We lived in India for a year and a half and returned in Feb this year for the birth of our youngest son and hubby’s work on a new project…

But oh, how I often  reflect on our travels and adventures there… It’s truly a fascinating place.

My latest nostalgic thought is of the Taj – no, no, not the Taj Mahal {although that is so spectacular and a must-see!}, the Taj Hotel group, or more specifically, the Taj Bengal in Kolkata. You see, here you are royalty… You get to experience the best in Indian hospitality and service. The Taj Bengal really also felt like our home-away-from-home in India, because we went there so often and could just relax and get some proper R&R. After a less-than-glamorous 4 hour train trip from where we stayed in Jamshedpur, the Taj was like this haven of peace, serenity and cleanliness.

Anyways, so the best part for me was always breakfast at the Bengal – not buffet breakfast, oh no darling, a special creation à la carte. We’ve tried many different options from the buffet, because it always looks so spectacular, but then you’re just left feeling too full and not completely satisfied.

So, we’ve narrowed down the Big Breakfast Dilemma to two winning options:

Both start off the same, with a big bowl of fresh seasonal fruit and a sprinkle of nuts, a cappuccino with foam and a plain baked yoghurt. After that we will either have eggs Benedict or a poached egg with a side of smoked salmon. I always ended my breakfast with sweet masala chai. Believe me, these are tried and tested and definitely the best options. Of course, you have to try the Indian breakfast selection of dosas, idlies, sambals and chutneys when you’re traveling there, but for us, our ‘western’ breakfast was our special little treat because you just don’t get those things in Jamshedpur. Our normal breakfasts at home there, were the dosas, idlies, parathas, etc.

To get back to the baked yoghurts – oh…my…word… – these are so yummy! It’s more like a pudding than a breakfast item. I could easily scoff down 2!

I often made these at home while living in India and have actually forgotten about them, until just the other day when I was chatting to a friend about our Indian travels.

I decided to make these last night {as dessert with a Rooibos & orange compote} and they didn’t disappoint! In fact, they tasted even better than I remembered.

Baked yoghurt:

Equal parts of condensed milk (I use an entire tin and then use the tin to measure out the cream & yoghurt), plain yoghurt and cream.

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix together and pour into ramekins or small cups. Bake in a pre-heated oven of 120C for 15 minutes. Let them cool in the oven and place in the fridge to cool completely.

Serve with aromatic orange compote:

1 orange, peeled and segmented

1/4 cup of sugar

3 whole cloves

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1 sachet of Rooibos tea

1/2 cup of water

Let these all simmer until the tea has fully infused and the liquid reduced to a thin syrupy consistency. Let it cool before serving.

Enjoy! X