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Recipe: Diverse & Wonderful – Walnut Dip

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A recent visit to Kashmir reiterated for me how rich my country, India, is. Perhaps for that reason, we have been plundered many times, yet have held strong despite it. I have travelled the world, but to me there is nothing like home. In Kashmir, I experienced the beauty of nature and the hospitality of people in a way that reminded me of this fact. Returning to Chennai, I wanted to recreate something that would remind me of that holiday, and this wonderful walnut dip fulfilled that wish.

While travelling there, I was most thrilled when I saw walnut and almond trees, among many others, including nuts that I may not even be able to name. There was such a variety of fruit trees as well: apricots, peaches, plums and apples among them. Amidst the bounty of nature, there was also a sense of kinship and love. The experience of sitting beneath an almond tree and enjoying a live musical performance in someone’s home that they graciously opened up to us was more than just a treat or a pleasure, but really touched me.

That same welcoming gesture was also experienced when I visited a friend’s home, where she laid out an entire traditional Kashmiri feast for us. I got very excited even just seeing it. Needless to say, tasting it was sheer joy. There was one thing that wasn’t on the menu that day, but which she brought up in conversation: a walnut dip. This made me very curious, so I asked for her authentic recipe and also spent some time looking up other versions later. As I’ve shared often before on this blog, I think cooking is about adapting and innovating, and I wanted to create a version that would work well for me back home. The recipe I am sharing today is exactly that.

I was able to source the walnuts easily, and I think you should be able to as well. For some reason, while walnuts may be the healthiest option, I find that many seem to favour almonds or pistachios. I enjoy them all. I prefer buying whole walnuts, cracking them open myself, as I think the chances of them getting rancid sooner reduce by doing so.

I use this walnut dip as a spread on sourdough bread, and I think it will go nicely on a cheese platter too. Or else with sliced fruits, such as peaches, or rice or other kinds of crisps. I think it could also work as a meal condiment. I’m excited about trying out these variations. How will you use it? I’d love to know.

 

Walnut Dip

(Yield: 1 cup)

1 cup soaked walnuts

1 green chili

1 tablespoon grated red radish (optional)

Salt to taste

A pinch of pepper

2 tablespoons yoghurt

In a blender, add the soaked walnuts along with the green chilli. If you prefer, add some grated radish, along with salt and pepper to taste.

Blend well into a paste. Finally, add the yoghurt and whir gently.

Your walnut dip is now ready. You may wish to garnish it with a tablespoon of olive oil. Enjoy it as you please.

I certainly have been enjoying it, along with my memories of a special trip. If you can, I encourage you to visit Kashmir to explore its beauty and diversity. In the meanwhile, I hope this walnut dip gets you dreaming too, as I do of my own next visit!

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Recipe: Another Tasty Tradition – Bajra Ni Puri

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Bajra ni puri is a traditional Gujarati snack that is mostly eaten in the monsoons or when the climate is cooler. This is because bajra is heavy to digest, as I have shared in prior recipes that feature it, and also to coincide with the winter harvest of this particular millet. I often talk about how Nature tells us what we should be eating, and how and when; it was a wonderful science indeed that our ancestors followed. However, if consumed in moderation, bajra ni puri can of course be eaten year-round. Since this is the last stage before the summer heat sets in, and hence our last chance for a few months to gorge on this dish as per traditional logic, I thought it was the perfect time to share it.

Bajra, also known as pearl millet, is a millet rich in iron. You can infer this because of its darker colour, as I learned while studying Macrobiotics some years ago. Speaking of seasonal consumption, lighter grains are usually had in the summer. Funnily enough, cravings for heavy food are not often there in the hot season anyway. Our bodies naturally adapt to Nature, and we should become more conscious of these needs and put them first.

There are different methods of making bajra ni puri. I like this one as it has a bit of tanginess, created by the yoghurt that is added to it. It is also spiced up by ginger-green chilli paste.

