Balushahi,Milk cake and Pinni recipes -My favourite Mithai

Mithai a.k.a Sweets in Hindi or Urdu is one of my favourite thing to eat anytime,anywhere .I know, if you have read many of my previous posts with sweet recipes,you might have already heard that zillion times..earful huh ?

Well, the secret to my rolly-polly weight or nicely put ,my voluptuous body .Holly Molly ! :D...Rhymes and reasons...

I think I can beat anyone.....I mean in any sweet eating competition with ease.Shaala...Control hi nahi hota ...And hence my closet is full of dresses of different sizes except Small.I do workout at times.But being a foodie who hates to diet is really challenging.Struggle is real !

Thankfully I do have a few dresses that can camouflage and adjust/manipulate my body/figure like a shapewear and look bearable/presentable...One of the strange reason I give a special appearance in my cooking videos is to check my weight gain or loss...Holy cow,just to make sure I scare the right people for the right reason !:D

You see at present my blog and vlog/YouTube channel are my passions to work for. And to be frank,I am not getting my adsense/google money at all .My hard-earned money disappears/is stucked exactly like my subcribers count since 2020 and likes/feedbacks/share even though viewed worldwide well.I do get people's/strangers positive/funny reactions wherever I go by Divine's grace .If my intuition is right may be my money was used to pay off meet-ups teams .👍😏

May Divine bless me more to work hard towards all my goals successfully ! I know enemies/haters are a part and parcel of the journey.......Rest my Divine family will take care of...Tum rakshak kahu ko darna...

I recall my school classmate/my dear friend Ritvik's/we used to call him Kitpit's advice in my autograph book : Shukriya dost !

"Ruk jana nahi tu kahin haar ke

kaanton pe chalake milenge saaye bahaar ke,o rahi o rahi "

(Meaning:Do not stop, after being defeated; walking on the thorns, you will meet the shades of spring/you will reach your goal/right destination.O traveller,  O traveller !)

Coming to the topic, bottom line is ,being a hardcore foodie and gaining weight like a balloon ,it is difficult for me to buy dresses atleast for myself without requesting/disturbing my husband always.

Anyways,as always I am minding my own business and working hard for the right reason inspite of a few kinda imposed unnecessary distractions which needs to be sometimes addressed to stop any violent escalations (well,trying to do my bit ,hoping to make difference for the best, even if it is small) 

Well,for now,I will  try my best to control my yearnings for sweets .Hoping for the best !Bada mushkil baba bada mushkil...ye dil hain ki maanta nahi...:D ...The filmi keeda/germ in me :D

Having said that,Indian festivals and any celebrations are incomplete without any sweets or desserts.Since last few years,I was not really celebrating any festivals per se.But this year my doter compelled me to celebrate Diwali and the only reason I like to celebrate festivals here is to make my doter value the Indian traditions and to rekindle the bygone days of celebrations in India.

Like I mentioned in my previous post,I prepared Double ka meetha and Shahi tukda pre-diwali to get into that festive mood.

As in India,you can feel the festivity in the air months before the festival.But alas,here,you have to create that festive mood somehow.So,during and post-Diwali (different versions) ,I made something very special as a token of recap of some unforgettable incidents/memories/lessons in the form of very popular Indian sweets called Balushahi/Badushah,Milk Cake and Pinni Ladoo .

In short how my Diwali especially was happy and yummy -> B-a-l-u-sha-H-I,M-il-K cake,P-in-ni  :D...kitni tej hu na mein ,my intuition is sometimes smart ,sharp and magical....Tareef karoon kya uski jisney mujhey banaya ;D :P

I am just like my divine mother ,halwa ,puri,mithai makes me very happy .I think I may complete 56/51 Bhogs of Jagannath swamy faster than my Divine ...ohh kkk..when I don't compete with anyone,how can I compete with my Divine/The Supreme ...Bolo ShriKrishna Bhagwaan ki jai ho !

Are you still awake or lecturing me bass karr kahi diabetes na hoajaye ...Isliye jann ke hith keliye ,bheja fry ko mein karthi hu break,aur recipe karthei hu mein fek..I mean Recipes bataoon ? Kya karoon rhyming ki mein diwani hu..

Toh nek kaam mein deri kaisi,I mean,let me share with you all how I made my favourite sweets - Homemade Balushahi recipe,Milk cake homemade style and easy Pinni recipe..

Balushahi/Badusha 

Balushahi/Badusha/Makhan Bada is a very famous Indian sweet that "looks" like  Medu/Lentil vada/fritters or a Doughnut though they all taste different.Balushahi is a North Indian sweets that is flaky from outside and soft from inside covered with sugar syrup making it juicy while the twin version called badusha is from South India that is made in a similar way but less sweeter .

Balushahi's origin traces back to the royal culinary and even it is believed/read online(lost the link) that after defeating the demon king/hellraiser Narkasura (funny..Narak means hell and asura means devil/demon/monster),Lord Krishna celebrated the victory by eating delicacies like Balushahi and more.

Did you know that ,Naraksura's wish before death to Lord Krishna was that his death anniversary should be celebrated by the people of Earth (as he was the son of Earth/BhuDevi ) and hence,that day is celebrated as "Diwali".It is celebrated as "Naraka chaturdashi"/"Choti Diwali" as a special pre-diwali celebration in Goa exclusively.

Coincidentally, Diwali also represents the celebration of the arrival of Lord Ram and family after 14 years of exile from the forrest to Ayodhya/The kingdom of Lord Rama.

Similarly ,Diwali also marks the annual return and remembrance/homecoming of King Mahabali. When the Vamana,the dwarf avatar of Lord Vishnu defeated King Mahabali ,MahaBali requested Lord Vishnu to grant his death request for the same. 

