We were pleased at the high level of interest in Carrie Hamby’s Wild Persimmon Pudding recipe, for the winter holidays. Our Pulse of the Planet studios are nestled in the heart of the Catskills. It’s been snowing quite a bit and the winter weather has us throwing another log on the fire and thinking about cooking! We wondered if you might be interested in sharing more of your recipes, in particular – seasonal recipes from all around the world.

We note that Mardi Gras and the Chinese New Year are fast approaching. Do any of you have recipes for those occasions, or seasonal fare for the remaining winter months? To sweeten the pot, we’ll offer a free Pulse of the Planet CD for the first three recipes submitted. Just leave a reply below and type your recipe in the box.

As a first offering, here’s a recipe from our archives, from the Indian celebration of Holi, which begins on the first full moon of March. We reported on this in March of 1998. After a day of frenzied free-for-alls with colored powder, the Indian people enjoy foods like mathri, malpua, puranpoli, dahi badas and gujiya – a wrapped and fried pastry dessert with nuts and raisins.

GUJIYA RECIPE
(Special thanks to Mr. And Mrs. Vikram Khullar for sharing this recipe with us in 1998.)

Makes approximately 20-25 gujiyas.

Dough:

Maida (wheat flour): 1 cup
Melted ghee (refined oil): 3 tbsp
Salt: 1 pinch
Water to mix the dough

Mix the oil and the maida/flour so that the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. You may have to rub the flour between your palms to get the required texture. Then, with small quantities of water, mix into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.

Filling:

1-1/2 cups milk
6 ounces kismis (raisins)
6 ounces broken kajus (cashew nuts)
1 cup grated coconut (optional)
8 green illaichi (cardamoms)
or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
3-1/4 cups sugar

(Please note that we converted metric units as best as we could to the ounces and cups measurements commonly used in the United States, and we welcome any comments or improvements on the portions.)

Dry roast the khoya in a pan on low heat. When it begins to change color, add the sugar and stir it for some time, till it turns a golden color. Add the other ingredients. Switch off the heat and allow it to cool. The dough can be divided into 25 or 30 balls.

Take one ball of dough and roll it thin into an even circle. Put a scant teaspoon of the filling in the center of the circle and spread it out in a line, leaving a little space along the edges. Dip a finger in water and run it along one half of the edge of the circle.

Fold over the casing so that it forms a half moon shape. Press down on the wet side so that the casing does not open. Make sure that it has stuck well. Now pinch the edges of the mold so that it takes on a delicate shell pattern. All the Gujiyas can be made and kept aside in a damp cover.

Frying:

Heat one quart of oil in a pan. Lower the heat and fry the gujiyas on a gentle heat until they are a delicate golden color. When cool, they can be stored in airtight containers.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 5:36 pm and is filed under Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.