तैयारी त्यौहार की – Here’s bringing a truckload of authentic recipes to Relish, Savour and Indulge in – this festive season!

This festival try authentic recipes from different Indian states, shared by beautiful queens of the kitchen. Hope you Enjoy!

Haryana special by Madhvi Mohindra

Whole Wheat Jaggery (Gud) Malpua is an authentic Indian dessert from the state of Haryana in India. You can call it sweetened pancakes that are made without eggs, processed sugar, or milk. Instead, it is made with whole wheat (atta), jaggery (gud), and ghee.This malpua recipe is better than other Indian sweets out there as it uses whole wheat flour instead of maida and jaggery instead of sugar. There are so many ways to make  malpuas. It is made with very few ingredients- 

Whole wheat flour, jaggery, water, ghee, cardamom and fennel seeds. 

• 

Whole Wheat Jaggery (Gud) Malpua

• Grate the jaggery or powder it
• Warm up the water that is called for in a microwave for 2 minutes
• Add jaggery to it and mix until melted
• If you suspect any grainy jaggery pieces, either warm up the water again to dissolve it or strain it through a fine mesh
• Add the cardamom and fennel seeds to the water itself
• Add the warm jaggery liquid to the wheat flour to make a pourable batter
• Let the batter sit on the countertop for 2-3 hours or more to rest before frying
• Add enough ghee to a non-stick pan sufficient to cover the batter completely once poured
• Switch on the flame on medium heat
• Pour ¼ cup ladle full of batter into the pan
• Let it cook undisturbed for a minute
• After a minute, loosen the malpua at the base
• Let it cook until the top is not shiny anymore, say for 30 seconds
• Gently flip the malpua with the help of a prong and a spoon if needed
• Let it cook on the other side for a minute or so
• Once the malpua turns deep golden brown, take it out of the pan and place it on the dish lined with an absorbent Paper

Rice kheer recipe 

Ingredients

1cup rice

2.5 litre Milk 

1cup sugar

2 tbsp chopped Chachew nuts

2 tbsp chopped Almonds

2 tbsp chopped pistachios 

¼ tsp cardamom powder

Instructions

• First, in a large kadai stir and boil 2.5 litre milk
• Add in soaked rice and stir well
• Simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice grains are cooked well
• Mash the rice slightly until the kheer turns creamy
• Now add 1 cup milk and adjust consistency
• Also, add ¼ cup sugar and stir well
• Boil for 3 minutes or until the kheer turns creamy and sugar is dissolved completely
• Pour the roasted nuts over kheer and add ¼ tsp cardamom powder; mix well
• Finally, enjoy rice kheer hot or chilled for a week when refrigerated.

Bihar and Marwaar special by Akriti Swarnim

Khaaja or layered fritters

• 

Ingredients

• 4 cups Maida
• 2 tablespoon Ghee
• 2 teaspoons Cardamom Powder
• 2 teaspoons Black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
• Oil, to cook
• Chilled water

Ingredients for Syrup

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Water

Instructions

• Add the flour, melted ghee and mix well.
• Add cold water to make a smooth yet firm dough.
• Cover the dough and keep aside for at least 15 to 20 minutes
• Make a paste mixing 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons flour to make a flour paste
• Divide the dough into eight equal parts
• Take a ball and roll into rectangular shape sheet
• Roll another one of similar shape
• Smear the prepared flour paste on one sheet and place another on top of it.
• Spread the flour paste on top of the second sheet and roll both the sheets together tightly to resemble a log
• Cut this flour log into equal sized pieces of 1 inch each. Roll each piece vertically.
• Heat enough oil in Deep fry pan, fry them in batches, on a medium flame until they turn golden brown on both sides
• Cool them completely