Mere bhagwan ke lila aprampaar hai :D

Balushahi/Badushah recipe

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour/Maida 1 cup

Clarified butter/Ghee 1/2 cup

Baking powder 1 Tsp 

Water (I used a mix of water and milk to make it more softer but I realized it doesn't make a huge difference though)

Salt a bit (optional)

For Sugar Syrup :

Sugar 2 Cups

Water 2 cups

Cardamom powder,a bit

Oil/Ghee for deep frying

How to make Balushahi/Badushah at home 

1.Add all purpose flour,ghee,baking powder and bit of salt in a wide pan and mix well.(Some people say adding little curd will make it more tastier)

2.Add water little by little and knead/mix until it becomes a dough.Dough doesn't have to be stiff,it can be little sticky but knead-well.Do not overdo it or it will become dense and won't give the right texture.

3.Keep it aside for a few minutes so that the baking powder activates and makes the dough more fluffy.

4.Meanwhile heat oil/Ghee is a deep/wide pan for frying.(You will see the kanjoos/miser in me using oil with just 1 Tbsp of ghee ,because it will consume the entire bottle I buy usually ,that's why :D)

5.Knead the dough again to release any air.DONOT OVERDO IT.

6.Then take some dough ,roll on your palm and make a small ball.It doesn't have to be neat and perfect.So,it will create a texture in the ball which will give the apt shape of a Balushahi .

7.Put a dent in the center using your thumb finger or any finger you are comfortable with.Repeat with all dough and keep them all aside.

8.Meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup by adding water,sugar and the cardamom powder into a non-stick pan "preferably" so that it doesn't stick to the bottom and bring it to full boil.

9.Then reduce the flame and let it reduce to a sticky consistency.

10.Side by side,make Balushahis- Add a pinch of dough into the oil and if it springs to the top,the oil is ready for frying or wait until it does to fry all dough balls properly.

11.When the oil is ready,put each dough balls one by one without over-crowding.

12.Flip the dough balls and fry them till golden brown all over on lower flame.It may be time taking but do not hurry up to fry them fast or it will spoil the texture of the Balushahi.It will look crunchy/slightly flaky from outside but from inside it will be little soft.

13.Once lightly golden brown,transfer all the Balushahis one by one onto another wide bowl preferably.

14.When the sugar syrup has reached a sticky consistency ,"almost" to the one thread consistency.Turn the cooking gas off and let it cool down a bit.If the sugar syrup is not sticky and is thin ,will make Balushahis soggy and if the sugar syrup is like thread consistency,then it may cover the Balushahi from outside only but it may or may not enter into the Balushahi making it aptly juicy and with the genuine taste.

15.When the sugar syrup is still hot/very warm,pour the homemade sugar syrup all over the Balushahis in such a way that Balushahis should be completely dunked/flip couple of times to make sure all Balushahis are covered with sugar syrup.The hot/very warm sugar syrup will make sure that the sugar syrup properly penetrates into each Balushahi well to make it perfectly juicy and tasteful.Keep it aside for couple of hours/overnight for this process.

16.Test a Balushahi if it is juicy and syrupy from inside or keep it longer (warm the sugar syrup if it is cold for apt penetration).

17.Then decorate with pista pieces and serve it and enjoy.

 If you have a sweet tooth ,then you won't stop at one ,oh so yummy,but if you have diabetes ,then you can only have a bit of it as it is loaded with sugar syrup ,suit yourself !

I made and ate different versions of Balushahis and I know look like one .So,I hoped onto the other sweet preparation ,which is one of my all time favourite sweet - The milk Cake Indian style.

Milk Cake Indian sweet

Milk cake is a Rajasthani/Alwar special sweet fudge made with milk,sugar and a curdling agent.Milk cake has a grainy texture which makes it melt in the mouth .I love to eat this sweet a lot.

Similarly,there is a classical Mexican dessert,a sponge cake called Tres Leches which is popularly known as Milk cake too.

Milk Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Whole Milk 6 Cups

Condensed milk 1/2 cup

Vinegar 1-2 Tsps

Ghee/Clarified butter 2 Tbsps

Caramelize sugar

Sugar 1/2 cup

Water 1/2 - 1 cup

How to make homemade Milk Cake recipe 

1.Boil milk in a non-stick deep pan preferably ,it will prevent the milk from scorching.

2.Then stir well and reduce the flame .

3.Keep on stirring to avoid the milk getting scorched at the bottom and let the milk reduce to the half quantity.This is time-consuming and will test your patience especially of your eyes and hands.

4.Add the condensed milk and mix well.

5.Keep on stirring or milk mixture will burn at the bottom and spoil the taste.Let it reduce to one-third quantity.

6.Add the vinegar and stir well .Keep on stirring and the milk mixture will start to curdle little by little .Keep on stirring as we don't want any big chunks of milk solids but teeny-weeny milk solids.It is time taking.

7.Continue stirring until the water gets soaked up or evaporates leaving only milk solids.

8.Add ghee and mix well.

9.Once all milk disappears and only milk solids remains,turn off the cooking gas.

10.Meanwhile,take a pan and caramelize sugar by adding sugar in the pan and let it melt on lower flame .If it liquidifies properly ,sugar is aptly carmelized or just add little water till it is in a flowing/ moving thick consistency.

11.Now take a box ,put a wax paper (it will be easy to remove to cut them properly later)and layer with some milk solids ,followed by caramelized sugar and finally the other layer of milk solids.Press it down. Cover it with a lid and let it set overnight or couple of hours.

12.Then remove the wax paper with sweets from the box and chop the sweets into rectangular shape.

13.That's it Milk cake Indian style is ready to eat.

NOTE:

As I was learning how to get the right texture of making milk cake,I realized at shops,they usually use glucose syurp to get that caramelized texture in between the milk cake sweets.

