stuff ahead, and assemble it in tall thin glasses , and watch your guests eyes grow wide as saucers in wonder at the beauty of it!!

FALOODA

This recipe , I cannot give you exact measurements and ingredients.
Basically,there are layers.
On the bottom comes sugar syrup.For this, take 5 tbsp sugar, add just enough water so it is just above the sugar, and boil till sugar has melted fully, and the water turns thick.Add 2 drops of green food colour.
The next layer is 1 tbsp black khus khus seeds which have been soaked in water for at least an hour.drain and use.
Next, chop 1 apple,a banana, half a pineapple, a few cashewnuts, 2 dates, and a mango.All these fruits are optional.You could even use only apple and banana..you just have to tweak your portions accordingly.
Take a handful of vermicelli ,boil in 1/2 cup milk. When well cooked, turn heat off, and add rose essence.If it doesnt have colour, add pink colour too.If you don't like the taste of rose essence( alot of people don't ..I just love the subtle taste of rose in malabari food!)don't add rose essence, just pink color.
For the next layer, take 2 or 3 jelly packets.they should be of different colours.Red, Orange,Yellow...don't make the lime jelly..that one tastes horrible in falooda.!!
The final layer is Icecream.Some people use vanilla as well as pista and choclate.It adds to the colours.For me, I prefer vanilla alone.
Make all these ahead and keep in the refrigerator.Then, when you need to serve dessert, take all the stuff and keep them ready for assembling.Assemble like this for each tall glass.
1. A tablespoon of emerald green sugar syrup.

2. A tablespoon of Khus seeds.

3. Gently add a tbsp of the mixed fruits.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the pink vermicelli.

5. Put one tbsp of red jelly to one side of the layer, add 1 tbsp of yellow jelly to another side of the layer, and add 1 more tbsp of orange jelly .

6. Take a large scoop of icecream and set on top of the jelly layer..

7.Serve as soon as possible.



A thought while I was typing this post...This sounds awfully like a trifle pudding..no?Maybe some old malabari maami might have read a trifle pudding and tried to make a mallu version of it...or is this a mughlai recipe?I am very sorry to say I am truly ignorant about it's origins.If there is anyone out there who knows about the origin of the falooda, please let me know..ok?

Really sorry about the picture quality..I think my camera is dying on me...