Baati served with daal churmais a famous Rajasthani speciality. Baatis are stiff balls of dough cooked on charcoal or ash served with a generous helping of ghee. The accompanying Daal (lentil) dish is spicy and delicious, usually made with a mix of five lentils. There are a variety of ways you can make the daal and Baati.
Here i will show two such methods of preparing dal baati.


Method 1 : ( using red kidney beans / Rajma )

Ingredients:
For Baati:
Wheat flour - 5 cups
Curd - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 cup
Salt to taste

For Daal:
Rajma (red kidney beans) - 2 cups
Urud (Black gram) - 3/4 cup
Onions - 3 no's
Tomatoes - 2 no's
Green chillies - 2no's
Ghee - 4 tbsp
Cream - 2tbsp
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp.
Haldi (turmeric) powder -1 tsp
Ginger- garlic paste - 1tbsp
Coriander leaves chopped - 1 cup
Oil - 2 cups
Salt to taste .



Method:

For baati (the dumplings):

1. Knead a soft dough with flour, ghee, curd, salt and just enough water.
2. Roll into lemon-sized balls.
3. Cover and keep for one hour.
4. Then roast in batches on hot coals till puffed and golden outside and spongy inside.
5. Serve hot with daal.

For baati:

1. Soak rajma and Urud dal in water overnight.
2. Chop onions and tomatoes finely.
3. Pressure cook rajma and black gram till it becomes soft.
4. Heat 4 tbsps oil. Add onions. Brown them.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Fry them for a minute.
6. Add all the masalas, beans and salt.
7. Simmer till well blended.
8. Pour over cream and ghee.
9. Garnish the dal with coriander leaves and slit green chillies.

Method 2: (using moong daal)

For Baati:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Rawa (semolina) -1 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste .

For Daal:
Green moong (green gram) dal - 1/2 cup or tuvar dal
Yellow channa (Bengal gram) dal - 1 tbsp
Ghee or oil - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Haldi (turmeric) powder -1/4 tsp
Dhania (coriander seeds) powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon - 1/2
Coriander chopped - 1 tbsp
Ginger grated - 1/2" piece
Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste .

Method:

For Baati:

1. Mix the flour, rawa, salt and ghee.
2. Knead into a very stiff dough with warm water.
3. Shape into lemon size balls.
4. Heat a gas tandoor or oven and roast on low heat till the outer cover is brown and crusty.
5. Break open the balls and pour some fresh ghee on the halves.
6. Serve hot with dal and pickles.

For Dal:

1. Wash both dal together.
2. Add 1 cup water and a pinch of turmeric and cook dal well.
3. Remove from fire.
4. Mix all the spice powders in 1/2 cup water to make thin paste.
5. Put ghee in a pan and heat.
6. Splutter cumin & coriander seeds.
7. Add ginger and the paste of spice powders.
8. Fry for a minute, then mix in the dal.
9. Add remaining water, salt and stir well.
10. Bring to a boil.
11. Add lemon juice.
12. Garnish with chopped coriander.
13. Serve hot with baatis.

Making Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day.

Note: Green gram dal can be substitued with tuvar dal too. Though both daal go well with baatis, the magic is mainly with preparation of baatis.

Click here to know more about Rajasthani foods and cuisines - Introduction to Rajasthani Foods And Cuisines.

1. In a saucepan, cook together the stock, noodles, meat, bamboo shoots and seasoning for 10 minutes on high heat.


2. Lower the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.


3. Serve steaming hot.

Cooking Time : 25 minutes.

Serves: 4 persons.

Shelflife: Best fresh.

Note:

Here we are using two products namely sherry and MSG, Sherry is a wine while MSG is a chemical salt. This is something about sherry.

• Sherry is a fortified wine from a small region of Spain, made from the Muscat, Palomino, and Pedro Ximenez grapes. In the United States and some other countries, some producers market SherrySherrySherry-style wines – though technically, like the use of the term champagne for sparkling white wines, calling such wines SherrySherrySherry is incorrect.


• Sherry is made in the early stages like most other types of wine. Once it has fermented, however, it is fortified with brandy. At this point, some Sherry has more yeast added and some does not. Sherry is similar in some ways to other fortified wines, such as Port – in comparison to Port, however, Sherry is quite a bit less alcoholic.


• Sherry may come in a variety of different styles, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Oloroso is a type of Sherry that is around 17.5% alcohol – too high in alcohol content to allow the growth of any yeast – which is extremely dark and full of flavor. Amontillado is a type of Sherry that usually has around 15% alcohol, and has flor yeast added to the Sherry after initial fermentation. Amontillado is a lighter wine than Oloroso. Fino is a type of Sherry that is quite dry in texture, and the lightest of all Sherry varieties.


• Sherry has a long and prestigious history – rivaling that of most wines still around today. The first record of grapes in what is now the Jerez region of Spain where Sherry comes from is by a 1st century B.C. Greek, who talks about the vines being brought there in 1100 B.C. There is ample archaeological evidence that the Romans enjoyed wine from this region of Spain.

Let me tell you something about MSG. Eating is one of life's pleasures. Taste and flavor are important to enjoying food. Think about a bowl of hot pasta with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, a freshly grilled steak with a rich mushroom sauce, or stir-fried seafood and chicken with crisp vegetables in a savory sauce. These subtle, delicate flavors result from centuries of culinary tradition, including careful attention to ingredients and preparation. In all of these dishes, glutamate is one of the major food components that provides flavor.

• Glutamate is an amino acid, found in all protein-containing foods. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. This amino acid is one of the most abundant and important components of proteins. Glutamate occurs naturally in protein-containing foods such as cheese, milk, mushrooms, meat, fish, and many vegetables. Glutamate is also produced by the human body and is vital for metabolism and brain function.


• Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamate. When MSG is added to foods, it provides a similar flavoring function as the glutamate that occurs naturally in food. MSG is comprised of nothing more than water, sodium and glutamate.


• MSG is a flavor enhancer that has been used effectively to bring out the best taste in foods, emphasizing natural flavors. Many researchers also believe that MSG imparts a fifth taste, independent of the four basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. This taste, called "umami" in Japan, is described by Americans as savory. Examples of each of these tastes are: Sweet - Sugar, Bitter - Coffee, Savory - Tomato, Sour - Lemon, Salt - Anchovy.