At home,you "may" get it if instead of putting condensed milk just add sugar to taste ,let it reduce to milk solids after curdling and when set the middle portion may be more brownish than the rest of the sweets.Sometimes it just browns the entire sweets instead.

Hence I followed the method I mentioned above/my way to make sure the middle portion of my milk cake sweet is indeed brown in color for sure to give that authentic texture and taste of store-bought Milk cakes.

Usually people use lemon juice to curdle the milk to make milk cake but I used vinegar which doesn't have any sour after taste like lemon juice .At store they use citric acid/alum+liquid glucose instead.

Bottom-line - "Milk cake is simply finger-licking !!

And finally I made winter special,Pinni Ladu/ladoo/Laddu

Pinni 

Pinni ladu is a Punjabi Atta Ladoo ,one of the winter famous sweet ball(Laddu/Ladoo) from Punjab,the North-West region of India which is wholesome and nutritious made with whole wheat flour,sugar and mix of crushed nuts and ghee/clarified butter.I prefer sweets made with whole wheat flour than the all-purpose flour/Maida,giving me the excuse to eat the sweet guilt-free that whole wheat flour is healthy comparatively.

Pinni Recipe

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup

Clarified Butter/Ghee 1 cup

Cardamom powder 1 Tsp

Sugar to taste - 1 cup approx

Mixed nuts,coarsely powdered -1/4th cup

Nuts to decorate preferably almonds

How to make Pinni Ladoo at home

1.Heat ghee in a pan and add whole wheat flour and saute it .

2.Add cardamom powder,sugar taste and mixed nuts coarse powder and mix well.

3.Saute it until the mixture thickens up , changes color to slightly brown and gathers to the center.

4.Turn off the cooking gas and allow it to cool off a bit but still warm enough to shape them into ladoo/sweet balls.

5.Once the mixture is comfortable enough to touch,shape them into small golf shaped balls/ladoo/laddu.

6.Decorate the ladoos with nuts.

7.That's it Pinni Ladoo are ready to serve/eat.

BottomLine- All I can say is Pinni is certainly maa Varahi's favourite bhog/Prasadam.

Humble request:Donot dare to laugh/joke at Maa Varahi's face PLEASE .Lord Varah and Maa Varahi 's boar/wild Pig face avatar was for the protection/saving the planet Earth.

Glory to the Divine!

And that's how Diwali ended !Well,regardless,Mithai and motapa is a part and parcel of me.Ek weakness hai aur doosra bin bulaya mehmaan ..well not all athithis are devo bhava I guess :D....

Achcha ye bataayiye,aapka weakness kya hai,achcha wala ...Ky kaha aapka family aur aap..haina ?

Ye soch ke mera dil bhi meetha hogaya,Ek meetha sa gaana hojaye ( one of my fav. song from one of my fav. hero Ajay Devgan sir's movie "Phool aur Kaante" ("Flowers and thorns" ,yaad rakhiyega...rakhenge na..)

👪Dheere dheera pyaar ko badana hai,

Hadd se guzarr jana hai,

Ek doojey ko aazmaana hai,

Hadd se guzarr jaana hai ......

(Meaning: Slowly slowly the love will grow beyond the limits ,there will be testing times,but love will survive and thrive regardless)

Phir milengey chalthye chalthey...

👪Take care wherever you are, wherever you go,👪

Double ka meetha| Shahi Tukda|Hyderabad Special royal recipes

Itti si haseen itti si khushi

Itta sa tukda chaand ka

Khwaabon ke tinkon se 

Chal banayeinn aashiyan  … 

(Bollywood movie:Barfi) 

Meaning :A little smile,little happiness, a small piece of moon,with lots of dreams, let's make a happy home.. Now that's the principle of my life!Simple and sweet ! To emphasize that ,this blogpost is all about two royal sweet recipes from the place my hubby grew up and is settled in,"Hyderabad" and this time a sweet dedication to myself ,yes,you are right (banta hai boss),blowing my own trumphet.Relax..it is called self-love ! 

Hyderabad is the capital and the largest technologically and culturally rich city of the state of Telangana,South India.As per Wikipedia,"The name Hyderabad means "Haydar's City" or " The Lion City", from Haydar 'lion' and ābād 'Prosperous city'.Makes sense ! :D 

Hyderabad was established by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, in 1591.Hence,Hyderabad is known as the city of Mughals and Nizams.Sounds perfect to me ! Anything with a royal touch entices me ..especially the outfits and the royal cuisines . 

I love Hyderabad because it also kinda reminds me of the ordinary place in North India/Jharkhand where I grew up and where my heart still belongs to.

Not to mention the varieties of sweets ,pickles ,biryanis and other one-of-a-kind mouthwatering recipes.O my...I am thankful to have my sasural/husband's house in Hyderabad. 

So,today's recipes are all about royalty - Double ka meetha and Shahi tukda. These sweets/desserts represents ME !(Blush blush) Sweet and kinda regal by nature and taste.You see,Double stands for my hubby's birthdate :D ,Meetha means sweet in Hindi/Urdu ,Shahi means royal and his surname goes by "Chandra" ,hence tukda Chaand ka/slice of Moon lol...Ahem ahem...too sweet to digest ???:D ..Hajmola sir and Madam !;D :P 

I tasted my first bite of Double ka meetha and Shahi tukda in America and I thought that should be some fancy and complicated recipes.It tasted fancy and royal .Rich in taste,look and presentation.So,that was something I wanted to cook sometime when I have no other sweet recipes to try.Last but not the least !

Somehow ,I didn't get any other recipes that would fit me/describe me exclusively.Guess what ,when I was looking for the recipe ,I realized though it is fancy ,pancy ,rich and royal - Double ka Meetha recipe and Shahi Tukda recipe are very easy to make even at home with very handy ingredients easily available at most of the home.They are nothing but a very simply prepared royal bread puddings.