My mother used to make the puris a bit bigger, and they would be fluffy – soft in the centre and crisp on the edges. My sister makes it this way too, and I love hers perhaps because it reminds me of our mother’s.

My version is a small and crispy one, which goes well with masala chai. To create this perfect pairing, you can check out my recipes both for the masala and the chai itself.

When my daughter who is away studying came home recently, she took back with her the entire batch of bajra ni puri that I had made then. She loved it that much. So even though my own favourite version is what my sister learned from my mother (which she must have learned from her own mother), my daughter’s is probably mine. I am happy to share with her not just this snack but also the traditions that come with it.

What I am reminded of in some way is of how when a Gujarati bride gets married and leaves her home, she is given a pot full of goodies to take back with her. My understanding is that she would need the sustenance as she left her village and crossed into her new one, be it by road or by train, and items that would provide energy (like millets) would be included. Today, the tradition is continued in the form of fancy silver trays laden with sweets and nuts.

My mother must have brought with her the pot that is now an heirloom of mine when she got married. It was the only thing that I asked from her before she passed on. It is a beautiful round brass pot with a small mouth and a small lid; I imagine this was to ensure that only a little air got in and the items within remained fresh. It adorns my kitchen, and maybe I’ll share a photo of it in future.

Bajra Ni Puri

(Yield: 40 tiny pieces)

 

¾ cup bajra flour

¼ cup wholewheat flour

2½ tablespoons curd (use lime juice – optional)

2 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon asafoetida

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons green chilli+ginger paste

½ cup finely chopped fresh methi leaves (optional)

2 tablespoons water (optional)

 

In a bowl, add the flours, salt, turmeric, asafoetida, curd, oil, sesame and green chili-ginger paste. Mix, then add the methi (fenugreek) leaves if you wish to. Now, gauging the quantity of water required, add it slowly – 1 tablespoon at a time – making sure the dough is thick.

In the mean time, heat the oil for deep frying. Once it has heated, gently add a few puris at a time and lower the flame. Turn them over frequently so that both sides cook well and become a golden colour. Fry on a low to medium flame.

Remove and drain on a paper. Once cooled, store in an airtight container. Enjoy with your chai. You’ll find it tangy, spicy and yummy.

I love how this bajra ni puri contains the significance of my mother’s wedding pot, and also the simplicity of an afternoon snack.

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Recipe: The Tasty Things In Life – Tomato Chutney

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If you are ever in any South Indian restaurant, you will notice that they will offer you an abundance of chutneys. Each restaurant will be famous for its own twist on ginger, coconut, mango and so many other variations and options. Whenever such a range is available, I usually want to lick and taste them all, until I find one that I love. Then, I’ll stick with that for that particular restaurant – at least for that particular day. Across many such meals, I have discovered that my favourite at many places is tomato chutney, so of course I decided to make my own version at home too – and to share it with you.

This tomato chutney can be kept in your fridge for about a week, and it goes well with anything – from main staples like dosas and idlys to assorted savoury snacks.

One thing I also like to do is to spread this chutney on the dosa itself, and it makes for an amazing flavour combination, along with the sesame oil used to fry the dosa and the ghee used as a topping. The dish looks so pleasing to the eye, is so appetizing, and is also healthy. Whenever I prepare a tomato chutney-laden dosa, it reminds me once again of the colourful plates at restaurants. Those red, green and white chutneys really change your perspective on just how delicious nutritious food can also look.

This in turn reminds me of a friend of mine whom I have learnt a lot from. She lives alone in a beautiful home, and at every single meal – whether or not she has visitors – she takes care to set a table properly. She places the crockery out along with crisp linen napkins and silverware. When one lives alone, one often takes things for granted. But not so with my friend, who pays attention to her meal and enjoys it the old-school way. No TV switched on, no carelessness. She cooks every single meal afresh and makes it a point to make it a pleasure.

