Mita T

Sourcing of Vessels for cooking and Kitchen Setup for an Indian Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:18:00 +0000

For cooking and serving brass, copper and tinning of brass vessels :-

Hastimal Valchand LLP, Mumbai

Tel: +91 22 22016377 / 33937870

Mob-: +919619503955

email: brasshv@yahoo.co.in , aakash.hv1@gmail.com

For kansa vessels , dinner sets etc:-

Kansara Manilal Diyalji, Sihor

Hardik/Kartik

Mob: +91 9427139935 / + 918000799570

For Iron, cast iron and bronze cooking vessels:-

https://etbykayal.com

https://www.theindusvalley.in

For cookers:-

Prestige Stainless Steel Cooker

For Cutlery:-

http://kishco.in

For Stainless Steel Ladles, Dabbas for Tea, Coffee and filling of snacks etc:-

https://vinodcookware.com

https://shriandsam.com

For glass jars in all sizes and various shapes:-

https://yera.com

Navratri -Three Festivals at One Time-Navratri, Durga Pooja,Dusshera

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 06:09:00 +0000

Navratri , Three Festivals at One Time

What is Navratri

The word Navratri means ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit – ‘nava’ meaning nine and ‘ratri’ meaning nights. During this time, nine different forms of the female divinity known as ‘Shakti’ (female power), ‘Devi’ (Goddess) or ‘Durga’ (name of a Goddess) are worshipped. During Navratri many people fast for the first and last day, the first eight days, or all nine days. Some sing devotional songs and perform rituals every morning and night in their home. Many families make a place for the goddess in their home and call her to stay there for the nine days. For many people, particularly women,Navratri is the most important time of worship throughout the year.

The days of Navratri are actually the time for three major festivals - Navratri, Durga Puja, and Dusshera, each of which are celebrated with different customs and importance depending on the region.

The festival of Navrātra commences on the first day (pratipadā) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin. During this vowed religious observance, a clay pot is installed (Ghatasthapana) in a sanctified section of one's home. A lamp is placed in the pot and it is kept lit for nine days. The pot symbolises the universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the brilliant primordial energy, Ādi-shakti, i.e. Shrī Durgā Dēvī. During Navratri, the principle of Shri Durga Devi is more active in the atmosphere. When we understand the spiritual science behind the various rites that come under the worship of Shri Durga Devi, we become worthy of absorbing more of the Divine Energy principle, thereby acquiring more of Her grace.

Navratri is the detoxification of body, mind and soul. Body detoxification involves Navratri diet containing eating less devoid of cereals. In Navratri diet flour is replaced with Kuttu or Singhara flour; pulses with amaranth or Rajgiri and Rice with Samak rice. Mental and soul detoxification involves practicing Yoga Sadhna as described in nine forms of Durga.

Various Parts of India Celebrate Navratri

In North India, this time is marked by intense fasting during the nine days of Navratri.

In the Kulu valley of Himachal Pradesh, the hill-folk celebrate Dasara with a grand mass ceremony. On the day of Dusshera, village deities are taken out in elaborate processions.

Navratri is celebrated in Punjab by fasting for seven days. On the eighth day or Ashtami, the fast is broken by worshipping young girls who are believed to symbolize the Goddess herself. This festival is predominantly linked with harvest. The young girls are offered puris (sort of deep-fried Indian bread), halwa (a dessert primarily made of flour and sugar), chanas (Bengal gram) and red chunnis (long scarves).

Western India celebrates with a special dances called Garba. According to Hinduism, performing 'Garbā' means singing devotional hymns praising the Goddess with rhythmic clapping. Singing devotional hymns means of awakening Shri Durga Devi from Her meditation through the medium of the manifest spiritual practice of rhythmic clapping, and appealing to her to assume the destructive form for Her activity in the Universe.

Reason for performing Garbā with three claps:
The destroyer form of the Goddess is awakened by the musical rhythm of three claps through the frequencies of desire (ichhā), action (kriyā) and knowledge (dnyān), representing the Bramhā, Vishṇu and Mahēsh principles.
Bramhā, Vishṇu and Mahēsh are the three main manifest energies of God. During Navratri the destroyer principle of Goddess Durga gets awakened slowly and gradually. The destroyer form of the Goddess is channeled through these three energies. By clapping three times, the energy of Her resolve (sankalpa) gets activated. Hence it is more desirable and fruitful to praise the Goddess through the rhythmic movement of three claps. The meaning of the three claps is as follows

· The first clap is related to the Brahma principle which is symbolised by the energy of desire. As a result, the energy of desire of Brahma gets awakened in the universe. This energy also gives approval to the wishes in the mind of the embodied soul (jiva), according to his spiritual emotion.

· Through the medium of the second clap, the action related waves of the Vishnu principle give energy to the embodied soul for performing actions.

· Through the medium of the third clap, the knowledge waves of the Shiva principle bring about the actual act and from its result give the desired fruits to the embodied soul.

The act of clapping generates the fire element, so it is possible to awaken the destructive form of the Goddess through the striking of the claps. The act of clapping is symbolic of the worship of the fire element. Invoking the Goddess by the singing of devotion filled hymns and moving around in a circle while clapping helps in the awakening of spiritual emotion towards the Goddess.

In Maharashtra, celebrations are slightly different. Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Durga while the Vijayadashami is dedicated to Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. Here, this day is considered auspicious to start education, buy new homes, and start new ventures.

In South India and Nepal, it is the day of Dusshera that is given the most importance.

In Tamil Nadu, the first three days are dedicated to the worship of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. During this time they perform puja every night and regular cleaning is maintained all throughout because it is believed that Lakshmi would not enter if the place is dirty. The next three days are devoted to Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and arts and the last three days to Shakti (Durga).

Bommai Kolu

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, women arrange 'Bommai Kolu', a special placing of dolls in various costumes decorated with flowers and ornaments on specially prepared steps. Nine young 'kanyas' or virgins are offered new clothes and sweets as the goddesses and married women share flowers, kumkum and snacks among themselves.

In Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, families arrange dolls (Bommai Kolu) on artificially constructed steps and prepare an elaborate spread of lamps and flowers. Women traditionally exchange gifts of coconuts, clothes and sweets.

The Dusshera of Mysore is also quite famous where decorated elephants lead a colourful procession through the gaily-dressed streets of the city. During Navaratri Chamundi, the royal deity of the Mysore royalty is worshipped with pomp and religious fervor.

Durga Puja

In the East, Durga Puja is the largest and wildest celebration of the year. In West-Bengal, Navaratri is celebrated in the form of Durga Puja. This festival is essentially religious in nature. Celebrated with true devotion, huge idols of the Goddess Durga posed as killing the demon Mahishasura are worshipped everywhere in West Bengal. Huge 'pandals' are set up every where and devotees in large numbers visit to worship Goddess Durga. Men and women and children all dressed up in new clothes visit different ‘pandals’ to offer prayers to the Mother Goddess.

All three festivals overlap in many ways.

Navratri - Pratipada(First Day)

Pratipada (First day) of Navratri

The first night of Navratri festival is dedicated to Shailputri. Shailputri is believed to be the protector of forest.

Maa Shailputri Worship:1st Chaitra Navratri:

Goddess Parvati is Maa Shailaputri. Her First Incarnation was that of Maa Sati.
From the time Maa Sati was a Child, She had only one focus and aim in life, Lord Shiva. As She grew up Her Love and devotion for The Lord grew deeper. She began Her penance to please Lord Shiva and She pleased The Lord, and The Lord manifested in front of Her to grant Her a boon. Maa Sati asked The Lord for His eternal companionship as Man and Wife. It was granted.

But there was a catch. Maa Sati’s father Daksha Prajapati for some odd reason wasn’t too kosher about this heavenly Union. When he organized a major puja - havan (those days they called it a Yagna), our man Daksha Prajapati, on purpose decided to call all the Gods and Their progeny but did not invite Lord Shiva. Maa Sati was furious and told Lord Shiva that this was an insult which She would not tolerate and expressed a desire to confront the father and give him a piece of Her mind. Lord Shiva tried His level best to talk Maa Sati out of this meeting but to no avail. He warned Her that this meeting could lead to disaster but Maa Sati was furious and beyond reason. Eventually Lord Shiva gave in.

When Maa Sati entered the place of the Yagna, to her disbelief, She realised that Her father, along with a few of the household staff and Her sisters too, were bad mouthing Lord Shiva.
Maa Sati, who loved and worshipped Lord Shiva all Her life, could not take the humiliation and the harsh words directed to The Lord. Already angry, this was the final straw, and She through Her Yog Shakti engulfed Herself in Fire.

When Lord Shiva realised that His beloved Sati was no more in the body He ordered His army to destroy the place and went into silence for a long time.

Sati Maa’s love was so pure and innocent that She was reborn as Maa Parvati and is also known as Sahilaputri. She is the daughter of the Lord of the Mountains, Himalaya. Maa again won Lord Shiva through Her love, devotion and penance, and the First Day and Night of Nav Ratras, Maa Shailaputri is worshipped. She is the First Form of Nav Durga.

Maa holds The Trishul in the right hand and a Lotus in the other. Her vehicle is The Bull, Nandi.
According to Yogis and other spiritual practitioners, Maa Shailaputri represents the root Chakra or the Muladhara Chakra and it is considered the first or initial platform for all spiritual practices to commence.

The Prayer for Maa Shailaputri given by Baba Sai of Shirdi is given below.
I worship Goddess Maa Shailaputri,
She who has a crescent moon on Her head, rides on a bull, carrying a Trishul and is ever known,
Bless me with the same love and devotion Thou had for Your Lord,
Let me always be filled with Thy fire of Oneness
You are the First One, Thy name is Sati,
I chant Your Name, worship You, praise You forever more Maa Shailaputri

1. In mythology Mata Shailputri is a daughter of mountain king – Himalaya. She is the first among nine avatars of Durga and worshiped on the First day of Navratri.
2. In yogic language it represents the lowest chakra, Muladhara chakra. And the bija sound to chant is LAM in the sacral root area. In allopathic language it represents activation of sacral plexus.
3. The Mother Goddess has a half moon in her forehead & she is holding a trident (trishul) in her right hand & lotus flower in her left hand. She rides on mount Nandi a bull.
4. Bull in mythology represents ‘desires’. On the first day we must let go our desires.
5.Trishul in mythology represents balancing Tamas, Rajas and Satwa
6.Lotus in mythology indicates practicing detached attachment.
7.Moon in mythology means thinking with a cool mind.
8. Shailputri represents the shakti or power of the root chakra, who, upon awakening, begins Her journey upwards in search for the last crown chakra (Shiva).
9. In Navratri pooja on the first day Yogi keep their mind concentrated on Muladhara chakra as the starting point of spiritual discipline or Yoga Sadhna.

What to do on first day

Let go your desires
Keep the mind cool
Practice detached attachment
Balance Tamas and Rajas guna with Satwa. or to stay in balance.
Concentrate on Muladhara chakra (sacral root)
Chant LAM reducing the respiratory rate to 2-4 per minute.
. In Ayurveda Muladhara chakra represents the earth element.
Gist: On the first day we control (riding), our desires (bull) by balancing (Trishul) the mind with cool thoughts (moon) and practicing detachment (lotus). This can be assisted by chanting LAM focusing on sacral chakra.

Maa Brahmacharini: 2^nd (let go your impure thoughts)

“Spiritual summary: Purify the mind (white cloths) with continuous efforts (japa mala) by accepting the things and situations as they are (kamalandu) and building humility in the mind (egoless state)”. This can be assisted by chanting VAM focusing on 2^nd gonadal chakra.

Brahmacharini (Tapasyacharini)

In reality Maa Brahmacharini is once again Maa Parvati. This Second Form of Nav Durga is the One related to the most severe penances connected with Devi worship. This Form of Maa Durga is connected with the penance done by Maa Sati and Maa Parvati to get the boon of eternal companionship with Lord Shiva. But this Form is related more with Maa Parvati’s penance for Lord Shiva which went on for thousands of years.
We are already aware of why Maa Sati set Herself ablaze in the holy Fire. She takes birth again as Maa Parvati. One day Lord Vishnu’s eternal disciple; the Sage Narada, visited the kingdom of King Himalaya. The moment He saw Maa Parvati, who was then a very young Woman, the revered Sage bowed down to Maa Parvati. Himalaya and his wife were astounded as to why Sage Narada would bow down to their Daughter. It was then, that Narada revealed to her parents the true origin of Maa Parvati and how Maa Parvati in the former Form of Maa Sati had won over Lord Shiva, became The Lord’s Wife and how She couldn’t bear the humiliation meted out to Her by Her extremely strange father and thus immolated Herself, and now, here She was, as Maa Parvati.

I am sure the very Energy behind Her Past Incarnation, which was spoken by Narada, must have evoked long lost memories and Maa Parvati requested the Sage to reveal how She could win over Lord Shiva again. The Sage revealed that now, for Lord Shiva to again accept anybody as His wife and companion, Maa Parvati would really have to raise the bar of asceticism and penances.
So, Maa left Her parents, the palace, the comforts and began Her quest for pleasing Lord Shiva. Her penances are considered the most severe. For the first thousand years Maa meditated and prayed to Lord Shiva and lived on fruits and roots. Then, for the next three thousand years She lived on only leaves and then only on water, disregarding Her physical state or the elements of nature. It was but natural that She became skin and bone, and Her only emancipation was being the Spouse of Lord Shiva.
Maa’s penance eventually forced all the Gods and Sages to approach Lord Brahma who then blessed Maa Parvati that She would become The Divine Spouse of Lord Shiva. He also blessed Her, through which Her health and beauty were regained and thus titled Her ‘Brahmacharini’, which means ‘The One who is a celibate Woman’.

Lord Shiva then married Maa Parvati.

All the severe penances and fasts / upvaas that women do and keep are to please Maa Brahmcharini who is none other than Maa Parvati who is none other than Maa Sati who are the Forms of Shakti or Woman Energy. Thus, They are all One, and worshiped as the Second Form of Maa Durga.
Maa as Brahmacharini, wears simple white and in some places shown as wearing a pink saree. Maa carries a rudraksha mala or rosary in Her right hand and in the other hand a Kamandalu (a pitcher carried by Sages). She is, and appears very calm, serene and is always in the state of meditation. She stands for renunciation, patience and penance; and endows Her devotees and disciples with dedication, Will Power, focus, courage, strength as well as wellbeing and eternal peace.

Yogis and spiritual practitioners who pray to Maa Brahmacharini focus on the Third Chakra, which is below the navel, the Manipura Chakra. This Chakra is thus associated with Maa Bhramacharini and according to Baba Sai of Shirdi, This is the Chakra where all the powers and strengths reside.
The prayer channeled by Baba Sai for Maa Brahmacharini is as follows. If you want the original Sanskrit version and meaning; as I say often, we have God and then we have Google.

O Goddess Maa Brahmacharini,
Bless me with purity, dedication, courage and perseverance.
Bless me with Your devotion to achieve merger with Thou and my Lord and Master.
Never let me be afraid to make Thou happy and proud of me,
Never let the world distract me from my highest goals.
Bless me Maa Parvati to shake the very heaven with my faith, dedication, love and need of merger with Thou.

Brahmacharini (Uma or Tapacharini) is worshipped on 2^nd day of Navratri as the goddess who performed ‘Tapa’ (penance or continuous efforts) (Brahma – Tapa, Charini – Performer).

SHE personifies love and loyalty and provides knowledge and wisdom. Those who worship her, attain, Tap (Religious Austerity), Tyagi (Sacrifice), and Vairagya (Asceticism).

She is shown to hold Japa mala (rosary beads) in her right hand and Kamandal in left hand. This form of Shakti as per Yoga Shastras is present in second gonad chakra (in Allopathy gonad plexus) called Svadhisthana Chakra. The bija sound for the chakras is VAM which removes attachments. In Ayurveda the 2^nd Chakra represents the water element.

In mythology ‘white’ represents purity of mind; beaded rosary or japa mala represents continuous efforts (meditation and concentration) and Kamandal represents acceptance and water in it represents pure thoughts.

Kamandalu also means living an egoless state of mind. Kamandalu is a water pot made from a dry pumpkin contains nectar and is shown on the ground next to Shiva. The process of making Kamandalu has deep spiritual significance.

A ripe pumpkin is plucked from a plant, its fruit is removed and the shell is cleaned for containing the nectar. In the same way, an individual must break away from attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of egoistic desires in order to experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectar in the Kamandalu.

Maa Chandraghanta Worship : 3rd Navratri (Controlling your negative energies)

Maa Durga in Her Third Avatar for the first time shows Herself as The Ferocious One. Maa Chandraghanta (because Maa has a bell-shaped half moon on Her forehead, thus the word ghanta meaning bell). She is worshipped on The Third Day and is ten armed and rides a Lion. She is worshipped by those who want the help of the Goddess to ward off opponents, foes and those who resort to corrupt and evil means.
In this Avatar, Maa is always ready for war against all which is evil and the dark side of Creation. Those who pray to This Form of Maa Durga, experience fearlessness merged with tranquility. It is said that all mental and emotional fears are eradicated when one prays to Maa Chandraghanta and the devotees are further blessed with a powerful aura and blessed speech.

The devotee is enveloped by Maa’s Aura, and thus, develops confidence and exudes strength and power, as well as has a charismatic pull over all he or she interacts with. Though Maa’s appearance might look ferocious, She is ever loving, always merciful and most tender to those who pray to Her.
Many believe that one can look into the future with the grace of Maa Chandraghanta and get Divine Fragrance or hear sounds, which herald Maa’s Presence in your life. Maa’s very shout can make Her enemies, demons and those who indulge in evil tremble, and go back to where they have come from.

Maa Chandraghanta’s prayer as Baba Sai of Shirdi has given is:
O Goddess Maa Chandraghanta, riding a Tiger,
Protect me from my enemies, those visible and those unseen, make me as noble and brave as Thou,
The One who holds many weapons in Her ten hands, keep me and my loved ones always Protected and Bless me with Your favour.

1. Chadraghanta is worshipped on the third day of Navratri

2. SHE is shown with golden skin and riding a tiger. She is depicted with ten hands and 3 eyes with a crescent moon on the head.

3. Eight of HER hands display weapons. The rest two are in the mudras or gestures of boon giving and stopping harm (Varada and abhay mudra) indicating protection.

4. Out of eight hands five contains Bow and arrow (to bend, focus, one point determination, The bow and arrows also represent energy. Holding both the bow and arrows in one hand indicates control over both potential and kinetic energies); Trishul (balance), sword (sharp intelligence) and mace (power to destroy the evil). Rest three hands contains rosary (tapas); lotus (detached attachment) and Kamandalu (acceptance).

5. In Ayurveda SHE represents the control over the fire element.

6. In Yogashstra SHE represents the solar or Manipura Chakra with the Bija sound RAM.

7. Sound of her bell terrifies demons as well as all enemies.

8. SHE represents protector and bravery.

Spiritual message on the 3^rd Navratri: One should continuously (beaded rosary) control the fire (solar plexus) within by using our sharp intelligence (sword) and balancing the mind (Trishul) by focusing on one point (arrow and bow), practicing detached attachment (lotus), accepting things as they are (Kamandalu) and killing the negative energies by using gada (power) when needed.

