Holi Festival Food

Holi festive also known as festival of colors is celebrated in Spring. On the day of Holi, bonfires are lite at night to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Every festival has a special food associated with that occasion. Growing up for me, it was eating boiled whole wheat sev (noodles) with ghee and sugar. The significance of whole wheat noodles is the coming harvest of wheat, even though these noodles will be made from previous harvest. Once new wheat comes to market, people clean and store it for the entire year, mainly in state of Gujarat. Wheat is coated in castor oil to keep it fresh. The wheat is then taken to mills as needed for flour.

During summer, I remember my mother and neighborhood aunties making noodles by hand from whole wheat flour dough. They will sit on a wooden chair especially made for making noodles. Imagine one side of sea-saw resting in place with other side up. The bottom has a rest where you can sit to make noodles.  In the top side there are ridges in the wood from where you will roll dough with your hands. Young children would sit on the floor to catch noodles and arrange it on a flat sieve (called chalani). These round jali shaped noodles are then dried in the sun (last picture). Dried noodles are stored in air tight container to use throughout the year. The art of making these noodles by hand is dying. Nowadays noodles are made by machines.

For eating, these noodles are simply boiled in water and serve with ghee and sugar. In the picture, along with noodles methi ni bhaji na gota (fenugreek greens fritters), cilantro chutneykathi chutney and Green Papaya Cachumber are served. These dishes are not necessarily associated with Holi festival, but gota, which is savory goes very well with sweet noodles. That was the menu for lunch on Holi this year.

The day after holi which is called Dhuleti, is celebrated with color. People color each other with color powder as well as colored water.  It turns into friendly competition to see who can color most without getting color on themselves. People’s white clothes and streets are covered in kaleidoscopic colors.

The special beverages associated with this day is thandai. It is a milk based beverage fortified with nuts, seeds and spices.

These cookies are inspired by thandai. The spices used in thandai are cardamom, black pepper, fennel seeds, saffron and white poppy seeds. The nuts used are almonds and pistachios. Seeds used are melon seeds instead I have used pumpkin seeds (papitas).

Thandai Cookies

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Serves: 4 dozen

Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soften
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ½ cup pistachios
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds (papitas)
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon saffron threads + 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
  1. Toast pumpkin and fennel seeds in a pan, 1-2 minutes. Remove from a pan and let it cool for 10 minutes. In the same pan toast poppy seeds just for 30 seconds. Remove from a heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Combine almond flour, one cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon each of salt and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine remaining all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
  3. Grind poppy seeds in spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle until ground but not forming a paste. Combine with almond flour mixture.
  4. Grind pumpkin seeds, fennel seeds and pistachio in food processor until finely ground but not forming a paste. Combine this with flour only mixture created in step 2.
  5. In a standalone mixer or hand held mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg at a time and beat until well combined. Add cardamom, black pepper and beat until just combined.
  6. Remove about ⅓ of butter mixture and add to pistachio mixture. Combine with a spatula or hand mixer until it forms dough. If you wish to color the dough you can add green food color.
  7. Add almond flour mixture and beat until well combined. Remove about ½ mixture in emptied almond flour mixture bowl. If you wish to color the dough you can add food color of your choice.
  8. In a mortar and pestle (or with a rolling pin), grind saffron with 1 teaspoon of sugar. In the remaining dough in the mixer bowl, add saffron. Beat until saffron is well combined. If you wish to color the dough you can add orange food color.
  9. Cover three batches of dough separately in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  10. On an approximately 18 by 24-inch parchment paper, arrange 2 to 3 tablespoons of three different doughs in a random pattern. Cover with approximately 18 by 24-inch parchment paper and roll out the dough in a circle of ¼ inch thickness. Cut out cookies in a desired shape. Gather remaining dough after cut outs into a ball. From these make smaller balls with about 2 tablespoons of dough. Refrigerate cookies for at least an hour before baking.
  11. Alternately you can roll out three batches of dough into three to four 6 inches long and 1-inch-wide logs. Make a log by combining one of each color. Cut these logs into 6 equal portions. Twist each portions and formed into a ball. Refrigerate cookies for at least an hour before baking.
  12. Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. If you want crispy cookies bake for 15 to 16 minutes.
Notes
If you do not want to go through trouble of making separate batches of dough, just combine all flours after grinding. Once butter, sugar and eggs are beaten, add flour and beat to combine everything to make one dough. Refrigerate dough and cookies (cut outs or balls) similarly as above before baking.