Watching how she has chosen to live inspires me. We often rush through processes rather than pausing and being present. Yet what a difference it makes, especially as we get older, to truly enjoy and experience each moment.

Stop. Sit down. Look at the wonderful plate in front of you. See what the colours and flavours add to your life. If you plan to prepare such a plate soon, be sure to add this vibrant tomato chutney to it. I’m sure you’ll see and feel the difference it makes to the tastebuds, and to the mind.

Tomato Chutney

(Yield: 1 cup)

1 onion

2 tomatoes

3 dried red chilies

4-5 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons oil

1 piece ginger

1 teaspoon urad dal

Salt to taste

Water as required, enough to grind to a paste (I used 3-4 tablespoons)

Juice of ½ lemon

 

Heat a pan and add the oil. Add the garlic and urad dal and sauté.

Add the onions and dry red chilies. Sauté until the onions becomes translucent then add the tomatoes. Then, add the salt. Cook until the tomatoes are tender and their colour changes.

Now, add the water. Once the concoction cools considerably, blend with the lemon juice.

Store in a fridge for up to a week, using as an accompaniment to any dish of your choice. Enjoy!

For another tomato recipe that has multipurpose qualities, do check out my tomato purée recipe too!

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Recipe: For A Spicy Concoction – Sambar Podi

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There are all kinds of powders, known as “podi”, and condiments in South Indian homes. Among them are: the coconut podi that we have talked about earlier, idly podi that is sprinkled over idly and eaten with ghee and makes for a great travel snack, podis using curry leaves or moringa leaves, and even gunpowder – presumably named this way by the British on account of its heat. This recipe is one such podi too. Last week, I shared the recipe for sambar using a readymade masala. Those of you who would like to use a homemade masala instead could use this sambar podi.

Traditionally, this sambar podi would be made fresh – ground, hand-pounded and added to the pot. Nowadays, with our busy lives, those of us who like having an entirely homemade podi make a jar of it and keep adding it to our sambar whenever we prepare it. It is more efficient, and greatly enhances the flavour of the sambar.

Of course, many readymades are equally good, and you know that I use them too. Still, we all also know that there’s nothing quite like homemade when it comes to certain ingredients, and of course when it comes to cooking itself.

Sambar Podi

(Yield: One small jar)

 

8-10 dry red chillies

2 tablespoons urad dal

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon methi seeds

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 pinch asafoetida

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon ghee

2 teaspoon desiccated coconut

 

Heat a pan. Add ½ teaspoon ghee. Once it has heated, add the urad dal and toast until pale golden. Set aside.

In the same pan, add black pepper, cumin, methi and coriander seeds. Roast well. Then, add turmeric and asafoetida. Set aside.

In the same pan, add a drop of ghee and roast a handful of dry red chillies. Next, roast the desiccated coconut. Allow all the ingredients to cool.

Then, add these to the blender: the urad dal, coriander seeds, methi, pepper, cumin and red chillies. Grind coarsely and add salt to taste, then all the remaining ingredients.  Blend until all the spices are mixed well. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight jar.

You can use this sambar podi in lieu of a store-bought one when you prepare sambar. The recipe for that is here. Enjoy with idlys, dosas or rice!

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Recipe: Another Sumptuous Staple – Sambar

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You may have heard the stories that idly came from Indonesia, and that sambar came from Maharashtra. Today, both of these are accepted as quintessentially South India food. When it comes to food, where much is often not recorded, it is very difficult to pinpoint where a dish came from. The way I see it: at the end of the day, it’s down to your creativity, your imagination, the ingredients that are available while you’re cooking, the ingredients that grow during that season and in that area – there are many variables. Similarly for this sambar, which may have originated anywhere but tastes good everywhere.

My version of sambar is influenced by the communities I grew up in. I know I must sound like a stuck record since I say this about so many dishes, but various communities do prepare it in their own ways. This is true for every kind of food, and there are variations between cooks as well. This is the sambar that my family likes and have grown accustomed to. My mother’s preparation was different, and my daughter will probably cook it differently as well.