Maa Kushmanda : 4th Navratri Worship

Maa Durga’s Fourth Swaroop or Divine Form is that of Kushmanda. Maa is considered as the Mother of all Creation, all planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe. The Sun is Her home and dwelling. Kushmanda means ‘The One who created the Universe as a tiny celestial egg’. She has created the Universe, and thus is also known as the Primordial One, or as ‘Adi Shakti’. Many consider This Roop of Maa Durga as The Creator. She has breathed life into all things and beings; and by praying to This Form of Maa, the devotee is bestowed by Maa Kushmanda with resplendent glory, fame and wellbeing. As She resides in the Sun; and only She can reside in the Sun, as She has created it all, Her Form is luminous and resplendent like the Sun. In fact the very Sun gets Its warmth and radiance because Maa dwells in it. She has eight hands and thus is also called Ashtabhuja.

Maa Kamandalu has in seven hands a vase of Nectar, a discus, a bow, an arrow, a Lotus (the Lotus is so important to The Goddess) and a Mace. But it is what She holds in Her eighth hand which is most important for Yogis and spiritual aspirants; She holds a rosary that can grant the eight all important Siddhis (knowledge / wisdom of all one needs to know) and Nine Niddhis, (powers and wealth of all types.) Maa is seated on a Lion. Having created the Sun along with all of Creation, those who have a malefic Sun in their astrological chart must worship Maa Kushmanda.

Maa Kushmanda is seated in the Heart Chakra; Anahata. For a long life, success, fame and prosperity, Maa Kushmanda is appeased with purity, love and dedication. (I guess all Mothers are appeased with purity, love and dedication.)

The prayer one can chant to appease Maa Kushmanda, according to Baba Sai is:
Maa Kushmanda,
Shine through me like the Sun.
Let Thy radiance permeate within me and through me to all of creation,
Let my name, fame and glory be attached with Thou and with eight siddhis and nine niddhis, bless me Maa
So that I can serve and spread Thy Radiance

1. Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day of Navratri.

2. SHE shines brightly with a laughing face.

3. Out of eight hands (Ashtabhuja) in her four arms, she carries weapons like bow, arrow, discus and mace. In other three hands, she holds a lotus, a beaded rosary and a Kamandalu. In remaining hand, she carries a jar of nectar.

4. SHE rides on Lion.

5. Rosary represents her power to bless her devotees with Ashtasiddhi (eight types of studies or wisdom sources) and Navanidhi (nine types of wealth).

6. In Ayurveda SHE represents the control over the air element.

7. In Yoga Shastra SHE represents the heart or Anhata Chakra with the Bija sound YAM.

Spiritual message on the 4th Navratri: One should continuously (beaded rosary) control the air (anahata plexus) within us by using our sharp intelligence (sword) and balancing the mind (Trishul) by focusing on one point (arrow and bow), practicing detached attachment (lotus), accepting things as they are (Kamandalu), keep smiling in both acceptable and difficult situations (smiling face) and killing the negative energies by using discus (power) when needed.

Maa Skanda: 5^th Navratri

Skanda Maa is The Fifth Manifestation of Maa Durga. She is also called Skanda Mata, derived from Her son; Kartikeya, who amidst other Names is also called Skanda. Thus, She is called Skanda Mata; The Mother of Skanda, would be the literal translation. Lord Skanda is also known as Subramanya and Murugan.

Lord Skanda / Kartikeya / Subramaniya / Murugan was appointed as the Chief Commander of The Gods and Their Army to fight against the demons.

Kartikeya is the brother of Lord Ganesha; thus logically, Skanda Mata, who is the Fifth Manifestation of Maa Durga is Maa Parvati who is Maa Sati who is Maa Shakti.

Maa Skanda is seated on a Lotus; thus, She is also called The Goddess with a lotus - seat. Her mode of transport is the faithful Lion. She is seen carrying two Lotus flowers, a Kamandalu again, and a bell. With one hand She blesses one and all and with the other hand She holds Her son Kartikeya or Skanda.

When Skanda Mata is worshipped, Her Son, Kartikeya, is automatically paid homage and obeisance to. The importance of worshiping Skanda Mata is that She desires pure, dedicated, selfless love and devotion, and thus happily grants the devotee / disciple with prosperity and wellbeing. I think in This Roop, Maa seeks disciples rather than devotees. A disciple is one who has surrendered to his or her Lord, Goddess and Master. A devotee worships The One but still hangs on to his or her own ego. It is said that with the grace and blessings of Skanda Mata and Lord Kartikeya, the disciple gains salvation.

Prayer for Skanda Mata, once again none of them are traditional prayers, but what comes forth from Baba Sai of Shirdi.
Skanda Mata, Mother of Lord Kartikeya, seated on the Lotus, in the world, but still detached from it;
The One on the Lion, make my heart and mind, child like, completely immersed and surrendered to You,
With Thy son Kartikeya Subramaniya’s grace make me face my lower energies and the world like a warrior
Like Your child, take care of me and my lot,
Oh Mother Skanda, May Thou and Thy Son, Lord Subramanya, The Skanda, be always pleased with me and my loved ones.

Skanda Mata represents Visuddha Chakra, which is the Throat Chakra. Skanda, as a child in the lap of Skanda Mata basically signifies the purity of a child or in this case purity of the mind.

1. Skanda Mata is worshipped on the fifth Day of Navratri.
2. SHE is holding her son ‘Skandaa or Kartikaya’ on her lap.
3. SHE has three eyes and four hands
4. 2 hands hold lotuses while the other 2 hands respectively display defending and granting gestures.
5. She is the ocean of knowledge.
6. She rides on a lion.
7.   In Yoga Shastra she represents the Vishuddha chakra and HAM bija mantra.
8.   She also dignifies motherhood, fertility and mother child relationship.
9.   Skandaa means the one with six heads corresponding to the five senses and the mind. Or the one who has a control over the six demonic vices: kaama (sex), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (passion), mada (ego) and matsarya (jealousy).
10. Kartikeya carries on one hand a spear and his other hand is always blessing devotees. His vehicle is a peacock, a pious bird that grips with its feet a serpent, which symbolizes the ego and desires of people. The peacock represents the destroyer of harmful habits and the conqueror of sensual desires.
Spiritual message on the 5^th Navratri: One should learn detached attachment as the main principle of spirituality.

Maa Katyayani:6^th Navratri

This is The Sixth Form of Maa Durga, which is most commonly and widely known; The destroyer of Mahishasura. Maa Katyayani’s Name is derived from a Sage called Kaatyaayana. Sage Kaatyaayana was a devotee and disciple of Maa Durga. He worshipped Her with love, dedication and sincerity. Maa Durga pleased with Him, appeared before Him, and told Him to ask for a boon. The Sage asked Maa to be born as His Daughter. Maa blessed Him.

When Mahishasura began to play havoc with Gods and all of Creation, Maa Durga took birth as Sage Kaatyaayana’s Daughter, and thus, was called Maa Katyayani, The Daughter of Kaatyaayana.
Legend says that Maa Katyayani was worshipped by Lord Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and all other Gods for three days, in order to give Her all the Power to destroy Mahishasura.

Sage Kaatyaayana was overjoyed, but Maa showed Him Her True Form. She became huge and resplendent. Maa let Herself be worshipped by Sage Kaatyaayana for three days, and then, She went and gave Mahishasur the pink slip by relieving His spirit from His body.
Maa carries a sword, a shield and a Lotus. She blesses with one hand and her vehicle is the Lion. Maa Katyayani can be easily pleased with love and devotion, who then destroys the sins of Her devotees and grants them material wellbeing, luxuries, pleasures and liberation.

The prayer given by Baba Sai of Shirdi to appease Maa Katyayani is as follows:
Maa Katyayani, the destroyer of demons,
Free me from my lower energies,
Destroy all that which Thou doesn’t approve of within me and around me,
But do so tenderly Maa
Bless me with protection, prosperity, success and courage.

1.   Mata Katyayani is worshipped on the sixth day of Navratri.
2.   SHE has three eyes and four hands and rides on a Lion.
3.   The top right hand is positioned in a gesture of providing courage and the other hand is positioned in a gesture of rendering a boon. The top left hand is holding a sword and the other holding a lotus.
4.   In Yoga Shastra she represents the Ajna Chakra and AUM bija mantra.
5.   AUM chanting helps attaining success in religion, wealth, passion and salvation and removing fear and sorrows.

Spiritual message on the 6^th Navratri: AUM chanting is one of the most powerful chakra and should be done concentrating on the Ajna chakra.

Maa Kalaratri….Maa Shubhankari:7^th Navratri

This Seventh Form of Maa Durga is very close to Maa Kali. Maa is dark skinned, violent and to those who don’t go beyond Her physical aspect, Maa can seem very daunting. This aspect of Maa is ferocious, and God help the so called enemy of Her's or Her devotee's and disciple's. She is atop a Donkey, and She has a sword, a Trident and a noose. She is very clear about Her intentions. No hide and seek here. Some scholars profess that this is the dark side of Maa Durga, that life has its violent, cruel and dark side. Maa Kalaratri has three eyes on Her forehead. The strange part is, though Maa is depicted as dark skinned, black would be the right word; luminous rays of Light emit from Her body.

The more terrifying Maa Kalaratri’s appearance, She in reality is that much and more tender and merciful. Thus, She is called Maa Shubhankari, meaning, ‘The One who does Good and Auspicious things for Her children’. If one goes beyond the body, one sees Her tenderness, and She is ready to give and help and heal and absolve the sins of Her children. Like Mother Kali, Maa Shubhankari Kalaratri is The Most Tender of all Mothers. She wants you to go beyond the gross, beyond the physical, beyond the darkness and glitter, and focus on Her love and Her mercy.

Maa Kalaratri is prayed to destroy black magic, demons, ghosts, voodoo, evil eye, nazar and all the dark alleys of the spirit world. Her very blessing makes Her child fearless. Who the hell in Creation is going to oppose or get into a battle with Maa Kali and Maa Kalaratri? Maa Kalaratri wants Her children happy and moving towards liberation by going beyond the gross body and material objects and externals. Maa wants us all to go beyond fears and obstacles created by the world, the planets, the unknown, the dark side of one’s own mind and in all of Creation.

Maa Kalaratri is associated with the Crown Chakra or the Sahasrara Chakra, giving the invoker the Siddhis and Nidhis (knowledge, wisdom and power) of the universe.

Baba Sai’s prayer for Kalaratri Devi:
Kalaratri….O Maa Kali
You cannot scare me as You are my Mother,
A child is never scared of the Mother
But the one who harms Your child is destroyed.
Be always tender with this child of Yours,
Protect me from black magic, the evil eye, the manipulator and the one who You do not favour.
Surround me and my loved ones with Your presence,
Bestow love, grace and wellbeing
And let the world know I belong to You.
Jai Maa Kali. Jai Kalratri. Nav Durga Namho Namha.

1. Kalaratri is worshipped on the Seventh Day of Navratri.

2. She is dark and black like night.

3. Her hairs are unlocked

4. SHE has three eyes and four hands.

5. She holds a sharp Sword in her right hand and blesses her devotees with her lower hand.

6. HER vahana is a donkey, destroyer of darkness and ignorance (or shava).

7. She spills out fire from her nostrils.

8. She has put on necklaces shining like lightening.

9. In Yoga Shastra she represents the Sasahara Chakra

Spiritual message on the 7^th Navratri: By the time chanting of Bija mantras LAM, VAM, RAM, YAM, HAM and AUM is over the inner darkness goes over.

Mahagauri … Maha Gowri … Maha Gauri … Kanya … Kumari … Chaturbhuji:8^th Navratri

The Eighth Manifestation of Nav Durga, for many people, is the most important Manifestation of Maa Durga. She is represented as a young eight year old Girl.

Due to thousands of years of penance that was undertaken by Maa Parvati to appease Lord Shiva, Maa Parvati’s complexion became dark, virtually black in colour. When Lord Shiva was convinced of Maa Parvati’s devotion and love, He bathed Maa with the water of The Ganga that flowed through His matted Locks. Maa regained Her former complexion and radiance, and thus, Her Name became Maha or Maa Gauri, The One who is extremely fair or radiant.

Maha Gauri is always worshipped in the form of an eight year old Girl. Whoever worships Her, is granted happiness, prosperity and wellbeing. Yogis and Sages worship Her to be blessed with dedication, devotion, courage, to continue to pursue their spiritual aspirations. Those who meditate on Her, worship Her and seek to be blessed with Her patience and Her single minded focus of merging with The Lord and Master, they are freed from the cycle of life and death and attachments with the external world.

Maha Gauri is always dressed in white with jewellery. She sits on a Bull and has four hands, thus the name, Chaturbhuji. She grants Her devotees and disciples wealth and wellbeing, and also salvation to Yogis. She is tender at heart, and thus easily forgives.

The prayer to Maha Gauri given by Baba Sai of Shirdi is:
Maa Maha Gauri,
Bless me with Your devotion and child like love,
The way you appeased Thy Lord, bless me that I may appease mine too,
Grant me, when in the body, health and prosperity of body, mind and heart
And when in spirit back with You, liberation from the cycles of birth and death,
Make me innocent as a child and as wise as a Sage,
So be it as I pray.

1. Maha Gauri is worshipped on the Eight Day of Navratri.
2. SHE looks as white as moon and jasmine. White means purity of mind.
3. She has three Eyes and four hands. SHE is dressed in a white sari.
4. SHE holds a drum and a trident and is often depicted riding a bull (control over the desires)
5. Her above left hand is in fearless pose and she holds ‘Trishul’ in her lower left hand.
6. Her above right hand has tambourine and lower right hand is in blessing Mudra.

Spiritual message on the 8th Navratri: By the 8th day of spiritual; detoxification once gets purity of mind.

Maa Siddhidayini … Siddhidatri: 9^th Navratri

As the Name suggests, Maa in the ninth manifestation is the Giver of all sidhhas and siddhis. This is the final Manifestation of Maa Durga; but in reality, creation as we know of it, evolved from Maa Siddhidayini which is Maa’s Ninth Form or Roop of Nav Durga.

When The Universal Mother, The Creator of all Creators, created Lord Shiva, legend says, that Lord Shiva prayed to Maa Supreme to bestow on Him all boons that would lead to perfection. Maa Durga or Maa Shakti or Maa Parvati, which ever Name one would like to call The Primordial Goddess, from Herself created Maa Siddhidayani.

Maa Siddhidayani blessed Lord Shiva with ashtasidhis, eight Siddhis while some claim eighteen Sidhis (powers and/or states of perfection). From here Lord Shiva, created Lord Vishnu, who created Lord Brahma.

Then there came a halt. For creation of the world, one needs male and female energy. So Maa Siddhidayini made Lord Shiva into Male and Female Energy, half God - half Goddess, called as Ardhanaarishwara. It is through this, that Creation followed.

Thus, all that which is perfect comes from Maa Siddhidayini.

Maa Siddhidayini is prayed and worshipped by all those who seek Siddhis and Niddhis (powers, perfection, wisdom of all kinds). She is prayed by the Gods and the demons. She grants all boons connected with the occult and the paranormal. Those who pray to Her are granted boons for material and spiritual wellbeing, and the state of perfection. She sits on a Lotus, holding a mace, a discus, a Lotus and a Book (the Akashik Records or the history and destination of all and everything).

Baba Sai of Shirdi’s prayer to Maa Siddhidayini:
Maa Siddhidayini make me perfect,
Make me realizse Your perfection in myself,
Bless me with the gifts You wish to bestow
As I am ignorant of my wants and needs,
Let the God and Goddess Energy within me be in harmony
First Your Love and Blessings, then Siddhis and Niddhis
First Your Protection and Grace, then occult and all else
Be with me for now and for eternity.

1.  Siddhidatri is worshipped on the Ninth Day of Navratri.
2.   She gives all the eight siddhis – Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Iishitva and Vashitva.
3.    She rides on a lion or on a lotus
4.    She has four hands and looks pleased.

Spiritual message on the 9^th Navratri: By the 9^th day of spiritual detoxification one gets all spiritual powers.

Rituals

Ghatasthapana Puja Vidhi during Navratri

Ghatasthapana Time

Ghatasthapana is one of the significant rituals during Navratri. It marks the beginning of nine days festivity. Our scriptures have well defined rules and guidelines to perform Ghatasthapana during a certain period of time at the beginning of Navratri. Ghatasthapana is invocation of Goddess Shakti and doing it wrong time, as our scriptures forewarn, might bring wrath of the Goddess Shakti. Ghatasthapana is prohibited during Amavasya and night time.

The most auspicious or Shubh time to do Ghatasthapana is first one third of the day while Pratipada is prevailing. If due to some reasons this time is not available then Ghatasthapana can be done during Abhijit Muhurta. It is advised to avoid Nakshatra Chitra and Vaidhriti Yoga during Ghatasthapana but those are not prohibited. The most important factor to consider is that Ghatasthapana is done before Hindu midday while Pratipada is prevailing.

Hence please note down the city based Ghatasthapana Time after setting the location for your city.

Ghatasthapana Items

Wide and open Clay Pot to sow Sapta Dhanya
Clean Soil to sow Sapta Dhanya
Sapta Dhanya or seeds of seven different grains
Small clay or brass Pitcher
Sacred water to fill the Kalash or Ganga Jal
Sacred thread / Moli / Kalaya
Scent (perfume)
Supari(betel nuts)
Coins to put into the Kalash
5 leaves of Ashoka or Mango tree
A Lid to cover the Kalash
Raw Rice or unbroken rice known as Akshat to put in the lid
Unpeeled Coconut
Red Cloth to warp coconut
Flowers and Garland preferably marigold
Durva grass

Kalash Preparation

Kalash Preparation for Ghatasthapana

Kalash is prepared before invoking the Goddess and other Gods into it.

Step 1 - First take the wide clay pot (the one which would be used to keep the Kalash) to sow the grains. Spread the first layer of the soil into the pot and then spread the grain seeds. Now add the second layer of the soil and grains. In second layer grains should be spread near the periphery of the pot. Now spread the third and final layer of the soil into the pot. If needed add little water to the pot to set the soil. . The process to grow ‘khetri‘ or barley seeds is collect, clean mud from an auspicious or clean place. This mud is put in a earthen pot. Clean and wash the barley to remove any insects or impurities and soak them in water for 15-30 minutes and then put these barley or ‘jau’ on the top of mud. Make a thin layer of mud on top of barley, so as to cover it. don’t put too much mud otherwise barley will not grow and put just enough water to soak the barley. One

Step 2 - Now tie the red color sacred thread (mauli) of mata rani is tied to khetri pot on the neck of the Kalash and fill it up with the holy water up to the neck. Drop Supari, scent, Durva grass, Akshat and coins into the water. Keep 5 leaves of Ashoka at the edge of the Kalash before covering it with a lid.

Step 3 – Now take the un-peeled coconut and wrap it inside the red cloth. Fasten the coconut and red cloth with the sacred thread.

Now keep the coconut on top of the Kalash prepared in step 2. At last put the Kalash in the center on the grain pot prepared in step 1. Now we have Kalash ready to invoke Goddess Durga into it.

Invoke Goddess Durga

Now invoke Goddess Durga and request Her to accept your prayers and to oblige you by residing into the Kalash for nine days.

Panchopachara Puja

As name suggests, Panchopachara Puja is done with five Puja items. First show the lamp to the Kalash and all deities invoked in it. After lamp offering, light Dhoop sticks and offer it to the Kalash, followed by flowers and scent. Finally offer Naivedhya i.e. fruits and sweets to the Kalash to conclude Panchopachara Puja.