• In the early 1900s, MSG was extracted from natural protein-rich foods such as seaweed. Today, MSG is made from starch, corn sugar or molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets. MSG is produced by a natural fermentation process that has been used for centuries to make such common foods as beer, vinegar and yogurt.


• The human body treats glutamate that is added to foods in the form of MSG the same as the natural glutamate found in food. For instance, the body does not distinguish between free glutamate from tomatoes, cheese or mushrooms and the glutamate from MSG added to foods. Glutamate is glutamate, whether naturally present or from MSG.


• The natural flavor-enhancing levels of glutamate in food varies greatly, but is high in foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms and parmesan cheese. MSG enhances many but not all food flavors through the interaction between glutamate and other flavors. It works well with a variety of foods including meats, poultry, seafood and many vegetables. It is used to enhance the flavor of some soups, stews, meat-based sauces and snack foods. MSG harmonizes well with salty and sour tastes, but does little for sweet foods such as cakes, pastries or candies.


• MSG can not improve bad-tasting food or make up for bad cooking. It does not allow a cook to substitute low-quality for high-quality ingredients in a recipe, and does not tenderize meat. It just makes good food taste better.


• When you buy MSG in the grocery store, you will find suggested uses on the container label. MSG is generally added to foods before or during cooking. As a general guideline, about half a teaspoon of MSG per pound of meat or four to six servings of vegetables should be sufficient. Once the proper amount is used, adding more contributes little to food flavors.
  

When it comes to Indian Cuisine and food one thing cannot be overlooked...Our love for Sweets! Most Indians have a sweet tooth or a mouthful of them to say the least.It's not uncommon to see huge crowds at Sweet stores across the Country. And with the variety and sheer number of sweets available it's no wonder that it's such an important part of an Indian's lives.

Sweets are part of any Indian celebration or festivity of any kind. They are prepared in Indian households not only for special feasts and occasions, but also for simple celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or even any other concocted reason. Every event big or small, calls for the sharing sweets with the whole neighborhood even simply because he/she is the proud owner of a new car.


One can get a beautiful scene of colourful sweets in any indian sweet shop. Sweets are symbol of good gesture in india. Hence, sweets are first tasted when any new thing happens or if important decisions are taken. In most countries sweets are the last course of a meal. In India though they are served with the rest of the meal and in some traditions especially during celebrations, people start eating a meal only after having had a bite of the sweet on the plate, to signify the celebration.Indian sweets are known as 'Mithai'. They rely heavily on sugar, milk and condensed milk and frying, however the bases of the sweets vary by region. They more intense and sweeter than western sweets and desserts and quite a bit heavier since they're made mainly in Ghee which is clarified butter.


There are several categories of Indian sweets like its varities. They can be classified as


Kheer And Payasams:
Kheer is derived from the Sanskrit word “Ksheer” which means Milk. Kheers are like Puddings. It's rice pudding typically made by boiling rice with milk and sugar. It is often flavored with cardamoms, saffron, pistachios or almonds. While the dish is traditionally made with rice, it can also be made with other ingredients such as vermicelli (sayviah) which is a thin noodle. Kheer is known as Payasam in the South of India. They tend to use coconut milk instead or regular milk.There are many versions of this dessert dish in both the south as well as North of India.

It's an essential dish in many Hindu and Muslim feasts and celebrations. Payasams are served as an offering to the gods in South Indian Hindu temples during rituals and ceremonies. The Southern Indian state of Kerala, people have a particular affinity towards this dish. In fact, the recipe for the popular English rice pudding was originally derived from kheer when Britain had occupied India.




Laddu Or Ladoos:
Laddoos are like crumbly textured candy balls. They are usually made of flour and other ingredients formed into balls and sometimes dipped in sugar syrup. Like most other Indian sweets there are hundreds of variants of this ball of sweet goodness. Laddoos are very popular in India, and are an irreplaceable part of religious ceremonies. They are offered at temples for religious ceremonies, and later served as prasad (blessing from god) to people.

The Motichoor Laddu or Boondi laddu is a popular type of laddoo found in India made from grilled gram flour flakes which are sweetened, mixed with almonds, pressed into balls and fried in ghee. The Besan (ground gram) ladoo is common in India. It is made from besan mixed with pieces of sugar.These laddoos are often finished by rolling them in nuts or dessicated coconut or syrup. Sometimes just a single nut or raisin is pressed into them.





Halwas:
Halva also spelled Halwa is a sort of cross between a pudding and candy. They are thick puddings made out of finely grated vegetables, milk, sugar and flavored with cardamom. They can also be grain based and made out of semolina or pulses like the mung bean.The semolina halwa known as suji halwa is common and popular in India. It is made with wheat semolina, sugar or honey, and butter or Ghee and topped with nuts and raisins. The halwa is very sweet with a gelatinous texture similar to polenta with the added butter giving it a rich mouthfeel.

Gajar halwa or a halva made of carrots is also widely popular in India. It is prepared with condensed milk and ghee, without semolina to bind it together. The result has a moist yet flaky texture when freshly prepared.Some halvas are put in molds to give them a shape and neatly cut and garnished with a nut, raisin or beaten silver foil.





Burfis:
Barfi or Burfi is a sweet quite similar to a fudge. Plain barfi is made from condensed milk, cooked with sugar until it solidifies. Plain barfi is made from condensed milk, cooked with sugar until it solidifies. Other varieties include besan barfi , made with besan (gram flour) and pista barfi , which is a milk barfi containing ground pistachio nuts. The name is derived from the Persian word 'barf' which means ice since burfi is similar to ice in appearance.

The bite sized Barfi is often flavoured with cashew, mango, pistachio and spices and garnished with a thin layer of edible silver leaf. There are hundreds of varieties of Burfi and can be shaped in a number of ways and cab be quite colorful. Some burfi is cut in to diamond shapes like the Kaju Katri (Cashew nut Burfi) while some are multi colored and rolled in to a sushi rice ball shape.

A colorful box of burfi is a great gift to take along while visiting a friends house. .









Kulfis:
While Ice cream is the probably the World's most popular dessert, India it's own frozen dessert called Kulfi.

Kulfi is prepared from evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream along with sugar. The mixture is boiled and thickened before it is cooled, put in molds and frozen. Unlike the Western ice creams, which are whipped and filled with air, kulfi is not whipped, which results in a solid and dense frozen dessert. Traditionally, kulfi is set in cone shape molds but can be frozen in any shaped molds or even ice trays.









