Thought the only dessert you could make with apples is apple pie? Well think again! This Mughlai recipe of apples cooked with sugar, milk and raisins and flavoured with saffron, cardamom and rose water is a treat for all your senses. Rubbing the saffron with your fingertips while dissolving it in the warm water helps release more flavour and a lovely colour from it. You could also put in a few small pieces of diced apple along with the grated apple for some extra body.

A Lebanese khichadi flavoured with whole garam masalas. Rose water and milk add richness to the preparation.

Long grained rice tossed with deep-fried potatoes, onions and tomatoes and generously seasoned with baharat powder.

A refreshing lemon drink enhanced with the addition of rose water and mint leaves.

Grated coconut and paneer, evenly blended into rolls and served with an apple flavoured rabri.

Batter-coated apple rings fried till crisp and coated with fragrant saffron-flavoured sugar syrup… doesn’t that sound heavenly? it is! apple jalebi is nothing short of a delicacy, especially if served immediately after preparation. To make sure your jalebis are perfect, you need to be tactful when dipping the apple slices in the batter, because you need to dip them quickly yet carefully!

The magic of spices unfolds, making the Zarda Pulao an experience that stays carved in your memory forever. Perfectly-cooked long-grained rice is tinged with saffron and rose water, enriched with mawa, boosted with spices and embellished with many a nut and dry fruit. Indeed, the Zarda Pulao is a royal treat worthy of a grand occasion. You can also try making rich and tasty Shahi Pulao or the simple but satiating Vegetable Pulao .

This recipe is a blend of east and west, indeed a western dessert spiked with indian flavours. . This is as cooling and refreshing as its name. You can make the thandai paste in advance and store in refrigerator and use when required.

Shahi tukda is one of the most popular indian desserts. True to its name it is a ‘shahi’ delight! pieces of bread are dipped in delicious saffron flavoured sugar syrup and topped with rich and creamy rabdi. Though rabdi is usually made by thickening milk over the stove for hours we have provided a shorter recipe using condensed milk that tastes just as good! ghee has been used for deep-frying the bread however you could substitute oil for it if required.

Cored apples with kesar and rabdi is a delight to the eyes and the taste buds. Here, stewed apple rings are soaked in perfect sugary saffron syrup and topped with fresh rabdi and pistachios. Indeed, the flavours and scents of saffron and thickened milk complement the apple rings very well.

Stewed apple rings topped with freshly cooked rabdi and nuts. An immensely pleasing visual presentation.

Traditional thandai is used to flavour this souffle making it a very unusual combination.

A rich, creamy rice dish with a delicious mixture of fresh fruits and dry fruits.

High in calcium and low in calories, this is a very good ice cream to have for dessert – not to forget the totally unique flavour! I have made small scoops to restrict its intake… as it is difficult to restrict the consumption of such a superb dish otherwise! A real low-cal treat for diabetics, this tastes best when made using fresh thandai paste. Store the extra paste for making milkshake or ice cream later. Corn flour gives body to the ice cream, thickening it and making it creamier. You can also try other ice-creams like Black Jamun Ice - Cream or Sugarfree Strawberry Ice-cream .