Akhand deep -Continuous burning of a lamp

Akhand means continuous and deep is an oil lamp; Akhand deep is a continuously burning lamp. An oil lamp symbolises absolute Fire principle. During Navratri the atmosphere is charged with a glow that is laden with absolute Fire principle. The frequencies emanating from this glow get attracted towards the flame of the Akhand deep resulting in their constant movement in the house. Hence it is important to light an Akhand deep during Navratri.One of the observances during Navratri is that a lamp is kept lit continuously for nine days.

The following are the benefits of this ritual:

· The distress of negative energies reduces and hence the pressure in the atmosphere is reduced.

· Due to the radiant vibrations emanating from the lamp, the embodied soul (jīva) benefits at the level of his spiritual emotion.

· The Divine Energy (Shakti) principle present in the universe gets attracted to the lamp light, thereby benefiting everyone around it.

· The spiritual purity (sāttviktā) and Divine consciousness (Chaitanya) in the atmosphere increases.

The embodied soul gets the experience of bliss and peace.

Navratri vrat vidhi or procedure:

Certain items are required to perform the Navratri pooja - A picture of Goddess Durga, Durga Sapthashati book, water in Kalash, fresh and washed mango leaves, one coconut, roli, moli (red sacred thread), rice, paan (betel leaves), supari (beetle nuts), cloves, cardamom and kumkum (vermilion).
The flowers used for Navratri puja may include rose, lotus and red hibiscus. Stalks of Bilwa (bael) leaves are also used for the puja. You may offer fresh pomegranate and sweets for prasad. You will require a Panchpatra containing spoon, water and bael leaves.

In order to perform the puja, take bath in the morning and wear fresh clothes. Sprinkle 'Gangajal' all over the Puja room. Now, offer sandalwood powder and some fresh grass to the Goddess. Then, offer the sari or dupatta to the Goddess. Fill the kalash with water and place mango leaves on top. Place a coconut on top of the kalash. Now, tie moli on the kalash. Place the idol or picture of Durga in your puja room and then worship the deity with roli, rice, flowers, balepatra, kumkum and gulal.

1. To start with if possible, clean the house as you are inviting the goddess mother in your house.
2. Normally no onion and garlic are used in any recipe, no matter other people are keeping fast or not. so try to use all the onions and garlic before the fast is starting.
3. Many devotees keep fast on all nine days. some people keep fast on 1st and last day. my mil has kept fast on all nine days through out her life. but now because of old age and falling health, she keep fast on one day. if somehow, its not possible for you to keep fast on all nine days then you can try that on each day one person of your family is keeping fast in the house.
4. Many people grow ‘khetri‘ or barley seeds during this period. for this they collect, clean mud from an auspicious or clean place. this mud is put in a earthen pot. clean and wash the barley to remove any insects or impurities and soak them in water for 15-30 minutes and then put these barley or ‘jau’ on the top of mud. make a thin layer of mud on top of barley, so as to cover it. don’t put too much mud otherwise barley will not grow and put just enough water to soak the barley. one red color string (mauli) of mata rani is tied to khetri pot.
5. The progress of ‘khetri’ or barley is observed very keenly by the devotee and it is believed that the longer they grow in height… the better it is for your family’s fortune and well being. it is also related to the blessings or happiness of the goddess on you. on the last day of navratri, the khetri is immersed in moving water body like river or even a pond. if there is no water body nearby to your house then you can put the khetri under pipal tree in a temple.
6. One diya or lamp is burned through out the nine days and care must be taken that there is enough ghee or oil in the diya all the time. it is akhand jyoti (burning all the time for nine days). this akhand jyoti will destroy all the negativity in your house.
7. Along with this one red color chunri or cloth and one mature coconut is kept in the house temple. the thin edge of coconut should be towards the temple.
8. One kalash (earthen or copper pot) is filled with water, 5 betel nuts or suparis, sugar, rice and a five rupees coin and is kept with all these pooja items. in the kalash, red color string of mata rani is tied and this kalash water is sprinkled in your house after the kanjak pooja on 8th or 9th day. You can also drink this water. this water is considered as charanamrit and is holy.
9. After taking bath in the morning , aarti is done for devi maa and bhog is given to maa in the form of dry fruits (5 types), milk, bananas, mishri or other fruits. you can also offer fresh flowers. after doing the aarti or pooja only, my mil takes the food. the same aarti is done in evening time (sandhya kaal) too. burning incense, dhoop etc is part of morning and evening pooja.
10. Try to keep your body and mind clean. keep your thoughts focused on maa or goddess while doing your household work. you can do some special pooja or havan in your house or chant ‘jai mata di’ or chant durga Saptashati or sri lalita sahasranama. you can also visit devi temples during these days or can play devotional songs or mata ke bhajan in the house to help your mind to stay connected with maa.
11. Reading Devi Mahatmyam . Devi Mahatmyam(Durga Saptashati or Chandi Path) is a powerful text dedicated to Goddess Shakti. The reading procedure of Devi Saptashati is given here in detail version. Many devotees are confused on how to recite this powerful text – on which day, which adhyaya (chapter) needs to be chanted..

There are two methods to start reading Devi Mahatmyam– Trayangam and Navangam.
Trayangam is a method in which we need to chant three prayers – Devi Kavacham, Argala Stotram and Devi Keelakam followed by Navakshari Mantram.
Namani, Argala Stotram, Keelaka Stotram, Devi Hrudaya, Dhala, Devi Dhyana and Devi Kavacha.

As per the prescribed methods in ancient scriptures, Devi Mahatmyamshould be read in one sitting. After finishing the recital of Devi Mahatmya, one should chant the Devi Suktam (slokas 7 to 36 of Chapter 8).

Devi Saptashati Parayana in 3 days & 7 days
Apart from one sitting recital, devotees read Devi mahatmya for three consecutive days: Prathama Charitra or 1^st Chapter on first day, Madhyama Charitra (2, 3, 4 chapters) on 2^nd day, and Uttama Charitra (5-13 chapters) on third day.

Some devotees also read Devi Mahatmya in 7 days. They chant 1^st Chapter on first day, 2-3 chapters on 2^nd day, 4^th chapter on 3^rd day, 5-8 chapters on 4^th day, 9-10 chapters on 5^th day, 11^th chapter on 6^th day and 12-13 chapters on 7^th day.

Each chapter should be read in single sitting. Due to any reason, Parayana is stopped in between a chapter; the whole chapter should be read again.

The order of reciting Durga Saptashati Parayana daily is: Trayanga Mantra, Devi Mahatmya text followed by Devi Suktam.

Many devotees read Durga Saptashati during Navratri Durga Puja 9/10 days.. Here is the procedure to read Devi Mahatmyam during Navratri

How to read Durga Saptashati (Devi Mahatmyam) during Navratri festival
1^st day: Chapter 1 (Madhu kaitabha samhaaram)
2^nd day: Chapter 2, 3 and 4 (Mahishhasura samhaara)
3^rd day: Chapter 5 and 6 (Dhuumralochana vadha)
4^th day: Chapter 7 (Chanda Munda vadha)
5^th day: Chapter 8 (Rakta biija samhaara)
6^th day: Chapter 9 and 10 (Shumbha Nishumbha vadha)
7^th day: Chapter 11 (Praise of Narayani)
8^th day: Chapter 12 (Phalastuti – reciting merits or benefits)
9^th day: Chapter 13 (Blessings to Suratha and the Merchant)
10^th day: Chapter 14 (Aparadha Kshamaprarthana) on 10th day

You can also complete the recital on 9th day by chanting Devi Aparadha Kshama Prarthana Stotram on 9th day itself.

You should read Siddha Kunjika Stotram after completing the recital of every chapter

Offering Naivedya (consecrated food) to the Goddess all the nine days

During Navratri prepare sattvik dishes for the Goddess, as is customary. Apart from the regular food items include puran (a sweet made of gram and jaggery) and varan (an item made of toor-dal) in the meal. The Naivedya which includes puran and varan, radiates activated raja component and the energy laden absolute Fire element frequencies from the Universe get attracted to it in less time. When one consumes the Naivedya as prasad, he benefits from the energy frequencies which are absolute Fire element oriented and thereby purification of his gross and subtle bodies takes place. - (Pujya) Mrs. Anjali Gadgil

Navratri recipes, navratri fasting food, rules & procedure.
Out of 5 major navratri, only two navratri are celebrated. first ‘chaitra navratri‘ celebration is when summer is starting (march-april) and second ‘sharad navratri’ when winter is starting (oct-nov).
In north and western india, many people keep fast during navratri. as its a very good time to make progress in your spiritual practice or to invoke the energy of mother goddess or to purify your body-mind.
navratri fasting rules varies little from community to community. the same fasting rules applies for fasts during the ekadashi, janmashtami and mahashivratri fasts. i hope this post will be helpful to you all.
you can also check this post which shares 71 navratri recipes which covers north indian navratri fasting recipes as well as south indian navratri festival recipes.

Flours & grains allowed for navratri fasting
1. singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour) – you can make singhare ki poori, paratha, pakoras, halwa .
2. kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour) – you can make paratha, pakoras, poori, halwa.
3. rajgira ka atta (amaranth flour) and rajgira (amaranth) – you can make pooris, vrat ka halwa, paratha, and thalipeeth. roasted rajgira can be had mixed with fruits, porridge and even ladoos.
4. sama ke chawal ka atta (barnyard millet flour) – can be used to make vrat ke uttapam, idli, dosa, pooris.
5. vrat ke chawal (barnyard millet) – you can make pulao, kheer, dalia, idli, dosa, upma or just plain steamed 6. arrowroot flour or paniphal flour – used as a thickener and binding agent

Spices & herbs allowed for navratri fasting
1. cumin or cumin powder ( jeera or jeera powder )- you can add them to your curry or veggie dishes or make jeera aloo.
2. black pepper powder and rock salt (sendha namak)
4. green cardamom (chhoti illaichi), cloves (laung), black peppercorns (saboot kali mirch), cinnamon (dalchini) and nutmeg (jaiphal)
5. dry pomegranate seeds (anardana) – you can make chutney or raita or use it as a souring agent.
6. ginger – both fresh as well as dry, including dry ginger powder
7. green chilli or hari mirch and lemons.
9. *coriander (dhania) and mint leaves (pudina) and curry leaves (kadi patta) – some folks include and some don’t
10. *dry mango powder (amchur powder), chaat masala, red chili powder - some folks include and some don’t
11. *black salt (kala namak) – some folks include and some don’t

Vegetables allowed for navratri fast or upvas

potatoes – make vrat ke aloo, dahi aloo, jeera aloo. halwa or add them to raita.
2. petha or pumpkin – you can make kaddu ki sabzi, halwa, khatta meetha kaddu sabzi or pakoras.
3. shakarkandi or sweet potato – you can make shakarkandi halwa, tikki or chaat.
4. arbi or kachalu or colocasia – you can make many dishes from arbi like sukhi arbi, dahi arbi, arbi tikki, arbi cutlet.
5. suran or jimkand or yam (regular yam as well as purple yam) – you can make suran chips. suran ki sabzi.
6. raw banana – you can make sabzi, banana fries and banana chips.
7. raw or semi ripe papaya – you can make papaya halwa and salad from raw papaya.
8. *tomatoes – tomatoes are added to curries or sabzis. tomato sauce and chutney is also made.

Other food or ingredients allowed for navratri vrat:

1. sabudana or tapioca pearls – sabudana is favorite during fasting. you can make sabudana khichdi, vada, thalipeeth, pakoras, ladoos and kheer.
2. makhana or phool makhana – you can make makhana kheer, roasted makhana, rotis or a simple makhana sabzi.
3. all dry fruits – you can make dry fruits milkshake or add them to halwas or other dishes.
4. all fruits – make fruit chaat, fruit salads, fruit raita or fruit juices like musk melon juice or have them raw.
5. all milk products like paneer, curd, white butter, cream, ghee, khoya, malai, condensed milk. but some people make paneer at home (use lemon juice or curd for curdling the milk) and don’t use the paneer brought from market.
6. sugar, honey, gur or jaggery
7. tamarind (imli), kokum, lemon juice, yogurt – these can be used as souring agents.
8. coconut and coconut milk – you can use coconut in your dishes, make coconut ladoo or use coconut milk in milkshakes.
9. melon seeds (magaz), peanuts, groundnut oil

Foods to be avoided for navratri fast or vrat:
1. onion and garlic are strictly avoided. if you find any recipe in a food blog which has onion and garlic then skip adding them. so most vrat recipes make use of curd and ginger.
2. no lentils and legumes.
3. common salt is not used and instead rock salt or sendha namak also called as upvaas ka namak is used.
4. turmeric (haldi), asafoetida (hing), mustard (sarson or rai), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), garam masala and dhania powder (coriander powder) are not allowed.
5. alcohol and non-vegetarian food is strictly NO during this holy period.

Flours and grains not allowed for navratri fasting:
1. rice and rice flour
2. wheat flour or atta
3. maida (all purpose flour)
4. sooji (rava or semolina)
5. besan (chickpea flour or gram flour)

Fasting food - there is no fix rule and it varies from community to community. Some people eat only one flour based diet in a day and rest of the day they take milk, tea, fruits etc. Those who can not go for such strict diet take 2 flour based meals. in my place, we also buy ‘seel ki patti or laddu’ – made from popped amaranth seeds, from the grocery stores and have it during the fasting. Normally, there is always relaxation for old or sick people, even for nursing mothers or for those who can not follow rigorous fasting rules.
note: if you want to make roti, poori or paratha for fasting then use above mention singhare ka atta, kuttu ka atta and rajgira ka atta. for making rice based dishes, kindly use sama ke chawal.

Important aspects of some of the common rituals associated with Goddess Worship (Dēvī-pujan)*

There is a specific way to worship every Deity and every action in the ritual has its own spiritual significance. The table below gives important information about some common actions of the ritualistic worship of all the forms of the Goddess.

	Action of ritualistic worship	Important details about the actions
1.	Applying wet vermillion (kumkum) on oneself before starting the actual worship	Using one's middle finger apply wet vermillion in a straight vertical line over the mid-brow region (Ādnyā-chakra)
2.	Applying wet vermillion to the Goddess	One should use the ring (anamika) finger of the right hand
3.	Offering Flowers
	Which Flowers?	Jasmine (Chameli), Shevanti, Gladiolus (Nishigandh), Lotus (Kamal) and Jui
	How many?	One or multiples of nine
	How to offer?	The base of the flower should face the idol or picture of the Goddess
	How should the flowers be arranged?	Flowers should be arranged forming a circle ensuring that nothing is placed within this circle
4.	Using incense sticks
	For the worship of saviour form.	Sandalwood, Rose, Jasmine, Kewda, Champa, Jaee, Vaala, Night blooming Jasmine (Raat-Rani), Amber
	For the worship of destroyer form	Hina, Darbar
	How many?	Two
	How to wave the incense sticks around the Goddess?	The incense sticks should be held between the thumb and the index finger of the right hand and rotated in a clockwise direction three times
5.	Which perfume oil should be offered to the Goddess?	Jasmine (Chameli)
6.	How many times should one circumambulate around the idol of the Goddess ?	Once or in multiples of nine

4. Spiritual science behind offering specific flowers to specific deities*
One of the important aims of worshipping Deities is that the Divine consciousness in the Deity's idol (murti) helps in enhancing our spiritual progress. To attract specific subtlest Divine particles of each Deity, some flowers are better suited than others. If such flowers are offered to the Deity, it helps in activating the idol and we too benefit from the Divine consciousness in the idol. Hence it is important to offer specific flowers to specific Deities.

In the table below we have given some names of Deities and the flowers to be offered to them.

Goddess	Flowers to be offered
1.Shri Durga Devi	Jasmine
2.Shri Lakshmi Devi	Rose
3.Shri Saptashrungi	Magnolia
4.Shri Sharda	Nightqueen
5.Shri Yogeshwari	Michelia
6.Shri Renuka	Bakuli
7.Shri Vaishnodevi	Tube-rose
8.Shri Vindhyavasini	Lotus
9.Shri Bhavani	Ground-Lotus
10.Shri Amba	Coral

In reality it is the fragrance from that specific flower which attracts the Deity's principle towards the idol. So the same benefit can be obtained by using incense sticks of the corresponding fragrances.

Rangolī's that attract the Energy (Shakti) principle*

Rangolī is one of the most popular art forms in India especially drawn during various rituals and festivals. It is a form of sand-painting that uses finely ground coloured powders.
From a spiritual point of view, each Deity represents a specific Divine principle. Therefore there are specific shapes that have the capacity to attract the Energy principle, just like specific flowers are used to attract specific the Goddess Energy principle. Below are some shapes and also the Divine Energy principle
vibrations that they attract.

	Goddess principle	Shape associated with the principle	Proportion of colour (%)
1.	Shri Durga Devi		Red
2.	Shri Mahalakshmi		Red + Saffron (60+40)
3.	Shri Lakshmi		Red + Yellow (40+60)
4.	Shri Saraswati		White
5.	Shri Mahasaraswati		White + Red (60+40)
6.	Shri Kali		Violet
7.	Shri MahaKali		Violet + Red (80+20)

The Divine Energy principle gets attracted towards the rangoli based on the colours used
When the rangoli is drawn and the colours associated with respective Divine principles are used, then about 7 % Divine Energy principle can reside within the rangoli, which is the maximum that can be attracted.
The rangoli diagram given below attracts the Divine Energy principle.

Colour and its represented diety

Sky Blue represents Goddess Bhuvaneshvari
Grey represents Maha Kali or Bhairavi
Pink represents Goddess Chinnamasta
Green represents Goddess Jagadamba
Deep Blue represents Goddess Narayani
Parrot Green represents Goddess Amba
Orange represents Goddess Tara or Chamunda
Royal Blue represents Goddess Renuka Devi also known as Matungi
Red represents Goddess Durga

The devotees fast on those nine days and worship the Goddess with devotion to receive her blessings. One who receives the blessings of the Mother would overcome all obstacles in his life and succeed in any task in life. The devotees wear different coloured dresses themselves and also decorate the Goddess in different colours throughout the festival. The colour red is of main importance since it represents Goddess Durga herself . Also the colours have a lot of significance due to their attributions to different energy chakras in the yogic form of meditation. The most important of them all is the primal force of Muladhara Chakra and it is represented in Red Colour.

This colour hence becomes the most preferred of all to decorate the Goddess and is most used in all parts of India. Also apart from dresses, the devotees also play with colour also known as gulal on these days. In major parts of India gulal is used on many festivals apart from Holi.

Worship of a virgin girl (kumārikā pujan)/ kanjak pooja

Many families also do kanya puja on 8th or 9th day. in this kanya puja, nine girls who have not reached the puberty stage are worshiped. for the devotee these nine girls represents nine forms of goddess durga.

