Baisakhi blessings
Karah prashad (Aate da Halwa)
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour, coarse texture (mota atta) 100 gm l Pure ghee 5 tbsp l Sugar 8 tbsp
Hot water 250 ml l Saffron 1/2 gm l Green cardamom powder ½ tsp
Almonds, blanched, peeled and slivered1 tbsp
Pistachio nuts, blanched, peeled and slivered 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts, chopped 1 tbsp l Raisins (stems removed) 1 tbsp
For Garnishing
Almonds, blanched, peeled and slivered 1 tsp l Pistachio nuts, blanched, peeled and slivered 1 tsp
Cashewnuts, chopped 1 tsp l Raisins, stems removed 1 tsp l Saffron, broiled 1/2 gm
Method
Heat the ghee in a non stick kadai, add whole wheat flour and cook, stirring continuously till colour changes and you get the aroma of roasted whole wheat flour.
Keep stirring to ensure even browning.
The atta should turn golden and give a good fragrance.
Once the ghee oozes out. Add sugar.
Let it dissolve, do not caramelise or the halwa will give a burnt flavour. Add hot water. Stir very carefully, as the mixture has the tendency to splutter.
Add cardamom powder.
Continue to stir, so that no lumps are formed. Add dried fruits.
The halwa will absorb water and continue to thicken quickly.
Keep stirring, so that lumps are not formed.
When semi-thick, switch off flame.
Serve aate ka halwa hot with slivered almonds, pistachios, chopped cashewnuts, raisins and broiled saffron strands.
Ingredients
Black-eyed beans (van payaru) 1/2 cup
White gourd (elavan) 2 cups l (chopped into thin slices of about 3 cm by 3 cm) Yellow pumpkin (Mathan) 2 cups (chopped into thin slices of about 3 cm by 3 cm) Green chillies (slit) 4 nos
Grated coconut 1/2 cup
A few curry leaves
Coconut oil 1 tsp
Rice flour 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Lightly roast beans and soak it in water for eight hours. Wash and strain well.
Extract 1/2 cup thick milk and 1/2 cup thin milk from grated coconut.
In a pressure pan, add beans, both vegetables, chillies and second coconut milk.
Pressure cook upto 1 whistle.
After opening lid, add salt and thick milk mixed with rice flour.
Simmer, stirring till the flour is cooked and all ingredients are well blended.
Add coconut oil and curry leaves.
AVIAL
Ingredients
200 gm chopped pumpkin/kaddu
200 gm chopped yam/suran
200 gm chopped colocasia/arbi
200gm chopped raw plantain
100 gm chopped ash gourd/petha
100 gm chopped gherkins/tendli
100 gm chopped snake beans/chawli
100 gm chopped cluster beans/gavar
2 stalks of curry leaves/kadi patta
1 and 100 gm grated coconut
2 green chilies
1 tsp cumin
2-3 tbsp coconut oil
200 gm beaten yogurt
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 cups water and salt to taste
Method
Preparing the veggies: l Chop all the veggies into finger-shaped batons. Cook the veggies and curry leaves in water in a covered pan. Add salt to water.
Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin with little water to a coarse paste.
When veggies are half-cooked, add turmeric and mix well.
After a minute, add ground coconut paste and mix well.
Simmer veggies till they are fully cooked.
Once cooked, add beaten curd.
Stir and simmer for a minute and keep aside.
In another pan, heat coconut oil.
Pour hot oil into avial. Cover with lid for five minutes and serve hot.
PUMPKIN ERUSERRY
Ingredients
150 gm pumpkin (cubed)
3 green chillies cut lengthwise l 200 gm water
Salt to taste l ½ medium-sized coconut (grated) l 1/2 tsp cumin seed l 2 pods garlic l 2 tbsp l coconut oil l 1 tsp Black mustard seeds l 3 Dried chillies (broken) l 3 shallots (chopped) l 1 sprig curry leaves
Method
Cook pumpkin, green chilies along with water and salt till pumpkin cubes are done.
In a pan, dry roast half of grated coconut on a low flame till golden brown. Take care to keep shifting the coconut around so it doesn’t burn. Once the coconut cools down, puree it along with the remaining coconut, cumin seeds, garlic and cooked pumpkin till smooth. Add water if required so the curry is of pouring consistency. Warm mixture and adjust seasoning.
In a small pan, heat the coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds followed by dried red chillies. Add shallots, and curry leaves and fry till shallots turn brown. Pour tadka into the pumpkin. Mix and serve hot with rice.
— Recipe courtesy Pavan Chennam, executive chef, Courtyard and Fairfield Marriott.