Food is like Chinese whispers: by the time it trickles down to us, it may be a far cry from what the inventor of the dish made. Everything we know about authentic, traditional food is by word of mouth and trial and error. I doubt that much was ever written down, except perhaps recipes for temple offerings and so on. Additionally, traditional food was always defined by location – i.e. seasons and available produce, as mentioned earlier. Some of us do still try to follow this natural logic, such as through Macrobiotics. But overall, we have come a long way since then. Today, avocados, blueberries and strawberries grow in India. While they may not go into our sambars, they do go into our diets pretty regularly.

Coming back to sambar: it is a lentil-based dish that is enjoyed with dosas, idlys or rice. It is rich in protein, and is quite healthy for you. For the recipe below, I have used a readymade sambar masala, but I also have a homemade sambar powder recipe that I will share with you soon.

Sambar

(Yield: Serves 4)

 

1 cup toor dal (pigeon pea)

2 cups water (to cook the dal)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Salt to taste

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder (adds colour)

1 heaped spoon sambar masala

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon asafoetida

5-8 curry leaves

1 dry red chilli

1 cup shallots

1 tomato – finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime-sized ball of tamarind

3 cups water

 

Cook the toor dal along with the water in a pressure cooker until tender. Set aside.

Heat a kadai and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, dry red chilli, and finally, the shallots.  Sauté until the shallots are tender.

Now, add the tomatoes.

Next, add the salt, turmeric, chilli powder and the sambar masala. Sauté and add the tamarind juice.

Cover with a lid and allow to cook on a low flame, until the raw smell of tamarind dissipates. This will take approximately 10-12 minutes. Blend the dal and add it to the kadai. Make the sambar to the consistency you prefer.

Allow to boil for a bit, then serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

This sambar pairs perfectly with the ragi idly I shared last week. Why not try both out together and let me know what you think?

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Recipe: Millet-Enriched And Indispensable – Ragi Idly

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I believe that South Indian breakfasts are probably the healthiest ones prepared pan-India. I may be biased, of course, as I live here. But my belief comes from how they tend to contain some amount of protein and probiotics, and are centred on something as basic and easily digestible as rice. Rice is used in the batter for idlys and dosais, which are breakfast staples. If you travel across Tamil Nadu, especially by road, you’ll see just how prevalent these items are across all communities and economic backgrounds. Naturally, I grew up eating them too. Nowadays, I like to boost the protein quotient, as I get very hungry immediately after my morning workout and crave more of it. This is why I decided to substitute rice with ragi – finger millet – in my idlys. They are high in both protein and iron, and provide an even more nutritious start to the day.

We grow ragi on our farm, and making these idlys is a great way to put it to use. During harvests, I have quite an abundance of ragi in my kitchen, and versatile ways to consume it were introduced to me by my household staff, Vijaya. I was fortunate that she came into my family when my daughter was only a few months old. Now, my daughter is an adult, and whenever she visits, Vijaya is always so happy to see how she’s grown and how she looks after herself. It’s a joy to share these moments, as we raised her together. Over the years, we have also exchanged many recipes. Among them is this ragi idly.

I’m currently hooked to this dish, and have it at least twice a week. I alternate it with other protein-rich breakfasts such as overnight oats, quinoa porridge, moringa leaves omelette and so on. As far as eating preferences go, I tend to have a “flavour of the season”, and just as I was hooked for each of the prior recipes for a spell, the ragi idly is my current favourite breakfast. It is satisfying, filling and ticks all the boxes for a post-workout meal in a healthy and traditional way.

It’s also on-trend, as the United Nations has declared 2023 to be the International Year of Millets. I’ve been enthusiastic about millet usage for years, and have shared numerous recipes that are based on a variety of them before. I’ll be sure to share more in this category over this coming year. Please let me know if there are any millets or millet-based dishes you are curious about.

