Suji Nadia Ladoo ( Semolina coconut ladoos )

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients: 1 medium sized coconut ( grated ), 1 1/2 cups bombay rawa/suji, ghee ( 2-3 tbs ), sugar ( 1 1/4 cup ), water ( 1 cup ), cardamom powder ( 1/5 tsp ), dry fruits ( 1/3 cup, optional ).

Cooking: Heat 1 tbs ghee on a pan. Add the suji and roast for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Remove from pan when it reaches a light brown colour ( khova colour ).
Add another tbs of ghee to the pan. Now add the grated coconut and roast for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Remove from pan and keep aside.

Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to boil in a wok. Let it boil till the sugar reaches a stringy consistency. ( Test this by taking a little of the liquid, cool it to a tolerable temperature and keep a drop of it between the thumb and forefinger. When you try to separate the fingers, a fine thread of the liquid appears )

Add the cardamom powder and coconut to the sugar syrup. Reduce the flame and mix it for 2 mins. Now add the suji in small batches and stir rigourously to mix all the ingredients. Remove from the flame once the mixture thickens enough to form balls/laddoos ( ideally its better to do it a little before it becomes this thick so the mixture further solidifies on cooling ) .

Keep aside till the temperature drops a few notches and it becomes tolerable to work with your fingers.

Spread a nice amount of ghee on your palm and fingers. Take a little amount of the mixture and gently shape into laddoo.

Spread a little ghee on your hands after every 2-3 laddoos as it prevents the mixture from sticking to your fingers. Makes 20 medium sized laddoos.

Store in a airtight container when completely cool. Keeps fresh for 1 week.

Note: Adding more ghee while roasting the semolina adds to the flavour.

Coffee and orange flavoured French Crepes

Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-35 Rupees

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour ( 1/2 cup ), egg ( 1 no. ), milk ( 3/4 th cup ), cooking butter ( 3 tsp ), sugar ( 2 tsp ), salt ( a pinch ), baking powder ( 1/5 tsp ), grated orange rind ( 1/4 tsp ), coffee powder ( 1/4 tsp ), orange marmalade ( 2-3 tbs ).

Preparation: Break the egg in a bowl. Beat well. Add the milk, sugar, coffee powder, grated orange rind and salt. Beat for 2 mins.

Sift the flour with the baking powder. Add to the beaten egg and milk. Melt 2 tsp of butter and add to it. Beat for 4-5 mins.

Cooking: Heat a small frying pan to a low temperature. Add a few drops of oil/butter. Rub with a cloth to spread uniformly without leaving excess greasiness.

Take 2 tbs of the batter and tilt the pan to spread uniformly.

Cook for 40-45 secs on either side and remove from pan.

Spread a thick/thin layer ( as per taste ) of orange marmalade all over the pancakes
and twist into a tight roll. Cut up into bite sized pieces and serve immediately.

Chuda Ghasa

Some people are born privileged while others take it as a privilege to be able to stay alive ! And somewhere between these two extremities, lies a mass of humanity that takes refuge in religion.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Ratha Jatra / Bahuda celebrations that take place every year in Odisha. It is a riot of colors, cacophony of sounds, medley of emotions and melting pot of humanity as the Lord undertakes his annual journey. The mood of the crowd can only be described as sheer madness. Nothing else even comes close.

These clicks are an attempt to capture the mood of the Bahuda celebrations during which Chuda Ghasa is used as an offering. While it must be quite apparent to most of you that I am not a big fan of mood photography, I do want to learn it. More like adding a skill to the resume just because it helps you stay on your toes.

Coming back to the photos, the flowers and the leaves reflect the colors of the Nandighosa, Taladhwaja and Devadalana. The coconut is symbolic of the devotees breaking coconuts to fulfill their wishes. And the smoke depicts the aalati and dhoopa that adds a mysterious appeal to the whole atmosphere. I did miss the sound element which is also an important part of this festival, Maybe will get to work on it another day.

Read on -

Preparation Time : 20 mins


Ingredients:

• 2 cups beaten Chuda / Beaten rice / Chivda
• 1 cup finely grated coconut
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 4-5 tsp sugar
• a tiny bit of food-grade camphor
• a pinch of green cardamom powder
• a few slices of coconut

Preparation: Grind the chuda in a mixer-grinder to a coarse consistency. Transfer to a plate/ flat surface. Add the sugar and ghee.

Now comes the tough part. Rub the mixture between the fingers so that it forms a texture that resembles breadcrumbs. The ghee and sugar should get mixed evenly .



















Add the grated coconut, cardamom powder and the powdered camphor. . Sprinkle a few drops of water. Mix thoroughly .

It should not feel too dry. One can add more ghee if that is the case. Or some chopped cucumber/banana slices will also do the trick.

Consume within a day or two as the moisture content of the grated coconut makes it soggy.

Note:- Chuda ghasa is a an important part of the prasad prepared during Ganesh Puja / Saraswati puja.

Chuda ghasa is also served as a breakfast/snack item. Chuda ghasa - Buta Dalma is very popular in Puri district of Orissa.

Usually the camhor is added when it is to be used for prasad. Else one can add powdered cardamon/black pepper ( golmaricha) instead of camphor.