During this festival, a virgin girl is worshipped for nine consecutive days and is offered meals. A virgin girl is a symbol of unmanifest energy and by worshipping her, the unmanifest energy in her gets activated. Due to this the radiant frequencies in the universe get attracted and the devotee benefits by it. A kumarika symbolises Shakti in unmanifest form. Worshipping a kumarika activates the Shakti present in her and helps attract the absolute Fire principle frequencies from the Universe. Later, this principle is transmitted very easily to the atmosphere through the medium of the kumarika in the form of frequencies carrying chaitanya (Divine consciousness) and benefit the people. To accumulate the frequencies of the Goddess principle active during Navartri, the kumarika is worshipped with utmost bhav and efforts are made to appease her as she is considered as the manifest form of the Goddess' principle. The degree of manifestation of impressions on subconscious mind of the kumarika is less too and this helps in deriving maximum benefit of the 'with attribute' form of the Goddess; hence the importance of kumarika pujan during Navratri.

Ritual of Kumarika pujan performed

During each of the nine days of Navratri, respectfully invite a kumarika (a young virgin) to your house. If this is not possible, the custom is to invite nine kumarikas on any one of the days in Navratri.

Offer them a mat made of wool to sit on.

Perform their padyapuja (Ritualistic worshipping of their feet) with a bhav (spiritual emotion) that the Goddess principle in them is activated.

Offer them a meal of their liking on a banana leaf. It is believed that the Goddess likes kheer (a sweet made of milk and rice) , puris (type of fried Indian bread) , dry black chana and halwa

The coconut which is kept in the house temple is also broken during this occasion and is part of prasad. some families also worship one small boy in the form of bhairav but some families only worship the nine girls.

There is a custom of offering all kumarikas new clothes along with the prasadam, gifts and money is given to the girls. With the tilak on head and so much attention, love, and devotion, consider them to be representative of Shakti and pay obeisance with utmost bhav. - Ms. Kavita Patil

The day kanjak pooja is done, on that day in our house we do the immersion of khetri along with red cloth (chunri) in moving water or it can be kept under pippal tree in a temple.
On the day, kanjak pooja is done, the navratri fast is broken in the house. Some people do kanjak pooja on 8th day (ashtami) and some do it on 9th day (navami).

Disclaimer:I would humbly like to thank all the websites mentioned below. These websites have given the valuable content which has has been put up to you and the only job done here by me is compiling it together to make it easier for the reader.Kindly note that the rituals followed may vary from family to family.Incase the sentiments of the readers are hurt , kindly forgive me . Any kind of prayer, devotion done with a clean heart is always accepted by the universal mother, MAA .

Navratri Puja Visarjan Vidhi

1. On 10th day of Navratri, go to your place of worship. Take some flower and raw rice in your hand, and pray all Gods present in Ghat as follows :

“O Dear Gods! Thank you for coming. We surrender our devotional practice to you, which we done for you for nine days of Navratri. I request you to go back to your homes and come again when we pray.”

Offer flower and rice to them. Pick the Ghat and keep aside.

2. Similarly pray to Mother Goddess :

“O Mother Goddess! Thank you for coming. We surrender our devotional practice to you, which we done for you for nine days of Navratri. I request you to go back to your home and come again when we pray.”

Pick photo/idol of Goddess and put it at it’s permanent place.

3. Now collect the offerings on Chowki. Take them as Prasad. Remove cloth from the chowki. Turn aside the chowki and leave. Take the coconut on Ghat as Prasad, just eat it. Give raw rice on lid to birds to eat.

Sprinkle the sacred water of Ghat in your entire house and pray it will remove all negative energies and bring prosperity. You can also drink it and can take a bath of this sacred water.

Take out coins and keep safe along with your money, they will bring prosperity.

4. Observe the growth of barley. If they are fresh and sparkling green and in abundance, then it is sure sign of your prosperity.

Search for white Barley sprout. If you find one, it is very rare and very much fortunate. Dig it carefully with root. Surrender it to Goddess Durga with some green sprouts and keep it at place of puja forever. If you don’t have any white sprout, then pluck some green sprouts and surrender to Goddess Durga.

Search Peepal Tree near your house and put rest of whole sprouts with pot there. Don’t put Ghat there. Keep Ghat at your house. You can use it for any purpose.

http://experiencehinduism.com/festivals/navratri-first-day-first-form-of-durga-shailputri#sthash.tlacPw3u.dpuf

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/masters/god-and-i/nav-maa-durga

http://blog.kkaggarwal.com/2012/03/8th-chaitra-navratri-maha-gauri/

http://www.islandcrisis.net/navratri-nine-goddesses-durga/

http://www.drikpanchang.com/navratri/info/ghatasthapana-puja-vidhi.html

http://www.hindustudy.com

http://www.forumforhinduawakening.org/understanding/navratri-celebration

http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/knowledge/article/how-to-worship-the-goddess-during-navratri.html

http://bharathkidilse.blogspot.in/2009/09/navaratri.html

http://www.neelkanthdhaam.org/Chalisa.html

http://hindupad.com/devi-mahatmyam-reading-procedure-how-to-read-devi-saptashati/

http://stccofsc.org/9daysofnavratri.html

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/faith-and-rituals/navaratri-puja-vidhi

http://timesofhindu.com/colours-of-navaratri/

http://www.travelindia-guide.com/festivals_holidays/navaratri_festival_celebration.php

http://blog.onlineprasad.com/2013/10/04/colour-components-maha-navratri-2013/

http://experiencehinduism.com/festivals/navratri-second-day-second-form-of-durga-brahmacharini
http://www.ekunji.com/learn/navratri-puja-vidhi

If you find this post helpful, then do share it with your friends and family members.

JAI MAA

Traditional Gujarati Thali-Picture Courtesy Marissa Bronfman

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 08:15:00 +0000

Courtesy:-://www.pinterest.com/marissabronfman/ Thankyou so much Marissa Bronfman

Traditional Gujarati Thali -Poranpuri, Batetanu Vatananu Bharelu Shaak, Undhiyu,Patra, Rangooni Vaal Chana, Mogri,Imli Date Chutney, Daman Bhel,Green Chutney, Rajkot ni Chutney,Red Lasun Chutney, Vada Pav Chutney,Kachori,Gudpapdi,Papad, Bajra Rotla

Jaipur

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 07:45:00 +0000

Jaipur: A Poem in Aesthetics

I have often visited this pink city which is a glorious riot of colour,

pomp, and pageantry, a specimen of architecture that is grand in lifestyle and

intricate in design, a paradise of renowned handicrafts.

Carved out of the dessert, Jaipur is a magical city built by Sawai Jai Singh II

who was awarded the title SAWAI (for one who is extraordinary) by the Moghal

Emperor Aurangazeb when he was 11years old. Sawai Jai Singh II built this city

with the help of a gifted Bengali engineer Vidyadhar Chakravarthy.

Jaipur means city of Victory. The city is built in the form of a rectangle divided

into blocks chowkries, with roads and avenues running parallel to the sides.

The lay out of the streets was based on the mathematical grid of seven squares

representing the ancient Hindu map of the universe, with the sacred Mount Meru,

home of Shiva, occupying the Central Square.

Jaipur earlier known as Dhundhar is part of the broadly divided four regions of

Rajasthan. The other three being Marvar (Jodhpur), Mewar (Udaypur), Shekhawati

(Agarwal and Maheswari community comes from this region).

The Pink colour of the city was not according to the plans of Jai Singh but in

1876AD Jaipur dressed itself in pink to welcome Prince Albert, consort of Queen

Victoria. The pink colour was chosen after several experiments to cut down

the intense glare from the reflection of the blazing rays of sun. To this day, the

buildings are uniformly rose pink.

Jaipur is a renowned handicraft center and is famous for producing exquisite gold

jewellery enameled or inlaid with precious /semi-precious, blue pottery, carvings

on wood, stone and ivory, block print and tie and die textiles, leather articles,

handmade paper, miniature paintings etc.

So here is a humble attempt to share my favorite places in the pink city to shop,

to eat, to visit, worship. Jaipur offers much more than what is listed below but

keeping in mind the time factor for a tourist, here are a few of my favorite places.

1. For lovers of history a must see

2. Places of worship

3. Fairs and Festivals

4. Polo-Jaipur’s Heritage

5. Day Visit Bagru, Sanganer, Samode, Salasar Balaji

6. Places to stay

7. A Few recommended eating joints

8. Sweets, Snacks and Jaipur specialty food

9. Jeweler’s

10.Jaipur textiles, Jaipur designers, Boutiques

11.Miscellaneous

1. For lovers of history a must see

Amer Fort complex: Amer Fort complex stands amidst wooded hills

overlooking the Delhi-Jaipur highway, with its forbidding ramparts

reflected in the still waters of the Maota Lake. It was the ancient capital

of Kachhawah rulers. The original palace was built by Raja Man Singh;

Additions were made by Sawai Jai Singh.

Within the palace is the Diwan-e-Aam or the Hall of Public audience, the

Diwan-e-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience and the Sukh Niwas or the

Pleasure Palace where a cool breeze blows across channels of water for the

purpose of air conditioning. There are the private chambers of the queens

with windows having latticed screens so that the ladies could watch the

proceedings of the royal court in privacy. There is the Jai Mandir or The

Temple of Victory, with its famed Sheesh Mahal, the scintillating Hall of

Mirrors.

Amer fort is located in Amer an area of 4sq.km. Amer fort was made by

Meena’s community King Raja Alan Singh Chanda later occupied by

Kachawa Rajput

b. City Palace, Jaipur: You can enter the City Palace complex from either the

Sirehdeori Gate or the Atish Gate. Within its walls are a number of places

– The Hall of Public and Private Audience, the Mubarak Mahal and the

seven-storied Chandra Mahal which house a museum. In the museum are

preserved carpets, robes of the royal princes and an armory of old weapons.

The miniatures are finely executed depicting court scenes, Radha-Krishna

themes, the Ragmala series and battle scenes and processions.

a. Jantar Mantar: This open air observatory is set outside the gateway

of the City Palace Complex. It was built by the astronomer king

Sawai Jai Singh II in 1728 and is one of the five open-air astronomical

observatories built by him. Some of the instruments

measuring local time, the altitudes of stars and constellations, the

sun’s declination, meridian, altitude and determining eclipses.

2. Places of worship

A. Shila Devi Temple:

This temple is dedicated to the goddess Kali, popularly known as Shila Devi,

the goddess of strength. It has an idol of the deity made in black marble

which was brought by Raja Man Singh of Amer in 1604 A.D. from East

Bengal. It was elaborately decorated by Sawai Man Singh II with marble,

silver door and the silver drum. The majestic doors display 9 forms of Durga

and 10 forms of Saraswathi, The goddess of knowledge.

Timings: 05:00-12:00 and 16:00-20:00hrs

B. Meera Krishna Temple Jaipur:

C. Govind Dev Ji Temple:

The City Palace Complex includes the temple of Govind Devji.

This temple of Lord Krishna was built in such a fashion that the king could

see the God from the Chandra Mahal which is exactly opposite to it. It is

surrounded by gardens and palaces.

Timings: of Temples and Ceremonies and Darshan.

Mangala

Dhoop

Shringar

Gwal

Sandhya

Shayan

Winter

5:15-5:30 am

8:15-9:15

10:30-10:45

18:30-19:30

18:30-19:30

20:00-20:15

Govind Ji Temple Contact: 0141-2619413

a) Moti Doongri Ganesh Temple:

Lord Ganesh is worshipped first of all among all deities because Lord

Ganesh is considered as the God of auspiciousness in Hinduism as well as

God of Wisdom, knowledge of wealth. Moti Doongri Ganesh temple in

Jaipur was built in year 1761.

Timings:

Morning Time: 5:00 am-1:30 pm

Evening Time: 4:30 pm-9:30 pm

Timings for Aarti

5:00, 9:30, 10:30, 17:00, 19:15, 21:00

Special Timings for Wednesday Aarti:

5:00, 10:30, 12:00, 16:30, 22:45

3. Fairs and Festivals

a) Pushkar Festival: Held in the month of November in Pushkar. The well-

known and marked with the largest participation of all the festivals of

Rajasthan, Pushkar(152 km away from Jaipur) is an important pilgrimage

as well as the venue of mammoth cattle fair. Bazaars, auctions, music and

sports are the highlights of this event.

b) Elephant Festival: Held in between March-April in Jaipur. A festival

to celebrate Holi, This is a great occasion for the visitor to watch several

elephant sports and also play this festival of colours. A show is organized

with the elephants turning out in their best finery.

c) Camel Festival: The Camel Festival is organized by the department of

Tourism of the Rajasthan Government in January every year in Bikaner. The

festival begins with a colourful procession of bedecked camels against the

red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh Fort. Folk performances, camel race,

camel dance and tug of war contest are held here.

d) Gangaur Festival: Held in between the month of March-April, 18th day

from Holi. This festival is devoted to goddess Parvati, the consort of

Lord Shiva. It is time for young girls to dress in their finery and pray for

grooms of their choice while the married women pray for the well-being

of their husbands. This 18th day festival is laced with various activities and

culminates in a grand procession marking the arrival of Shiva to escort his

bride home.

e) Jaipur Literature Festivals: Jaipur Literature Festival is the biggest

Literature festival in Asia and is celebrated each year during the month of

January, usually in the Hall of Audience and the gardens of Diggi Palace,

City Center.

4. Polo, Jaipur:

Polo is inseparable is linked with Jaipur because of the passion and patronage

of Late Maharaja Man Singh II who lead the victorious team in 1930’s on the

international circuit favorite sport of the king, Jaipur is very famous of its Polo

Team, people from all over India come to watch this sport it is the big time

attraction for wedding festivities also.

5. Day Visits

Sanganer: Sanganer Village is famous for – Block Printing, Hand-made paper,

Blue pottery. Short drive away from Jaipur it’s on State Highway-12

Bagru: Bagru is a small town, located at a distance of 30 km from Jaipur-Ajmer

Road. This town boasts of unique method of printing using eco-friendly colours.

Anyone interested in textile printing enter into Chippa Mohal besides Sanjari

River, where about a dozen families make themselves busy with dies and blocks.

Samode: Samode is situated only about 42 km Jaipur. Samode offers various

attractions like old Havelies and Fresco’s

Salasar Balaji Hanuman: The land of Lord Hanuman, where all your ‘Sankats

(problems) are solved when you come and seek the blessings of Balaji. It is 165

km away on the Jaipur-Bikaner highway. An ethnic luxury township spread over

an area of 11 acres.

6. Places to stay:

Jai Mahal Palace – +141-2223636

Jacob Road, Civil Lines

Rambagh Palace - +141-2211919

Bhawani Singh Road

Raj Villas – Oberoi Hotel – +141-2680101

Gormer Road off Agra Road

Welcome Group Raj Puttana Palace, +141-5100100

Shereton Palace Road

Royal Orchid Central - +141-4051234

Bani Park

Park Prime - +141-2360202

Near Statue Circle

7. A Few recommended eating joints:

Sharma Ka Dhaba

Vishwakarma Industrial State VKI, Sikar Road.

Abt 20 Min drive from the city

Niros, +141- 2374493

Oldest Jaipur eating place for Non Veg + Veg Food, M.I Road

Thali House, +141-5115522

Authentic Dal Baati, Churma Rajasthani Cuisine

Station Road, Opp. Rawat

Anokhi Café – Organic Café, 0141 – 4007245 / 44

2nd Floor C-Scheem –C11, KK Square, Prithviraj Road

Handi (Good North Indian Food),

Opp. GPO – +141-2364839

Rajpoot

Achrol House, Subhash Chowk

Four Seasons, +141-2374606

Low Range Multi Cuisine, C-Scheme, Subhash Margh

8. Sweets, Snacks and Jaipur specialty food Churan

(Famous for Onion Kachories, Mirchi Bajji, Mishri Mava, Ghevar)

Sodhani Sweets – Old City Ajmer Road, Tonk Road

Rawat – Station Road, +141- 2368288

LMB, Veg Food, Indian Cuisine

Johri Bazar – +141-2565844

Tholia Bulding, MI Road for Sweet and Salted Lassi.

Churan

Jauhari Bazar Opp. LMB,

Modani co.

Near Mand B, Shop No. 92, Shop at the corner of Link Road.

9. Jeweller’s:

• Surana Jeweller of Jaipur ( Precious Kundan Jewellery in exquisite designs)

B-7E, Surana Enclave, Intersection of Ram Singh Road + Prithvi Raj Road

+141- 2372544, +141-2360891

• Amrapali (Gold, Silver + Tribal Jewellery), Panchabat, M.I Road

+0141 – 2377940

• Bhuramal Rajmal Surana (Kundan Jewellery),

JLN Marg, +0141 – 5118419

• Tholia’s Kuber (Silver + Gold Jewellery + Other interesting objects)

Tholia Building, M.I Road, +0141 – 2377416

• Ram Bhajo – Prateek – +91 9829057083

• Gem Palace, M.I. Road – +141-2374175

• Thewa Jewellery –: Thewa is the art of etching fusing Ct gold with multi

coloured glass.

• Jaipur International Jewells

• Jusra International Jewels, +141 – 5172954,

Shiv Mahal Margh, Malvia Nagar,

• Vishnu Jewellers (Precious and semi-precious stones and Jewellery)

141-2283030/+91 9414078843

Stones, Beads, G-10, Hathi Babo Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur.

• Vijay Golecha Jewellers, +91 9829014864

• Silver Jewellers

Mukesh, 0141-2574224/ +91-9829056224

10 . Jaipur textiles and Boutiques, Jaipur designers

Laharia, (specialist in mothda, Nagina, Jaldar and Ladsahi)

Sabir Bhai, +91 9314507666

Ramgunj Bajar, Near Badi Chaupal

Ratan Textile (Quilts, covers and House Linen)+141-2222392

Papriwa Cottage, Ajmer Road

Chaubundi (Traditional Dhabu printers with natural dies. Dhabu is batik

made with mud resist)

Praveen Bhai, +91 9314865745, +91 141-2361779

BA, Handloom Haveli, Panchabati, M.I.Road, Jaipur.

Rashid Bhai (Fine Mughal block printed textiles and Jackets, export quality)

141-2373880, Mughal Garden, Shekhawati Enclave, C-35, Lajpat Marg,

Near Rajdhani Hospital, C-Scheme, Jaipur.

Kota Sarees, 0141-2576414/+91-9352388990

Kota Kedra, SM, MI Road,

Bandhej Sarees,+91- 9314476355, +91-9428997171

M.S. Bandhini, Chauda Rasta, Lal ji, Sand ki gali

Ridhi Sidhi textites, 141-2633134/+91-8290222444

Manufactured and Exporters of Handcraft items,

Block and screen print bed covers, Fabrics. 9 Fast Govind Nagar,

Opp Khandaka, Maggiage Hall, Amber Palace Road, Jaipur.

Textorum Textiles(Traditional and Designer Sarees, Salwar Suits, Lehangas

and Dress material), 141-2361190, +141-4013590,

Retailers, whole sales and Exporters, 376, M.I. Road, Jaipur

Kilol, +91-9829092920

(Hand Block printed Textiles),

Rasa +141- 4038584, 5-55, Ashok Marg, C-Scheem

Hot Pink (For collection of top Indian Designers).

Hotel Narayan Nivas on Narayan Singh Circle.

Brigitte Singh (for exclusive Mughal Style fine printing), +141-2530229,

Amer Road.

Gotta Patti Work

1. Gaurav Katta, +91 9983144147

Panchabati, Behind Amrapali, M.I.Road, Jaipur.

