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Journalism of Courage
One of the first things that is eaten on Gudi Padwa is a paste of neem and jaggery. The flavours are meant to remind those celebrating the festival that bitter memories are as much a part of life as the sweet ones. Of course, festivals are all about nostalgia. These three delicacies – two sweet and one savoury – will always recall the festive spirit of Gudi Padwa.
Shrikhand
Ingredients
For thick strained yogurt or hung curd
2 ltrs – Fat free or 1% milk fat yogurt
Big piece of cheese cloth
5-6- Full size paper towels
Old newspapers from 4-5 days
For Shrikhand
Thick Strained Yogurt
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup- Sugar
10 to12- Strands of saffron soaked in 1tbsp warm milk
5 to 6- Almonds
10 to 12- Pistachios
1 tsp- Ground cardamom powder
A pinch of ground nutmeg
Method
* To make the strained yogurt, stack the news paper in half sheets on kitchen counter.
* Cover with two layers of paper towels.
* Then layer cheese cloth in two layers.
* Carefully spread all the yogurt and cover with two layers of paper towels.
* Let it stand for 2-3 hours. Thick strained yogurt is ready.
* Next, roughly chop or coarsely grind almonds and pistachios.
* Remove all the lumps from strained yogurt. You can use either immersion blender or food processor to do this job.
* You can also go very low tech by using a strainer and spatula or spoon.
* Press the yogurt through sieve by spatula or spoon. It will remove all the lumps and yogurt will be creamy.
* Mix yogurt, sugar, almond-pistachios, cardamom, nutmeg and saffron. Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes. Cover and let it sit for at least 30-45 minutes. Mix once again and serve with purees.
Tips: Traditionally, yogurt is hung overnight over a big utensil to drain all the water out. You can use that method to make strained yogurt. I have also tried using strainer lined with cheese cloth and weighed down with stone mortar pestle. You have keep this overnight as well to get thick yogurt.
Gavhachi Kheer
Ingredients
1 cup- Cracked wheat/dalia
2 cups- Grated jaggery
1 litre- Milk or coconut milk (if vegan)
3 to 4- Cardamom pods
3 to 4- Strands of saffron
2 to 3 tbsp- White poppy seeds
1/8 cup- Dry unsweetened coconut
2 to 3 tsp- Ghee (optional)
1 cup- Water
1/8 cup- Almonds, cashews and pistachio pieces (all mixed)
10 to 15- Raisins
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp- Oil
Method
* Mix oil, turmeric and cracked wheat together well with your palms and let it sit for 10 minutes.
* Now, just rinse it with water once and add 1 cup of water and pressure cook it for 1 whistle.
* Dry roast coconut and poppy seeds while the pressure cooker is cooling down.
* Grind coconut and poppy seeds separately and set aside.
* Grind cardamom seeds and saffron with a mortar and pestle.
* Make sure grated jaggery does not have big chunks.
* Fluff cooked wheat with a fork gently and set it aside.
* Now mix jaggery and ghee (if using) in a thick bottom vessel on a medium flame.
* You can also use 3-4 tablespoons of water instead of ghee.
* The jaggery will start bubbling to a boil.
* Add cooked wheat and remove lumps if any by stirring vigorously.
* Add milk and lower the flame.
* Add ground poppy seeds, coconut, cardamom-saffron powder. Roast chopped nuts and add to the kheer. Let the kheer boil on a lower flame stirring occasionally.
Tips: Please use jaggery since it does not taste good with sugar.
Kothimbir Vadi
Ingredients
4 to 5 cups- Finely chopped coriander leaves
200 gm- Thalipeeth Bhajani (it’s a mixed flour made of millet, rice, split gram, sorghum, split gram, wheat flours and ground coriander powder and is available in a pre-packaged form in most stores)
1- Small golf ball-sized tamarind
1- Small golf ball-sized jaggery
1 tbsp- Garlic paste
1 tbsp- Sesame Seeds
Water as required
For tempering
2 tbsp- Oil
1 tbsp- Sesame Seeds
6 to 7- Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp each- Cumin seeds, Mustard Seeds, Turmeric
A small pinch- Asafoetida powder
1 tsp- Red Chili Powder
1 tsp- Sugar
Method
* Soak tamarind ball in little bit of water for 15-20 min. Squeeze all the pulp out.
* Mix thalipeeth flour, sesame seeds, garlic paste, tamarind pulp, jaggery and chopped cilantro. Using little water at a time make the dough. The dough should not be very dry or watery.
* Heat about one litre of water in pressure cooker.
* Grease a flat vessel that can fit in the cooker.
* Make fist size balls (mutake) and arrange them in the greased vessel. Steam these in pressure cooker without using whistle for 15-20 minutes.
* Promptly remove the vessel from cooker and let it the cool completely.
* Slice each mutaka into five or six pieces.
* Now heat oil in heavy bottom pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add curry leaves, turmeric powder, sesame seeds. All the seeds will start spluttering.
* Now add sliced vadi and mix it thoroughly. Add red chili powder, and sugar. Let all the masalas cover most of the vadis.
* Lower the heat and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
* Serve warm.
Tips: You can use any thalipeeth bhajani and add salt, chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder according to your taste. You can also use fresh fenugreek leaves instead of cilantro. These vadis can also be used in a falafel sandwich instead of falafel balls and can be eaten as side dish or as an appetiser.
