Eggnog is a holiday drink staple, but what’s better than just simple old eggnog? Eggnog with an Indian fusion twist to it! My boyfriend is a cocktail connoisseur and makes the most delicious drinks on this planet (I promise I’m not being biased). He turned a regular eggnog into the most scrumptious and perfect holiday drink! I’m not a fan of traditional eggnog, but this was divine and a huge hit at our holiday party last year.

If you haven’t heard of Somrus before, you’re in for a treat. It’s so delightful to drink on its own, but even more so in this cocktail. It’s an Indian cream based rum liqueur (almost like bailey’s but better) with a symphony of flavors like rose, cardamom, pistachio, almond, and saffron. Imagine a delicious Indian ice cream with these flavors melted into liquid form. Just so creamy and delicious. A liqueur you honestly you didn’t know you needed, but can’t imagine being without once you’ve tried it!

Like I said, this “somnog” or “nogrus” or “eggrus” (okay I’ll stop) is one of the yummiest holiday drinks and so perfect if you’re spending the holidays with your parents/relatives! It incorporates many of the flavors your parents (and you) love in chai or mithai (Indian sweets). So without further ado, here’s the recipe for this deliciousness of a cocktail!

Tips:
– The Somrus liqueur I used is Somrus Original. They’ve rebranded and now also call it Somrus Chai. So if you don’t see the original one, don’t freak out. Somrus Chai is the same thing.
– They also have two other flavors: Somrus Mango & Somrus Coffee. I’ve tried Somrus Mango and it’s so yum! Just like Indian mango ice cream. I think both could easily substituted for the original in this recipe and would make an equally yummy cocktail.
– I usually garnish with some pomegranate seeds and nutmeg/cinnamon on top. This time, I didn’t have pomegranate seeds on hand and garnished with some blueberries instead. You can also add a dash of cinnamon, crushed peppermint candy, a candy cane, or even a cinnamon stick.
– If you don’t want to add egg white, it’s totally fine and feel free to skip it. It’s used to add the frothiness, but not necessary.
– You can use store bought simple syrup or make it at home. Super simple – equal parts sugar and water. Boil together until sugar completely dissolves and cool down to room temperature. Can also store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
– If you cannot find Somrus, don’t worry! You can also make this with Rumchata, a very similar cream-based liqueur. It won’t have all the flavors of Somrus but has cinnamon and vanilla which would also be perfect for this holiday recipe!

Drink up, grinches! Hope this turns out to be your new favorite holiday cocktail! Merry Christmas Eve, my loves!

xo,
S

Hi guys! Today, I’m back with one of my very favorite holiday cookie recipes! Snowball cookies are these yummy little sugar delights which are sure to have everyone raving about your baking skills. They’re super simple to make and just so festive and cute to add to your Christmas spread! This recipe is adapted from my cousin who always makes these and they’ve easily become a family favorite. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Also, these are great cookies to set out for “Santa” with some milk. I’m sure you parents will love waking up to devour these in the middle of the night! They also have very finely chopped nuts so your kids will barely notice them if they’re picky about those things, and hopefully gobble them all up! Happy eating and happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

Tips:
– You can substitute any nuts you prefer in the recipe and have more of one than the other, or even simply just stick to one. I use walnuts, almonds, and cashews. You can also add pecans and some peanuts if you’d like.
– You can use two sticks of salted butter instead if you don’t have unsalted. Just don’t add the extra salt that’s in the recipe.

Happy eating and happy holidays to you and your loved ones! Stay safe, healthy and merry!


xo,
S

Potato is one my main food staples. You can make them in so many different ways and best part is that potatoes basically cater to any person. You could be a herbivore or carnivore and still reach for those extra side of fries on the table. And let’s be honest, is there anything better than fries?

This tandoori take on potato wedges is my absolute favorite. I love how versatile they are and you can make it as a snack, an accompaniment to your favorite burgers, or even as an appetizer. I used both regular russet potatoes as well as sweet potatoes. Both are amazing when made this way and I just wanted to show you guys that you can do it with any kind. I obviously don’t discriminate against any potatoes, as you can see. I hope you guys love this recipe! By the way, I always pair this with a yummy coriander or mint chutney and/or some delicious chipotle mayo.

Tips:
These are also perfect to make in the air fryer. I actually think this is the perfect recipe for it. My recipe will tell you how to bake them in the oven, but if you own an air fryer, I highly recommend making these in one. They’ll turn out even crispier and be done in a fraction of the time. Just pop them in the air fryer for about 15 minutes on 375-400 degrees. You won’t regret it!

I’ve added some photos below that you can refer to while cooking!

Indo-Chinese food is a tier all on its own. I love this cuisine so much and I feel not enough people in the world are familiar with it. Of course, it’s a staple for most Indian households, but so many are unaware that this type of cuisine exists and are missing out on all of its deliciousness.

I adore the fusion of Indian and Chinese flavors. They’re so bold on their own and to mix them together is just divine. Seriously, kudos to whoever thought of this. I would’ve never imagined fusing these two cuisines together otherwise.

Today, I’m bringing to you a super popular Indo-Chinese recipe – Chili Paneer! Paneer is a delicious soft cheese very common in Indian cooking and it goes perfectly with the “Chili” aspect of Chinese cooking. This dish is a fan favorite amongst both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. My recipe is a bit on the spicier side and you can totally turn down (or up) the spice according to your personal preference.

Some tips before we proceed:

– Frying: You can deep fry or shallow fry the paneer. I usually stick to shallow frying since the paneer is easy to handle and turn in the oil. And much less amount of oil is used which is plus. Also, be sure not to overcook the paneer. 2-4 minutes is more than enough otherwise the paneer will get hard and rubbery.
– Chili Powder: Adding red chili powder in the batter is totally optional. Like I said, I love everything spicy so I’m always incorporating it in any way I can.
– Oil: The oil you use won’t make a huge difference. However, sesame oil is highly recommended because it adds a lot of depth to the flavor of this dish. I don’t always have sesame oil in the pantry and often resort to vegetable oil which works just as fine.
– Vinegar: You can use rice or apple cider vinegar but if you don’t have them on hand, don’t fret. A dash of white vinegar will do just fine.
– Green chillies: Once again, these are totally optional. If you’re not big on spice, I’d skip these since they add quite a kick to the dish. Just the chili sauce should suffice in this case.
– Garnish: You can garnish this dish with many different things such as toasted sesame seeds, coriander, scallions, or even some celery.
– Serve: You can serve this as an appetizer or pair it with some rice and make a main course out of it.

I’ve added some photos below that you can reference to step by step.
Hopefully this will make the entire process smoother for you!

Hope you guys enjoyed this recipe and please message me if you try it out or have any questions at all. I’d love to see your pictures and how it turned out! Feel free to tag me or message me on Instagram – @sassysherni.


xo,
S