Celebrate Festivals Of Colors With Foods Also..!!
Celebrating The Festival Of Colours with Few Special Dishes...!!
" রাঙিয়ে দিয়ে যাও, যাওগো এবার যাবার আগে
তোমার আপন রাগে
তোমার গোপন রাগে
তোমার তরুণ হাসির অরুণ রাগে
অশ্রু-জলের করুণ রাগে................."
These are none other than our very own poet,Rabi Thakur's lines which literally means
'Color me before you leave
In your own colors
In your hidden colors
In the hue of your young smile
In the shades of your tears"....
This was our Great Poet's request to the nature,to the last month of the Bengali year ,"Chaitra"(usually which is the time from the middle of March to the middle of April).It is sung in a chorus in conclusion of the holi festival (the Indian spring festival of color)
At the end of the winter and almost before entering into an another new year we the Indian celebrate a special festival,Holi,The Festival Of Color.There are other significances of this festival too.
Every year, thousands of Hindus participate in the festival Holi. The festival has many purposes.
First and foremost, it celebrates the beginning of the new season, spring. Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. It also has a religious purpose, commemorating events present in Hindu mythology.
Although it is the least religious holiday, it is probably one of the most exhilarating ones in existence. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw colored powder at each other, and celebrate wildly.
The celebration of Holi has different aspects. It is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, a carnival of colors, a community festival, and a tradition of ancient spring rites.
Besides throwing color at each other we enjoy it with various foods too.In each and every house holi specials foods are prepared .
Today, I am here with my three special preparations which I made to celebrate this holi .
One is Small Namkeen(Kucho Nimki) and the Other is Colorful Sondesh(with out using any food color) and the third one is Kaju Katli or Kaju Barfi( A special Indian Sweet made with Cashewnuts)
Recipes For Namkeen(Kucho Nimki),Colorful Sondesh, Kaju Katli..!!!
Recipe For Kucho Nimki(Salty Crunchy):
Ingredients:
- Flour or Maida : 1Cup
- Salt : 1/2 tsp (as per your taste)
- Nigella Seeds(Kalonji) :1/2 tsp
- Baking Powder :1/4 tsp
- Oil (Moyan): 4 tbsp
- Water :1/2 cup added gradually(As per your need to make a soft/firm dough)
- White Oil: 1 Cup(for frying)
Process:
- Take a big mixing bowl add the flour,salt,baking powder ,nigella seeds and the oil together.
- Then using your hand, mix it well.
- Gradually add water and knead the dough well till it is smooth
- In this way make a soft yet firm dough.
- Keep the dough separately covered.
- Then divide the dough into 3/4 equal balls.
- With the help of the rolling pin roll out each ball into think circle.
- Now with the help of a sharp knife cut the circle into small diamond shapes.
- Heat white oil in a deep bottomed vessel.
- Deep fry the diamond shaped pieces of dough (about 1 cup). Fry the pieces until they are uniformly transform in brown color.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil on tissue paper.
- Once they become cool store the namkeen in an air tight container.
Recipe For Colored Sondesh( without any food color):
Ingredients:
- Milk: 1 lit( full cream/low fat)
- Vinegar: 1tbsp
- Sugar:1/2 cup(or as per your taste)
- Pistachios Paste:2 tbsp.
- Strawberry Crush: 2 tbsp.
- Saffron Milk: 2 tbsp.
- Cocoa Powder: 2tbsp
Preparation:
- Boil the milk at low heat.
- When it boils very well add the vinegar.
- Milk will start to curdle soon and the chena will be separated from the greenish liquid.
- Using a muslin cloth drain the water and separate the chena.
- Wash it properly with water and then tied the ends of the muslin cloth and keep it for 30 minutes.
- You may put an heavy weight over the cloth containing chena to drain all the excess water.
- Mean while grind the blanched pistachios to make a smooth powder.Keep it aside.
- Soak 2-3 pinches of saffron strands in a 2 table spoon of warm milk to make saffron milk.Keep separately
- Take 4-5 pieces of strawberry ,add 2 tbsp. of sugar ,then add only 1 tbsp. of water and grind them coarsely to make strawberry crush. Keep it separately.
- Keep ready the cocoa powder too.
- Then remove the chena from the cloth.
- Using your hand on the kitchen slab mash the chena very well until smooth and has absolutely no lumps.
- Now add the sugar and mash again until smooth.
- Divide the chena into four equal parts.
- Add above mentioned four different flavours and colors into four different portions of chena.
- Mash very well.
- Now you will get four different coloured chena balls,
- The 1.Saffron yellow for using Saffron milk, 2.Pink for using Strawberry crush, 3.Light Green for using Pistachios, and 4.Chocolate for using Cocoa powder.
- Give each of the colored ball your desired shape.
- I use cookie cutter to shape them.
- Enjoy Your Holi with homemade colored sondesh.
Recipe for Kaju Katli..!! Kaju Barfi...
Ingredients:
- Kaju /Cashews: 1 1/2 cups
- Sugar: 1/4 cup
- Water:1/4 cup( little more)
- Corn Flour: 1 tsp
- Rose Water: 1 -2 drops
- Silver Warq: For Decoration.
Process:
- At first grind the cashews and make a very smooth powder.
- Add three table spoon of water and 1/4 cup of sugar in a pan and heat it to make a thick sugar syrup.
- When is sugar syrup is done add the cashew powder into the same pan.
- On a medium heat mix both of them very well.
- When the mixture begins to thicken, reduce heat and keep stirring.
- When the mixture becomes thick and leaves the sides of the pan (it should take about eight minutes) sprinkle cornstarch.
- Stir well and remove from heat. Immediately mix in the rose essence.
- Grease a marble or wooden surface with some ghee and put the mix on it.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes.Grease your hand and the roller with little more ghee.
- With your hand knead the dough .
- Then roll thinly with the greased roller.
- Spread the silver sheet over and cut into diamond shaped katlis.
- Store in an airtight container when cold.
Have a safe and beautiful colourful holi to all of you....!! Add color to your life..Make your life more and more beautiful..All the best wishes to all my friends,brothers,sisters and food blogger friends..!!