Coming back to this dish: all kinds of idlys are usually served either with a chutney, or a sambar. I will share the recipe for sambar, as well as for homemade sambar powder, in upcoming posts – so do stay tuned. The recipe below includes the traditional process of preparing and fermenting the batter.

As I said earlier, idlys are available anywhere in Tamil Nadu, but the difference when they are homemade is that they somehow feel lighter on the stomach. You can eat many idlys and not feel too full, yet you’ll have plenty of energy all the way into the afternoon. This is all the more true when it’s a millet idly, like this one.

Ragi Idly

(Yield: 20 pieces)

2 cups ragi (finger millet)

½ cup urad dal (split black gram)

¼ tsp methi (fenugreek)

½ cup water to grind dal

½ cup water to grind ragi

 

Soak the urad dal and the methi together. In a separate bowl, soak the ragi. Allow the grains to soak for between 4-10 hours, as required.

Then, grind the urad dal, adding the water only as needed, at approximately a ¼ cup at a time. Grind until it’s smooth between fingers. Set aside in a bowl.

Grind the ragi, along with water as required, until coarse. Add the ground ragi to the urad dal. Add salt to taste and mix with your hand. Set aside overnight and allow to ferment.

The following morning, the ragi batter would have risen for fermentation.

Prepare the idly mould by spreading a drop of ghee into each mould. This will help you remove the steamed idly with ease later. Set aside.

With a ladle, stir the batter gently and pour it into the prepared idly trays. Steam for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the cooker and allow to cool a little. Gently remove the idlys individually from the mould.

Serve topped with ghee, along with chutney and sambar, or both. There you have it: a traditional staple, superpowered by ragi!

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Recipe: Effortlessly Excellent – Easy Biryani

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When my children were growing up, they were really fond of biryani. Biryani is a speciality in India. It is basically a type of rice, loaded with flavours, aromas and vegetables and/or meat. The specific ingredients included will be based on what is locally available, as well as preferences unique to a community – and it is made by many different communities, each in their own styles. By and large, the authentic method of preparing a fragrant biryani loaded with spices came with the Mughals, and trickled into other cuisines. The dish may even have other names in some parts of the country. We are fluid here when it comes to biryani, and it is very much a pan-Indian dish or dish category. A real biryani takes time, effort and skill – but I’ve perfected the recipe for an easy biryani that tastes very good, smells just as lovely and requires the above three elements only minimally!

So here’s the truth: I never really did know how to make biryani when the kids were younger. So I always resorted to this easy and quick method. I feel that this is essentially a masala rice in preparation, but it comes close in flavour and scent to authentic biryani.

However, as my children grew and started eating around the world, they got smarter and were quick to spot when my masala rice was being passed off as a biryani. So I in turn learned how to make real biryani too. That, however, is a long process. The traditional method varies both in its ingredients as well as its cooking. Today, I have opted to share a simple method for an easy biryani instead. While I have kept it vegetarian, you can add meat at the same time in the method that I add the veggies. All else remains the same in the recipe.

When I began to share recipes on this blog some years ago, one of the essential ideas that went behind its conception was that it should appeal to young adults. Whether they were off at university, or were newly-wed and starting a family of their own, I wanted to offer recipes that they could pull off with ease. So I like to present dishes that require accessible ingredients, and simple methods. While I do enjoy sharing exotic or more complex fare here too, and I quite often throw in traditional recipes that keep my readers connected to their roots, I do keep adaptability and time-efficiency in mind most of the time. I know this particular easy biryani recipe fits the criteria because it’s the version that I myself still keep making when I visit my kids in other locations, and encourage them to cook when they’re on their own too.

So, now that I’ve shared one of the core motivations behind how I come up with my recipes, let me also say: I hope this blog has served many. Feel free to leave comments on what else you’d like to see here or what you would like to know about the culinary realm, especially if you’ve just started your journey in the kitchen.

