Celebrating Holi with the sweetness of Traditional “Mawa Gujiya”

Holi - the festival of colors - is undoubtedly the most fun-filled and boisterous of Hindu festival. It's an occasion that brings in unadulterated joy and mirth, fun and play, music and dance, and, of course, lots of bright colors and mouthwatering delicacies!

It is one occasion when sprinkling colored powder ('gulal') or colored water on each other breaks all barriers of discrimination so that everyone looks the same and universal brotherhood is reaffirmed. This is one simple reason to participate in this colorful festival.

Personally I like it because it gives us all to unite with our loved ones, be it family or friends and spreading love through color and food. It unites us all by different ways of celebration.

Every year it is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March and glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land.

Like every year, we celebrated the festival of Holi with loads of colors and varied delicacies ranging from sweets to a lavish lunch menu.

Festival always brings happiness, laughter, joy and lot of smiles on everyone’s face. There are gifts being exchanged, families get together and there is always something special getting prepared in the kitchen. My cooking spree for Holi started with the traditional Indian sweet called “Mawa Gujiya”.This traditional sweet is a specialty of North India and is savored by everyone during this festive occasion and “Gujiya” is undoubtedly our family favorite.

Previously, all members of the family used to come together to prepare the sweets. The traditional gujiya recipe is tedious and time consuming to follow but certainly the best choice in terms of taste. This sweet is no longer restricted to North India, but is available across India.

With the passing of time, variations of gujiya have emerged. All of them follow the traditional gujiya recipe but additions and alterations have been done to suit the local taste. However I still prefer the Traditional gujiya stuffed with Khoya/Mawa* mixture.

(*Wiki meaning of Khoya: It is a milk food widely used in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, made of either dried whole milk or milk thickened by heating in an open iron pan. It is similar to ricotta cheese, but lower in moisture and made from whole milk instead of whey)

You might not accomplish perfection in your first attempt but the trick is to keep trying and to pay attention to seal the gujiya pastry properly so that you don’t spoil it while frying them.

So here is the recipe of Mawa/Khoya Gujiya which is a must for everyone to try during festivals.

Preparation Time: 1 Hour

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 25- 30 pieces of Gujiya

Equipment: 2 readymade Gujiya Molds

Leftover Rice Chocolate Pudding Topped with Fruit jam

As mentioned before, I am someone who is born without a sweet tooth. Conversely, my better half comes from a family of dessert lovers. They like to finish their meal with something sweet. The general hospitality tradition followed at my in-laws house is to welcome their guest with a glass of water and some sweets.

At home, we generally like to gauge on freshly made desserts rather than attacking any readymade sugary goodies acquired from the supermarkets. I have to admit that I don’t possess any extraordinary fancy dessert cooking skills but I like to experiment with different varieties of sweetened ingredients available around.

Today I would like to share the recipe of instant rice chocolate pudding which is made out of leftover rice. Even the chocolates used in this recipe are stolen from my son chocolate stock lying in the fridge. I have used Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut Chocolate for this recipe. You can use any other chocolate including chocolate chips. This can be made with ingredients easily available at home and can work wonders with kids at home.

It is a simple recipe made from leftover rice, sugar, milk and sugar. It may not be close to your desire for any cream laden menu but it is easy and very satisfying. It makes a great, comforting dessert that will probably remind you of your grandmother, though grandma might have disapproved of this recipe because of the chocolate content in it.

Here is the recipe of simple but yet delicious instant pudding using leftover rice and chocolate.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Brown Bread Sandwich Topped with Semolina Upma and cheddar cheese-Leftover Sandwich Recipe

I love experimenting with leftover food. I have fond childhood memories of my mom churning out some innovative creations with leftover food and sometimes it tastes better than the original!

My Nanu (Grandfather) used to boast often that my mother is a great cook simply not because she cooks well but she has the ability to make innovative creation with limited resources. She could simply use any leftover food in the pantry or refrigerator to cook something that is incredibly tasty and stylish.

What to do with leftover food?? This is a common problem for everyone and i normally hate to throw food. Yesterday I made upma for breakfast and only a portion of it was left over. As usual, I started thinking ways of recycling the upma because I didn’t wanted to eat it in the same form in my next meal. I searched my pantry and the fridge and luckily I got my hands on some brown sandwich bread along with some cheddar cheese and here comes the recipe of “Brown Bread Sandwich Topped with Upma and Cheddar cheese. I added the ingredients according to my taste and prepared yummy sandwiches out of leftover upma. Surprisingly, this recipe turned out to be a healthy snack option and tasted quite good. I served it to my husband with tea and he instantly liked it and couldn't figure out what he was having. Given the good feedback, I thought it is worth sharing the recipe with everyone. It is also a good way to encourage kids to have upma in form of sandwiches.