In the meantime, prepare sugar syrup

• Add 2 cups sugar in 1 cup water in a Saucepan
• Bring to a boil and cook till it becomes sticky
• Add cardamom powder, black pepper and cinnamon powders to it. This addition of spices is purely optional. Switch off flame
• Grease a large plate with some butter or ghee
• Dip the fried khaja into the syrup hence prepared, when the syrup is still warm
• Immediately take the well-coated khajas onto the greased plate
• Serve Khaja at room temperature. You could also serve them when still warm

Moong Dal halwa

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Ingredients

• 1 cup moong dal
• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup ghee
• 1 cup sugar, adjust to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• Garnish with crushed nuts (pistachios, almonds or cashews)

Instructions

• Press sauté and add the (dry) moong dal to a kadhai
• Dry roast (stir) the dal for 8-10 minutes until it darkens a bit.
• Add water and stir, then cover the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 20 minutes at high pressure
• Quick release pressure and immediately add ghee, sugar, cardamom to the pot and mix well
• Once the dal absorbs the ghee, press the sauté button and stir continuously for 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot regularly
• Remove the steel liner from the instant pot (so, the halwa doesn’t burn) and Immediately scoop the halwa out into a serving bowl
• When you pour it out, you’ll notice some ghee on the sides of the serving bowl – meaning, it separated a bit from the halwa and is perfect
• Garnish with crushed nuts, serve warm and enjoy!

Andhra special by Aruna Chandrala

Mango Mousse – summer delight

Ingredients:

•           4 – Packets Pineapple Jelly
•           1 – Alphonso Mango pulp 800 ml tin
•           2 – Paul’s Vanilla Custard 600 ml cartons
•           1 – Thickened cream 600 ml
•           1 – Water 1600 ml

Instructions

• Boil water and add pineapple jelly powder in a large bowl
• Let it cool and when the liquid is lukewarm add mango pulp, custard and cream.
• Mix with hand mixer
• Pour the mixture into container(s) of your choice and put in the fridge to set
• Can be served as it is or garnish with berry fruit
• It will last more than a week in the fridge
• Light and very tasty and will be huge hit in summer functions

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Andhra’s  Aavakaya recipe – Mango Pickle

Ingredients:

• Mango pieces – 4 cups (3 Green Sour Mangos)
• Mustard Powder (Aavapindi) – 1 cup
• Mild Chilli Powder (Karam) – 1 cup
• Salt –  ¾ cup
• Fenugreek (Menthulu) – 1 tea spoon 
• Garlic – 12 pods
• Oil – 1 Cup
• Brown Sugar or Jaggery  (Bellam) – 2 tea spoons
• Turmeric – ½ tea spoon

Procedure:

• Wash the mangoes and leave them in cold water for 30 minutes
• Then dry them and cut (including shell and kernel intact) into pieces
• Remove Kernel carefully and through it out
• Leave them under sunlight for 2 hours.  If possible, try to remove thin paper like layer normally there on the shell of the cut pieces
• Mix all ingredients ensuring each mango piece is thoroughly coated with spices
• Transfer the above mango pickle into a jar and leave it for three days
• After three days mix it well and if required add more oil
• Preferably store in fridge
• This pickle will last for several months provided care is taken to avoid contact with water during preparation, storage and subsequent use.

Cauliflower Pickle

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower pieces – 8 cups
• Mustard Powder (Aavapindi) – 1 tea spoon
• Mild Chilli Powder (Karam) – 1 cup
• Salt –  ¾cup
• Fenugreek powder (menthulupodi)–2 tea spoons
• Garlic – 5podscut pieces
• Oil – 1 Cup
• Turmeric – ½ tea spoon
• Lemon Juice – 2 Cups

Instructions

• Wash the Cauliflower pieces and dry them in sun for two hours
• Mix all ingredients ensuring each cauliflower piece is thoroughly coated with spices.
• Transfer the above pickle into a jar and store in fridge.
• This pickle will last for about a month provided care is taken to avoid contact with water during preparation, storage and subsequent use.