Easy Biryani

(Yield: Serves 2)

2 tablespoons ghee

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cardamom

2-3 garlic cloves

½ cup chopped onions

2 cups chopped vegetables (beans, carrot, peas, potato)

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1½ cups water

1 cup rice

Salt to taste

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons dhaniya/jeera powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

Coriander and mint leaves (to garnish)

 

Rinse and pick the rice and set it aside.

Heat the ghee in a saucepan or pressure cooker. To this, add the bay leaf, cumin, cloves and cardamom. Once they have heated, add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Then, add the onions and the remaining vegetables. If you are using meat, add it now as well. Sauté on a medium or high flame.

Now, add the tomato purée. Stir for a few minutes.

Then, add the rice and the water. Add the remaining masala and close the lid of the pressure cooker or cover the saucepan. Allow to cook for no more than 2 whistles or until the rice is tender to the touch, but not too soft. Turn off the flame.

Once it has cooled, open the lid. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and mint leaves. Cover again for some time.

Serve while still hot. Biryani is usually accompanied with raita. Here is a fancier version of this curd side dish, if you’d like to try it out.

I hope you’ll enjoy this delicious, fragrant and flavourful biryani, and I also hope that you find it very easy to make!

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Wishing You Good Health And Joy This New Year

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(above: re:store’s almond brittle)

(above: re:store’s date squares)

(above: re:store’s fig rolls)

(above: re:store’s chocolate cupcake)

Maintaining a standard of quality that is always up to the mark is very important to us at re:store.

Everything that is prepared in the re:store kitchen is exactly what my own family eats, and I put the same amount of care and effort into preparing it. In fact, when one of my kids comes home to visit, I always pack them a parcel of re:store goodies (sugar-free, as well as some with sugar) when they go back. The date squares, almond brittle and fig rolls are perfect for this, as they are travel-friendly and keep for a while. And when my kids are here at home, they regularly enjoy many of the re:store cake varieties too.

Before I introduce any new product, I put in a lot of research, conduct several trials, and get as much feedback as I can from friends and family. Only after that will I offer it to my clients. You can see the current product list here. I really look forward to your orders in the coming year and beyond.

As I said, quality is everything at re:store, as it is with everything else in life too. That’s the thought I am going into 2023 with.

My wish for us all is for good health. I can see that ever since the pandemic began, food has become a major focus for many. People have come to accept that what we consume can be the cause or the prevention of many illnesses. That said, let us not body-shame or take medications to change our bodies. Let us instead reflect on how food can be the source of our overall well-being. Let us also consider traditional and seasonal ways of eating, as passed down in one’s community or location. Let food be what helps us resolve issues.

I’m not denying that we need our indulgences, yet I believe – especially through the creation of my baked goods and confectionery at re:store – that even these can be nourishing and clean.

Wishing us all a healthy and delicious year ahead!

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Recipe: Festive Desserts And Daily Rituals – Rabdi

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Milk plays a very central role in most communities in India. This is evident when it comes to cuisine, where dairy ingredients like ghee, paneer (known as cottage cheese in the West) and milk itself are crucial components of many dishes. Milk also has religious significance, such as in Hinduism wherein idols of deities are bathed in milk and then offered specially-prepared sweets which often contain the same. In South India, where I live, other than Deepavali or Diwali the big festival is Pongal, when milk is boiled and allowed to spill over the pot as a sign of abundance, a good harvest and new beginnings. Milk therefore can be considered auspicious or even sacred. With Diwali just days away, a milk sweet is thus a must on this blog. This year, I have chosen to share with you the recipe for rabdi. Rabdi is essentially a form of thickened milk, not to be confused with condensed milk.

In the past, I have mentioned various kinds of kheers on this blog, including orange kheer, sitaphal kheer and rose-coconut kheer. Rabdi is a similar dish, and you may also hear it being called by the name rabri. It is also difficult to differentiate between rabdi and basundi. There is a vast array of milk-based desserts in the subcontinent, and sometimes they may resemble each other in look, preparation or taste.