This might not be a very great recipe but not a bad option for a quick snacking :)

Here is the Recipe:

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: Under 15 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Sabz Miloni Seekh Kebab-King of Vegetarian Kebab’s

Kebabs can be considered as one of my favorite among plethora of other Indian appetizers. It can be easily considered as Healthy Eating. Best of all, they just take few minutes to assemble and its potential for deliciousness cannot be limited by your imagination. But the trick is to make your own combination by using the right veggies according to your diet allowance list :)

Vegetarian kebabs are very nutritious for all age groups. It is a superb way to encourage our little bundle of joys (kids) to include veggies in their meal. Just try serving them kebabs during lunch or dinner with their favorite ketchup (or dip) and witness them having ample morsel of veggies than usual.

If you do not like cooking kebabs because you consider it to be a non-vegetarian affair then it’s time to change the game :)

Today’s recipe of “Sabz miloni seekh kebab is just for you. It is extremely easy to cook and it will bowl you over because of its distinct taste. I always believe that the best things in life are always the simple food. I have tried it at many different restaurants, but prefer to make my own meals with my variations in it.

It can be changed easily to fit dietary needs. It is simple to make and soothing to eat. You can change some of the ingredients to add some variety to this recipe if you serve it often. They are loaded with goodness of vegetables.

This recipe entices me to no end. I love it even more because you don’t need to cook it over traditional tandoor. You can just make it with a drop of oil on a non-stick griddle (Tawa).

It is an excellent starter and it teams up even well for most of our Indian breads.

Here is the recipe for the “Sabz Miloni Seekh Kebab” loaded with colorful veggies.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: Under 15 minutes

Serves: 4-5 people

Equipment: Bamboo skewers for the Seekh(Satay Sticks) 5-6

PAPADUM BUTTERMILK CURRY

Popadum is a thin Indian crispy cuisine sometimes described as a cracker or flatbread. They are typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India. It is also eaten as an appetizer or a snack and can be eaten with various toppings such as chopped onions, chutney or other dips and condiments. (wikipedia)

There are days when you want to whip up real quick recipes that are non-fussy. Papadum curry is one such recipe which is not all elaborate and is extremely soothing for your palate. There are different varieties of papadum but the basic composition of the papadum differs from a number of ingredients such as cereal flour, pulse flour, soya flour, spice mixes, chemical mixes and different vegetable juices for improving both organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. It is actually good appetizer and a source for digestive. It helps to absorb the fatty material from our throat.

To make this recipe you don’t need go through the tiring routine task of washing, peeling/cleaning and chopping the veggies. If you go want to get rid of such things once in a while then Poppadum curry can be your rescuer. This recipe could actually be a life saver for times when you fall short of veggies in your pantry, as the Papad already have lots of spices no need to add anything other than salt, turmeric and chillies.

I remember my mom used to add potatoes to the Popadum curry and some cumin and pepper powder. I tried her recipe but never achieved that stunning result as hers. So I prefer to do my own variation by using buttermilk as the base of the gravy. This modest recipe goes really well with rice. My day ended really well with a satisfying meal.  This recipe turned out to be spicy, tasteful, yet good.

Over to the Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: Under 20 Minutes

Serves: 4

Rice and Lentil Dhokla with Tangy Raw Mango Topping

Dhokla is a kind of savory steamed cake that is made from a fermented batter, made of various types of lentils, rice, chickpea flour and even bread. The popular ones are made out of chickpea flour but I like to combine rice, Bengal gram and black gram lentil to whip out scrumptious succulent pieces.

I prefer to call them “Jiffy food”. The moment you serve these little parcels, they are quick to find their own set of followers. It has now ceased to drop the tagline “Gujarati Only” snack of preference. It has traversed boundaries to become a global favorite. This recipe is an instant hit among today’s fast paced health conscious generation because of its low Glycemic Index. It is very nutritious because of the use of Bengal gram which is low in fat, carbohydrate and high in protein content. It is extremely light on your palate as well. These days, it has often served at big gatherings because it can be prepared in advance and it is easy to re-heat.

You can make dhokla's more nutritious by adding finely chopped carrots, French beans, grated bottled gourd, green peas and finely chopped cabbage to the batter before steaming or do some variation by adding some interesting topping.

