Aarti Party!

by Farah Mithani – Houston Baptist University

And the next food network star is… Aarti Sequeira! After many challenges and a tough crowd, Aarti now has her own show. The show, Aarti Party, airs every Sunday at noon on the Food Network channel.  She has brought a different flavor to Food Network viewers.  Taking a twist on everyday American favorites, such as sloppy joes and ice cream, Aarti throws in a unique spice of Indian influence into her cooking.

This bubbly star teaches her viewers what spices and ingredients are essential for Indian American fusion meals.  Her top five spices are tumeric, paprika, garam masala, ground cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Aarti will help you whip up a quick exotic meal for any occasion in no time.

In my opinion, her first few shows have been mediocre, but only because she seems to be nervous.  It’ll take awhile for her to become like one of her favorite stars, Rachel Ray.  It’s great to have a brown girl win a spot on the wall next to famous chefs like Bobby Flay and Giada, but she definitely needs to step up her game. However she is engaging and I love her accent! Check out her recipes on Food Network.com:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/aarti-party/index.html

Aarti tells Food Network she loves ice cream and can never get sick of it.  Try out her Creamy Pistachio Pops and let us know what you think.  I know I will!

Creamy Pistachio Pops

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

12 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

5 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 to 8 popsicles

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

4 Earl Grey tea bags

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy cream

Handful finely chopped pistachios, plus extra for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring evaporated milk to a simmer until small bubbles form around the circumference of the pot. Meanwhile, snip the tops of the tea bags and add to the milk. Whisk in cardamom. Once the milk is simmering, turn the heat off, cover and let sit and steep for 30 minutes.

Strain the evaporated milk into a large bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk, heavy cream and pistachios. Either pour the mixture into ice pop molds, small bowls or a large bowl. Cover the bowls with a piece of plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn and the formation of a

“skin”. Pop them into the freezer and freeze overnight.

When you’re ready to serve, run the ice pop mold under hot water to loosen it. You can do

the same thing for the smaller bowls if you’d like to serve it as a little kulfi half

dome. Garnish with more nuts if you like and serve.