 

All you need are bread slices,milk,sugar,ghee and a few edible garnish of your choice to make these royal desserts. Can you believe that ? I didn't...Sounds perfect for the lazy me who craves for the sweets most of the time....There is simplicity in royalty too...

 

A video demo how to make homemade Double ka meetha and shahi tukda and also show-offing the bond with my spiritual team (a part and parcel of me and means a lot to me) ,well,something funny :D

 

 

 Interestingly ,double ka meetha and shahi tukda are used interchangeably by many .Though what makes the double ka meetha differ from shahi tukda are their origin and that for double ka meetha,cube size fried bread pieces are dunked with sugar syrup and rabdi/thickened sweetened milk dessert while the latter is in the form of fried triangular shaped bread pieces covered with rabdi only.Both these recipes are quite famous in Hyderabad/India,Delhi,Lucknow and Pakistan exclusively and a must in most of the celebrations,festivals and wedding.

 So,let me share with you all how to make Double ka meetha recipe and Shahi Tukda recipe at home "yours truly" way .

What is Double ka meetha ? 

Double ka meetha is a rich Hyderabadi bread pudding belonging to the Deccani Mughlai cuisine.Double roti a.k.a Bread meaning dough of the roti that rises to nearly double its size during baking, and meetha, meaning “sweet” in Hindi/Urdu. 

So, here is how I make my homemade "Double ka meetha" recipe : 

 

First I prepared a rabdi recipe.

 

What is rabri/rabdi recipe?

 

Rabdi/Rabri is a sweetened thick boiled milk served as a dessert by its own and can be used to take any other sweets to a next level by layering or dunking in rabdi like Jalebi,Gulab Jamun and Double ka meetha and Shahi Tukra and more ... 

Rabri recipe

Ingredients 

 Full fat milk 4 cups 

Condensed milk 2 cups 

Cardamom powder 1/2 - 1 Tsp (adjust as per your taste)

Saffron strands ,a few 

Chopped dry fruits like pistas,cashewnuts,almonds,dried rose petals as needed

 Non stick wide pan 

A few drops of Kewra water/Rose water (optional) 

Step by step method to make homemade rabdi/rabri 

1. To make instant Rabdi/Rabri at home ,take a non stick wide pan .Non-stick pan will prevent the milk from scorching at the bottom and it would be quite easy to make Rabdi/Rabri aptly .
2. Add the milk to it and let it come to boil on high flame.Keep an eye to avoid the milk from over-flowing.
3. Then reduce the flame and add the condensed milk to it and stir well.
4. Add cardamom powder and a few saffron strands as needed.Stir well.
5. Let it simmer on medium-low flame.
6. Keep an eye.Scrap the edges of any cream/malai and stir continously until the milk thickens.
7. Let it reduce to half the quantity or the desired level of creaminess/thickness.
8. Some people do add little bit of ground powder of bread slices to thicken the rabri/rabdi fast and to make it lacchedar rabdi recipe.I didn't.
9. Switch off the cooking gas.
10. That's it Rabri/Rabdi is ready to serve.
11. Allow the rabdi/rabri to cool off.
12. (Optional,just incase you don't like any pieces of thick malai/cream part,you may ground the Rabdi/Rabri in a mixer grinder until you get a smooth liquid consistency) 
13. Then or later while serving garnish it with drops of rose water/kewra water and chopped dry fruits.I even used bits of dried fruit jellies for a twist.
14. Once cold ,put the instant rabdi/rabri mixture into the refrigerator for setting up properly and reaching the rich texture with full flavor.I kept it overnight .Next day it was more thicker and creamier.

Double ka meetha recipe 

Ingredients 

Bread slices - 3 Nos 

Oil 1/2-1 cup 

Ghee 1 Tbsp 

Wide pan for frying 

Milk/Rabdi 1-2 Tbsps

Waraq/Varak/Silver edible foil for decoration (optional)

For making the sugar syrup/Chashni

Sugar 1 cup 

Water 1 cup 

Saffron strands,a few 

Cardamom powder 1/4 Tsp 

Non-stick pan

Step by step method to make Double ka meetha recipe at home: 

1. Trim the edges of all bread slices and cut them into four cube size pieces and keep them aside.Make sure the bread slices are not too soft or chewy kind of.
2. Add water into a pan followed by sugar .
3. Let it come to full boil.
4. Then reduce the flame.Keep stirring in between and keep an eye.
5. Add the cardamom powder and saffron strands as needed.
6. Let it reduce to a sticking consistency.It will take sometime.
7. Meanwhile,heat oil in a pan and add little ghee ,allow it to melt.You can directly use the ghee and skip the oil.But to save ghee :D:P,I added little ghee with oil (best of both).ha ha...
8. Add a pinch of bread piece into the oil, if it is frying properly,oil is ready for frying the bread cubes.
9. Remove that fried bit of bread.On low flame,put all bread cubes one by one without over-crowding and when the bottoms are golden in color not dark brown/burnt,flip to cook the other side similarly.Repeat with any bread cubes.
10. Make sure not to hasten the process by frying those bread cubes fast on high flame out of patience and do not fry it for long and make it very crunchy.It should be soft yet a tad crunchy texture.
11. Remove all the fried bread cubes into a plate or directly to the sugar syrup if ready.
12. By this time,sugar syrup might have reached the right consistency.
13. Carefully take a bit of simmered liquid/sugar syrup and stretch between fingers.If it sticks and stretches/breaks.That is the right consistency I use for making my double ka meetha.It doesn't have be one thread consistency chashni/sugar syrup.
14. Transfer all fried bread cubes to the prepared sugar syrup when it is still HOT.Cover every fried bread cubes well with the HOT sugar syrup .If you miss to add the fried bread cubes to the sugar syrup when it is hot,the sugar syrup won't soak up the fried bread cubes well and it won't render the correct double ka meetha's taste.
15. Add little rabdi/fresh milk and mix well.This can be avoided but it makes the double ka meetha richer in taste.
16. Let it cool off.
17. Then serve immediately if you wish.Garnish it with chopped dry fruits of your choice.Add a few pieces of varak/waqr/edible silver foil if you wish.Optional though.
18. Or,once cold,let it set in the refrigerator and serve it next day.In that way the fried bread cubes soaks up the sugar syrup and flavor so well that it tastes finger-licking.I love it cold!
19. Double ka meetha is ready .
20. Serve it,enjoy it and feel royal !;)

What is Shahi tukda ? 