Today I have done some variation by using raw mangoes as topping for tempering the steamed dhokla’s. The tangy spicy topping enhances the aroma and it gives an extra punch to its taste.

This recipe requires some advance preparation time and needs practice to attain the required texture.

Here is the recipe for my unique “jiffy food”:

Preparation time: One day in Advance

Cooking time: Under 30 minutes

Equipment: Dhokla Thali/Plates and a Steamer

Serves: 6-8 people

Cottage Cheese Roundels in Jamaican Sauce

I was going through my blog last night,i realized that I have not posted a single paneer (cottage Cheese) recipe despite being an avid paneer lover .

Paneer is a dominant culinary symbol for Indian vegetarian recipes because it makes a great meat substitute for vegetarian cuisines. From sweets, to fried snacks, to cream-drunk royal curries, paneer is used in North Indian cuisine extensively. Its mild taste, unique texture, and capability to soak in flavors and withstand high cooking temperatures make it a household favorite. 

For experimenting purpose paneer is just perfect to mix it with various ingredients. Today, I am attempting to mix paneer with Jamaican sauce to enrich its texture. Jamaican sauce is used for marinating meats, fishes and various types of vegetables. For vegetarians like us, we can use this as a barbeque sauce for marinating cottage cheese, tofu, mushrooms and vegetables. This is a spicy sauce which can be refrigerated for several days.

The origins of this sauce are integrated with the British colonial rule. Jamaica was ruled by British Colonists for more than three centuries and they captured the local Arawak Indians and made them their slaves. Then they began importing slaves from Africa. Some of these slaves escaped the British Army and migrated to the Blue Mountains of Jamaica in the early 1700’s. They prepared marinade using peppers, salt, and spices and rubbed it on their food. The initial style of cooking was to wrap their marinated food in leaves and cooking it in clay pots. This style became synonymous with the cuisine of Jamaica and gradually more spices were added to the marinade.

With time, choice of spices used for making this sauce has evolved depending on individual taste preferences. Some of the popular ingredients include garlic, cloves, onion, pepper, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar and soy sauce. All the ingredients are combined and pulsed in a food processor for obtaining a better texture. The sauce is then kept in an air tight container and refrigerated.

I have also done some variation in terms of the ingredients used for the sauce. Here is the recipe and like always this too is a simple but yet unique recipe.

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

Cooking Time: under 20 minutes

Serves: 4 People

Moong Daal Papri Served with Matar Choley-My version of “Papdi Chaat”

I tried this recipe as a Sunday evening snack and surprisingly it turned out to be quite a hit in my family.While I love all kind of chaat varieties, my all-time favorite is golgappa, chaat papri and Raj Kachori. Everyone in my family are big time “chaat” lovers and they like to eat it as a full meal rather than a snack.

Chaat is supposed to be the most famous Indian street food. It is relished by all age groups because of its addictive magical flavors and we do like to gorge on it as if there’s no tomorrow. It can definitely be referred to as a comfort food because of its satiating effect on our palate and enriches our souls with unique aroma. It is also light on our pocket :)

Talking about today’s chaat recipe, Moong daal papdi chaat is easy to make and its beauty lies in the unique texture and color of the dish. Crisp puri/papdi shells are filled with spicy moon daal(green gram) mixture and topped with a medley of mint chutney(dip),matar chola and yogurt to add tangy and savory note to the dish. It is finally finished with tomatoes, coriander leaves and sev(made at home), adding crunch to the hearty chaat. This is a sure shot crowd pleasing recipe but it surely demands some preparation work in advance to finish the dish in style.

By the way, I have used whole wheat flour and semolina instead of usual “maida” to retain the “Health” quotient.

Ingredients for Moong Daal Papri:

Whole Wheat Flour and Semolina: 250 gms( in equal quantity)

Whole Cumin Seeds: 1 ½ Tsp

Green chillies: 2-3 finely chopped

Ginger: 1 inch finely chopped

Asafetida: 1 pinch

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Mango powder (amchur): 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder: 1tsp

Green Coriander leaves: 1 bunch

Refine Oil to knead: 2 tblsp

Salt: As Per taste.

Oil for Deep Frying

Potato Pumpkin Pattie served with Coriander Lemon Dip

Ah! Life has been pretty hectic and I am constantly pulling strings to balance the intricacies of personal versus professional commitments. As any busy women I am constantly looking for recipes that are easy to prepare, easy to cook, have few ingredients, and that of course tastes good. Since I am multitasking most of the time; this is the only way cooking can be done--at least at my house.