Kerala special by Mittu Gopalan

Raw Papaya Pachidi

 Ingredients 

• ½ Green Papaya                                        
• Salt as needed                                    
• 3 tspn Mustard seeds                 
• 2 tspsns Coconut oil                       
• 2 Green chilies                    
• ½ tspn Cumin seeds                     
• 2 Dried red chiilies             
• ½ cup Yogurt                                
• ½ cup Grated coconut               
• 5-6 Curry leaves

 Instructions

• Chop the green raw pawpaw into thin pieces and cook it with salt, curry leaves, little water and chillies
• Once cooked, to it add ground coconut with mustard seeds (1 1/2 tspns), cumin seeds and chillies
• Once its slightly warm, to it add the yogurt and take it off the stove
• To garnish, in the coconut oil, crack mustard seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves and pour it over the papaya yogurt mix
• Serve it with rice.

Pumpkin and payar (black eyed) erriseri

 Ingredients

• 500gms (cooked and mashed) Pumpkin                                            
• 2-3 cloves Garlic                                                 
• Soaked and cooked before hand – Black eyed beans                           
• 1 handful Grated coconut                              
• 2 tspsns Cumin seeds                                    
• 5-6- Curry leaves                                    
• Add salt to taste                                                   
• 1 tspn fine desiccated coconut              
• 2 Red dried chilies

Instructions                

• To the cooked mashed pumpkin, add cooked black eyed beans
• Add enough salt
• Grind coarsely the coconut, cumin seeds and garlic pods
• Add the coconut mixture to the pumpkin and black eyed bean mixture
• Garnish it with – in the coconut oil crack mustard seeds, red dried chilies, curry leaves and fine desiccated coconut (lightly browned).

Telugu special by Devi Jujjavarapu

Chicken Dry Roast

 Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken 
• 3 medium size – Onion
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• Salt – to taste
• Coriander leaves
• Curry leaves (must)

 Dry Masala

• 5 Dry red chilies
• 2 tbs coriander seeds
• 1tsp Cumin seeds
• 6 Cloves
• 3 small pieces of cinnamon sticks——
• 2 cardamom
• ^1/2 tsp pepper
• 10-12 Garlic cloves
• Dry roast all the the ingredients except garlic.
• Let it cool. Powder the roasted masala ingredients along with garlic.

Chicken preparation

• In a pan add 4 tbs ghee or clarified butter. (Can use oil but ghee gives authentic flavor).
• Add chopped onions and fry till the colour change to golden brown.
• Add 1tsp turmeric powder and mix well.
• Add chicken pieces and mix close the lid and cook on medium flame
• Since Chicken leaves water, no need to add water
• Stir occasionally and for cook 8 to 10 mins
• Add the powdered masala, salt and mix well and close the lid
• Cook on low flame for 10 min
• Sprinkle coriander leaves and curry leaves
• Mix well and cook for some time, according to how dry and gravy you like
• Serve with rice or roti.

Rajasthan special by Kanta Mathur

Methidana & Papad Ki Sabzi 

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Ingredients

• Take Methidana or Fenugreek seeds – 4 Table spoons (soak it overnight and discard water.  Take freshwater one cup and cook till soft)
• Urid dal papad with blackpepper – 6 pieces (Don’t need to roast them)
• Cooking Oil – 8 Table spoons

• Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon
• Turmeric powder – ½ tea spoon
• Chilli Powder – ½ tea spoon
• Corriandor powder – ½ tea spoon
• Cumin powder – ½ tea spoon
• Paprika – ½ tea spoon
• Besan flour – 1 tea spoon
• Ginger and garlic paste –1  table spoon
• Salt to taste
• Water  – ½ cup
• Yoghurt – 1 Cup
• Garam Masala and chopped coriander for garnish

Instruction

• Heat oil in a pan
• Add spices and cook till fragrant, add water and cook till sauce thickens
• Add yoghurt and cook till sauce thickens
• Add methidana and 1 cup of water
• Add papad pieces and simmer till papad becomes soft
• Garnish with garam masala and chopped coriander
• Serve it with Roti or Puri or Parathas.

(Special credits – Aruna Chandrala)