2. Meena Tholia - +141-2362664

Tholia Building MI Road

3. Nidhi Tholia, 9828165644,0141-2367334

Tholia House, MI Road

4. Monisha, Thoryamaal, 0141 -3292728/9828014020

11 .Miscellaneous :

Blue Pottery - Neerja International

S-19, Bhawani Sing Road, Jacob Road, Civil Lines

Marble Art Effects

Dhoot Sangemermer, B – 9, Bars Godam. +141-2212714

Painting mahal, 0141-2670178, Abhinav bansal, Ajmer

Thomas-(Metal Bust Casting), +91-91405165

Marble Statues Murthys, Pandey Exports, +141-2318834,

Narain Bhawan, 4th Cross, Khejre Ka Rasta

Hand Made Paper(AL Paper)

Main Market, Sanganer, +141-2731706

Kagzi Hand Made Paper Industries, +141-2770718

G- 179, EPIP, Garment Zone, Sitapur Marg

Mojari Jutis, +141-2377037

Gulab path, Chomu House

R K Bangles

22, Saraog Marsiod, Tel.:+141-2569683

Altaf Bangles, +91 9828220226

12. Handicrafts

Artisans at Work:

2. Khanjanewaton Ka Rasta for Marble Carving

3. Achrol House, Subhash Chowk for Carpets

4. Maniharon Ka Rasta (Tripolia Bazar) for Lac Works

5. Kishan Pol Bazar for Tie + Dye Textiles

6. Ramganj Bazar for Shoes

Recommended reading for better insight of Jaipur

‘I Love Jaipur’ A book by a Fiona Caulfield.

Courtesy:- http://aanjupoddar.blogspot.in/2012/05/jaipur-poem-in-aesthetics.html

Varanasi/ Benaras/ Kashi

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 07:44:00 +0000

Varanasi/ Benaras/ Kashi

I love the energies, the smells and the sound of looms in this ancient city of Kashi Vishwanath. You pray, you take a dip in the holy Ganges, you eat the chaat and the malai and then shop to your heart's content.
A place with many names, with temples in every lane, it is believed that to die in Varanasi is to attain salvation.

Temples

Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
Annapurna Temple
New Vishwananth Temple
Kalabhairav Temple

Sight seeing

Benaras Hindu University
Sarnath Museum

Weavers

1. Roliana*
Ph: +919335793616

2. Heritage India, Shaheed Bhai*
Bhelupur
Ph: (0542) 2452032/ 2455816

3. Girija Shankar, Niraj*
Raj Katra Chowk
Ph: +919415221270/ (0542) 2412188

4. Prabha Traders, Mukund and Kaushal
Rani Kuan, Vijaya Shri Market
Ph: (0542) 2401811/ 1937

5. Kedia Kala Kendra, Amitji and Nagarji
Chowk*
(Plain Saree materials and borders)
Ph: (0542) 2400456

6.Ashok Kumar*
Ramnagar
Ph: +919415301405/ (0542) 2668357

7.Vijay Kumar*
Ramnagar
Ph: +919452826425/ (0542) 2668566

8.Harul Fabrics, Basheeruddin
Pili Koti
Ph: (0542) 2328570

9.Kasim Enterprise, Nazeer Ahmed*
Pili Koti
Ph: +919839080100

10.Musa Enterprise
Pili Koti
Ph: (0542) 2330482

11.Imran Jamil
Pili Koti
Ph: (0542) 2440592

12.Ramlal, Bholenath Maurya
Choti Patiya
Ph: (0542) 2318023

13.Akbul Matheen (Fabrics)
Pili Koti
Ph: +919336913131

14.Maqbul Hassan (Jamavar Sarees)
Pili Koti
Ph: +919889003115

15.Shri Niketan (Printed Sarees)

Basfatak

16.Mohanlal Kishenchand (Benaras and printed saree)
Chowk
Ph: (0542) 2410542

17. Kasim, Tasveer Bhai* (Sarees)
Pili Koti
Ph: (0542) 2331364/ 2440212/ 2440726

Silver
1. Trueso, Kanhailal and Saraflal Jeweller, Abhay Saraf*
Gowdalia, next to KCN Cinema
Ph: +915422391011

Wooden toys

1. Contact person: Bihari*
Ph: +919415225024/ (0542) 2393550

2. Contact person: Narendra
Kashmir Ganj, Khojwa
Ph: (0542) 6529998

Eateries

Chaat

1. Dina Chaat Bandar*
Thatheri Bazaar
and Luxa
Ph: +919918884333

2. Kashi Chaat Bandar, Girja Ghar Crossing

Aloo ka Papad

1. Marwadi Bandar

2. Danukaji

3. Aggarwal Papad

4.Jaganath Papad*
Ph: (0542) 2356835/ 2391465

5. Rastogi Papad
Ph: (0542) 2400653

6. Dhanu Ka Papad Wala
Ph: (0542) 2405971

Malai

1. Shri Ram Bandar*
Rati Yatra and Mint House Nadeshar
Ph: (0542) 2400629

2. Raswanti
Ph: (0542) 2405967

3. Markande Sardar

Tandai

1. Shambhu* in Thatheri Bazaar

2. Basfatak (Baba Thadai)

3. Basant Patak
Ph:+919336007665

Pickles

1. Shri Ram Bandar, Rati Yatra and Mint House Nadeshar
Raswanti
Ph: (0542) 2400629

2. Thatheri Bazaar

3. Gyanchand Murabewalla* (Lal Mirch Ka pickle, Agastya Phool Pickle and Aamle ke Muraba)
Ph: +919335799922/ (0542) 2420031

Kheer Mohan

1. Krishna Mistan Bandar
Ph: (0542) 2401652

Benaras Paan

1. Gama, Choti Godhaliya Girija Ghar

2. Keshav, Lanka

3. Rati Yatra, Near Kuber Complex

4. Chutney Paan wala*
Ph:+919839564970

Lal Peda

1. Shivpur

2. Raj Bandhu

3. Kamadhenu

4. Sankat Mochan, Saketh Nagar

5. Shri Ram Bandar, Rati Yatra and Mint House Nadeshar (Famous for Lal Peda, Yellow Peda, Tirungi Burfi)
Ph: (0542) 2400629

6. Madhur Jalpan Mithaiwala
Ph: +917838383183

Kachori

1. Gyan Vapi

2. Thatheri Bazaar

Namish (Only in winters)

1. Fena *, near Chowk (Behind the mosque)

Courtesy: http://aanjupoddar.blogspot.in/2013/02/varanasi-benaras-kashi.html

Where I source some of my special foodstuff from

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 07:19:00 +0000

Where I source some of my special foodstuff from:

Different places have different specialties to offer ….

I am sharing with you some sources which I have collected over the years.

Ø Aloo Papad: Banaras

· Jaganath Papad - (0542) 2356835/ 2391465

+(91)-542-2400653, +(91)-9956233238

Ck 18/5, Pital Wale Mahadew Ke Bagal Me), Thatheri Bazar, Kabir Chaura, Varanasi - 221001

· Rastogi Papad - (0542) 2400653

· Dhanu Ka Papad Waala - (0542) 2405971

· Marwadi Bandar

· Agarwal Papad

Ø Alphonso Mango:

· Mumbai, Arjun Dhoble : Nadheswar - +91 9323588698 /Gautam – +91 9987605774

Ø Banarasi Malai:

· Shri Ram Bandar, Rati Yatra and Mint House Nadeshar - (0542) 2400629

· Raswanti - (0542) 2405967

· Markande Sardar

Ø Bhel Puri:

· Mumbai, Neela Mehta - (022) 26310011/ 66934996

Ø Dry Fruits, Almond and Pista roti, Aam Papad:

· Mumbai, Ramanlal Vittaldas, Mewa wala, (022) 23610289

Ø Gulab Jal (Rose water):

· Kolkata, Amarnath Mishra Brand.

Ø Hyderabadi Aloo toast:

· Hyderabad, Deepak +91 9866211987

Ø Jaipur Specialty Food and Churan
(Famous for Onion Kachories, Mirchi Bajji, Mishri Mava, Ghevar)

· Sodhani Sweets – Old City Ajmer Road, Tonk Road

· Rawat – Station Road, (141)- 2368288

· LMB, Veg Food, Indian Cuisine Johri Bazar - (141)-2565844

· Tholia Bulding, MI Road for Sweet and Salted Lassi.

· Churan Jauhari Bazar Opp. LMB, Modani co.
Near Mand B, Shop No. 92, Shop at the corner of Link Road.

Ø Khakhara:

· Ahmedabad, Indu Ben Khakrawala - +91 9898985560, info@indubenkhakhrawala.in

Ø Mukhawas :

· Mumbai , Yamini Mehta – (022) 22914355/9930157373/ 9892429208

Ø Papad:

· Kolkata, Pushpa Tulsiyan - +91 9830016504

· Mumbai, Sukhani Papad - (022) 22421790

Ø Pickles from Banaras:

· Shri Ram Bandar, Rati Yatra and Mint House Nadeshar Raswanti, (0542) 2400629.

· Gyanchand Murabewalla (Lal Mirch Pickle, Agastya Phool Pickle and Aamle ka Muraba) +91 9335799922/ (0542) 2420031.

Ø Pickles, Spices and Mangaodi:

· Kolkata, Jyotirmayee Club, (033) 24619309

· Mumbai, Rajasthani Mahila Mandal, 12 Forges Street, Gwalior tank, Mumbai -36. (022) 23861332

Ø Rose and khas sharbat of Rally Singh – Kolkata.

Ø Sandesh:

· Kolkata, Nakul Girish –(033) 22410048

Ø Sem ka Beej:

· Farukhabad, RamSewak Tivari c/o Mahesh Tivari, Nehru Road, Farukhabad. +91 9450202018

Ø Sharbat and Laal puri:

· Kolkata, Sarala Damani, 71 Jitendra Mohan Avenue, Kolkata 5. +919831091351/ (033) 25541991.

Ø Silver and Gold Foil Varakh:

· Hyderabad, Munna Lal Dawasaas, +91 9849050543, (040) 66442280

Ø South Indian Pickles and Kharampudri:

Ø Hyderabad. Nirmal Swagruha Food, Ameerpet. (040) 23408690/64518690

Ø Supari:

· Kolkata, Neeraj Supariwala +91 9831430694

Ø Thandai from Banaras:

· Basant Patak --Ph:+919336007665

· Shambhu in Thatheri Bazaar

· Basfatak (Baba Thandai)

· Badi & Punjabi Papad -Amritsar

· Chiwada -Sahibganj - Bihar -Bhagalpur

· Choti Harrad - Amritsar

· Desi Bajra -Rajasthan

· Desi Moth - Rajasthan

· Hing(Asafoetida) -Amritsar

· Kairia - Kolkata

· Lal Mirch(Red Chilli Powder) – Ahmedabad

· Peanuts – Ahmedabad

· Petha(Sweet) & Dal Moth(Savory )– Agra

· Rai(Mustard Seeds) - Indore

· Roli(Red powder made out of Turmeric) - Hyderabad & Indore
Hyderabad : Ghasiram Balkishan Nawandar
Lad Bazar, Hyderabad.

Ph; 040-24577212, Mob; 9177414700
· Small dana rice Bihar -Bhagalpur

Courtesy:- http://aanjupoddar.blogspot.in/2014_05_01_archive.html

Edge of the veg- Vegetarians and Jains Rule the Roost in some of the most exotic Indian and International Chain restaurants across India

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 06:49:00 +0000

Vegetarian Nasi Goreng made using a tofu scramble at the Asian Street Kitchen (ASK). Photo: Abhijit Bhatlekar/Mint

When Monkey Bar, the country’s coolest gastropub, launched in Bangalore’s Indiranagar in April, regular patrons of the older edition on Wood Street were rather taken aback. From a menu that unabashedly made love to its meats, including lamb heart, brains and chicken liver, beef and pork, executive chef and partner Manu Chandra had pared down the non-vegetarian content in the newest avatar to just over half. Alongside the Crab Rangoon and Tempura Calamari, a number of the dishes especially crafted for the new outlet were vegetarian: Chilli Cheese And Sour Cream Pierogi, Mushroom Pan Rolls, a Tofu Burger, even a wok-tossed Japanese eggplant and paneer (cottage cheese) take on the MoBar bork, which uses double-cooked pork belly.

“At Indiranagar, we have about a 55/45 division between non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes,” says Chandra. “The Wood Street outlet, which opened in 2012, was our first foray into the gastropub zone, we were still setting the template. The general feedback was that there weren’t enough vegetarian options on the menu. So we corrected it along the way, and launched the Indiranagar pub with a more balanced menu.”

                                                      Exotic Veggie Pot Rice at the ASK

In the upscale dining space in India, where vegetarians have long complained of a paucity of exciting choices, the “balance” is a significant new phenomenon. It is inspired as much by the wealthy vegan/vegetarian as the conscious consumer, and driven by the canny businessman as much as the intrepid chef. The shift is a sign, perhaps, of a maturing market, where meats and, to a lesser extent, fish are no longer the only indulgences or dishes with which to impress a dining partner. The upshot of it all may well be a more diverse food landscape, with farmers encouraged to experiment with their produce, restaurateurs emboldened to test their own culinary skills and diners tempted to step outside their comfort zones.

That the veg edge is no passing fad—or even just the mainstay of the ever-popular Sukh Sagars and Rajdhanis—is borne out by the dining segment where it all began. At a time when top-end restaurants still considered Norwegian salmon the ultimate luxury product, quick-service restaurants (QSR) were the first to tap into the vegetarian market. From the all-veg Pizza Huts, which have been around since the 1990s, to the no-meat McDonald’s which set up shop near the Golden Temple in Amritsar earlier this month, fast- food chains are happy to feed the Indian idea of kosher. Further up the food chain, casual- dining restaurants such as Johnny Rockets have been quick to pick up the idea, minus the QSR accompaniments of fat and salt and fillers.

“When I took up the franchise (of the American chain) in India, there was one vegetarian item on the menu, a soy patty burger,” says Bakshish Dean, who quit the Park Hotels group as director, food production, four years ago and is now CEO, Johnny Rockets India. “For eight months, we conducted food trials and now we have a 50/50 division between the veg and non-veg dishes. Besides the mushroom patty, the mixed-veg patty and the potato patty, we recently came up with a 100g paneer patty with Creole spices and a panko crust. Our international team, which was here recently, had never seen such a vegetarian variety. Now we are in talks to take some of our creations abroad, particularly to the Middle-Eastern market.”

Malabar Spinach Gyoza at the Monkey Bar, Bangalore. Photo courtesy: Kunal Chandra

If you’re thinking, erm, paneer patty, really? you wouldn’t be the only one. As with Chandra’s creations for Monkey Bar, veg dishes in a restaurant can often seem to be essentially non-vegetarian dishes recast with a vegetarian-friendly protein. It is something of an Indian speciality, a tribute to the famed spirit of jugaad, of making do and thereby going where no chef has gone before—including vegetarianizing cuisines that, say, unlike Italian, thrive on meat and fish.

“Five years ago, I thought it would be just wrong to do a vegetarian pad Thai,” says Mitesh Rangras, partner at SID Hospitality, Mumbai, owner of pan-Asian restaurant Lemon Grass and Japanese restaurant Aoi, and the brain behind the all-vegetarian menu at Asian Street Kitchen (ASK). “Then we met a master chef from Thailand, who told us that though vegetarian food was unheard of in their country, the sheer number of Indian tourists was forcing them to adapt their dishes to Indian dietary preferences.”

With this reality check, Rangras set about creating a vegetarian base for the classic Thai soup, the tom yum. “We thought a mushroom stock would come closest to the meaty base of the traditional soup. But it was too mushroomy—and a lot of vegetarians don’t even like mushrooms. Then we went back to the basics of the French cooking we’d learnt in catering school and made a vegetable broth, reduced it and added it to the mushroom stock. Besides the tom yum, it is also the basis of the Vietnamese pho served at Asian Street Kitchen,” says Rangras.

Incidentally, the ASK, which opened in March at Girgaum Chowpatty on a stretch known for its “pure-veg” eateries, claims to be the first restaurant in Mumbai to serve vegetarian versions of Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese dishes like nasi goreng, ramen and pho, all heavily characterized by egg, seafood and meat in their originals.

The newest triumph of the veg wedge of the food pie is Burma Burma, a well-received 12-table restaurant in south Mumbai. “The Burmese usually cook their raw meats in broth, something I knew Indians would not take to. Similarly, the mohinga, which could be called their national dish, is topped with a sprinkling of shrimp powder, which I was sure Indians wouldn’t like,” restaurant owner Ankit Gupta explains his rationale to go veg.

                                           Johnny Rocket’s Panko Paneer Burger

“But at the end of the day, it was a business decision. We are in south Mumbai, which has a huge community of Jains, Marwaris and Gujaratis, who enjoy eating out. Even if some of their younger members go to non-vegetarian restaurants, their parents wouldn’t accompany them. Plus, some of the Marwaris and Gujaratis actually lived in Burma in the middle part of the last century. I wanted them to come here and relive their youth but there’s no way they’d come here if we served meat,” adds Gupta, whose mother spent the first 25 years of her life in what is now Myanmar.

But of course, both Rangras and Gupta operate out of Mumbai, that bastion of the well-off and well-travelled vegetarian. Long before eating out became liberalized urban India’s favourite mode of socializing, their parents were serving the best of stir-fried babycorn and mushroom au gratin at their lavish weddings and private parties. Now, as they demand variety and quality within their inherited food traditions, they are joined by the vegetarians by choice, guided by health or environmental or other concerns, and well able to afford their proclivities. And they can be anywhere.

Or so hopes Yauatcha, the London, UK, based dim-sum house with branches in New Delhi and Bangalore, besides Mumbai, which recently introduced a 50% vegetarian menu across cities and the option of transforming a decent number of these dim-sum, salad, stir-fry, rice and noodle dishes into no-onion, no-garlic options. “Though we really don’t have that many Jain customers, we think of this as a value-added service,” says Yauatcha Bangalore manager Joydeep Das.

While vegetarians will definitely be relieved by the new trends, innovative chefs are as thrilled by the veg-friendly non-vegetarian, who loves a jimikand (yam) purée when it accompanies the roasted salmon, or opts for a Malabar spinach stuffing in the gyoza over the regular ground pork. Alert maître d’s notice regular clients opting for a vegetarian starter, followed by a non-vegetarian main course—or the other way around: a change from a few years ago, when a meal out inevitably meant a meat and fish feast. Pushing that trend is the rediscovery both of desi fruits and veggies such as drumsticks, amaranth, jackfruits, colocasia roots, plantains and lotus stems, and the local availability of new “imports”, such as baby pumpkin, kale, Swiss chard and the like.