Shahi Tukda is the non identical twin of the Double ka meetha .Shahi tukda recipe is also a decadent bread pudding recipe belonging to the royal Awadhi cuisine.Shahi means "Royal" and Tukda means slices/pieces in Hindi.

 So,here is how I make my homemade "Shahi Tukda" recipe :

Shahi Tukda/Tukra recipe

Ingredients

Bread slices - 3 Nos.

Oil/ghee for frying

Chopped dry fruits and varak/edible silver foil for garnishing

Rabri/Rabdi as needed

Step by step method to make Shahi Tukda recipe at home

1. Trim the edges of the bread and diagonally cut it into two.Repeat with all bread slices and keep them aside.
2. Meanwhile heat oil/ghee in a pan .Put a bit of bread piece to make sure the oil is ready for frying.When that bit of bread piece is fried ,remove it.
3. Place all cut bread slices one by one without over-crowding and let it fry on medium-low flame until golden brown not dark brown ,little crunchy texture, flip to cook the other sides similarly.Repeat with any leftover cut bread slices.
4. Transfer all fried bread slices one by one onto a plate.
5. Add a little rabdi in a bowl or a serving plate and place all fried bread slices one by one.
6. Top them with more Rabdi as needed.
7. Garnish with chopped dry fruits of your choice and varak/edible silver foil.
8. Serve it immediately .If kept longer they may become soggy .If you add little rabdi otherwise can prevent it from becoming soggy though.
9. That's it my Shahi Tukda is ready !
10. Enjoy and feel like a shahi tukda . ;)

How I sweeten up my life ! Keep going..Strive and thrive dear friends !

So,if you are like me,you have a sweet tooth ,you are an ardent fan of royal foods like Mughlai and Nawabi cuisines,your celebrations and festivals are enhanced with your edible creations and even if that is not the case,if you are bored of the usual Indian sweets or give them a break and or if you are fed up of eating same bread recipes,then these royal yet easy to make royal bread puddings /desserts/sweets are worth trying for , so quick to prepare,tastes rich and delicious,smells aromatic and looks extravagant,an ode to edible royalty.

So,these royal sweets are part of my pre-diwali preparation .Hope you all will also try it,love it and share it .

So,here's wishing you all a very Happy Diwali in advance ! May this festival of lights ,bright up your life with joys,good health,long life,positivity,prosperity and delightful moments .May this festival of lights be the reminder to ignite the light in you,forget/blast the dark/past,enjoy the present and the future be blessed .

And Forever...Be loving/loved and in light !

Till we meet again,please take good care in everyway.Firecrackers , flames and too much sweetness (Except the exceptional ME :D) can also be hazardous to our health...

Duaon mein yaad rakhna mere tarah/Remember me in your prayers

SRILANKAN RECIPES|Mutton curry|Dhal/Dal curry|Cabbage Mallung|Pani Pol|

 

परित्राणायसाधूनांविनाशायचदुष्कृताम्|

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थायसम्भवामियुगेयुगे|| 8||

Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām

dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Meaning: For the protection of the good/pious, to annihilate the wicked and for the establishment of dharma (righteousness), I (the Lord) am born from age to age.

“One should lift only such weight as will not exhaust one beyond a limit. One should eat only such food as will easily digest.Who will engage himself in such action as will get him neither dharma nor reputation nor lasting fame and which will only result in physical exhaustion?” - Jatayu to Ravana

 

Heartfelt thanks to the directors/producers of the epic Indian T.V. serial Ramayana and Mahabharata and likewise for reminding our wonder-full ,legendary mythological/factual stories and the gems of wisdom hidden in that which when understood and remembered can act as a perfect moral guide to live a peaceful and content life.

The above mentioned stanza/shloka/quote are from one of the famous Hindu mythology,Ramayana .

Ramayana and Mahabhartha are the two main Indian epics of Hinduism that has shaped Indians' culture,beliefs,values and the right way of life since ages.

Ramayana is an ancient epic that represents the life and adventures Of Lord Shri Rama,the seventh incarnation/avatar of Lord Vishnu,his beloved wife,Sita/Siya ,the incarnation of MahaLakshmi and one of his brother,Lakshmana,the incarnation of Sheshnaag,the king of all nagas ,who is believed to hold all the planets of the universe on its hood,the divine serpent upon whom Lord Vishnu rests in Kshirasagara, which is the ocean of milk and prabhu Ram's loyal companion Lord Hanuman /the Monkey God ,who is in fact according to the Shiva Puran, is the 11th Rudra avatar of Lord Shiva ,a divine team who took birth in human/Ape form towards the conquest against evil ,establishing and laying guidelines towards dharma/the righteousness and a virtuous life on planet Earth.

