On the Christmas menu

By Pragnya Rao

There's nothing like a glass of warm mulled wine to go with the delicious feast this season

What better way to wake up than by the smell of delicious roast cooking away in the oven. But what's even better, is a glass of delicious mulled wine in this cold weather, brewed to perfection that keeps you cosy until its dinnertime. And there’s no recipe we dig as much as Audrey D’Souza’s – it’s equal parts yum and easy.

Ingredients:
-        2 bottles of wine
-        200gms castor sugar (it dissolves easily)
-        1 orange peel
-        1 lime peel

Pour the above in a decanter, and leave it overnight so that the oils from the peels are extracted by the sugar.

To this, add 1 cinnamon stick, 6 cloves, 3 bay leaves, some grated nutmeg, and a few dashes of vanilla nutmeg.

Add the wine to it (just enough to cover it) and simmer gently. Bring it to a boil till it reaches a thick syrupy consistency. Now, add the remaining wine, and stir some star anise into it. Simmer for five minutes, and leave to infuse. Garnish it with a slice of orange. Serve warm.

Not a wine person? Try this with 100 ml of rum. It’s just as good!