Sugar Syrup Based Sweets:
Like the western doughnut which is dipped in a sugar syrup..many Indian sweets are deep fried and soaked in a syrup as well. The syrup these sweets are often dipped into in India is usually aromatic and flavoured with saffron, rose water and cardamom.

One of the most popular syrup based dessert is the Gulab jamuns. They are deep fried balls made of a special dough and soaked in the aromatic sugar syrup. Gulab jamuns are the most popular sweet in India.

Another deep fried sugary delight is the Jelebi/Jalebi. The batter for Jalebis is piped directly in hot oil or ghee in circular shapes...a bit like a pretzel, then soaked in syrup. They're bright orange or yellow in colour and are very common around India and available at almost any sweet shop. It can be served warm or cold and has a somewhat chewy texture with a crystallized sugary exterior coating.

Chikki is candy loved by indians all over. A universally popular snack form the western part of India, but made in a similar manner all over the country and even abroad. Chikkis are popular in Maharahtra, konkan region , gujrat and tamilnadu. but the method too remains same all everywhere.


Ingredients:
Groundnuts – one and half cup
Sugar or jaggery – about one cup
Ghee – 2 teaspoons.


Method:

1. Roast the groundnuts in a kadai on a medium flame.After it cools, rub off the skin and crush lightly with hand .
2. Grease a plate with ghee and set aside .
3. Melt the sugar in a thick bottomed kadai over a very low flame.
4. When it has melted and turned slightly golden, remove from the flame and add the nuts while stirring briskly.
5. If you are using jaggery follow this method. Heat jaggery (or sugar) in water to create a thick syrup. Test by adding one drop in cold water. If the jaggery remains firm, then consistency is correct.
6. Add roasted peanuts, and immediately spread on the greased board.
7. Roll out flat to 1 cm thickness, and allow to cool.
8. Cut into squares when cool.Store in an airtight box.

Making time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4 persons

Shelflife: 2-3 weeks if stored in airtight container.

Note: Though sugar or jaggery , any one of them can be used to prepare chikki, I would recommend to use jaggery. Jaggery gives chikki a good taste and also keeps it little soft making it easier to chew and eat. Also jaggery is better than sugar in terms of nutrition and health, since it contains iron and also doesnt add up more calories.

Click here to know more about Gujrati foods and cuisines- An Introduction To gujrati cuisines and Recipes.

Click here to know more about Maharashtrian Recipes and cuisines- Introduction To Maharashtrain Recipes.

Click here to know all about Tamil Nadu cuisines- Introduction To Tamil Nadu Cuisines And Recipes.

Click here to know more about of Indian Sweets and Desserts- An Introduction To Indian Sweets And Desserts.

The churma , very ancient and well known Rajasthani cuisine is prepared in a particular method, though it is time consuming, it is delicious and worth all efforts. It needs a initial preparation of flour kneeded into dough. The dough looks like the one in above picture. This dough is later partitioned into smaller balls, which are deep fried and powdered to make the churma.




The dough which is deep fried and powder looks like the above pic. This powder is later cooked with jaggery to and decorated with nuts. Though is seems long process, it is a cuisine which is a must try for indian food lovers.







Churma is a popular delicacy usually served with baatis or dal baati. It is coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar. Traditionally it is made by mashing up wheat flour baatis or left over rotis in ghee and jaggery. Churma is a very basic Rajasthani sweet. Churma is made using wheat flour, ghee and jaggery which are the main ingredients and the only ingredients.








Ingredients:
200 gms Wheat flour
150 gms of Ghee
100 gms Khoya / Mawa (optional)
200 gms Grated Jaggery ( or powdered sugar)
4 Cardamom (small)
250 of ghee for deep frying (can be substitued with either vanaspati or ordinary vegetable oil).

For Garnishing:
10-12 Soaked almond finely chopped
10-12 pistachios finely chopped.


Method:

1. Melt 150 gms. of ghee and mix it in wheat flour.
2. Make a stiff dough using very little water.
3. Heat the rest of the ghee in a kadahi or a deep bottomed pan
4. Make about 15-20 balls with the dough.
5. Fry it on low flame till it becomes golden brown.
6. Allow the balls to cool for somewhile.
7. Churn it in grinder after it cools down. Dont grind the balls too finely .
8. Mix khoya. Khoya or Mava is just optional , to give the churma a rich taste. So this khoya or mava can be avoided for better health reasons and economical values.
9. Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in kadahi.
10. If sugar is used as sweeter, follow this step. Add the cardamom seeds and the churma mixture and fry for 1-2 minutes.
11. When it cools down add sugar and mix well.
12. In case jaggery is used, then grate the jaggery and cook the jaggery to a consistent paste.
13. Add the churma mixture to the jaggery paste and mix well till the churma turns soft and there are no lumps of jaggery left.
14. Add cardamom seeds to the churma and mix well.
15. Serve churmas and granish it with chopped almonds and pistas.

Making Time: 45 mintes.

Serves: 4 -5 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day.

Note: The churmas are prepared in jaggery in Rajasthan . Also Jaggery is considered and is good for health than sugar. Sugar can used to avoid the long process. But i recommend using jaggery, it gives the best taste to churma. Few people add Dalchinis (Cinamon stick) in this recipe. It is usually added when 1 tbsp of ghee is heated for preparing churma and is added along with cardamom sticks. But churma tastes good when Cinamon stick is avoided.

Click here to know more about Rajasthani foods and cuisines - Introduction to Rajasthani Foods And Cuisines.

Click here to know more about of Indian Sweets and Desserts- An Introduction To Indian Sweets And Desserts.

RajasthanIt is matter worthy of appreciation that when even surviving in the rough terrains of Rajasthan is difficult, people here have devised recipes (and a whole lot of them) emulated by all in the country.

Culinary art of the princely state of Rajasthan is judged as the most majestic and royal by the connoisseurs of food. But the truth is that the story of Rajasthan's cuisine is a success story of the grim determination and struggle of the people of Rajasthan against all odds of nature.