Thanks to the sage Valmiki ji for composing this ethereal saga of Ramayana during Treta Yuga in the Sanskrit language, which consists of 24,000 verses divided into seven Kandas (books), detailing Rama’s journey from his birth,to his celestial wedding to his divine counterpart Sita,to his 14 years of long exile at the request of his own father for the sake of the righteousness over his personal royal comfort,the long war to defeat the demon king Ravana who kidnapped his pious wife sita to his coronation as the king of Ayodhya , the birth of divine twin sons,luv and Kusha and Maa Sita leaving her beloved family by merging with the Mother Earth and heartbroken dharmaraj ,Shri Ram still establishing Ram Raajaya marked by peace, prosperity, harmony ,truth and justice, setting an ideal example for an ideal governance and societal upliftment. 

The “Ramayana” not only chronicles a captivating unforgettable story but also imparts the ultimate moral ,humane and ethical lessons, making it a timeless moral guide for the welfare of the humanity.

Kuber, the God of wealth, had constructed the golden Lanka for himself but was overthrown by his half demon brother, Ravana which is popularly known as the SriLanka today.

According to Ramayana, during Prabhu Shri Rama’s ,Maa Sita’s and Lakshmana’s 14 year exile in the forrest ,the divine mother /the divine counterpart of the Lord Shri Rama, was abducted and was held captive on the island of Lanka (now known as the Sri Lanka) by the the multi-headed rakshasa/demon king Ravana in a pushpaka vimana.

With the help of vanara sena/an army of monkeys and other animals,Lord Shri Rama,Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman built a bridge famously called the Rama Setu bridge over the sea to rescue Maa Sita from the confinement of the demonic king Ravana after a ferocious long battle.

Rama Bridge is also known as Adam's Bridge. As per some sources, the Islamists who came as traders to Sri Lanka believed that the Adam (the first human on Earth) crossed the bridge from Sri Lanka (Sri Pada Mountain (Adam’s Peak)) to India after he was expelled from the Garden of Eden or Garden of God/the Biblical Paradise.The Cane and Able of biblical stories are believed to be buried on one of these islets (Pratt, 1892).

 This ancient monumental bridge is basically a chain of natural limestone shoals, connecting Rameswaram Island (also known as Pamban Island) in Tamil Nadu and Mannar Island in Sri Lanka.As per some sources,it is believed that the bridge was walkable until the 15th century. According to the Ramanathaswamy Temple records, the bridge was above sea level until a cyclone destroyed it in 1480.

A NASA satellite image revealed a chain of limestone shoals exactly like the Rama Setu bridge that can still be seen between India and Sri Lanka. This Adam’s/rama Setu bridge has since been a subject of scientific and archaeological interest, with studies/research exploring its origins and significance.

DID YOU KNOW these facts about Ramayana? (Courtesy:Google search)

• Ravana was the most influential king of the prosperous Sri Lanka.

• Ravana was a 10 headed demonic king of Lanka who was a Brahmin by birth,the eldest son of sage Vishrava and demon princess,Kaikasi and was a learned scholar/pandit even acknowledged by the Divine .
• Ravana's initial name was Dahanana (Ten headed) who later got his name Ravana(which means the one who roars loud ) for being a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva .Ravana wrote the famous Shiva tandav stotram .It is believed that he supposedly installed a huge Shivalinga in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh and hence both Ravana and Lord Shiva are worshipped by the fishermen community there. Ravana temples are not only in Srilanka but also worshipped in places like Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh ,a Jain temple at Alvar in Rajasthan.
• Ravana and his brother Kumbhkaran were actually Jaya and Vijaya, the gatekeepers of Vaikunta ,the heavenly abode of Lord Vishnu and MahaLakshmi.
• Ravana was a great Ayurvedic physician and an expert in astrology/astronomy.
• Like the famous Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Ashtavakra Gita, Udhhava Gita, and Guru Gita - there is another Gita called Ravana Gita (the song of Ravana). In it, Ravana teaches many sermons/life lessons/politics to Lakshmana on his deathbed at the request of Lord Shri Rama.
• Ravana was a great musician, who designed his own string instrument called Ravana Veena and Raagas.
• Gayatri Mantra ,a sacred vedic hymn dedicated to the divine sun ,and Divine Mother,Gayathri/Saraswati ,is formed from the first letter that comes after every 1000 verses of Ramayana.
• Maa Sita took the ferocious form of MahaKali during the long unending dreadful battle between Lord Rama and Ravana when Lord Rama fell unconscious to defeat the unstoppable demonic king Ravana.

Well,for me when I see an Indian squirrel and an American squirrel I feel the difference that Ramayana was indeed true as the white stripes on an Indian squirrel’s body are believed to be given by Lord Rama for helping him during the construction of the Rama Setu bridge.

मच्चित्तः सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात्तरिष्यसि।

अथ चेत्त्वमहङ्कारान्न श्रोष्यसि विनङ्क्ष्यसि॥

mac-cittaḥ sarvadurgāṇi matprasādāttariṣyasi

atha cettvamahaṅkārānna śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi

Meaning :If you become conscious of the divine, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by divine’s grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing the divine’s call, you will be lost.

I second that ! Well,the reason why I am writing about Ramayana and the known and the unknown facts are because today I am gonna share with you all a few of my favourite SriLankan recipes.So,when I think of Srilanka,it kinda makes me happy because this country especially reminds me of the legendary Ramayana. 

And what I love the most about the Ramayana and other divine true stories are how divine takes birth in different forms for the welfare of his devotees and most importantly the pain and suffering they go through in this human birth even though they are Divine in disguise and they could easily skip all these hardships.

So,when people ask me why are horrible people living well while innocents are suffering the most ,I tell them even it was not easy for any divine on Earth .Even divine had to sacrifice a lot for everyone’s well-being.All these mythological stories and our holy books states that eventually karma balances everything out in this birth or later but for sure whether they are human or the Divine.No one can skip that !However,the true faith on the Divine ,pure intentions and the prayers for the right reason does help a lot to ease all the troubles .