In a country where meat or fish is one of several equal constituents of a lunch or dinner, and frequently shared at a restaurant table—unlike, say, the staple meat-and-two-veg meal of the UK—vegetables are finally creeping up from the sidelines to the centre stage. And there’s not a single piece of fake meat in sight.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■



Pak Boong Fai Dang at Thai restaurant

O:h Cha

Five must-try meat-free dishes

Parmigiana de Melanzane, tomato-aubergine-Parmesan reimagined at Ottimo, ITC Gardenia, Bangalore

Watermelon Soup with Black Salt and Feta, at Caramelle, Kolkata

Wild Greens Lasagne, featuring ‘bathua’ and ‘cholai’, at Olive Beach, Mumbai and Bangalore

Ohn Thamin, rice cooked in coconut milk, flavoured with shallots and raisins, at Burma Burma, Mumbai

Pak Boong Fai Dang, stir-fried morning glory with chilli and garlic, at O:h Cha, Mumbai

Courtesy:- http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/TUAn0risjnzQjgc9ma3qIL/Edge-of-the-veg.html

Old Delhi, Chikki Market in Kothi Shri Mandir and Khari Baoli one of the oldest markets in India and the World

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 06:31:00 +0000

Chikki Market and Gupta Chaat Wallah, Old Delhi

As we cling onto the last few cool days here, it’s a perfect time to take a leisurely wander around Old Delhi and enjoy some some of the winter specialities that are still available.
One of the never-ending delights of walking in Old Delhi is coming across the tiny markets within markets, the little lanes devoted to one commodity. This winter I discovered a market tucked away in Kothi Shri Mandir near the Khari Baoli spice market and devoted almost entirely to Chikki – a type of nut brittle made from jaggery in the winter months.
Kothi Shri Mandir is so narrow there is hardly any daylight and it almost feels like walking through a secret underground passageway where your path is lit on either side by piles of magical sugar.

There’s chikki everywhere you look made from sesame (also called gajak), peanuts, cashews even dried rose petals which come in all shapes and sizes – bars, rolls, discs, slabs, golf balls, tiny coin-sized pieces and hearts.

This is my favourite shop, Lal Chand Rewri Wale – beautiful fresh chikki and I love the way the owner is practically wearing his merchandise.

There are also some namkeen shops in the street like Pappu Caterers who sell everything you could possibly wish for to put a bit of crunch into your chaat – the spinach matri was particularly good.

You can see the chikki being made in some of the shops – these guys are pounding slabs of sesame and jaggery

And this is the peanut brittle being shaped

As you come back out of Kothi Shri Mandir, take a minute to appreciate Gali Batashan itself – a whole street devoted to all things sugary, pickled and candied – like these carrots, ginger and amla.

The gali is also home to some excellent snacks. The Bombay Sandwich wallah often makes a stop here and there is a chana puri stall doing a roaring trade on the corner of Kothi Shri Mandir. But my new favourite chaat is made by the Guptas who told me they had been in the gali for 45 years – verified by a happy customer who said he’d been visiting their stall for over 40. They run a hugely popular, very spic and span cart from which father and son dish up all kinds of fresh and flavoursome chaat.

Finally, on the corner of Gali Batashan and Khari Baoli there is a seasonal vegetable stall – look at all these gorgeous black carrots, fresh green chick peas, star fruit, sweetcorn, lotus roots and fresh turmeric…

Gali Batashan runs between Khari Baoli and Naya Bans. If you’re coming from Khari Baoli, Kothi Shri Mandir, where you’ll find all the chikki wallahs, is the last turning on the left before reaching Naya Bans. Gupta Chaat wallah is on the left of Gali Batashan before you turn into Kothi Shri Mandir. Here’s a map of the exact locations. Go soon, though, the hot weather is on its way!

Courtesy:http://eatanddust.com/2014/02/19/chikki-market-and-gupta-chaat-wallah-old-delhi/

idli recipe – how to make soft idlis (step by step idli recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 10:31:00 +0000

idli recipe – how to make soft idlis (step by step idli recipe)

by dassana amit updated November 25, 2013

1K+

this very popular idli recipe post has a lot of tips on making idli batter and step by step photos for making soft idlis at home. so take your time to read this detailed guide on making soft idlis at home and enjoy the pics
after a lot of requests, i am finally writing a detailed post on how to make fluffy and soft idlis at home…. i don’t know what took me so long to write a post on idli…. it is something i make home regularly.
idlis…. one food that i grew up having…. idli was a regular breakfast at our home. come sunday, and there would be idlis & dosas for breakfast as well as lunch.

i would see the way my mom would soak the rice, dal and then grind it and then leave it to ferment. this was a regular saturday ritual in my house and i knew that on sunday we would get steaming hot idlis with chutney for breakfast. for lunch it would be dosa with sambar and a veggie.
i never knew that when i would start making idlis, i would run into problem the very first time i make these. i had seen countless times idli preparation in my home. i was least expecting, that the idlis i made for the first time for my mom-in-law would become an embarrassment for me. i was working hard to make the idlis soft
the idlis were not soft and fluffy at all. i had done everything so perfectly and yet the idlis became a little hard. i know the aroma of the batter when they are being ground and mixed… i know the slightly sour aroma of the fermented batter.
when i had seen this batter, i knew that the batter had not fermented well in the cold winters of delhi. still i made idlis from the batter… and all of us had not so soft idlis…. much to my agony and embarrassment….. but now i am good in making idlis. the hubby just loves the idlis i make at home.

having a food science background i also know how fermentation is important to get the best results in certain food products like wines, cheese, yogurt, breads etc. idlis and dosas also fall in the fermented food category.
what contributes to fermentation in the optimum temperature conducive for that specific food to get fermented and to give desired results. in the case of idli batter, the temperature is very important. generally the warmer indian temperatures are the best for making idlis. the ideal temperature is between 30- 32 º C.
the wild air borne yeast causes the fermentation process and it is drawn from air by the urad dal & fenugreek seeds. at home we would never add fenugreek seeds. idlis were just made with rice and urad dal. still they would be soft and fluffy.
when i make idlis, i do add fenugreek seeds, as i add split urad dal and not whole urad dal. the wild yeast on the whole urad dal aids in the fermentation process. a point to note is that it is not only yeast, but some anaerobic bacteria also that also help in the fermentation process.

so remember temperature and wild yeast are your best friends while making idli. this is also the case with breads…. temperature and baker’s yeast are my best friends when i make breads. luckily i have not had a single disaster when making breads at home.
now we come to the type of rice that is used for idli. from my personal experience i have used basmati rice, sona masoori rice, kolam rice for making idlis and never had any problem. i also make idlis using half-half of basmati rice and parboiled rice. they have also come out well.
when i was working for a project one & a half year ago, we had a cook who would make very soft idlis. i asked her once how her idlis were so soft. she told me that she adds some poha/flattened rice or cooked rice to the idlis… just a handful and these would make the idlis soft.

my mother would never add poha or cooked rice to the idlis and her idlis also used to be soft. but my mom would put damp muslin cloth on the idli mould and then steam the idlis. as a result the softness of the idlis would be more pronounced.
the recipe posted here is what i follow now after listening to our cook’s advice. for this recipe i have used basmati rice and goan red parboiled rice…. i do not get idli rice here. so i make idlis with the goan red parboiled rice along with regular rice.

this is my standard recipe for making both idlis and dosa now….i have also added methi seeds along with urad dal and some poha. the proportion of rice and urad dal is always a matter of controversy. so i suggest experiment with different types of rice and come to your own standard measurements which will give you perfect idlis.

the day the batter was fermented i made idlis. i served the idlis with mom’s recipe of kerala sambar and coconut chutney. the next day i made masala dosa with the same idli batter. the dosas became crisp and got a nice golden color due to the addition of poha. don’t believe me. take a look at the pic below.

this is a step by step recipe for making soft idlis at home:

1: pick and rinse the urad dal & rice. soak the urad dal with fenugreek seeds in a separate bowl or pan. soak the rice with the poha separately. soak for atleast 4-5 hours.

2: drain the urad dal, but don’t throw away the water. reserve the water.

3: in a wet grinder, add the urad dal.

4: add 1 or 2 tbsp of the reserved water and grind the urad dal. keep on adding a few tbsps of water in between grinding. the batter should be light and fluffy when completely ground.

5: pour the urad dal batter in a deep pan or bowl.

6: drain the rice & poha. this pic is before i drained the rice and poha.

7: add them in the wet grinder.

8: use the urad dal strained water to grind the rice and poha too. keep on adding a few tbsp while grinding. the rice should be completely ground. when you feel the batter with your finger tips, the batter should not feel grainy. it should be smooth and paste like. don’ t add too much water in the beginning. keep on adding little water in between. remember that batter should not be thick or thin. i hope all the pics give you an idea about the consistency of the batter.

9: now add the rice batter to the urad dal batter and mix well.

10: add salt and mix it with the rest of the batter.

11: mix the batter well. cover the bowl or container with a lid and keep the batter in a warm place. it should be left undisturbed for 8- 9 hours. don’t use an air-tight lid.

12: next morning you will see this. the batter will rise and double up and might even throw away the lid as it happened with this idli batter. you can see the fermented batter bursting from the edges. my calculations of the batter versus the pan went wrong

13: time for making idlis now take your idli steamer or pressure cooker. add some water and keep it on the stove with the fire on. grease the idli mould with oil. gently and lightly swirl the batter. don’t over do. now with a spoon pour portions of the batter in the greased idli moulds.

14: keep the idli mould in the steamer or pressure cooker. if using a pressure cooker, then cover the pressure cooker with its lid. remove the vent weight/whistle from the lid. steam the idlis for approx 10-12 minutes.

15: check for doneness by inserting a tooth pick. if it does not come out clean, then keep again for a few more minutes. when done remove the idli mould from the cooker. remove the idlis. they come out easily. don’t overcook as then they become dry.

16: serve hot idlis with sambar and coconut chutney.

if you are looking for similar recipes then do check idli recipe with idli rava, idli chaat, rava dosa with video, idli dosa faq and making idli in microwave.

soft idli recipe details below:

4.8 from 26 reviews

idli recipe – how to make soft idlis

Save Print

Prep time

9 hours

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

9 hours 25 mins

idli is a popular breakfast recipe in south india but now getting popular in other parts of india too.

Author: dassana

Recipe type: breakfast, snacks

Cuisine: south indian

Serves: 18-20 medium sized idlis or 9-10 medium sized idlis & 4-5 dosas

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice or sona masoori rice or regular rice
1 cup parboiled rice
½ cup urad dal/black gram, skinned whole or skinned spilt
¼ cup poha/flattened rice
¼ tsp methi seeds/fenugreek seeds
water as required
salt
oil to apply to the idli moulds

Instructions

pick and wash both the rice and urad dal.
soak the rice and poha in water for 4-5 hours.
soak the urad dal with methi seeds separately for 4-5 hours.
drain the soaked urad dal. reserve the water.
grind the urad dal, methi seed with some of the reserved water till you get a smooth and fluffy batter.
grind the rice to make a smooth batter.
mix both the batters together in a large bowl or pan. add salt and mix well.
cover and let the batter ferment for 8-9 hours.
after the fermentation process is over, the batter will become double in size and rise.
gently mix the batter.
grease the idli moulds.
pour the batter in the moulds steam the idlis in a pressure cooker or steamer.
if using pressure cooker remove the vent weight.whistle.
steam for 10-12 mins or until the idlis are done.
remaining batter can be stored in the refrigerator.
serve the steaming hot idlis with coconut chutney and sambar.

Courtesy:-http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/idli-recipe-how-to-make-soft-idlis/

Homemade Schezwan Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 10:02:00 +0000

Homemade Schezwan Sauce

I love schezwan cooking..People who love spicy foods can never hate those dishes. I am one of the spice freak. I go for anything that is spicy. Now you get how i love my spicy foods. So i dont want to tell you how much i love this cooking..

Couple weeks back i wanted to try out schezwan recipes because i found that yummy tummy lacked some schezwan foods. The main ingredient for schezwan cooking is the sauce. You could use store bought sauce but why would you use that bottled stuff when you can make it from scratch. So i made my fiery sauce...Now you know that some yummy schezwan foods are on the way..

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Makes : 1 cup of sauce

Ingredients:

Dry Red Chillies -30
Garlic - 20 cloves crushed
Ginger - 4 tblspn grated
Tomato ketchup - 3 tblspn
Soya Sauce - 1 tblspn
Salt to taste
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp (if you have schezwan pepper use them)
Sugar - 2 tsp
Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:

Take dry chillies and cut the top open. Remove the seeds out of it. You can just invert it and roll between your hands, the seeds just fall off.

Now take the chillies and add it to a sauce pan. Add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. Simmer it for 5 mins.

By this time the chillies must have plumped up. Drain chillies. Reserve the water, you need that for grinding.

Take the chillies in a blender add the reserved water slowly and make them into a paste. Set aside till use.

Now heat oil in a sauce pan. Add in garlic and ginger. Fry it for couple of mins.

Now add in the chilli paste and mix well. Now add in ketchup, soya sauce, salt, sugar and pepper. Mix well.

Simmer this sauce for 5 to 8 mins.

Now the sauce is done. Cool this and store in a clean air tight container refrigerated.

Notes:

1) Use clean sterlized jar an spoons.
2) Keep the sauce refrigerated.
3) This sauce stays good for a week when handled properly and refrigerated.
4)If you have schezwan peppercorn use that.
5)Removing seeds is important, else it will make the sauce so spicy.

Pictorial:


you need lots of chillies

cut them open and remove all seeds

Add them to 1 cup of water and boil it for 5 mins

drain them

Add them to blender

Use the drained water to make a paste out of it

Now take all your ingredients

Heat oil in a sauce pan

Add in crushed garlic

Add in grated ginger

Saute them

Cook till they turn golden

Add the pureed chilli paste

Mix well

Add tomato ketchup

some soy sauce

mix well

Add in salt, pepper and sugar

Mix well and simmer

Sauce done..

Cool down and store them in clean bottles

Courtesy:-http://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2013/11/homemade-schezwan-sauce.html

Easy Spicy Kadai Paneer

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Preparation Time: 45 minutes
No of servings : 3-4
Spice Level : 3 out of 5
Ingredients:

Ingredients

Paneer/Cottage Cheese : 250g
Tomatoes : 5 (finely chopped)
Green Chilies : 2 (chopped)
Garlic : 7 (Crushed or finely chopped)
Ginger : 1 1/2 ” crushed
Green Bell Pepper : 2 (thinly sliced)
Whole red chilies : 5-6
Coriander seeds : 11/2 tbsp
Dry Fenugrek Leaves : 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Leaves : 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

Method Of Preparation:

Heat Oil in a kadai and add crushed ginger and garlic.
Saute it until the raw smell disappears.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry them till it become soft.
Roast the coriander seeds and red chilies and grind them into coarse powder.
After 10 minutes once the tomatoes become soft add the coarse powder.
Cook until the whole mixture becomes thick and starts to leave oil.
Now add the sliced capsicum and chopped green chilies.
Saute the capsicum for 7-8 minutes.
Now add garam masala powder and salt to the above mixture.
Now finally add the paneer and cook the paneer for 5 minutes in the masala.
Finally add kasuri methi/dry fenugrek leaves, coriander leaves.
Mix and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve it hot with Rotis or Naan.

Courtesy:-http://www.spicytasty.com/veggie-entrees-sides/spicy-kadai-paneer/

Step by Step Homemade Tandoori Roti On Stove Top

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 06:56:00 +0000

Step by Step Homemade Tandoori Roti On Stove Top

224
Tandoori Roti speaks of dhaba food and is a healthy Indian bread made of whole wheat flour. Traditionally, it is cooked in a tandoor or clay oven, a very rustic and traditional Indian bread.

Today, we are making tandoori roti at home, yes!! when you have that craving for Punjabi dhaba food; you can make it right in your kitchen...how would you like that; homemade tandoori roti!!

Tandoori roti is a bit thicker than roti/Indian flat bread. I love to have with chicken tikka or butter chicken, though my son loves it buttered up, my daughter loves it plain. I have been making tandoori roti for sometime now, at least whenever kids have a restaurant craving; and boy! are they pleased!!

The bread is made of whole wheat flour, little flour, curd, salt, and water.....once the dough is made, it is best to allow it to rest for a while....and then knead again for a softer and smoother dough......

Since we do not have a traditional clay tandoor at home; I am making this on the stove top; and yes!! its easy and quick!! too....I hope you will love it and try it!!

Author: Nisa Homey
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour/atta: 1 1/4 cups
Plain flour: 1/4 cup.
Baking Soda: A big fat pinch.
Sugar: 1/2 tsp.
Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp.
Curd/yogurt: 1/4 cup.
Water: To bind and knead.
Water: To brush
Method:
Dunk all the ingredients into a bowl...

Or into a food processor and blitz, use the steel blade...(you can also knead with your hand)

With the mixer running, pour little water through the feeder, maybe 1/3 cup or so....until the dough is gathered.

Plop it in to another bowl and knead with preferably oil greased hands....until the dough is smooth and soft....then cover and leave it for about 20-30 min.

Divide the dough into equal parts....slightly bigger than ordinary flatbread or roti.

Put it into the same bowl with little wheat flour (this is just to coat and not to get sticky)

Meanwhile, heat a tawa or a pan....and simmer the fire...take some water in a small bowl and keep aside.
Take one ball and lightly flatten it into a circle with your fingers.....sprinkle flour if needed.

And then roll out with a rolling pin.

Note that, you should roll out according to the size of your tawa or pan, and it should be slightly thicker than than ordinary roti/chappati.

Brush water on one side of the flattened dough.

Put the watered side on the hot tawa or pan.....raise the heat to high.....and let it stay for a few seconds...not longer, because the heat will release the dough from the pan...we need the dough to be sticked to the pan....so a few seconds would be fine.

With flame on high, turn the tawa upside down....since the dough is sticked to the tawa it will not fall down and we can cook the other side over the flame....decrease and increase the flame as needed...tilting and moving the tawa...(do not use a nonstick pan)

Until the other side is cooked and charred a bit.

Put the tawa back on the flame, for another minute....decrease or increase flame as needed....so that the other side will get cooked....once done, remove from the tawa.

Do the same with the rest....and ta...da...super easy!! super quick!! tandoori roti....is ready for you!!

Brush butter/ghee on top and serve.

Courtesy:http://www.nisahomey.com/2013/11/tandoori-roti-on-stove-top.htm

Oil Free Dry Orange Pickle

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 06:51:00 +0000

Sundried Bitter Oranges (Narnga Batte/Kanchi Batte)

‘Narnga’ or ‘kanchi kaayi’ or ‘heraLe kaayi’ is a kind of bitter orange available in some(or all) parts of India. These are slightly bitter in taste, we have not seen anyone eating the ripened fruit. We always get the green ones which are used for sundried items or pickle. This is the season on Narnga here, so I prepared a big batch of narnga batte this year. Every year we get few of fresh narnga from our neighbors.
Narnga/Naranga batto/batti is one thing that almost all Konkanis like. These are usually given to the people who are suffering from fever and lost their taste. These are spicy, saltly and sour. They taste heavenly when consumed with rice congee(Pej/ganji). These are a must in most of the Konkani houses throughout the year. My kids and all the other kids who visited us loved these with congee.
We also make a tasty chutney with it. Thanks to Pelicano, we think it is called bitter oranges.
Ingredients:
5-6 narnga
Salt
1/2 cup chilli powder
1/2 tea spn asafoetida powder or a big piece of asafoetida stone
Method:

Cut narnga into thin pieces. Remove the white pit and seeds, discard them.

In a ceramic jar, put the pieces and salt enough to cover pieces. Close the lid tightly and leave it in a dry place for about 15 days to one month till the skin becomes slightly soft. Every day open the lid and mix the pieces to make sure salt gets to all pieces.

Take out the pieces. Add chilli powder, asafoetida to the pieces, mix very well.

Sundry the pieces till they are completely dry.

Store in dry air tight container. They get darker and darker in color as time passes, after almost a year, they get black but they still can be used.