As you may know, over the last few years I’ve increasingly taken a vegan approach to my diet, and many recipes I’ve shared here attest to the same. Being vegan in India is certainly a bit of a challenge because dairy is a big part of our cuisine, as mentioned before. We also have certain conditioned ideas about the importance of it, such as how children are forced to drink milk as it is believed to give them good health and strength, or even how drinking chai is a kind of milestone. I remember how when I first got married and started drinking chai, I started to feel like “Now, I am an adult”. All this aside, my personal struggle is not with milk, ghee, paneer or milk sweets at all but with yoghurt. I just can’t seem to give that up. Anyhow, more on that later, as I continue on my adventures on the vegan path.

For now, since I still consume dairy, I’m going to do so by reflecting on what it means on a day like Diwali, when it is such a big part of our food and our rituals.

Actually, it is important in my family on more than just a festive occasion such as Diwali, but every day. You see, I grew up with a precious statue of Balagopal, the baby version of Lord Krishna. This statue has been in my family for generations. He was gifted to my great-grandmother by a priest, then looked after by my grandfather, then my parents, and now my 91-year old father. My father has found it difficult to keep up with the seva, or rituals, and I imagine that I will welcome Balagopal in my own home in due time.

We have elaborate customs to worship him, which must be performed throughout the day. He must be treated like a child of the home: he must be bathed, fed, dressed, sung to, played with, and put to bed – until the following morning, when it must all be done all over again. There are seasonal rituals too. In summer, he is given water in a tiny pot and cooled with a tiny khus khus (vetiver) fan. In winters, he is dressed in warming velvet and fragranced with attar.

To me, these rituals are an exemplary way to follow traditions that inculcate discipline, respect, humility and generosity, as well as a daily practice of celebration and joy. I am sure that when he does come to my home, his welcome will be a very big affair. I am waiting to receive him. I have taken the advice of elders in the family who tell me that I should do the best seva I can, but that I cannot miss a day. He can never be abandoned or ignored, just like my child.

I am a big believer in “to each their own”. People look at or don’t look at God, do or don’t have spiritual leanings, and come from different religions with their own systems. They are all valid to me. For myself, I see Balagopal as an important legacy, one I want to continue for the sake of both of my elders and my children.

Now, the sweetest part of all this: Balagopal loves milk, according to the myths. So he is often offered a milk-based treat, such as rabdi. So it is sure to be among my offerings to him. It can also be among your own festive delights. Both these thoughts give me joy.

Rabdi

(Serves: 4)

 

2 litres milk

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon saffron strands

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

 

In a heavy-bottomed pot, boil the milk on a low flame. Keep stirring to make sure it does not stick at the bottom of the pot. Do this until the milk has reduced to almost half the quantity. This will take about an hour.

When the milk is noticeably thick, add the sugar and saffron. Continue to stir constantly. Finally, add the cardamom powder. Stir and take the pot off the flame.

Cover with a lid and allow to cool until it has reached room temperature. Then, refrigerate.

Rabdi can be eaten either cold or warm, and I hope it will bring some sweetness to your festivities this year. In many communities, these go on for about a week, with something special eaten every day. If you’re looking for more recipes to make your Diwali delicious, do explore my blog archives. Let me point you toward the recipes for laapsi, chevdo and sweet ghugras to begin with. Enjoy!

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Recipe: A Nice Diwali Savoury – Namakpara

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The re:store kitchen has been abuzz with orders this festive season and amidst all the delight of preparing your favourites for you, I’ve been taking some time to make some goodies for my family too. Among these is namakpara, a snack that is a type of Indian biscuit. The sweet version is called shakarpara (“shakar” means “jaggery” and “namak” means “salt”). I thought I would share the savoury version with you as it deliciously counterbalances the taste of the many desserts that you’ll no doubt also be enjoying during this indulgent month!