 

 

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Ladoo

Ladoos are made thoughout in India at home and also readily available in sweet shops. The round shaped sweet is called ladoo and there are many varieties of ladoo. Different types of ladoos are made depending on occasion and festival. This sweet is favorite of children. It can be eaten as a snack or with a meal as a sweet.

During month of August or September (on the fourth day of Bhadarva Sud in Hindu calendar) comes Ganesh Chaturthi. This year it was on September 2, 2019. Ganesh is the elephant-headed god of wisdom. The festival of Ganesh lasts for 10 days. His favorite food, ladoos, are made and offered to him as prasad. In the region of Maharashtra, special steamed ladoos called modaks are made with rice flour, coconut and jaggery. In Gujarat, ladoos are made with whole wheat flour and jaggery.

Many Indians keep fast during certain days. Sometimes on a day of fast, some people avoid eating regular meals or will eat only one meal and avoid eating food with salt after a meal. On those days to keep strength people may eat fruits, dry fruits and nuts. Whenever my mother had a fast, she used to make shing (peanuts) na ladoos on that day. These peanuts ladoos are quick and easy to make. The recipe can be adapted for other nuts.

Wheat Flour Ladoo

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Serves: 12

Ingredients
  • 2 cups ladoo (coarse whole wheat) flour, available in Indian grocery stores.
  • 1 tablespoon chickpea flour
  • 4 tablespoons canola oil
  • ½ cup or more warm water
  • 1 cup sugar or more or 1 ½ cups jaggery or more shredded with knife
  • 1 cup ghee (clarified butter) or more, melted and warm
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons toasted almonds, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup white poppy seeds, for garnish
  • Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
  1. Combine wheat flour, chickpea flour and canola oil in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add water and form into firm dough. Use more water if needed. Knead the dough until smooth. Divide the dough into 14 to 15 equal parts and form into balls. Take one ball into palm of your hand and make a fist with ball. Tightly press the dough with your hand and make oval shaped dough (muthia). Repeat with rest of the dough balls.
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan until hot enough to fry. Fry the muthia, 4 to 5 at a time until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the muthia to a paper towel lined large mixing bowl to drain excess oil. Once all muthia are fried, remove the paper towel. Cover the bowl with a plate and let muthia cool down for 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Break muthia into smaller pieces with your hands or with a wooden spoon. In a food processor, process small pieces until it resembles wet sand in 3 to 4 batches. Transfer to a big mixing bowl.
  4. Add sugar (skip if you are using jaggery), almonds, cardamom and nutmeg and mix well. Taste ladoo mixture and add more sugar if it is not sweet enough. Make a well in the center and add ¾ cup of ghee. If you are using jaggery, add jaggery in the ghee. With warm ghee, jaggery pieces will start to melt. With hands combine ladoo mixture with jaggery and ghee. Break unmelted pieces of jaggery with hand while mixing and taste ladoo mixture. Add more jaggery if it is not sweet enough.
  5. Take handful of mixture into hand and try to form a ball. If mixture does not stay together then add more ghee until the mixture stays firmly together. With a small ice cream scoop, scoop ladoo mixture and press firmly. Drop it on a plate and form a tight ball (ladoo) with your hands. Repeat the process until all mixture is used.
  6. In a pie dish or a small baking pan spread out poppy seeds. Drop a ladoo on poppy seeds and roll it gently between hands to evenly coat poppy seeds. Transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with remaining ladoo. Let ladoo stand for at least two hours to solidify ghee. It is served as a sweet on special occasions. (makes about 24 ladoo)

 

 

Shing na Ladoo

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Serves: 6

Ingredients
  • 1 cup dry roasted shing (peanuts)
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons ginger powder
  • ¼ cup or more ghee (clarified butter), melted
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
Directions
  1. Ground peanuts in food processor until like a wet sand. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
  2. Add rest of ingredients to ground peanuts. Combine them with your hands. Take handful of mixture into hand and try to form a ball. If mixture does not stay together, add more ghee until the mixture stays firmly together. With a small ice cream scoop, scoop mixture and press firmly. Drop it on your hand and form a tight ball (ladoo) with your hands. Roll between your hands to make it smooth. Repeat the process until all mixture is used.
  3. Serve as a snack or sweet.