Courtesy: http://www.aayisrecipes.com/konkani-recipes/sundried-bitter-oranges-narnga-battekanchi-batte/

Litti Chokha- One of the most Authentic recipes I came across

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 09:25:00 +0000

City Food – Julia Child Cooks Litti Chokha in Mayur Vihar-I

The Delhi Walla February 27, 2011 Julia Child's Delhi

Born to a mother who came originally from Dhanbad in Bihar and then migrated to Calcutta , now Kolkatta, Litti was something whch I had tasted when very young.She then got married to my father, born in Karachi brought up later in Mumbai but born in Karachi , migrated to Mumbai, India

An excellent and the best cook I have come across, my mother loves feeding and making food. I still recollect , how she would ask the watchman in our bunglow, who is from Bihar to get cowdung , Tagara( the vessel in which they mix cement)to make the litti and chokha. Her sattu comes from Calcutta sent by my Aunt( Mami) and then she mixes all the spices.

The recipe mentioned below is the closest and the most authentic .

The great chef’s life in Delhi.
[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]
Meet the Julia Child of Mayur Vihar, Phase-I, a neighborhood near Akshardham Temple in east Delhi. A graduate in science from Bihar’s Ranchi Women’s College, Ms Child came to Delhi in 1982 following her marriage to Madhurendra Prasad Sinha, a journalist. For three years, the couple lived in a one-room apartment in Malviya Nagar, south Delhi. It was through her husband’s books that Ms Child was introduced to Russian authors such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Maxim Gorky. After the family increased and she moved across the Yamuna to a duplex apartment, her present house, Ms Child discovered children’s writer Enid Blyton – in the bookshelf of her daughters, Nimisha and Namya. “My daughters are caring,” she told The Delhi Walla. “One morning my younger one spotted an injured hariyal (yellow-footed green pigeon) on the pavement. She immediately carried it to the bird’s hospital in Chandni Chowk.” Mother-like to Romeo, the family’s three-year-old golden retriever, Ms Child is currently reading Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. And yes, she cooks. Here is the recipe of her ‘litti chokha’.
Living away from Bihar for so many years, I rarely speak in Magahi, my region’s dialect. The daughters grew up in Delhi and they talk in Hindi and English. But the family remains wedded to its traditions – on the dining table. I make litti chokha at least once a month in summer and every week in winter. If Bihar were a country, this two-dish combination would be its national food. Originating as a cheap meal for travellers, it can be rustled up quickly. Cooking it is an excuse to connect to Bihar.
Litti
½ kg atta flour
½ kg sattu (flour made of roasted chickpeas)
1tbsp carom seeds
1tbsp black salt
Salt to taste
Chopped green chillies (optional)
I ginger root, peeled and sliced into julienne pieces
2 whole garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp coriander leaves
250 gm ghee
½ tea cup water
Pour sattu flour in a bowl. Put in all ingredients – except atta – into the bowl and mix. Add enough water to make the mixture just sticky. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it aside. Pour atta on a platter, add 1 tbsp ghee and knead a firm dough. Make thick round patties from the dough. Press each patty at its center to make a deep depression. Scoop in the sattu mixture and seal it by pressing in the dough. Cook the patties in the tandoor, or bake them in the oven (200 degree Celsius for 45 minutes) till golden brown. Heat ghee in karahi. Dip litti in ghee before serving. (Since it is very crumbly inside, you may break each itti in halves and add more ghee.)
Chokha
½ kg aubergines
250 gm tomatoes
250 gm potatoes
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
Chopped green chillies (optional)
Salt to taste
1tbsp mustard oil
4-5 garlic cloves
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Boil potatoes. Roast them straight on the flame, one at a time. Remove the potato from the burner when its skin starts to turn black and crackle. Repeat the process with aubergines and tomatoes, except you don’t have to boil them. Just one twist before you roast aubergines: use knife to make half a dozen slits into each aubergine, and stuff the slits with garlic cloves. Once the roasted vegetables have cooled, peel off the skin and mash their flesh together. Use your hand. Add the rest of the ingredients, including oil. Mix well. Serve with litti.
Julia’s empire

Making litti – atta flour

Making litti – sattu flour

Making litti – adding the details

Making litti – scooping in

Making litti – ready to be baked

Making litti- waiting

Making litti – baked

Making litti – dipping in ghee

Making litti – cracking it open

Making chokha – roasting the vegetables

Making chokha – let the roasted vegetables cool

Making chokha – peel, mix and mash

Litti Chokha, a family tradition

Courtesy:http://www.thedelhiwalla.com/2011/02/27/city-food-%E2%80%93-julia-child-cooks-litti-chokha-in-mayur-vihar-i/

Kulle ke Chaat

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 07:20:00 +0000

Kulle ke Chaat

BM # 32 Week 2
Theme: Street Food
Cooking with Alphabets " K ''

I was introduced to the Kulle Chaat about five years ago.My brother 's office is in the walled city of Delhi. During my stay in Delhi, he makes it a point to get a different chaat every evening.He knows my love for these . As a kid I have lived in the old city and have tasted and eaten at almost all food joints.I am familiar with all the street food available, but this Kuliya was new to me. Kulle or Kuliya as they are called are made by scooping out the different vegetables and fruits.You could call them vegetable and fruit cups.These are filled with zero sized chick peas and pomegranate pearls , spiced with black chaat masala and drizzled with lemon juice.

The best kuliyas are available at Hira Lal CHaat Waale, who is located in Chawri Bazar .Chawri Bazar has a huge paper market and is a busy area.It is practically impossible to go there during the day , so normally we get them home.

The most popular vegetables and fruits used to make these cups are potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, banana, apple, pineapple, mango. one can use boiled potatoes, and sweet potatoes but I normally roast them in the tandoor. These impart a wonderful flavor on their own.

Choice of vegetables and fruits and their preparation

Potatoes

Choose big sized potatoes, boil or roast.

You could also choose potatoes of even small size.

Cut it into two halves.

Scoop the center,

Chop a little from the bottom so that the cup can stand.

Sprinkle salt.

Sweet Potato

Roast and peel the sweet potato.

Cut into 2 inch length pieces.

Scoop and sprinkle salt.

Cucumbers

Peel the cucumbers.

Cut into 2 inch pieces.

Scoop and sprinkle salt.

Tomatoes

Chop 1/4 from the top and just a wee bit from the bottom so the cup can stand.

Scoop out the pulp and sprinkle salt.

Banana

Peel the banana, cut into two.

Making V slits scoop out length wise.

Similarly one can use different fruits to make these cups.

Filling

Chick peas...these have to be the mini ones which are normally used by the Delhi chaat wallas.

Pomegranate pearls

Other Ingredients

Chaat masala

Lemon juice

Coriander leaves

I chilled these fruits and vegetables.I also chilled the filling.Once these both are chilled just fill the cups, drizzle masala and lemon juice.

This chaat is not spicy, yet the flavor imparted by the combination of fruit vegetable and lentil is amazing.I have served this as a biting with drinks and my guests have loved these simple yet attractive and delicious cups .

Courtesy:http://ribbonstopastas.blogspot.in/2013/09/kulle-ke-chaat.html

How to Make Any Caramel Corn in 5 Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 06:06:00 +0000

How to Make Any Caramel Corn in 5 Steps

By sarah jampel • August 12, 2013 •

Here at Food52, we love recipes -- but do we always use them? Of course not. Because once you realize you don't always need a recipe, you'll make your favorite dishes a lot more often.
Today: Take back caramel corn from the state fair. With 5 simple steps and the perfect caramel ratio, you can make it better, and make it your own.

The whole summer revolves around fresh corn. First we anticipate, then we worship, and finally, we cook.
But even though we've covered the range of corn recipes -- from quesadillas to salad to ice cream -- there's been a serious oversight. The sweetest corn of all can't be found at any farmers market. And that's because the sweetest corn of all is caramel corn.
Caramel corn is too sweet, too crunchy, and too simple to belong to just one season. Instead, it's claimed by all. In the summer, it's eaten out of paper cones at state fairs. In the winter, it's scooped into plastic bags that are tied with ribbons for holiday gifts. All year long, it arrives in large tins alongside the understandably less popular buttered popcorn and cheddar corn. Caramel corn is always the first to go.
Thankfully, you don't have to make a trip to the state fair or wait for the holiday season to eat corn in its best possible form. Caramel corn isn't any more complicated than its name suggests.
Pop corn, make caramel, combine the two, and give it a brief time-out in the oven. There you have it.
How to Make Any Caramel Corn in 5 Steps
1. Pop your corn in whatever way is easiest for you. It's important that your popcorn be fresh and sturdy, which is why we recommend popping your own. Start with 1/2 cup of kernels to make 10 to 12 cups of popcorn. (We like to pop it in a little bit of neutral oil in a big, lidded Dutch oven on the stovetop, shaking the pot here and there.)
Dump the popcorn into a large bowl and, if you want to get creative, add nuts or dried fruit, too.

2. Start making the caramel. Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter, then add a cup of brown sugar and a tablespoon or two of molasses. After the sugar's melted, crank up the heat and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir constantly so that the caramel doesn't stick and burn.
(If you like a bit of bite to your caramel corn, it's helpful to know that the longer the caramel is on the stove, the crunchier your corn will be. Just don't leave the caramel on the stove so long that it starts to smoke.)

3. Add a teaspoon of vanilla, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt (1 teaspoon if you want a salted caramel corn), and the magic ingredient: 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Baking soda makes the caramel airy and foamy, giving it a softer texture and allowing it to better coat the corn. The air bubbles that form when baking soda is added will make the caramel lighter in color and texture.
Now's your chance to add other spices or flavorings to the caramel: cayenne, hot sauce, or curry powder for a savory, spicy popcorn; cinnamon, cloves, and other spices for a holiday-themed variety; or maybe some maple syrup if you're Canadian.

4. Working quickly, pour the caramel into the bowl of popcorn and stir until all of the corn glistens with the golden sauce.

5. Into the oven it goes! Spread your caramel corn into an even layer on a lined baking sheet and bake at 250° F for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how dry you like the corn. Stir every 15 minutes, breaking up any clumps (or leaving them intact, if you're a fan).

If you have self-control, let it cool completely. Otherwise, pop each piece into your mouth straight from the baking sheet. Corn really is wonderful, isn't it?

How to Make Homemade Popcorn

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 06:04:00 +0000

How to Make Homemade Popcorn

By Marian Bull • October 3, 2013 •

Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun.
Today: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Tonight, we're making perfect popcorn.

You've been burned before: you've had bad popcorn. Its smell doesn't leave your kitchen for days. It leaves black pockmarks on your good pot; it is inedible. It's a total movie night buzzkill.
You've also likely made good popcorn: minimal burnt bits, a small number of unpopped kernels hiding at the bottom of your bowl. You cover it with a modest amount of butter, a pinch of salt. It plays an obligatory role in your movie night. It's fine.
But tonight, we're making perfect popcorn, thanks to a technique from Simply Recipes. There's going to be counting out loud (in unison!), and there's going to be lots of butter. All of your kernels will be popped evenly, with none left behind. Now the only thing you'll be fretting over is what to watch on Netflix.
More: If you're craving sweet over salty, try caramel corn.

First off: mise your ingredients. It will make your popping easier. For every 1/3 cup dried kernels, you'll need 3 tablespoons of neutral oil, 3 tablespoons of butter, and salt.

Pour your oil into a heavy-bottomed pot. Drop 3 to 4 kernels into the pot, cover, and turn the heat to medium-high.

Once all of your kernels pop, add the rest of the kernels to the pot, cover, and take it off of the heat.

Count to 30 -- out loud works best, for very scientific reasons -- and then return the pot to the stove, over medium-high once again. Here's the regular popcorn rigamarole that you're used to: once your corn begins to pop, shake the pot vigorously with the lid ajar, waiting for the frequency of the noises to slow.

Once the pops slow down to every 2 to 3 seconds, take a peek -- because of the counting technique (you did it out loud, right?), you shouldn't have too many of those un-popped stragglers that cause everything else to turn black.

Dump your popped kernels into a bowl and turn off your heat -- but keep your pot on the oven! Make sure the popcorn isn't overflowing in your bowl -- you'll want some headspace when you mix things around.

Here's where you'll feel very very efficient: you're going to melt butter in your already-hot pot. Fearlessness behooves you here: a good three tablespoons will yield the best results. Swirl the butter around in the pan until it melts, and just begins to brown. Pour it over your popcorn. Toss with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until there's an even sheen of butter throughout. Add salt with the same generosity with which you added your butter.

If you're worried about aesthetics, transfer to a cleaner, smaller bowl. Eat one by one, or by the handful. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Photos by James Ransom

Overnight, No-Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal A healthy breakfast made in mason jars in six different flavors

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 06:45:00 +0000

Overnight, No-Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal

A healthy breakfast made in mason jars in six different flavors!

809k+

69k+

By Monica Matheny

Don't miss my follow-up post to this one with
8 MORE REFRIGERATOR OATMEAL FLAVORS
plus FAQs and more tips
CLICK HERE

This easy, no-cook "summer porridge" has make-ahead convenience and is packed with nutrition to get your day off to a healthy start. Make it in individual mason jars for a perfect serving size and an easy grab-and-go breakfast straight from the fridge (it's eaten cold). Take it along to work or anywhere. Great to serve on a breakfast or brunch buffet. High in protein, calcium & fiber; low in fat & sugar.
Apparently this kind of cold yogurt & oatmeal mixture has been around for awhile. I don't know where I've been, because I'd never heard of it until I saw a recipe by Christie at Pepper Lynn on Pinterest. We eat a lot of steel-cut oatmeal in the winter months, but it never appeals to me once the weather heats up. Learning about refrigerator oatmeal excited me, because it offers a way to enjoy oatmeal year round. Yummy reader, Kelly, called this "Summer Porridge" in a comment on my Facebook page--I'd never heard of that either. After some googling, I discovered that refrigerator oatmeal, yogurt oats, and summer porridge are all names for the same thing. Whatever you call it, this stuff is delicious!
I played around with some different flavor combos, and created single portion recipes that will fit in a half-pint mason jar. I've been pulling these out of my fridge and eating them for breakfast all week. LOVE the convenience of having them made ahead. They are filling and packed with nutrition, too.
ch-ch-ch-CHIA seeds. I followed Pepper Lynn's lead and included chia seeds in my refrigerator oats recipes. I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the nutritional powerhouse in these teensie little seeds, and this is a great way to sneak them into your diet. Chia seeds:

have more Omega 3 fatty acids than flax seed (important for heart health)
are the richest non-marine whole food source of Omega-3 (better than salmon)
absorb 10 times their weight in water and transform into a gel-like substance--great for athletes for maintaining hydration and helps with weight loss by making you feel full longer
are as high in protein as quinoa
are loaded with calcium, potassium, Vitamin B, and anti-oxidants
help balance blood sugar via the gelling action of the seed and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber that slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars
have a neutral taste so they will take on the other flavors in a recipe
can be eaten whole (unlike flax seed); they don't have to be ground before adding them to food in order to digest them and benefit from their nutrients
have a two year shelf life, stored at room temperature (flax seeds quickly become rancid and loose their nutritional value)

Sources: Dr. Weil, NutritionData, LiveStrong, Huffington Post
In addition to chia seeds, this refrigerator oatmeal has protein- & calcium-packed yogurt and fiber-rich oats. It's hard to find a healthier breakfast than this.
How to make 6 flavor varieties of Refrigerator Oatmeal.
I had fun experimenting with different flavor combinations and settled on six favorites. They all start with the same basic ingredients and procedure.
Step 1. Assemble these ingredients & supplies:

old fashioned rolled oats (not instant, quick, or steel-cut)
Greek yogurt (regular yogurt is thinner; if you use it, you'll need to reduce the amount of milk); read my post for easy instructions for straining regular yogurt to make Greek yogurt.
milk (I used skim, but any kind will work)
chia seeds; I bought mine at Whole Foods; also available on Amazon
half pint (1 cup) mason jars, find them at Walmart and grocery stores; also available on Amazon

view basic supplies on Amazon:
1/2-pint mason jars, plastic lids for jars, chia seeds, rolled oats

Specific amounts of each ingredient are listed with the recipes of each flavored refrigerator oatmeal recipe; they are further down in this post. Click on the big teal bar below each flavor and that links to the recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 2. Add oats, milk, yogurt, and chia seeds to jar, along with desired sweeteners or flavors (see options below).
Step 3. Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine. I use white plastic jar lids sized to fit canning jars--they last longer than the metal tops and rims that come with the jars, and they are easier to screw on and off; some Walmarts carry them, and they're available on Amazon.

view on Amazon: white plastic jar lids

Step 4. Add fruit and stir gently until combined.
Step 5. Place in fridge overnight and up to 2 days; maybe longer depending on the type and ripeness of the fruit. The non-banana varieties have been good after 4 days for me.

During the overnight soak, the oats and chia seeds absorb the liquid and soften. They have a great eating texture by the next day.
Here are my six favorite flavor varieties.
Mango Almond Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh mango, honey, and almond extract. (If you don't know how to cut a mango, check out my previous post.)
207 calories, 4g fat, 47g carbs, 7g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7

click to view Mango Almond Refrigerator Oatmeal recipe

Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh blueberries and maple syrup.
215 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7

click to view Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal recipe

Apple Cinnamon Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon and honey.
210 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 11g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7

click to view Apple Cinnamon Refrigerator Oatmeal recipe

Banana Cocoa Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, cocoa powder, and honey.
(A healthy way to eat chocolate for breakfast. Feel free to squeal with delight!)245 calories, 5g fat, 56g carbs, 10g fiber, 13g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 8

click to view Banana Cocoa Refrigerator Oatmeal recipe

Banana Peanut Butter Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, peanut butter (or PB2), and honey.
264 calories, 5g fat, 55g carbs, 8g fiber, 15g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 8 (using PB2 and no honey or sweetener)

What is PB2? I recently discovered this amazing powdered peanut butter. It's simply peanut butter with 85% of the fat removed. With all of the flavor and protein of regular peanut butter, PB2 is recommended as a great way to reduce calories in all of your favorite peanut butter recipes. My local grocery story carries it. You can also find it at some Whole Foods, health food stores, and on Amazon.
click to view PB2 on Amazon

click to view Banana Peanut Refrigerator Oatmeal recipe

Raspberry Vanilla Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh raspberries, raspberry preserves or spread (I used a no-sugar added fruit spread), and vanilla extract.
230 calories, 4g fat, 51g carbs, 8g fiber, 11g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7

click to view Raspberry Vanilla Refrigerator Oatmeal recipe

Honestly, if you asked me to pick a favorite flavor, I couldn't choose just one. I've enjoyed having a variety of these jars in my fridge for an easy, yummy, nutritious breakfast each day.

These would be fun to serve on a breakfast or brunch buffet. Garnish the tops with some additional fresh fruit to help identify the flavor and make a prettier presentation.

This marriage of yogurt, oats, chia seeds and fruit is my new favorite breakfast. The hard part is choosing just one flavor per day. Which one looks good to you?

You might also like Pepper Lynn's strawberry/banana and pumpkin/peanut butter flavor combos. I'm anxious to give those a try, too
Make it a yummy day!