Getting a meal on the table on time every day can be challenging and even more when you like to try out new things rather than satisfying your palate with the usual stuff.  To accomplish this tough task, I use a weekly menu dry erase notebook to plan my menu for the week. My menu is not rigid and it’s usually not fancy. I take liberty to swap meals between days and try new recipes to make something that is easily available in my pantry. I even like to incorporate left over ingredients to innovate something that is good enough to eat as well as easy to make.

One such recipe resulting out of my experimenting spree is “Potato pumpkin Tikki” (Pattie). It is a recipe that gives an unusual twist to the original potato crisp. The trick is to use more of pumpkin and less of potatoes, just enough to bind the ingredients together for it to sizzle in the pan just enough to form a golden crust.

To keep it healthy, I have not fried the patties in too much oil. That’s the beauty of making your own innovations with street food snacks that are tried at home. You can make them very healthy for your family and still enjoy the deliciousness.

Here is the recipe of the "Potato pumpkin Pattie" with a twist:

Ingredients for the Pattie:

Mashed Potatoes- 2 medium Sized

Grated Pumpkin: 450 gms

Tapioca (Soaked in water):1 Tbsp- Let it soak in water to 2-3 hours to saturate the water completely and to make it soft.

Green Chillies: 2 finely choppe

Ginger: 1/2 tsp grated

Bunch of Green Coriander leaves: Finely chopped (I usually like to use a lot of it)

Whole Cumin seeds: 1 Tsp

Peanuts (dry roasted and coarsely pound): 1 tsp

Cumin Powder: 1 tsp

Salt: As per taste. Adjust salt according to your taste. You can also sprinkle some on top after the patties are cooked.

Crushed pepper powder: ½ tsp

Lemon Juice : 2 tsp

Vegetable Oil: 2 Tbsp

Stir Fry Tapioca- Saboodane ki Khichdi & Instant Peanut Bar(Burfi)

 Har Har Mahadev! Today is a special day because of Mahashivratri. It is always a good experience for the entire family to fast together and to offer our prayers to lord shiva.

In India, festival means food. Even though people fast on Mahashivratri, there are a variety of dishes that can be eaten during the fast. Though people prefer eating fruits as grains, vegetables and spices like- wheat, rice, lentils, peas, beans, rajma, corn, chana, turmeric, sesame seeds and ground red chillies are not allowed to be cooked on this day. The only spices that can be used are red or green chillies, rock salt, pepper, lime and fresh coriander.

Most of the fats recipes are non-cereal and salt free. But that does not necessarily make them boring. Contrary to this, my quest into the Vrat world, has led me to discover the range of recipes available to us from various regional cuisines, thus making Vrats or feasts more fun!

Today I decided to make Saboodane ki khichdi and instant peanut bar for lunch. This is an easy and quick option to satisfy your palate while fasting :)

For making perfect sabudana khichdi, you need to wash the sabudana nicely in enough water and soak them in water (just enough to cover them) and leave it for 2-3 hours.

Ingredients for Tapioca Khichdi:

Soaked Sabudana (Sago pearls): 1 ½ Cup

Peanuts (dry roasted and coarsely pound):1/2 cup- Don’t forget to remove the roasted peanut skin before grinding.

Salt: As per taste

Refine Oil or clarified Butter:1 ½ Tsp

Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies: 2 chopped finely

Potato: 1 finely chopped

Chopped Ginger:1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp

Green Coriander: ½ cup( I prefer to use a lot of it)

My Mum in law’s recipe of Yumilicious “Green Chilli & Mustard Pickle”

In India, any meal is incomplete without a spicy pickle or chutney (dip) to accompany the delicious food served. In India there are umpteen types of pickle that can be made. Oil and salt act as a preservative to the pickles that help it stay fresh for long. Chutney is quite similar to the Indian pickle, salsa of Latin America and the European relish.

Most Indian homes make signature pickles; recipes that have been passed down through generations of women. My mother-in-law is one such. My belief is that she can make chutney or pickle out of any damn thing in the world. Even if she tries to do something with a brick or stone it will turn out to be divine in terms of taste. When I say this, I truly believe that she has mastered the art of pickling and many of friends will vouch on my belief.

All her pickles are instant ones which can be consumed quickly and it doesn’t require any sun drying time. They will keep fermenting on their own if they are bottled properly and kept in warmer temperature.

Pickles originated in India and the traditions of making pickles are associated with specific season of the year. At the height of summer, when the sun is scorching high on everyone, women in the neighborhood get together, spending days cutting, preparing, and drying fruit and vegetables for pickling.