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Vegetables and Chickpeas Tagine

Vegetables and Chickpeas Tagine

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Serves: 6

The spices used in Moroccan Tagine recipes are very similar to spices used in Indian curries. I like to cook curries/stews with warm spices during winter months. It is very satisfying and comforting during cold season. I add chickpeas or lentils for protein to dishes like this.
Ingredients
Spice Blend:
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
For Tagine:
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • ⅛ teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup small red or yellow potatoes, cut in half
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or water
  • 1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup different color peppers, cut into strips
  • 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 1 cup large green olives
  • 2 preserved lemons, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup roughly chopped dry apricots or golden raisins
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish
Directions
  1. In a mixing bowl make spice blend by combining all spices. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (optional, See step 3).
  2. In a large Dutch oven or oven proof sauté pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat for 1 minute. Add onions and sauté until translucent, 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, saffron and spice blend, and sauté until fragrant for 2 minutes. Next add tomato paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
  3. Add cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes to pot. Stir to coat vegetables with spices. Add stock or water and bring it to boil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and stir. Cover the pot and you can either cook vegetables on stove top or transfer to oven. Let vegetables cook for 10 to 12 minutes or just tender.
  4. Add remaining vegetables, preserved lemons, apricots or raisins and olives. Add diced tomatoes from can with juices and chickpeas. Season with remaining teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine everything and cover the pot. Transfer to oven or continue to cook on stove top for another 10 minutes or so until all vegetables are cooked through.
  5. Before serving garnish with cilantro. Serve with couscous and/or nan.

 

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Puran Poli

Puran Poli

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Serves: 6

Puran (filling) Poli (flat bread) is one of my husband and his family's favorite dishes. During a holiday/festival you are bound to find it during meals at his family home in Gujarat, India.
Ingredients
For filling (puran):
  • 1 cup toover dal (split pigeon peas)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For dough:
  • 2 cups chapatti or whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon neutral oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup or less all-purpose flour, for rolling and dusting
  • ¼ cup or less ghee (clarified butter), for brushing
Directions
  1. Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 2 cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional).
  2. Cover dal with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour. Dal can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, according to manufacturer’s direction.
  3. While dal is cooking make dough. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and 2 tablespoons oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water and knead until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest while dal is cooking and you make the filling.
  4. Once dal is cooked, add sugar and cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 25 to 30 minutes. (You can also cook filling in microwave uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes). Let filling cool for 45 minutes to an hour or until cool to handle. Add cardamom and nutmeg and stir to combine. Divide filling into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
  5. Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
  6. Put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Dip the ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size (about 3 inch in diameter) small circle. Put one ball of filling in the middle. Gradually make folds around the edges to cover filling. Pinch the folds together, twist the dough on top and press the dough down so that it makes small circle. Dip the circle into flour on both sides .Roll out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board. If some stuffing comes out or dough breaks, it’s fine.
  7. Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer puran poli on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for one minute. Remove from the heat. Brush the first side with about 1 teaspoon of ghee. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough and filling balls. Stack cooked puran poli. Serve warm with a shaak (vegetable) like okra, tindola or bataka ni sukhi bhaji.
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Tea Masala Cookies with Candied Ginger

Tea Masala Cookies with Candied Ginger

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Serves: 24

During Diwali festival, variety of snacks including cookies are made to share with family, neighbors and guests. I developed this recipe during that time.
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups AP flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons tea masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted soften butter
  • 1 large egg or ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup candied ginger, roughly chopped in bite size pieces
Directions
  1. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, tea masala and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a bowl of stand mixture, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add an egg or heavy cream and beat for 30 seconds or until combined. Scrap sides of bowl to combine everything.
  4. Add flour and beat to combine on low speed for 30 seconds or until flour is just combined. Remove the bowl.
  5. Add candied ginger and stir to combine with dough.
  6. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop cookies on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches of space in between.
  7. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until edges are turning light golden brown.

 

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