Food Fit For The Gods

By Aarti Hundalani

Hey! its Diwali...OH YUMMY mithai, ladoos and more mithai ..and yum yum prasad... the crowning glory of all festivals----the finger licking prasad.

Every festival has a certain special food linked with it...It is not that we do not eat it on other days....but that particular day has a certain added flavour to it that adds to the charm and the taste of the prasad.

The cross argument here is that, do the Gods actually come down and partake of this Bhog or is it man feeding his own need and greed....

The very fact that these special prasads are made...makes one clean ones kitchen pray with the family have a little more discipline invite family and friends share with family, friends and neighbors learn new foods Best of all you get to eat those goodies yourself.

Here are certain recipes for some of our more important festivals.

CHETTI CHAND (Sindhi new year).

The prasad that is generally offered here is 'KANAO'

KANAO

I CUP FLOUR (wheat or maida) 1 CUP SUGAR 2 CUPS WATER 1 CUP GHEE Roast the flour with ghee (the mixture should have pouring consistency) on low flame.

Cook till you get a light brown colour. Dissolve the sugar in the water and pour into the browned mix. Keep stirring. The mixture will thicken and begin to leave the sides of the vessel and VOILA! ready in a jiffy.

This prasad is fabulous when eaten hot, cold and even without teeth.... it should be swallowed

Degh for Bairaano

This is generally an offering to Jhulelal and the creatures of the sea. In today's world this could be a public offence.

But that should not stop us from taking a boat ride a little further down the sea.

So have a WHALE of a time and offer: to the fishes: Cooked or raw Rice, Sugar, elaichi, cloves, ghee, haldi, wheat flour…

SATAI

This festival is a favourite among the card players .The foods generally made are nankhatais, lolas and khatto bhatt. Food is generally made a day earlier.

"THADO" is generally observed, that is eating cold food cooked the evening before…maybe they wanted to play cards from dawn to dusk and not be bothered about the kitchen for a day.... or maybe cold food once in a while, is good for health..

NANKHATTAI

2 cups of maida 1/2 cup sugar(measured and then ground) melted dalda a little cardamom powder. Sieve the maida ,sugar and cardamom powder together. Add melted dalda (dalda should be at room temp). Add enough dalda so as to get a flaky dough. Shape into small balls and flatten and bake in a pre-heated oven at medium temp. for 30 mins.

KRISHNA-JANAM

Makhan chor’s sweet tooth...loved milk based sweets pedas, milk barfi and khirni...

KHIRNI

1 litre milk a little cardamom powder a pinch of saffron sago seeds 1/2 cup 1/2 cup sugar Boil milk with sugar, cardamom powder and saffron.

Soak the sago in water for 30 mins.

Drain and add to the boiling milk.

Cook until the sago is boiled add cut pistas and almonds.

DIWALI

The day of sweets, sweets and only sweets. The Goddess of Abundance is offered sweets very abundantly....The khaju mithai , pista varas , chana vara all made at home

PISTA VARA

1 cup finely sliced pistas and almonds 3/4 cup sugar few drops of lime juice little ghee khus-khus little cardamom powder Caramelize the sugar add 1/4 tsp. ghee when the sugar is brown

Add the sliced nuts, cardamom powder and khus-khus

Remove from gas and spread on a greased surface

and roll as thin as possible.

UTRAAN

Bhorinda and thiran ji chikki( Drive up to Kailash Parbat)

HOLI Colors and gheeyar (Best Recipe in town)...Kailash Parbat Zindabad !!!