How to Strain Yogurt & Make Your Own Greek Yogurt-An easy, healthy substitute for sour cream and cream cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 06:43:00 +0000

How to Strain Yogurt & Make Your Own Greek Yogurt

An easy, healthy substitute for sour cream and cream cheese

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By Monica Matheny

Yogurt is a healthy choice to eat alone, with fruit mixed in, or as a substitute for less nutritious ingredients like sour cream, cream cheese, or mayonnaise. Regular yogurt contains a lot of liquid, so straining it makes it more suitable to use in recipes.
This straining technique can be used for whole-, low-, or non-fat yogurt. I normally go for the low fat. For me, it has the right balance of flavor and health benefits.
Strained regular yogurt is the same thing as Greek yogurt.
That's right. The only difference between the two yogurts is that the liquid whey remains in regular yogurt. The liquid whey is strained from regular yogurt to create Greek yogurt. By using the simple technique of straining regular yogurt that is illustrated below, you can create your own Greek yogurt.
Taste and texture difference between regular and Greek yogurt.
When the liquid whey is strained out of regular yogurt, the consistency of the yogurt becomes thicker and creamier. Also, the flavor changes because the whey contains sodium and sugar (from lactose). So, regular yogurt is saltier and sweeter than strained (Greek) yogurt.
Nutritional difference between regular and Greek yogurt.
Yogurt is considered one of the healthiest foods around. It's rich in probiotics which aid digestion, reduce the risk of intestinal infection and colon cancer, and improve lactose tolerance and cholesterol profile--lowers LDL, raises HDL (source). Both strained and unstrained yogurt is very good for you, but there are some nutritional differences. When the liquid whey is strained from regular yogurt, the volume of the yogurt reduces by half. (This is why you can expect Greek yogurt to costs twice as much as regular yogurt.) That means it's more concentrated and results in some nutritional changes. (Source)

Protein - Greek yogurt has twice the protein of regular yogurt, because the protein is concentrated in the yogurt after it's strained.
Carbohydrates - Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates, because the liquid that is strained out of it is high in carbs.
Sodium - Greek yogurt has half the sodium of regular yogurt, because the liquid that is strained out of it is high in sodium.
Calcium - Both yogurts are considered a good source of calcium, but regular yogurt has 3 times more calcium than Greek yogurt, because the liquid that is strained out of Greek yogurt is high in calcium.

Each person can decide which kind of yogurt is best, depending on individual nutritional priorities. Choose Greek yogurt for higher protein and lower carbs and salt. Choose regular yogurt if your priority if to increase your calcium intake.
Strained (Greek) yogurt is recommended for cooking.
Strained yogurt is a healthy substitute for sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. It's creamier, thicker consistency makes it a better substitution in dips and dressings. Strained yogurt is also better for cooking because it doesn't curdle when it's heated; regular yogurt can curdle when heated.

Step-by-Step photos for How to Make Strained (Greek) Yogurt

Skip the photos - Go straight to the recipe

Step 1. Assemble the supplies: regular yogurt, large bowl, wire mesh strainer or colander, cheesecloth (or heavy paper towel, or basket-style coffee filter).

Step 2. Place strainer over bowl making sure there is enough space in bottom of bowl to contain dripping liquid.
Step 3. Place a double layer of cheesecloth in strainer.

Step 4. Pour yogurt into cheesecloth.

NOTE: In place of the cheesecloth, you can use:

a sturdy paper towel - sturdy enough that it won't fall apart when it gets soaked with liquid for several hours

OR, in place of cheesecloth, you can use:

a basket style coffee filter.

Step 4. Cover top with plastic wrap, and put in fridge to allow liquid to drain out.

drain for 1 hour to remove 20% of the liquid.
drain for 3-4 hours to remove half of the liquid.
drain overnight (8 hours or so) to remove all of the liquid. (closest to consistency of sour cream)

That's all you have to do. You can see the liquid whey left in the bottom of the bowl. The strained yogurt is nice and thick. I discard the liquid. I've read that some people save the liquid because of it's nutritional value, freeze it into ice cubes, and save it to add to soup.

Step 5. Flip the strainer over and let the strained yogurt fall into a bowl. The cheesecloth is attached to the top.

Peel off the cheesecloth.

That's it! You've got strained (Greek) yogurt. It's also sometimes called "yogurt cheese." If it's lumpier than you want, just whisk it a bit to make it smoother and creamier.
In place of sour cream, try a dollop of strained yogurt on a baked potato, bowl of chili, or enchiladas. Yummy!

If you won't be using the yogurt right away, store it in the fridge. It will be good until the freshness date on the original container.
I wash out the container the yogurt came in, label it "STRAINED", and put the strained yogurt right back in there for storage in the fridge. I'll be using this to make Frozen Yogurt; that recipe is coming soon.

Karwa Chauth-annual one-day festival in which women fast for the safety and longevity of their husbands.

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 06:09:00 +0000

Karwa Chauth Puja Vidhi

What does Karwa Chauth mean ?

Karwa means earthen pot which is the symbol of peace and prosperity. And ‘Chauth’ means the ‘fourth day’. Hence, Karwa Chauth is observed on fourth day of new moon in Karthik Month. It is also known as Kartik ki chauth or Karak Chaturthi.Karwa Chauth day is also known as Karak Chaturthi (करक चतुर्थी). Karwa or Karak refers to the earthen pot through which water offering, known as Argha (अर्घ), is made to the moon. Karwa is very significant during Puja and it is also given as Dan to the Brahmin or any eligible woman.Compare to South Indian states, Karwa Chauth is more popular in North Indian states. After four days of Karwa Chauth, Ahoi Ashtami Vrat is observed for the wellbeing of sons.

Karwa Chauth Puja Vidhi

Karva Chauth is one the most awaited festival for married Hindu women. They keep a whole day fast and worship maa parvati to seek long life of their husband. Karva Chauth is observed on the fourth day Kartik month. This year women will observe Karwa Chauth Puja Vidhi and Fast on 22^nd October 2013 i.e. Tuesday. Let’s know about the complete puja process for this auspicious fast.

Early Morning – Karwa Chauth Puja Vidhi:

Wake up before dawn; take bath and Chant Maa Parvati’s Name.
Worship Shiva pariwar i.e. Lord Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh, Kartikeya and the moon.
Pray for longevity and prosperity of their husbands and children.
Eat the splendid ‘Sargi’ before sunrise and then get ready for the tough fast.
Decorate your pooja thali, meet your friends, relatives and wish them.
Prepare your puja thali and assemble other puja items of evening.

Evening: Ritual of Karwa Chauth Katha

In the evening, dress up elegantly for the puja.
Join your neighbours or relatives to listen or narrate the story of Karwa Chauth.
Place your bayas and karvas in a Puja thali and sit around the puja area to pray.
An elderly lady or pandit will narrates a Karwa chauth Vrat katha.
While the Katha is read out, you are supposed to exchange your karvas (puja thali) with others.
The karwa’s will be exchanged till you get your own karva back.
During this time, chant the prayer or sing the traditional song. At the end of Puja shower rice and kumkum on Parvati and seeking her blessings.
Sing Karwa Chauth puja aarti and bhajans.

Karwa Chauth Puja Vidhi at Moon rise

The ritual at moon will mark the culmination of your fast. Know about the time of moonrise in your city.

Once the moon rises, See the reflection of the moon in their thali containing water.
You can also use a sieve or dupatta to have a glimpse of the moon.
Offer water (ark) to the moon and pray for the safety, prosperity and long life of their husbands.
Sing a Karwachauth ark song.
Thereafter, have a glimpse of your husband through the same sieve.
Now eat the sweet or take a sip of water offered by your husband.
Hands over the Baya to the monther-in-law or any elderly lady of the house and seeks her blessings.

Now have the lavish dinner with your family members and end your day long fast. Online prasad wishes you a happy and blessed Karwa Chauth. Follow the karwa chauth puja vidhi with full devotion and break your fast with prasad.

Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha

The story of Karwa chauth is about Queen Veervati. After her marriage, on the occasion of the first Karva Chauth she went to her parents’ house. Vervati had seven brothers, who loved and cared a lot for her.

Veervati observed a strict fast but by evening, she became too weak, and fainted. Her brothers were worried about her health. They couldn’t stand the plight of their sister and decided to end her fast. They made illusion and assured her that it was the moonlight now she should break her fast. Soon after this, a message arrived that her husband had died. Queen rushed back to her husband’s house. Lord Shiva and maa Parvati appeared before her on her way and told her that she had been mislead by her brothers. She realised her mistake and pleaded for forgiveness. After which Lord Shiva and Parvati assured her that her husband would be brought back to life only when she observes strict fast ritual.

On reaching home, she found her husband lying unconscious with hundreds of needles inserted in his body. Each day, the queen managed to remove one needle from the king’s body. Next year, on the day of Karva Chauth, only one needle remained embedded in the body of the unconscious king. This time Veervati followed the ritual strictly and was able to redeem her husband’s life from death.

On such a significant day seek blessing prasad to Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati.

Courtesy:http://blog.onlineprasad.com/2013/10/20/karwa-chauth-puja-vidhi-fast-2013/

http://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/karwa-chauth/karwa-chauth-date-time.html

How to Make Yeast at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 08:20:00 +0000

How to Make Yeast at Home by

Nisha Madhulika

Yeast word is derived from Sanskrit "Yas" word.Yeast has been brought in use in cooking since ages. Yeast is commonly used to make Sheermal, Yeast Bread (Naan), Jalebi etc. Yeast brings good texture and fragrance to the food.
Fresh Yeast and Baker's Dried Yeast can be bought from the market. But incase none of it is available in the market, then you can even make Yeast at home. I myself prefer making Yeast at home, instead of buying it from the marketplace

Ingredients for Yeast

Maida (All Purpose Flour) - 1 cup.
Curd - 2 table spoon.
Sugar - 2 tea spoon.
Sounf Powder - 1 tea spoon.

Method - How to make Yeast at home.

Sieve the maida, and mix it well with curd, sugar, and sounf powder and make a batter by pouring less than 1/2 cup of luke warm water. Beat it for atleast 5-6 minutes so that no lumps are formed.

Put this batter in an air-tight container or cover the bowl in which you prepared the batter with a cleanse film. Within 18-24 hours the batter produces bubbles, which means that the yeast is formed. You can preserve it for 7 days in the refrigerators.
If you knead this yeast with maida, you'll get a spongy dough after 4 hours which can be used to make any kind of bread like Pav or Naan. To make bread from the yeast dough take out 1 cup from it and keep the rest into the refrigerator again. You can use this dough to make bread whenever you want. It just takes 4 hours for the dough to get spongy, enough suitable to make bread.

Method - How to make Bread with Home-made Yeast.

1 bowl of yeast is enough to knead 2 1/2 cup (300gms) maida. Sieve maida and take it out in a separate plate. Now divide the maida equally in to two portions in the plate forming a gap. Put 2 table spoon oil, 1 tea spoon sugar, 1/2 tea spoon salt and knead all the ingredients in luke warn water to make more smooth dough than a dough prepared to make chapati. Keep on kneading the dough for 5-7 minutes by flipping and turning over the sides continuously. The maida should be kneaded by doubling up to arouse the yeast so that the dough gets greasy and elastic in touch. Within 5-7 minutes the dough will get greasy and elastic and while touching it the dough will be smooth and oily.

Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a clean towel or a cleansed film. Keep the bowl in a warm place. Within 4 hours the dough will be spongy, ready to make bread. The dough it ready to make any kind of bread.
Preserve 1 cup of the yeast dough in the refrigerator. You can store it for upto 7 days. This yeast dough will work as a yeast and this time you will be able to able make a better quality of bread with the use if this yeast dough.

http://nishamadhulika.com/en/564-how-to-make-yeast-at-home.html

Know your Ingredient: Yeast By Gourmet Table in Know Your Ingredient

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 05:19:00 +0000

September 25, 2013

Know your Ingredient: Yeast

By Gourmet Table in Know Your Ingredient

One of the biggest deterrents to baking bread at home is a lack of understanding of a core ingredient–yeast. There are several different kinds available in the market, and there are pros and cons for each type. But which one’s the best? Gourmet Table finds out:
Fresh yeast: Fresh yeast is easily available at select food stores. It comes in a large, crumbly block for industrial use, but the local baker will be happy to sell you small packets of 50 or 100 grams. Make sure the yeast smells sweet and is light brown in color; if it has a strong, sour smell or is dark brown in appearance, it is likely too old to use. Store the fresh yeast in an airtight container or zip pouch in the freezer for up to two weeks. To use fresh yeast, crumble it and mix it with lukewarm water and a little natural sweetener and wait for 10-15 minutes for it to froth. If you see a distinct increase in volume, the yeast is good for use.
Dry yeast: Dry yeast is available in all grocery stores and supermarkets under various brands in the form of granules that are about the size of mustard seeds. The size of the granules varies within each packet. Dry yeast also needs to be frothed in lukewarm water before use. However, depending on the freshness of the product, the results tend to vary. As the size of the granules tends to vary, not all granules will dissolve and froth equally thereby affecting the texture of the bread. You may also need to use a little extra dry yeast than the recipe calls for. For instance, you may need to use about 1.5 tsp. of dry yeast if a recipe asks for 1 tsp. fresh or instant yeast. Sometimes, this results in a strong, “yeasty” smell in the bread and the loaf tends to spoil easily. Store dry yeast in a cool, dry place in an air tight box; if you live in humid climates, it is safer to store in the refrigerator.
Instant yeast: Instant yeast looks exactly like fine white poppy seeds and is extensively used for industrial preparations, but is now easily available in gourmet stores. This yeast does not require frothing in lukewarm water; however, it is always a good idea to test a small amount in warm water before adding it to the flour. It is absolutely legitimate to use it as one uses fresh yeast, by frothing it in lukewarm warm water to ensure that it is evenly mixed in the dough. Instant yeast also has a longer shelf life, staying active and odor-free in air tight containers at room temperatures for even a year. We find that breads rise better, do not carry a strong, “yeasty” odor, and are more flavorful.
All yeasts need to be “fed” with some sort of natural sugar in order to get activated. Simple grain or caster sugar, raw sugar, honey, etc. works best, even if used in small quantities. The sugars from the grain itself further help the yeast to multiply. Yeast thrives in a warm environment, so it is a good idea to place the yeast-sugar-water mixture in a warm spot such as an oven that has the light (no temperature adjustments) turned on or under a chimney light. If you live in warm climates, just the counter top will work fine.

http://gourmettable.in/know-your-ingredient-yeast/

Goda masala recipe| Marathi - Maharashtrian Kala Masala | Annapurna

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 05:06:00 +0000

Goda masala recipe| Marathi - Maharashtrian Kala Masala | Annapurna

Low Fat Minty Paneer Tikka or Kathi Roll

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 09:43:00 +0000

Low Fat Minty Paneer Tikka Roll ( Swati`s Recipe)

Serves:- 4

Ingredients :

For making the chappatis or rotis:

3 cups of mixed flour or atta (which should have equal quantities of nachani( Finger millet, African millet,red millet) , bajara (green millet), chana( chick pea), soya, rice flour or you can also make of only whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup water

For the tikka

500 gms low fat paneer/regular paneer cubes

1 green big bell pepper cut into cubes

1 red big bell pepper cut into cubes

2 medium size firm tomatoes
cut into cubes

10 small onions or 2 whole red or white onions
cut into cubes

For the marinade:

350 gms Slim curd which is hung in a cheese cloth for a couple of hours or strained through a stainer

3 tbp Tandoori Chicken Masala

1 tsp red chilli powder( spicy one or the coloured one depending on the amount of spice you enjoy)

Chaat masala as per taste

salt as per taste

For the mint chutney:

1 large bunch of fresh mint leaves

1 small bunch of coriander leaves

1 small raw green mango if available of jiuce of 1 to 2 lemons or lime

5 to 6 green chillies

1 tsp whole jeera( cummin seeds)

Onion Salad or laccha onions:-

2 medium size red or white onions

1 tsp chaat masala or black salt powder

1/2 red chilli powder

1 tsp lime juice

Utensils and Equipment:

Rolling Board

Rolling Pin

Girdle

Cheese cloth or a soup strainer

Chopping board

Skewers

Conventional Oven or Gas

Method:-

For making the chappatis :-
Add the water to the flour mix slowly and gently knead to make a nice soft dough.
Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4-5 portions by making small balls and press the ball and make it flat.
Dust whole wheat flour and roll to make round chapatis.
Heat a flat pan and cook the chapatis. - Turn them to cook on both sides
Keep them aside by covering them in a cotton kitchen towel so that they dont dry up

For making the tikkas:

For Marination - Place cubed paneer, tomatoes and capsicum in a deep bowl. Add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, aamchoor, turmeric and kasoori methi and toss it slightly. Add 1 tbsp of hung curd to this mixture and toss it again. Keep this mixture in fridge for half an hour. Heat a pan and place marinated paneer, tomatoes and capsicum in the pan. Cook on high falme for 4 -5 mins (till mixture is dried) stirring ocassionally. Remove from the flame and allow it to cool. - See more at: http://www.jainfoodie.com/recipe/jain-paneer-kathi-roll/#sthash.TxNAqkt6.dpuf

Mix all the dry spices that is tandoori masala, red chili powder, chaat masala in the hung curd.

Now roll the cubed bell peppers, tomato,whole small onion or the cubed onion and paneer or cottage

cheese individually in this mixer .

Now put these on the skewer as shown in the picture below.

Now grill these in an hot oven of 180 to 200 degrees for 7 to 10 mins or roast these over the gas flame to the same time but kindly ensure to keep turning these.

If you have a conventional oven with a rotisserie then it is most convenient.

Keep these aside on a plate

For making the chutney:
Wash and clean coriander, chillies , mint, raw mango together then put all in these in a blender along with the salt, cumen seeds and lime juice if mango is not available and blend to a smooth puree like the picture given below.

Making the Onion Salad or Laccha onions:

Slice the onions in shape of rings.
Place the onions in a bowl sprinkle the chaat masala, salt and lemon juice on it.
Let them rest for a cuple of minutes

Assembling the roll

Take a chopping board and first put the chappati or roti on it. Smear the mint and coriander chutney liberally , then put the tikkas in the centre of the roti or chappati in a vertical line. Now top the tikkas with onions and roll the chappati or roti. Now put is roll in a tissue and heat this in the microwave for 50 secs to 1 min then serve hot

The other way to make Minty Paneer Tikka Roll

Instead of marinating the vegetables and panner in tandoori masala, marinade them in mint coriander chutney and hung curd mixture. This also tastes very good. The rest of the process remaind the same but chaat masala is a must as it adds the neccessary twang to make it just like the ones available on the street .

Home remedy for persistent cough

noreply@blogger.com (Mita T) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:53:00 +0000

Indian kitchen is an ayurvedic pharmacy by itself. I am sharing a home remedy for people who suffer from cough which could aggravate when one tries to lie down or while speaking for a longer time specially when one is suffering from cough and cold. This has been shared by my mother.

What all you will need:-

10 Green Cardmoms
1 sterelized sewing needle
9 inches cotton thread
Motor and pastel
1/4 tsp.Honey

Method:-

Take 10 green cardmoms and thread them with the hep of a needle.

Then hold the needle over the gas stove and roast the elaichi till they turn black which will take only a couple
of seconds.

Then remove these and pound them. You can put the skin of the cardmom in your tea.

After you pound them take 1/4 of the teaspoon of the powder and put the rest in an airtight container for further use, mix it with the honey and serve it immediately.

This should be done once a day.