Greater use of milk, butter milk and other milk products can be seen in Rajasthani cuisine. Crops like millet (bajra) and barley (jowar) is also used as it could be cultivated in parts of Rajasthan. Use of beans from locally grown plants like sangri, ker etc besides dried lentils is also popular here. Gram flour is also a major ingredient of the Rajasthani dishes. Most Rajasthani curries appear red in colour and appear to be very hot but that is not so in taste. Pure ghee or butter is used as a medium of cooking. Chutneys from the locally available spices help to make the food even more interesting.

In the royal kitchens of Rajasthan food was very serious business and rose to the level of an art form. Hundreds of cooks worked in the stately palaces and kept their recipes a closely guarded secret. Some recipes were passed on to their sons and the rest were lost for ever. It became a matter of great prestige to serve extraordinary dishes to guests and the royal cooks were encouraged to experiment.

The tales of how cooks tried to impress their guests by presenting at least one unforgettable item on the menu have now become legends. The monthly budget ran into lakhs of rupees and the royal guests were treated to such delicacies as stuffed camels, goats, pigs and peacocks... it was perfectly normal to have live pigeons and other birds fly out of elaborately decorated dishes. The food was served in gold and silver utensils and the number of dishes at one meal ran into hundreds. It was usually never possible to taste all the delicacies sewed.

The finest cooking in India was derived from the Mughals and did influence the royal kitchens of India, as did European cooking. But the common man's kitchen remained untouched, more so in Rajasthan. Cooking here has its own unique flavor and simple, the most basic of ingredients go into the preparation of most of the dishes.

Rajasthani cooking was influenced by the war-like lifestyle of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this region. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred, more out of necessity than choice. Scarcity of water, fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking. In the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner, cooks use the minimum of water and prefer, instead, to use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. Dried lentils, beans from indigenous plants like sarigri, ker, etc.

Diversity In The Type of Diet:
Different communities of Rajasthan have their own distinctive style of diets that is in general high-protein and low-fat diet except for the Marwari cuisine, which is highly rich in its contents. Rajput community is a warrior class and loves hunting. They are not averse to enjoying the meat of their game though it is not cooked in their daily kitchen. The game is cooked outside the home and is headed by males who serve as the chefs for the non-vegetarian cooking. Most of the other communities are strictly vegetarians including Vaishnavs, the followers of Lord Krishna, Bishnois, who are for their love of conservation of both plant and animal life, Marwaris, who are known for having rich diet and most notably Jains, who are very strict with their diet rituals. Jains do not eat after sunsets and do not use garlic and onions in their food, which is otherwise very popular amon the other communities of Rajasthan.

Non-vegetarian:
FoodFishes and chicken are not very popular in Rajasthan. Colonel James Tod noted in his treatise, Annals and Antiquities of Rajputana, that "the Rajput...hunts and eats the boar and deer, and shoots ducks and wild fowl". However, it is not uncommon to see that all the warrior-class learns to eat whatever is available as it is a necessity in the game of survival. Today, the government of India has banned such hunting as these wild animals are now in the list of endangered species. Kachri, a vegetable belonging to the cucumber family, is used to marinate the meat and imparts it with a distinctive tangy flavor. The meat is first basted in the spices and then roasted in a pot over a wood fire until it turns into gravy. It is commonly consumed with bajra rotis (type of bread of millets).

Common Ingredients:
Dried beans and spices such as 'heeng' (aesofoetida), amchur (mango powder), red chillies and mustard seeds, pickled meat, dried preparations called 'papads' and 'badis' form a large part of Rajasthani cuisine as they could be conserved for long periods of time and proved themselves to be very useful in the early days when there was little produce in summers and transport was not so efficient. The curries prepared using these dried preparations and often yoghurt or buttermilk and a lot of chillies and other herbs are simply delicious. Rice is considered a delicacy in Rajasthan as it does not grow here. Chewing dried pork fat, called sauth, in winters was considered prevention against colds and is still considered a good traditional remedy.

Common Dishes:
Karhi, popularly known as khatta, is made up of buttermilk or yogurt mixed with chickpea flour, mustard seeds and crushed garlic cloves and it is said that longer it stays on the fire, the better it tastes. 'Gatte ka saag', made using freshly made dumplings of chickpea flour and 'badi ka saag' made using sun-dried moth-lentil dumplings along with 'khichra' a porridge of millets and moth lentils that are cooked along with water, a little spice and some ghee in combination with either jaggery or karhi form a staple part of Rajasthani diet. The hot red-chilli-and-garlic chutney (a type of tangy Indian sauce) 'raabori', millet flour cooked in buttermilk, which is believed to be an excellent coolant in the summers) are quite popular with the food. Sangri and ker (a hard desert berry) abounds in the preparation of Rajasthani meals as vegetables.Though sweet preparations are few, Bikaneri sweet specialists are known all over the country for their delicious preparations. 'Seera', made of wheat flour in ghee and 'laapsi', a porridge made with desiccated grains of wheat are the common desserts of the state along with sweetened rice dressed with saffron and dried nuts and raisins.

Regional Specialities:
Dal-Bati-Choorma, made of butter, cereals and sweetened bread pudding of Jaipur is considered a specialty, cherished by all the Indians. Bikaner is famous for its sweets and bhujiya (salties) along with its papads, badis and on the non-vegetarian side, the lean mutton of the desert goats. Jodhpuri kachoris (puffed breads with stuffing) are either sweet (when stuffed with mawa) or quite tangy (when stuffed with hot green chillies and hot spices). Milk sweets of Bharatpur are not very commonly seen in markets but melt deliciously into the mouth. They are prepared by boiling milk for hours to such a consistency that it can be folded into little pancakes. Ghevar, a delicacy especially prepared during the Teej festival is quite popular. It looks like a round cake made up of white flour, which is then dipped into the sweetened syrup and is dressed cream and khoya. Kebabs and pasandas and sevaiyan, prepared especially during the Eid festival are an integral part of the Muslim dining table are have moved on from the Tonk and Loharu region to cover the whole of the state.

The cooking style followed in Rajasthan is based on the natural climatic conditions of this desert land. There is scarcity of water and fresh green veggies in the state of Rajasthan, which has an adverse impact on its cooking. In the desert belts of Rajasthan, it is preferred to use milk, butter milk and butter in larger quantities to minimize the amount of water while cooking food.