My absolute fondest memories from childhood have to do with the big festival of Diwali. All of us kids looked forward to it, not only for the special treats and new clothes but also because there was such a cheerful atmosphere around us. For me, the essential memory is all about fragrance: of waking up in the days preceding Diwali and on the day itself to the tantalising smell of the yummy savouries and sweets being fried at home.

Our mother would be busy making them early in the mornings, and the culinary preparations would happen over the course of several sessions. As I have mentioned in earlier festive posts, she and a few friends of hers would get together and cook communally. They would help each other out, making enough for everyone’s families and sharing recipes and techniques. There was a great sense of camaraderie in our homes, as well as mouth-watering anticipation among us kids. Of course, our mother would keep everything she fried in tins up on a high shelf out of our reach!

Each day, we looked forward to her giving us our share of those goodies. It would be a small portion every day. We relished the whole experience so much.

These days there’s such abundance and such accessibility – just make a call, open an app, pay online, have it home-delivered. That didn’t happen back in those days. Everyone had to make their treats on their own. Even gifting consisted of homemade goodies. We would send something made in our kitchen, and they would send something made in theirs. It was all unlike festive celebrations of today, when we can take things for granted.

There was a simplicity to our lives, and I miss it. I don’t know if it’s possible today, but I want my children to experience it too. So I do the next best thing: I continue to make the sweets and savouries I learned to make from my mom. And we observe a rule at home that no matter where they are in the world or how busy they are in their own lives, all of my kids must come home for certain occasions. Diwali, naturally, is one of them. I really believe that we must take a pause sometimes and understand the importance of family, and make time for friends who are like family. This is a great time to do that.

I hope this namakpara will be relished at your gatherings this Diwali too. If you’re looking for more recipes that are perfect for the festive season, I hope you’ll explore my blog archives. There are six years’ worth of wonderful sweets and savouries here, as well as a host of other dishes – from nutritious to decadent. Here’s to many more to come! Thank you for being with me on this journey.

Namakpara

 

1 cup maida

2 tablespoon ghee

1 teaspoon rawa

Salt to taste

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ginger green chili paste

1 teaspoon kasuri methi powder (or fresh fenugreek leaves)

Water as required

Oil for deep frying

 

In a bowl, add the maida, ghee, rawa, kasuri methi powder (or fresh fenugreek leaves, if you have access to them), turmeric and ginger chili paste, along with salt to taste. Mix with your fingertips.

Add water as required, using a tablespoon so that it’s not over saturated. It needs to be sufficient to make a tight dough.

Mix well. Grease your palms and knead the dough until it is smooth.

Now, roll out the dough. Using a knife, cut it into diamond shapes or any shape you desire. The number of pieces in the yield quantity will depend on the size you choose (I have made mine small, as they look pretty). Meanwhile, heat the oil.

Deep fry the cut namakpara on a slow flame, occasionally turning up the heat for a few seconds or so. Fry until golden brown. Drain onto a paper. Once cooled, store in an airtight tin.

You may have noticed the unusual green tinge of this snack in the photographs. That shade comes from the use of fenugreek (methi). I like to add fresh leaves. They are supposed to be in season now, but the rain has made the supply irregular where I live. So what I do is dry the leaves when I can get them, then powder and use them. You can also purchase this powder, known as kasuri methi.

It will also add a slight hint of bitterness to the flavour of the namakpara, which I personally like as it balances the intense sweetness of festive desserts that may be consumed at the same time. I also sprinkle my fenugreek powder into dough, batter, salads and more, so that I can incorporate its benefits into more meals. I’m a fan, but you can skip it altogether if you prefer.

Isn’t it funny how fenugreek is in season right now – during a time of indulgent feasting? Balance is clearly one of the laws of nature. It’s a good law to observe when it comes to food too.

Enjoy this with anything else sweet, savoury or festive – or just make it as a teatime snack at another time of year, to add some pep to an ordinary day.

Tell me: what are you preparing for the festive season this year? As always, I love hearing from you!

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