The pickling season started quite early, this year at our home and the first entrant in our kitchen is “Chilli Mustard Pickle”.

It is an incredible pickle made with small pieces of green chillies seasoned with Asafetida ( hing), turmeric powder, fresh crushed mustard powder and other aromatic spices. The green chillies have an excellent sharp punch when it is combined with mustard powder. This pickle is capable of increasing the sensitivity of our taste buds by adding a spicy kick to the palate.

Green chillies are rich in vitamins and low in fat and cholesterol and are considered as an excellent ingredient that enhances flavor and taste of the food. There are number of ways where one can enjoy the taste of the chillies by using them fresh, dried, ground, canned or pickled. They have got many health benefits as they are rich in vitamin A and C while the dried ones are higher in vitamin A and the fresh higher in vitamin C. I love to imbibe the heat in form of pickle.

Ingredients:

Green Chillies: 250 gms

Whole Coriander Seeds: 2 Tblsp

Fennel Seeds: 1 ½ tbsp

Fenugreek Seeds: 1 tsp

Black Mustard Seeds:150 gms

Asafetida: 1/8 tsp

Dry Mango powder: 2 tsp

Turmeric: 2 tsp

Salt: 3 tbsp

Mustard Oil: 200 ml

“SANDESH” RECIPE- Sweet Nothings from my Kitchen with a twist of Chocolate

I have a confession to make, although I love cooking but not very enthusiastic about trying or making sweets/deserts. Chocolate is the only thing which can lure my attention. I can be totally sinful when it comes to chocolates. I am one of those unfortunate people born without sweet tooth! I run a mile away when I am presented with a platter of sweets whenever we visit friends and family. However ‘V” is very fond of sweets and this allows me to balance the missing doses of sweetness in my life ;)

When it comes to trying sweet recipes at home, I like to try out traditional sweet dishes compared to other exotic sweet dishes.

But I have to admit that there are times when I can’t suppress the cravings for something sweet once in ‘very rare’ blue moons. There are times when I just feel like making something sweet to break the usual monotony. I decided to try this recipe because I wanted to serve something sweet for the dinner with the available limited stock in my pantry. It is very easy to make and recommended for people like me who doesn’t have an absolute sweet tooth.

So here is the recipe…..

Ingredients:

Full Cream Milk: ½ Liter

Lemon Juice: 1 lemon

Water: 1 tblsp

Powdered Sugar: 6 tblsp

Corn flour: 1 tsp

Chopped Almonds: 1 Tblsp

Kesar(Saffron): Soaked in ¼ cup of milk

Chocolate Syrup: 1 tsp

Vegetarian Momo’s- Stuffed with goodness of broccoli, golden corn and beans

Momo’s for me are more than food. Being a native of north east, momo’s are synonyms with a variety of things associated with my childhood memories. The memories are of divine beauty of places like Darjeeling, Sikkim and Shillong. It reminds me of innocent good times, my parents and our frequent retreat to Shillong and Darjeeling. Times that have slipped away beyond my reach, but I have been able to gather all of it and given words to some. Momo’s are a lip-smacking appetizer, very famous among youths and these dumplings are native to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Himalayan states of India.

Most of my memories of momo’s are associated with the unparalleled beauty that the little town” Shillong” had to offer us, days and days of happiness that keeps me going even now.

Momo’s were introduced from Han China, as Momo is a loanword from the Chinese mómo, a type of steamed bun. Momo’s have become a traditional delicacy in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling district and Ladakh. They are one of the most popular fast food in Nepal and many other South Asian region populated with people of Nepali origin and people of hilly origin. They are also common in places with noticeable Nepalese and Tibetan diaspora, sauch as Assam, Delhi, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Shillong, Uttarakhand and West Bengal”.

It is definitely a time consuming recipe but it’s worth all the hard work that goes in creating these little parcel full of wonderful aromas. 

Ingredients:

For the Shell/Covering

Maida/All Purpose Flour:1 cup

Salt: As needed

Water: Just enough to knead the dough

Oil: 1 ½ tsp

For the Stuffing:

Finely Chopped French Beans: ½ Cup blanched

Finely Chopped garlic and Onion: ½ cup

Finely Chopped Carrots:1/4 cup

Finely chopped Broccoli: ½ cup

Corn Kernels: 1/4 Cup

Sugar:1/4 tsp

Crushed Pepper: ½ tsp

White sesame seeds:1/2 tsp

Soya Sauce:1 tsp

Salt: As per taste

Oil: 1 Tbsp