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानंनात्मानमवसादयेत्|

आत्मैवह्यात्मनोबन्धुरात्मैवरिपुरात्मन: || 5||

Uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet

ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

Meaning:One is alone responsible for his own degradation or rise because a person’s best friend or his worst enemy is none other than his own self.Nobody can traverse the path of God-realization for us. Saints and Gurus show us the way, but we have to travel it ourselves. Lord Shree Krishna says that we must use the intellect to control the mind towards positive direction and elevate our self.

That first shloka mentioned above the blogpost reminds me of my lovely childhood days desperately waiting for the epic Mahabhartha serial aired every sunday.

India reminds me of every God/Divine but SriLanka reminds exclusively of all the sacrifices made by my Lord Shree Rama ,the agni parikshas of sacred Maa Siya ,Lakshmana ,the definition of true devotion towards divine by bala Brahmachari(celibate by birth) Lord Hanuman ji,the brotherhood between all brothers and Shree Rama and their 14years of exile in a forrest away from their royal kingdom and life.

Being the doter of the divine mother,it hurts to imagine all the pain , sufferings and sacrifices a pure royal divine feminine had to go through as Maa Siya with not a happy ending ...It is an inspiration as well !

Reminds me of my father’s advice a day before my wedding that a woman must have the tolerance level of the Mother Earth (Bhumiyollam shama vennam sthree aayal).Sounded like a movie-dialogue back then but now it makes sense..

Point noted ! However,I don’t have any more tolerance level to share with you all my popular Srilankan recipes at my home:

Ayubowan/Hello all...😄💓

Srilankan Dhal/Dal curry 

Srilankan style dal/dhal curry is a lentil curry made with coconut paste and a few spices.Usually they prefer to use the red lentil/masoor dal to make this lentil curry Srilankan style.I hardly use this lentil curry for cooking so it was really good to learn to prepare this red lentil curry Srilankan style .It tastes just like an Indian Dal curry like a mix of North Indian and a South Indian style.Just like in Malayalam,Srilankan call this lentil curry the parippu curry.Like Indians use curry leaves ,Srilankans use Pandan leaves for cooking.I really liked the taste of this red lentil dhal curry Srilankan style.

How to make Srilankan style Dhal/Daal curry 

Srilankan Dhal curry|Srilankan Parippu curry

Ingredients

To Pressure cook:

Red Lentil/Masoor dal - 1 cup

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Red chili powder 1 Tsp

Onions sliced 1/2 

Green chillies chopped 2-3 Nos.

Water as needed 

For tempering:

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/4 Tsp

Dry red chillies 1-2 Nos.

Garlic,chopped - 3-4 Nos.

Onion chopped - handful

Green chillies chopped 1-2 Nos.

Pandan leaves a few

Curry leaves a few

Tomato chopped ,small - 1 No.

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 2-4 Tbsp

Coconut milk 1/2 cup

The preparation method of making Srilankan dhal at home :

1. Rinse the dal under water,drain it and transfer it into a pressure cooker with all the ingredients mentioned under "to pressure cook".
2. Pressure cook it for two whistles or until cooked.Keeping the flame high first and then low.
3. Once cooked,turn off the cooking gas , allow the pressure to release .
4. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan,splutter mustard seeds,lower the flame and add all ingredients mentioned under "for tempering" one by one and keep on sautéing them until they turn soft.
5. Then add this tempering into the cooked dal and mix well.
6. Add more water if you wish and salt to taste.
7. Let it come to boil.Lower the flame and let it simmer a few minutes and finally add the coconut milk to it and mix well.
8. Let it simmer for a while until it thickens up to your preferred consistency.
9. Then turn off the cooking gas.
10. That's it the Srilankan style Dhal curry/Dal curry SriLankan style is ready to eat .
11. Serve hot with boiled rice and other preferred side dishes.

Srilankan Mutton Curry 

Mutton curry Srilankan style is a spicy creamy curry made with mutton/lamb pieces.This Mutton curry tastes just like Indian style mutton curry.The addition of pandan leaves,lemongrass , cinnamon spice and the curry powder makes the goat curry of Srilanka extra special.

How I prepared Srilankan style Mutton curry 

Srilankan Style Mutton Curry recipe

Ingredients

To Marinate

Mutton 2 Lb/1 Kilo

Coriander powder -3-4 Tbsps

Red chili powder 2-3 Tbsps

Turmeric powder 1 Tsp

Fennel powder 1-2 Tsp

Curry powder - 1-2 Tsp

Pepper powder - 2 Tsps

For making the Mutton/goat curry

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cloves 2-3 Nos.

Cardamom -2 Nos.

Dry coconut pieces (optional)

Bay leaves as needed

Pandan leaves a few

Curry leaves a few

Lemongrass a few (I didn't add here)

Onion,large,sliced - 1 No.

Green chillies sliced 2-3 Nos.

Ginger garlic paste 1 Tbsp

(1 inch ginger and 4 garlic in paste)

Salt to taste

Oil 5-6 Tbsps

Tomatoes chopped 1 No.

Coconut milk 1 cup 

Water as needed

How to make Mutton curry Srilankan style

1. First wash the mutton pieces well and drain it and marinate with everything mentioned above and keep it aside for 30 minutes approx.
2. Then transfer everything into a pressure cooker and pressure cook with water 1-2 inch covering everything for first whistle on high flame and 3-4 whistles on lower flame or until cooked but not over-cooked.
3. Then turn off the cooking gas and let the air pressure release to open the lid .
4. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.Lower the flame and add everything mentioned above for making the goat curry.Keep on saueting it without burning anything.
5. When the onions turn translucent,add the chopped tomato pieces and mix well,cover it with a lid until they turn soft.Then remove the lid.
6. Now carefully transfer all the cooked goat pieces into this and mix well.Add water if necessary.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Let it come to full boil,the simmer until the curry thickens up.
9. Finally add the coconut milk to it and mix well.
10. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
11. Turn off the cooking gas .
12. That's it traditional style Srilankan Mutton curry is ready to serve.
13. Serve it hot with cooked rice and other side dishes or with any breads like roti,paratha or naan.
14. Idiripate fi meaning enjoy in sinhalese/Srilankan language

Srilankan Cabbage Mallum/Mallung 

M-A-Llum /Mallung is a shredded/grated vegetable dish made with coconut and a few simple ingredients found in most of the home.The most popular ones are the cabbage one called the Srilankan Cabbage Mallum/Mallung.