There is an enormous variety of sweets in Rajasthan, which are relished and savored by all. In Rajasthan, the sweet dishes are had before the meal, with the main course and after the meal unlike other desserts. Therefore, sweet dish is never called dessert in Rajasthan. When a guest arrives in the house of a Rajasthani, he/she is served food in a proper manner. Self service concept is considered rude and thus it does not form part of the etiquettes of Rajasthanis.

Dried lentils and beans obtained from native plants like sangria are used extensively in the preparation of Rajasthani dishes. Gram flour is the major ingredient in the making of a couple of delicacies such as "pakodi" and "gatte ki sabzi". Powdered lentils are liberally used in the preparation of papad. Rajasthanis are quite fond of chutneys, which are prepared using different spices such as coriander, turmeric, garlic and mint.

Out of all the Rajasthani dishes, dal bati churma is perhaps the best known. For those who are in a lookout for variety, Rajasthan has a lot to offer. Infact, as you travel from one part of the state to another, you'll find that every region has something unique, which reflects in its food as well. There is a popular sweet of each region like Mawa Kachori of Jodhpur, Rasogullas of Bikaner, Ghevar of Jaipur, Malpuas of Pushkar etc.

This is an aluminium contraption in which handvo - a Gujju snack - is prepared. The cooking contraption, I think, is somewhat like a chiffon cake/ angel food cake pan - a very deep tube. It sits on a plate filled with damp sand to help conduct the heat better. It also has a hole in the middle, where you can see the flame rising from in the image. This hole helps cook the center of the handvo.

1. Soak all the lentils/dal and rice overnight.
2. Grind the lentil-rice mixture with some water to form a thick batter.
3. Add the yogurt and leave aside for another 5-6 hours in a warm place.
4. Alternately if using the ready made handvo mix soak the mixture in yogurt and water overnight in a warm place.
5. Add the grated bottle gourd, sugar and salt and mix well.
6. Crush the green chilies, ginger and garlic to a smooth paste and add it to the handvo mixture.
7. Heat oil, add the mustard and cumin seeds, and when they pop, add the turmeric, asafoetida, chili powder, dried chilies and sesame seeds in that particular order and pour this mixture over the handvo mixture.
8. Mix well and transfer the batter to a baking pan.
9. Sprinkle with sesame seeds on top and bake at 400 degree F for 45-60 minutes till the top is a golden brown.
10. Alternately test by pushing a knife through and if it comes out clean (instead of the batter clinging to it), the handvo is baked.
11. Serve hot with some oil on the side.
12. Take out. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

Making Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 - 5 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day.

Note:

• If you are using a oevn, bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven, 15 minutes at 200 degree centigrade, and 30 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade.
• If you have doubts regarding the batter consistency or its fluffiness, you can add 1 eno fruit salt to the batter before baking, it would amke the handvo soft.

Variations:

As a variation or to make handvo more nutricious, finley chopped vegetables like carrots, cabbage, potatoes, leeks etc to the batter and mix well and then bake them. Remember to chop them very finely for good texture and good taste.

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1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the cumin and mustard seeds.
2. When the seeds crackle, add the potatoes and fry them till they are cooked.
3. Add the tomatoes, cook for a few minutes, cook them till the tomatoes are tender soft.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies, mix and cook for a further 5 minutes .
5. Add the salt, tumeric, coriander and cumin powders, mix and cook until the potatoes are cooked.
6. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot with rotis, puris or Steamed Rice.

Cooking Time: 25 minutes.

Serves: 4 persons.

Shelflife: Best fresh.

Note: Try using Non stick pan if you find frying the potatoes at intial stages. DO strir the potatoes time and again. Since water is not added to this recipe, close the pan or vessel with lid and keep on low flame. The steam itslef helps in cooking the potatoes further.

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Moong daal Chilla is a variation of chilla and is little different from ordinary chilla. Instead of using flour, here daal is soaked and grinded to paste and chillas are prepared. This chillas taste good and can be served with any chutney and also can be taken as breakfast, lunch or for brunch at dinner.





Ingredients:
1 cup Yellow Moong Dal
¼ cup White Urad Dal ( or chickepeas a handful)
2 cups Finely Chopped coriander leaves or cilantro
1 large onion sliced finely
2 green chilies chopped finely (optional while giving children)
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Salt to taste
Vegetable/Sunflower Oil.





Method:

1. Soak the Yellow Moong Dal and Udat Dal together for 2 hours. Grind into a fine paste by adding 1 ½ cups of water (use the water used for soaking for grinding).
2. The batter should be of thick pouring consistency.
3. In the mean while, heat frying pan, crackle the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and add the sliced onions. Sauté on medium heat till the onion changes color.
4. Add the sautéed onions, chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies (optional), turmeric powder and salt to the lentil batter.
5. Heat the non stick griddle on medium heat.
6. Pour 1 ladle full of batter on the griddle in the centre and spread it outwards in circular way. Using the back of the ladle spread the batter into a circle
7. Make sure the chilla is not too thick so it gets cooked evenly.
8. Add a little oil along the edges of the chilla, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
9. Turn the chilla over and cook on the otherside until it gets brown patches.
10. Remove and similarly prepare chillas out of remaining batter.
11. Serve hot with any chutney or tomato ketchup.

Making Time: 30 mnutes ( excluding soaking and grinding time).
Serves: makes 8 chillas .
Shelflife: Best Fresh.

Note: As a variation, add vegetables to this like shredded or chopped cabbage, peas, carrots etc to make it more nutritious and tasty.


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Chillas are spiced lentil crepes served hot in breakfast or as a main dish during a meal. Chilla's is popular in Gujrat and Rajasthan. It is served with mint chutney, curd or any tangy thing. Chilla's are called veg omletes, since varieties can be made out of it. Vegetables and spices can be added to chillas to make it more tasteful. The soft nature of the crepes makes it very suitable for the children to chew and digest as well. There are several ways of preparing a Chillas with varities in it. Here i am posting the basic and simple chilla made from gramflour.


Ingredients:
1 cup gram flour
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup warm water
2 cloves garlic – minced
½ inch ginger – grated
2 chillies - minced
2 spring onions – chopped finely
2 table spoons chopped coriander
Salt to taste.


