We continue with a special edition - this time Holi.
Holi is that special festival which is celebrated in most parts of the country with equal fervour - playing with colours being the most important part of the festivities.
There is no place other than your own kitchen where you can find the safe colours for holi. Making these colours is simple, cost effective and most importantly great for skin, as opposed to the chemicals you get in the market.
To make these colours you would essentially need a rice flour or corn starch, some pleasing essence like rose or itar and most importantly all the colourful fruits and vegetables from you garden.
Orange rind, carrots, beetroot, spinach - these are all in your kitchen and so full of colours.
Just make a thick puree of these fruits and vegetables, mix it with a flour, add an essence of your choice and knead into a stiff dough.
Now spread this stiff dough on a plate and let it dry, once it is dried grind it in a mixer to a fine powder and use it.
Hope all of you have a safe and colourful Holi.
Today I have a couple of recipes that are staple for this fantastic festival.
Gujiya With Figs and Honey
Ingredients :
For the dough : Refined flour 220gms(2cups), Ghee 50gms( 1/4th cup), Water 100ml(1/2cup)
For stuffing : Dry figs 200gms(1cup) - Mashed into paste, Almond 75gms(1/2cup), Ghee 30gms(2tbsp), Green Cardamom Powder 1 tsp.
For Frying and Finish : Ghee to fry( about 1 cup), Honey 75gms(5tbsp)
Dough
In a bowl mix refined flour and ghee to a nice crumby texture. Add water little at a time and kneed well to make a stiff dough. Rest the dough for one hour.
Stuffing
Soak the dry figs in warm water for about half an hour.
Drain the water and mash the figs into a smooth paste.
Heat ghee in a pan and add crushed almond cook for 1 minute.
Add the fig paste and cook till the mixtures starts leaving the pan.
Add cardamom.
Cool this mixture.
Divided dough into 16 balls of about 20gms each.
Roll out each all into about 4 inch round disc.
Moisten the outer edges of the circle with water.
Place about one table spoon of prepared fig mixture into one half side of circle.
Bring the edges of the gujiya to give it a half moon shape , press well to seal and make a pleated design on the edges of gujiya.
Frying
Heat ghee in kadai.
Fry gujiya till to golden colour on slow flame.
Cool and glaze with honey and serve when required.
Basil and Bhang Thandai
Ingredients :
Milk : Milk 600ml(3glasses),Sugar 5tbsp
The Greens : Sweet Basil leaf 50gms(1/4thcup), Bhang leaves (Hemp leaves) 30gms(2tbsp)
Nuts and Spices : Cashew nut 45gms(15nos), Almonds 45gms(15nos) - blanched skin removed, Poppy Seeds 15gms(1tbsp), Melon seed 15gms(1tbsp), Green Cardamom powdered 5nos, Black pepper corns 2gms(10-12 nos), Fennel seeds 5gms12tsp), Milk 1/2cup
Garnish : Almond sleeved - with skin 1tbsp, Basil Leaves 1tsp, Rose Petals 10-12 petals.
Milk
Bring milk to boil add sugar and allow to cool.
Chill in the refrigerator
Greens
Make a fine paste of the greens.
Nuts and Spices
Soak nuts and spices in half cup of milk.
Grind to a fine paste.
Finish
Add green paste and nuts and spice paste to the chilled milk mix well.
Strain the mixture through a fine muslin cloth.
Serve chilled garnished with sleeved almond, fresh basil leave and rose petals.
Bang and Dal Pakora
Ingredients:
Dal : Urad dal washed 1cups - soaked for two hours
Mix : Onion 30gms( 2tbsp), Asafetida(heeng) 2.5gms(1/2tsp), Cumin Seeds 5gms((1 tsp), Hemp(bang) Leaves - chopped 60gms(4tbsp), Green chilly - chopped 5gms(1tsp), Salt 05gms(1tsp)
Frying: Sesame seeds 5gms(1tsp), Oil to fry
Accompaniments: Amla Basil Chutney 100gms(1/2cup)
Dal
Strain the soaked dal and leave it on the strainer for 10 minutes to drain off the
excess water.
Grind the dal to a coarse paste where you can feel the half crushed grains of the dal.
Add little water if necessary.
Mix
In a mixing bowl take the ground dal and beat with your hands for about five minutes to make the dal fluffy.
Add rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Frying
Heat oil to a medium hot temperature.
Take about 1.5 tea spoons of prepared dal mixture and roll it into round balls between you wet palm.
Press in the middle to give the shape of a small doughnuts or vada.
Sprinkle with sesame seed and fry till crisp and golden brown in colours.
Serve hot with Amala chutney.
Thats all for this week. See you next week for more with return of #onepotrecipes.
Happy Holi Umesh!! Fabulous mouth watering recipes for Holi.
Happy Holi Umesh!! Fabulous mouth watering recipes for Holi.