Shivratri - fasting and feasting

Tommorow is the Hindu festival of Shivratri. Maha Shivratri (the night of Shiva) is celebrated with a lot of religious fervor and enthusiasm. This festival falls in the month of Phalgun (February).

Devotees offer bel patra (bel leaves), bel fruit (wood apple), flowers and dhatura fruits in the temple and the Shiva lingam is bathed with water, milk, Curd and honey. 'Om Namo Shivaya' mantra and other prayers are chanted by people flocking the temples all through the night. This day is also celebrated as it symbolizes the marriage of Shiva and Parvati.

Many observe a fast on this day and abstain from rice, cereals and pulses ... and only have vrat ka khana. Some keep a strict fast and break their fast the following morning while some people have falahar (fruit only) fast. Aloo and sabudana tikki, saboodana kheer(tapioca pudding), kotu (buckwheat flour) and singhara (water chestnut flour) puri and pakoris are some food stuffs eaten by those observing a fast. Sendha namak (rock salt) is used in the food preparation.

Thandai - a milk based drink is traditionally made on this day. It is a dry fruit flavored milk and a great heat quencher too. 

Thandai 

Serves 1

15 almonds, blanched and peeled

8-10 cashewnuts

2 teaspoon poppy seeds (khas-khas)

1 teaspoon chaar magaz (dried pumpkin, water melon, musk melon and cucumber seeds)

6 peppercorns,

Few rose petals

Saffron, a pinch

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

230 ml (1 cup) milk

Sugar to taste

Few drops of rose water (optional)

1 teaspoon, chopped pistachio for garnishing

Grind all the dry ingredients to a fine paste with sprinkling of water. Stir in the milk, strain the mixture through a muslin cloth and add a few rose water drops. 

Serve chilled, garnished with chopped pistachios.

Simply irresistible Indian fudge

Nowadays, most of the vegetables are available throughout the year, but personally I like consuming in season and fresh produce as opposed to food which is canned or is from the cold storage as their nutritious value and taste gets substantially reduced.

Though 'Lauki' (bottle gourd) seldom figures in anyone's list of favorite vegetables it is known to have enormous health benefits. 'Lauki'  has immense cooling properties which makes it an ideal summer veggie. It has a lot of water content and is therefore low in calories. Its juice of late has become immensely popular amongst the diet conscious and is arguably the latest health fad. This vegetable is very versatile too, apart from the everyday ‘lauki ki sabji’, one can make ‘koftas’ or add it to curd to make 'raita'. Not to miss out on the lauki ki 'kheer' and 'barfi' ...  two yummy Indian sweets that one can make. 'Lauki' is one of the vegetables that can also be eaten during a fast, so it's barfi makes an ideal 'vrat ka khana’ (food eaten during a fast).

Select fresh and tender 'lauki' for making the barfi (Indian sweet) and discard the seeds. Weigh the grated 'lauki' and sauté it in 'desi ghee' till it starts losing its moisture then add milk (twice the weight of lauki). Simmer on low heat and keep stirring it from time to time. Making it with milk may take more time but trust me all the pains in cooking are justified by the end result ... you have to literally stop yourself from polishing it off.

The 'barfi' has a milk cake texture and remains soft even after refrigeration and also keeps well. The 'barfi' has a dark creamish hue because of the milk and 'khoya'. To get a green colored lauki barfi one can add food grade color to it. Lauki ki barfi ( bottle gourd fudge ) has always been a favorite with me and between me and my husband we managed to polish off almost a kilo of it much before the week could get over. This of course did not go well with my daughter who gave me strict instructions to restrain ourselves from gorging on sweets. Though with my sweet tooth, I know, that's a tall order.

Melt in the mouth barfi

Lauki ki barfi

1 kg grated lauki (bottle gourd)

2 litre milk (full cream)

4-5 tablespoon desi ghee (clarified butter)

2 teaspoon elaichi (green cardamom) powder

250 gm sugar

200 gm khoya /mawa (concentrated milk)

Peel the 'lauki' and then grate it, discard the centre seedy portion. Take a heavy bottom kadhai (wok) and roast the grated lauki (bottle gourd) in desi ghee for 10-15 minutes till the water in the lauki evaporates. Then add the full cream milk to it and let it simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. Stir it in between so that the mixture doesn't stick to the pan.

When the quantity of milk reduces, add the khoya and cook on medium flame till the khoya gets well blended. Then add the sugar and stir continuously till the whole mixture starts to come together and forms a lump. Lastly, add the cardamom powder, mix well and then spread the barfi on a greased plate.

Let it cool and then cut into pieces and enjoy. Since its milk based sweet, it should ideally be refrigerated in case it is not consumed the same day.

Creamy lauki ki barfi