Method:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl, add the yogurt and mix, to make a smooth paste.
2. Add the water gradually until it has a consistency of pancake batter.
3. Beat it nicely till it becomes a smooth batter.
4. Leave aside for 1 hour.
5. Beat again and add garlic, ginger spring onion, chilli and coriander leaves.
6. Mix well and take care to see there are no lumps formed.
7. Heat a pancake tawa or pan. Spray little oil or rub little oil on base of pan.
8. Pour 1 ladle of batter in the centre of the pan and spread it evenly, flatten it outwards in circular way.
9. Pour little oil on the outer edges of the pancake.
10. Roast on one side. Flip and roast the other side till browned evenly.
11. Repeat the same with remaining batter. Serve hot with coconut chutney or mint chutney.

Making Time: 20 minutes( excluding setting time).

Serves: makes 4 chillas.

Shelife: Best fresh .

Note:

• As a variation, add some finely chopped cabbage, carrots , peas , corns and tomatoes to make it more nutrious and healthy.
• If you dont have besan at home, then roast chanal dal /bengal gram till the aroma is released and it turns pinkish or light brown. Then cool it at room temperature by spreading on a clean cloth at room temperature. Then blend this into a coarse mixture . and the flour is ready.
• The flour can also be grinded finely, but to avoid lump, coarse flour would be best choice.

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Gunda nu kairi is a pickle , very famous from the state of gujrat. In this recipe, a particular kind of berry called gunda is used in preparation of pickle. Gunda looks like the the fruit in the above pic. Gunda has a big seed in it middle, which is removed before preparing the pickles. Also its stem is cut off and the gundas are washed and cleaned before using them to prepare recipe.


Gunda is a kind of berry which along with kairi means raw mangoes is salted and spiced to make pickle which can be stored for long. This pickle goes well with anything from rice to rotis and is economical. Gundane kairi jo athanu or gunda kairi pickle is popular pickle from gujrat. It is normally prepared in huge amount and stored for long. Here, i am giving the step by step details of preparing this recipe traditionally and easily at the same time.





Ingredients:
Gunda - 2 kilograms
Raw mangoes - 1½ kilograms
Sea salt, ground ½ cups
Lemon juice - 5 lemon's juice.


For Masala:
1 cup split/hulled mustard seeds
1/2 cup coarsely ground coriander
1/2 cup coarsely ground fenugreek
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 sticks cinamon
4 whole cloves
3 cardomom pods
8 whole black pepper
1 and 1/2 cups oil
1 cup ground red chilies
2 teaspoons tumeric powder.
Method:

1. Place the whole spices in a pan.
2. Heat the oil in another panAdd the oil to the spices.
3. Add chillies and tumeric to the masala mix , cool it and use to make pickle (it is enough to make pickles for 3 preparations so u can store and use later too).
4. Cut the gunda and scrape the seeds with a salted knife.
5. Wash and dry the mangoes and gunda.
6. Mix the lemon juice and salt in a bowl.
7. Cut the mangoes into small pieces keep aside.
8. Split the gunda, remove the seed, and place in the lemon juice.
9. Add the mangoes to the lemon juice and salt mixture and mix well leave overnight at room temperature.
10. The next day, discard the lemon juice and spread the mangoes and gunda on a dry tea towel, leave to dry for one day.
11. Take a clean jar, place 1/2 cup of oil in the jar.
12. Stuff the gunda with 2 tspn of masala and place in the jar.
13. Or else mix in the gunda and the mango pieces cubes to the masala mixture and mix till all of them are well coated with the masala.
14. Place the mangoes in between the gunda.
15. This pickle will be ready to eat in 1 months time.
16. Store it in the fridge, but a cool place should be fine

Making Time : 45 minutes (excluding time of soaking and allowing to cool and get prepared).
Serves : serves for a family of 4 for 3-4 months.
Shelflife: Upto 1 year.
Note:

• Apply a little oil and salt to your hands before handling gunda. Split them and remove the seeds. Also place the knife in salted water or apply salt to it and leave for 30 minutes before using them for scraping off the seeds.
• Instead of placing the mango cubes and gundas in lemon juice, it can also be applied salt and turmeric and left for few hours. In that case leave it for 2-3 hours. And discard the excess water it leaves due to salted marination.
• Always transfer the pickles into sterilized glass or porcelain bottles, packing it tightly to remove any air bubbles. Sterilized bottles means , take a good glass jar with tight lid, clean it properly and place it in hot water for few minutes for about 30-40 minutes. Then remove it and dry it up completely and make sure it is not wet before placing the pickles inside them .
• As a another option, heat the remaining oil to smoking point, cool and add it to the pickles. Again cover and keep for at least ten to fifteen days. (In case the masala is not prepared or ready before hand).
• The preparing process for the pickles to get ready usually takes weeks . Best is for three weeks by which time the oil will surface and the pickle will be ready to eat.

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Masala puri is indian bread variety but spicy in taste. Originally Masala puris are native to kathiwad region of Gujrat and Rajasthan. This puris at times dont need any accompaliance and can be taken as it is. People do make variations in masal puri, but here i am posting the original method of preparing masal puri.



Ingredients:
1 cup - Wheat flour
2 tsp - Oil + Frying
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp - Ajwain
1 pinch - Asafoetida
1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder .


Method:

1. Sieve the wheat flour and salt.
2. Mix all the ingredients and knead to firm dough adding enough water.
3. Cover and keep the aside for half an hour.
4. Take small lumps of dough and roll into small puris.
5. Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry the puris.
6. Serve masala puri hot with curry of your choice.

Making Time: 25 minutes.
Serves: makes 6 puris.
Shelflife: 1 day.


Note: A small pinch of soda bi-cab can be added while kneeding the dough to make it soft.


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Chundo is a pickle but is sweet in taste. Often chundo is called as indian jam since it goes very well with breads . Chundo is made from raw mangoes which is grated and sugar is added to it and it is kept under sunlight instead of cooking. This chundo is cooked in sunlight and this makes it preserve for long and gives a different taste as well. Here i am giving the age old traditional way of preparing chundo with the exact things to be followed to get it perfect. So read and follow properly.


Ingredients:
3 Rajapuri mangoes peeled grated and weighed.
Sugar 1.5 times the volume of mango
Salt, a little less than half a cup
Turmeric - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed 1 tbsp
groundChilli powder 2 tbsp.



