.....From My Palate

Holi

Gujiya – Happy Holi

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holi

Holi is the festival full of fun (total masti) with no rules. This is the one festival we celebrate without taking shower and in clothes we don’t want to wear any more!
Holi is the festival to celebrate, victory of good over evil. Days before the festival people start gathering wood at open spaces to make a pyre with a effigy of Holika on top. Holika, sister of King Hiranyakashyapu who tricked Prahalad into the fire,Holika was burnt to death and Prahalad was saved. On choti holi every year this ritual signifies the triumph of good over evil. Loud music, delicious food and most important the spirit of togetherness defines this festival.
Colors is the most important part of holi other than gujiya. Holi is incomplete without Gujiya and colorful gulals.

To me, holi is more about array of food than playing with water and wet colors. Without much thinking about the calories and weight issues I like to celebrate Holi enjoying all delicious delicacies this festival is famous for…Gujiya, Shakarpare, Sev, Chakri, Kanji, Thandai, Dahi Vada, Chaat, Pakodas, just to name a few…

gujiya

Ingredients

For the dough:

    • 2 cups Maida (Refined flour)
    • 1/2 cup Ghee (Clarified butter)
    • Warm Water to mix

For the filling:

  • 1 cup Khoya
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
  • Almonds, Pistachios, Cashew nut, Chironji nut – finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Roasted Semolina
  • 2 tsp Coconut powder
  • Ghee/Oil for deep-frying

Method

Rub 1/4 cup ghee into the flour and knead into a stiff dough with warm water.
Leave to rest for at least half an hour.

For the filling:

  • Saute khoya in a pan over medium heat till it slightly changes color.
  • Keep aside for a while, when it cools, mix in the sugar, cardamom, all chopped nuts, roasted semolina and coconut powder.
  • Make balls of the dough and roll out into 1 cm / 1/8 in thick rounds (like small puris).
  • Take a round, wet the edges with water and place a piece of filling over one half.
  • Fold the other half over and press the edges together to seal.
  • Either use gujiya maker or make a design by pinching and twisting all along the sealed edges.
  • Make all the gujiyas in this way. Heat ghee/oil in a kadahi. Fry gujiya on medium/low flame till light golden in color.
  • Fish out and leave to drain on absorbent paper.
  • Serve hot or at room temperature and can be stored in air-tight containers.
  • Enjoy gujiyas with your family and friends. Happy Holi.

Linking it to the event :  Lets cook with seeds

Lets cook with seeds

 

Holi Hai!!!!

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Its already Late so without any further delay, I’m posting my recipes for Dear Purva’s event – “Holi Hai !!”

Thank U Purva for hosting this colorful event. Looking forward for colorful round-up.


GUJIYA

For Filling

Ingredients

  • 1 tin Evaporated Milk
  • 1/4 cup Sooji (Semolina )
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Coconut, grated
  • 2 tbsp Almonds, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Cashew Nuts, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Raisins
  • ¼ tsp Green Cardamom Powder

Method

  • Roast sooji on medium flame till it changes color.
  • Mix in all the other ingredients for the filling.
  • Cook on medium / slow flame, stirring occasionally, till the mixture is dry.

For Dough

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Maida (All-Purpose Flour)
  • 4 tbsp Oil
  • Oil for frying
  • Water

Method

  • Rub oil into maida. Add water and make into stiff dough.
  • Knead the dough till pliable. Keep aside covered for 10-15 minutes.
  • Knead dough once again. Divide the dough in to small balls.
  • Roll each ball into a flat round like a thin puri.
  • Place one tbsp of the filling. Fold over and shape into gujiya sealing the edges with little water.
  • Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

TIP-To seal, you can use gujiya mould or press with ends of a fork or simply twist with hand.


CHIVDA

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Thin Poha
  • Roasted – Peanuts, Almonds, Cashew nuts, Coconut slices, Pinenuts
  • Raisins (all nuts- to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
  • Few Curry Leaves
  • 1/2 tsp Haldi (Turmeric Powder)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • Amchoor Pd/salt/Kala Namak (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • Oil to fry
  • Red chili/green chilies – to taste

Method

  • Fry poha in a hot oil (It will puff as soon as you put it in a oil). Be careful as it splutter lot of oil.
  • Keep it aside to cool down.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. when it start to crackle add curry leaves, turmeric pd, chilies.
  • Add all the nuts, sugar, salt, amchoor pd and kalanamak.
  • Add fried poha and mix it well.
  • When poha is all even colored taste it and add what ever is needed.
  • Crispy Crunchy snack is ready.

This recipe goes to Event- Lets go nuts with almonds hosted by Tasty Treats <
Thank you.

My Holi 2009

Happy Holi

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Holi is a festival of 3 “F” – Fun, Family and Food. Yes…”Food” that brings festivity on holi with colorful and scented gulal. Mom used to make Sorry, mom u still make so many food items on Holi. Name a few like Gujiya, Mathri, Meethe and Nankeen Shakarpare, Imli ka paani, Dahi Wade. Gosh! all that work for us (me and my brother) coz we were so excited for all the good food weeks before on Holi. I love u Mom for all the hard work you did and you’re still doing to make each and every day special for us. I still remember making gujiya with my mother. (Thank U Mom for insisting me to help u, now when I’m married and have my own family,  I know how to make the day special for my family. These are the few things I made on Holi.


Holi is incomplete without Gujiya. I also made Sev, Chivda and Banana Bread for my son. (Its not customary its just for his love for Bananas.) While I was making gujiya I was thinking all about home, we all (my dadi, bhabhi, mom and myself ) used to make gujiya’s together. It was more fun than work. Here (in US), I have to do everything by myself all alone. Its OK, then I wonder, if my son with his all American taste (cupcakes, muffins, croissant, donuts…..) is going to like it or not. Lets see if not this year, probably next year. With thinking and hoping I finished my work and with all love and hope I gave very first gujiya to my son. He took a bite and return to his unfinished work of messing up whole room. And I returned to my work of cleaning and sorting things in the kitchen. All of a sudden my son came and hold me, I asked what happened and his one word made my day. He said “MORE”

Like a very proud mother I gave him one more gujiya and felt so satisfied that all my hard work is paid. I was feeling like a super Mom (blushing blushing) and can relate myself to my mom. Mom I have started understanding you more better.

Well today just my story, recipes very soon….