In Kerala we make similar cabbage recipe but I was surprised that Srilankan mallum recipe uses cinnamon as well.

Srilankan Cabbage Mallum/Mallung recipe

Ingredients

Cabbage ,shredded/grated 1-2 cups

Onions sliced 1-2 cups/handful

Green chillies,chopped 2-3 Nos.

Garlic chopped 2-3 Nos.

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Pandan leaves handful

Curry leaves a few (optional)

Coconut grated 1 cup

Red chili flakes as needed

Salt to taste

For tempering :

Coconut oil or any cooking oil 2 Tbsps

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/2 Tsp (optional)

Cumin seeds 1/2 Tsp (optional)

Dry Red chili 2-3 Nos

Cinnamon stick 1 Inch

How to prepare Cabbage Mallum/Mallung Srilankan style

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.On low flame add the fenugreek seeds,cumin seeds followed by the cinnamon stick,dry red chili,onion,green chillies,garlic and pandan leaves.
2. Saute everything well until the onion turns soft.
3. Add the cabbage ,turmeric powder and mix well and cover with a lid for 1 minute just to fasten the cooking method to soften the cabbage leaves but don't keep it for too long or it will become too mushy .
4. Remove the lid and keep on saueting it until all water evaporates.
5. Finally add the coconut , red chili flakes and salt to taste.Mix well.
6. Make sure no water is left.
7. That's it Srilankan style cabbage Mallum/Mallung is ready to serve.
8. Mallum goes well with cooked rice and other curries.

💕Pani Pol💕

Pani Pol is a Srilankan style sweetened crepe recipe .Kithul jaggery or sugar are used with grated coconut and made in an all purpose flour batter.

My mother makes a similar crepe recipe but without adding any egg into it and I always wanted to post a recipe of that and I am glad that this recipe is perfect for now.

Pani pol recipe|Srilankan sweet Pancakes

Ingredients

Jaggery/sugar ,grated/chopped 1 cup

Coconut,shredded/grated 1 cup

Cardamom powder 1 Tsp

Nutmeg powder 1 tsp(optional)

salt a pinch

All purpose flour 1 cup

Egg 1 No.

Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp

water/milk/coconut milk as needed

Oil/butter/ghee to grease

How to make Pani Pol 

1. Heat a pan and let it become warm enough to add the grated jaggery .Keep on sautéing it until the jaggery melts .Keep an eye or it will burn up.
2. Once it completely melts,add all the spice powders and the grated coconut and mix well.
3. Keep on stirring until all the jaggery is coated well and no liquid remains.
4. Then turn of the cooking gas and allow it cool off.Keep it aside.
5. Now take a wide bowl and beat an egg well.
6. Add the all purpose flour to it and water/milk/coconut milk little by little and keep on stirring/beating making sure no lumps are formed .The batter's consistency should be thick and of pouring consistency.
7. Keep this batter aside for 10 minutes.
8. Then mix well once again.
9. Heat a pan ,apply little oil/ghee/butter.
10. Put a drop of batter onto the pan if it sizzles and forms a shape,then pour a long ladle full of batter onto the pan and spread from the center like a dosa.
11. When the top will change the color on low flame,flip to cook the other side .
12. Don't cook too much.
13. Then transfer them onto another plate.Repeat.Crepes are ready.
14. Then place some fillings onto the center of the crepe and either roll it or shape it like a burrito as shown in the video.Repeat.
15. That's it Pani Pol recipe is ready to eat.

So,those are my few Srilankan recipes for now.For a Malayali and a Tamilian,Srilankan foods will suit their taste buds for sure.Hope you will also give it a try.

I always wanted to try Srilankan foods but more than that and more than India like I mentioned above ,for me Srilanka reminds me of Shri Rama,Maa Sita,Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman and Ravana .Jai ho!

 

By the way,did you know ,exactly as mentioned in Wikipedia , "The flag of Sri Lanka is called the Sinha Flag or Lion Flag.The lion and the maroon background represent the Sinhalese race, while the saffron border and four bo leaves represent the concepts of meththa, karuṇā, muditā and upecka respectively. The stripes represent the country's two largest minority ethnicities, with the orange stripe representing the Tamils inhabitants—namely the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka—and the teal stripe representing the Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims of Sri Lanka). The golden yellow border is a catch-all representing the various minority communities of the country. I love that concept !

DISCLAIMER/For the record,I am a non-stop learner .So, I am sharing all these info and it is certainly not to belittle,poke,preach ,impose my beliefs on anyone or instill any kind of uncomfortabilities to anyone . Purely for informational and entertainment purpose only.No offense to any one !

I love all these shlokas from Bhagwad Geeta and Ramayana .........

अपिचेत्सुदुराचारोभजतेमामनन्यभाक्|

साधुरेवसमन्तव्य: सम्यग्व्यवसितोहिस: || 30||

Meaning:Even a confirmed sinner in this material world, worships the Divine, with unwavering faith and devotion, will be considered righteous, because, he has decided to reform himself.

All praise and gratitude to my divine !

Till we meet again

Take good care of yourself (SERIOUSLY)

Rest in Next

 Love and light ,