Method:

1. Peel and grate mangoes. Mix with the salt and haldi and leave for about half an hour.
2. Now taking a little at a time sqeeze gently and put the dried pulp into clean steel vessel.
3. To the pulp add the sugar and mix well.
4. Tie a piece of muslin over the mouth of the vessel and place in the sun.
5. Now, if you want to do it right and have the patience, then keep the chunda in the sun for full 21 days.
6. Every morning, stir it once nicely, place it under sun and at night take it indoors.
7. The pickle is done when the sugar has melted to a syrup and reaches a 1.5 - 2 string consistency. (to test, take a smidgen of syrup between your thumb and forefinger. When you pull them apart, they should form 1.5 to 2 threads).
8. When done, add the chilli powder.
9. If well sunned and taken care of the pickle will keep for a year without refrigeration.

Other option:

For those of you not wanting to wait for the pickle to cook in the sun there is an easier option, but be warned it will not taste the same. (It is almost like the flavor of sunlight is captured in this pickle!) .

1. Place a heavy bottomed kadai on fire and put mango-sugar mixture in it.
2. Cook till all the water has evaporated.
3. Keep stirring to avoid sticking at bottom of vessel.
4. Cook it till it reaches to 1.5 or 2 thread consistency.
5. Add chilli powder while still hot.
6. Remove from fire. Chundo is ready. Keep it in airtight container when it cools down.

Making Time: 22 days.

Serves: many

Shelflife: 1 year.

Note:

Selection Of Mangoes:

1. MANGOES - Rajapuri mangoes is what the recipe calls for, these are large mangoes and are used raw and firm. The idea being that the pickle on being done should hold the form of the slivers it has been grated into.
2. Over Ripe Mangoes -Dont go for mangoes which are not firm or if they are ripe. They wont make a good chunda but a chutney of it.
3. Katki kairi Pickle - Instead of Chunda, go for "Katki Kairi Pickle" (a variation of the Chunda) Chop the mangoes into tiny dice, instead of grating them and then cook them on the gas like the gas cooked chunda.

Other points to be noted:

• If you want to add texture, maybe you can add raw firm papaya to the grated mango.
• The Sun is the other variable Remember the sun is very hot in India averaging 38-40 degree Celsius so vary the amount of days accordingly, if its really hot where you are then 3-4 days will suffice, but if the intensity is lower then the number of days will vary between 4-8 days.
• If you notice that there is crystalisation happening, then the sugar ratio is too high, you need to grate and salt some more mango and add it in so keeping one mango spare might be a good idea for the duration, (if you dont use it in the chutney then refer to the bottom of the post for another recipe you can use) it up in.
• Watch out for ants! THe muslin is to keep them and other stuff that might get in out, but this stuff is ant magnetic so extra precaution of placing it in a bath of water should help. Dont let the water get into the pickle though.
• Remember to take the bowl inside every evening. To stir and place outside every morning. When done, add the chilli powder. Crush the other spices coarsely and add to pickle. Be careful not to touch a wet spoon to the pickle. If taken care it, the pickle is kept for a year without refrigeration.

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Makai na bharta is a kathiwad cuisine which belongs to the state Gujrat. It is spicy and can be served with rice, rotis or parathas. Makai means corn and this cuisine is prepared from corn niblets.

1. Boil the whole corn, take off the niblets and grind it coarsely in a blender.
2. Take off and finely cut the onions.
3. Wash and cut the tomatoes.
4. Wash and cut the green chillies.
5. Heat up oil in a kadhai, mix in cumin seeds and stir fry till they crackle.
6. Mix in cut onions and stir fry till light brown.
7. Mix in cut green chillies and stir fry for 1/2 minute.
8. Mix in red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt.
9. Stir fry for few seconds and mix in cut tomatoes.
10. When tomatoes are cooked mix in corn, salt and little water.
11. Stir fry for another 5-10 minutes.
12. Serve hot decorated with cut coriander.

Making Time: 30 minutes.

Serves: 5 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day(best fresh).

Note: Dont blend the corn niblets finely. Keep it coarse , since it tastes good when coarse.

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1. Take off the potatoes and slit from the centre, but do not split.
2. Heat up oil and fry till golden on medium heat.
3. Heat up 2 tblsp of oil in a kadhai, mix in cumin seeds and stir fry till they crackle.
4. Mix in cut garlic and stir fry for a while, but do not let it brown.
5. Then mix in gram flour and stir fry for another five minutes on a slow heat.
6. Mix in coriander powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and stir fry for one minute.
7. Take off the kadhai from heat up and mix in yogurt, a little water.
8. Mix and stir fry again.
9. Mix in half the cut coriander and the fried potatoes.
10. Stir fry on a very slow heat up for 10-15 minutes.
11. Serve hot decorated with the remaining cut coriander.

Cooking Time: 30 -35 minutes.

Serves: 3 persons.

Shelflife: 1 day (best fresh).

Note: For this cuisine, select only baby potatoes which are small.

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1. Blend together green chillies, cumin seeds and ajwain finely and set aside.
2. In a heavy bottom pan heat water double the quantity of flour .
3. Add the blended mixture to it.
4. Add the soda, salt, turmeric powder, sesame seeds ,brown sugar, turmeric pulp, coriander powder and desicated coconut to this water (do not stir).
5. When the water starts boiling , add the flour to it slowly but do not mix or stir it.
6. Spread the flour over the water with the help of a spoon and close the vessel with a lid (do not stir or mix).
7. keep the flame on low.
8. After some 30 minutes, the flour absorbs all the water and water covers the flour over the top.
9. Now with the help of a wooden laddle, Stir the mixture in one direction continuously.
10. Keep stirring and mixing till all the water is absorbed and the flour comes to dough like texture.
11. Remove from fire and serve hot with kadhi or chutney with papads.

Making Time: 45-50 minutes

Serves: 5-6 persons.

Shelflife: 2 days.

Note: Do not stir when the water is boiled and the flour is added. Do not stir them while cooking untill all the water is absorbed by the flour. After that stir continuously and in one direction to make it soft and smooth.

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Matri is cuisine from Gujrat. There are different types of Matris like namkeen matri, sweet matri, gol matri etc. Matris are very simple and and tastes simple too. Here i am posting a simple matri in the simple method.


Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 tbsp. ghee or oil
salt to taste
2-3 pinches soda bicarb
1/4 tsp. ajwain seeds
warm water for kneading
oil for deep frying.


Method:

1. Mix all ingredients, except oil for deep frying and water.
2. Add water little by little kneading into a pliable dough.
3. Cover and keep for 15 minutes.
4. Break into small portions, roll in 1" wide rounds.
5. Keep a little thicker than puris. Prick with a fork.
6. Place on a clean spread out cloth.
7. Similarly prepare all the matris (puris) .Finish for all dough.
8. Heat oil in a frying pan, add some matri at a time.
9. Fry till lightly golden, flip side and repeat.
10. Drain and cool to allow to become crisp.
11. Store in an airtight container.

Making time: 40 minutes

Makes: 25 pieces (approx.)

Shelflife: 2 weeks at room temperature.

Note: Keep on low flame while frying matris. Also turn them carefully, since it tends to break soon due to delicacy.


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Osaman is a watery gujrati daal made of yellow or red lentsils. It is more or less like brotch or soup and is accompanied with rice. It has a sour and sweet taste which makes it unique and yummy to eat.


Ingredients:
2 tblsp coriander leaves chopped
2 tblsp peanuts roasted
4 green chillies sliced
150 gms red grams divide (masoor dal)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tblsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
12 curry leaves
a big size pinch asafoetida
2 tblsp oil
2 tblsp jaggery grated
2 tblsp tamarind pulp
Salt to taste.



Method:

1. Dilute the tamarind pulp in 4 tblsp of water and see that there are no lumps.
2. Wash the lentils and bring them to boil in 200 ml water, then simmer.
3. When nearly done, mix in turmeric, tamarind water, green chillies, jaggery, peanuts and salt.
4. Simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) until dal is cooked.
5. Heat up the oil in a small pan, mix in the mustard seeds when they crackle, mix in cumin seeds, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
6. Take off the heat up after a minute and pour out the oil and spices into the dal.
7. Serve hot decorated with coriander leaves.

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 3 persons

Shelflife: 1 day.

Note: Any daal red or yellow dal can be used for this cuisine. It should be watery in consistency.

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Magaj is a delicious sweet from Gujrat. It is prepared from Chickpea flour or besan with khoya (indian sweet cheese) and sugar. It is prepared on festive occassions and is tasty.



Ingredients:
500 gm Chick pea flour
50 gm Khoya
250 gm Sugar
2 tsp Green cardamom powder
10 Pistachios, blanched
10 Almonds, peeled and blanched
250 gm Ghee.


Method:

1. Combine the chick pea flour with 1/2 of the ghee and sift it through a sieve.
2. In a wok or kadai, heat the remaining ghee and the sifted besan.
3. Fry until the besan is golden but not brown and the raw odour of the besan is gone.
4. Add the khoya to this and stir on low flame, set aside.
5. Make sugar syrup of one thread consistency and add this syrup and cardamom powder to the fried besan, mix properly.
6. Pour this mixture on a plate that has been greased with oil.
7. Decorate it with blanched pistachios and almonds.
8. Cut Magaj into diamond shapes.
9. Let it cool.

Making Time: 45 minutes.

Serves: makes 20- 24 pieces

Shelflife: 1 week.

Note: Store magaj in a air tight container to longer shelflife. While frying the Besan in ghee, keep stirring continuously to avoid browning of it.

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1. Mix all the muthiya ingredients and prepare a firm dough.
2. Divide into small portions and shape each into one-inch long half-inch thick rolls.
3. Deep fry in hot oil, remove and keep aside.

For Oondhiyo:

1. Wash, take off and dice potatoes, yam and raw bananas.
2. Wash brinjals and slit them into four without cutting the stem.
3. Make a paste of garlic, green chillies and ginger.
4. Mix together coriander leaves, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, grated coconut and the ground paste.
5. Stuff the mixture inside the brinjals.
6. Rub the vegetables with oil and masala paste. Marinate for 30minutes.
7. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan, add asafetida, and the marinated vegetables.
8. Mix the soda with ¼ cup water and add into the vegetables. Cook on high flame for 5 minutes.
9. Cover and cook on low heat till the vegetables are almost done (cook for 15-20 minutes
10. Then add the dumplings or the muthiyas.
11. Add lemon and sprinkle some water if required ( add a cup of water).
12. Cover and simmer. Cook on low flame for some 5 minutes.
13. Shake the vegetables occasionally but do not use a spoon to stir
14. Add sugar, stir. Serve hot, either as is, or with parathas.
15. Serve hot decorated with scraped coconut.

Basundi is a popular recipe from Gujrat. Baundi is a kheer , sweet dessert which is often prepared during special occassions and festive times. Its a tempting sweet and must try for food lovers.





Ingredients:
1 1/2 litre milk (full fat milk)
Cardamom: 3 pods .
saffron a few strands
1/2 cup almonds
8 - 10 pistachios
3/4 cup sugar
2 tblsp sunflower seeds (chironji).





Method:

1. Soak almonds in warm water to blanch.
2. Take off the skin.
3. Reserve a few for garnishing and make a paste of the rest (make paste of about 2 tbsp)
4. Soak saffron in 2 tea spoons fo hot milk and keep it aside.
5. Chop finely and crush coarsly, the almonds and pistachios.
6. Peel and powder cardamom seend with a mallet.
7. Add it to the chopped dry fruit mix.
8. Make small pieces of saffron in a cup, and dissolve it in milk.
9. Pour milk in a large deep pan, on medium flame and stir ocassionally.
10. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat and continue to boil.
11. Stir frequently, till milk is 2/3 in volume.
12. Add all the dry fruits and cardamom to the boiling milk.
13. Add the paste of dry fruits to the boiling milk.
14. Also add the chironjis.
15. Boil further for 3-4 mins.
16. Turn off the stove and allow it to cool a little.
17. Pour this mixture into a large decorative serving bowl.
18. Allow to cool completely, chill in refridgerator for 4-5 hours.
19. To avoid a layer forming on the surface, stir frequently while cooling.
20. Serve chilled in individual cups and garnish it with some strands of saffron.

Making Time: 1 hour

Serves: 2 persons

Shelflife: 1 day.

Note:

• Basundi id preferred by some in thin consistency and by some in thick consistency. For a thin consistency dont add the nuts paste and for thick consistency, add the nuts paste prepared.
• Basundi has got high calorie amounting to some 1995, so in order to cut down calorie, you can use low calorie sugar available in market.

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