Gulkand Gujiya

 

Spring is almost here and my rose plants are filled with buds. Even before the Chaitra month according to the Hindu calendar begins, my very fragrant Chaitri Gulab or spring roses are blooming. As we celebrate holi, the festival of colors welcoming spring...the sight of blooming gulabi/pink roses brings smile on my face. I feel so fortunate to have owned these plants and watching the roses bloom in our yard.

Traditionally, holi which is the festival to celebrate spring and colors would be celebrated by using flower petals. Rose petals were popularly used to make natural holi colors by drying and grinding them into powder or just using them fresh. Roses and flowers are used in abundance at homes and in temples decorating temples and Idols of God and Goddesses with floral garlands. Eventually traditional Eco-friendly holi turned into holi with dirty chemicals and harsh colors that would stain the skin, hair, and nails. The stain would be difficult to remove too. These colors not just have adverse effects on the person,  but are also detrimental to the environment. As educated citizen, I feel we all should enjoy this festival as it symbolizes color, best wishes, and love from friends and family. Applying just a little color on the loved ones and friends is Shagun/Good Luck and fun, and while having fun we all need to respect each other and the environment. I learned to make simple holi colors at home using cornstarch and food color. My friends love it and it is safe for little children to enjoy it too.

Make Eco-friendly holi colors at home.

Click on the picture below.

Last season my husband and I experimented with making gulkand with homegrown organic roses. We tried different techniques and checked different recipes online to get the perfect blend. We left it in the sun the entire summer for rose petals and sugar to naturally cook and yield Gulkand.

This season while the roses are blooming and everyone is making gujiyas to celebrate the spring and holi festival, I wanted to make gujiya stuffed with our homemade gulkand. And the exciting part is that they are in the shape of blooming roses. I have made rose dumplings before and I exactly knew the technique of creating these rose shaped gujiyas.

My husband loved these. He said it tasted very good and looked so pretty and festive for the season! So even of you make regular gujiyas, Make few of these to offer God and thank Him for spreading blooms in our lives.

Here is our homemade gulkand made with 

organic rose petals, organic sugar, fennel seeds, and cardamom powder.

Ingredients (makes 8-10 rose shaped gujiyas) 

2 cups all purpose flour/maide

2 tbsp. ghee.

1 cup coarsely ground nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios)

1 cup gulkand

Ghee or oil for frying

• Mix flour and ghee well. Use around 3/4 cup water to make a stiff dough. Knead it well and leave it aside.
• Mix gulkand and coarsely ground nuts together. Gulkand can be homemade or store bought.
• Roughly divide the dough into 8 parts.
• Roll each part into an 8 inch diameter disc. Use a 3 inch diameter cookie cutter or mold to cut into equal disc.
• Place discs in a row slightly overlapping each other.
• Place gulkand and nut mixture in the center.
• Fold discs into half and then roll the entire row to obtain a rose bud. Press the bottom the seal it well. 
• Deep fry on low heat till the rose gujiya turns golden brown. I like to fry it in ghee as it imparts beautiful flavor and aroma to this traditional sweet.  You could also apply some ghee on it and bake it in a 400 F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or till it turns golden brown.
• Dust a bit with powdered sugar and enjoy!

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Mix flour and ghee well. Use around 3/4 cup water to make a stiff dough. Knead it well and leave it aside.

Mix gulkand and coarsely ground nuts together. Gulkand can be homemade or store bought.

Roll each part of dough into an 8 inch diameter disc. Use a 3 inch diameter cookie cutter or mold to cut into equal disc.

Place discs in a row slightly overlapping each other.

Place gulkand and nut mixture in the center.

Fold discs into half and then roll the entire row to obtain a rose bud. Press the bottom the seal it well.

Deep fry on low heat till the rose gujiya turns golden brown. I like to fry it in ghee as it imparts beautiful flavor and aroma to this traditional sweet.  You could also apply some ghee on it and bake it in a 400 F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or till it turns golden brown.

Dust a bit with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Happy Gulabi Holi!

Undhiyu Pot Pie

Time for almost last undhiyu of the season. Although with frozen veggies available in the US, we can make undhiyu year round, but the fun of enjoying it is in winter.

Undhiyu is a traditional Gujarati dish that is mostly prepared using winter veggies. Makar Sankranti or January 14th is marked as national Undhiyu day as people in Gujarat picnic outside and enjoy fresh veggies of the harvest season. Fresh, tender Ponk is another famous food of the harvest festival. Being a Gujarati, I love inviting friends over for Undhiyu party. It is a fun get together to dress up Gujju style and enjoy Gujju delicacies. Check out my traditional Undhiyu and quick Undhiyu recipes.

Since the time I bought these cute individual serve copper baking pots, I have been thinking of various recipes to make in it. Few months back I made Biryani pot pie in these same copped baking pots and it turned out delicious. Layered Biryani was covered with a dough and then baked to become delicious Dum biryani with a crust. My husband just loved the idea!

Undhiyu pot pie is one pot baked undhiyu meal. Instead of cooking and stirring Undhiyu veggies, all raw ingredients of undhiyu and mixed together and baked in these beautiful copper pots. This can be served as is in individual containers or ramekin and enjoyed with crisp bhakri that is used to cover the pot. It was indeed a delicious experiment, and my husband and I enjoyed it!!

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

Raw baby potatoes  (12 to 15)

1 cup cubed purple yam (fresh or frozen)

1 cup tuvar lilva

1 cup surti papdi

1 cup tuvar

1+1/2 shredded coconut

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp. dried of fresh methi leaves

1+1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tbsp. chilli powder

1 tbsp. coriander powder

1 tbsp ginger and green chili paste

3-4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup oil

For the dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup water

Ghee

• Peel baby potatoes and prick them with a fork or sharp knife. Keep them aside with all veggies.
• In a large bowl mix shredded coconut, chopped cilantro, dried or fresh methi leaves, salt, turmeric, green chili and ginger paste, coriander powder, minced garlic. Mix it well.
• heat 1/2 cup oil till slightly hot and pour over masala. Mix well.
• Add potatoes, yam and other veggies to the masala and mix well till all masala and veggies and mixed and coated well.
• Remove in a individual baking containers or in a large container.
• Make a dough with wheat flour, salt, and water. Divide into 4 parts, flatten it and cover the undhiyu container with the dough. Apply some ghee on it.
• Bake undhiyu in a 400F preheated oven for 30 minutes. As soon as it is cooked, the aroma will spread everywhere and that is the sign of undhiyu being cooked. 
• Let the bhakri bake well and brown on top and crisp.
• Enjoy!

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Peel baby potatoes and prick them with a fork or sharp knife. Keep them aside with all veggies.

In a large bowl mix shredded coconut, chopped cilantro, dried or fresh methi leaves, salt, turmeric, green chili and ginger paste, coriander powder, minced garlic. Mix it well.

heat 1/2 cup oil till slightly hot and pour over masala. Mix well.

Add potatoes, yam and other veggies to the masala and mix well till all masala and veggies and mixed and coated well.

Remove in a individual baking containers or in a large container.

Make a dough with wheat flour, salt, and water. Divide into 4 parts, flatten it and cover the undhiyu container with the dough. Apply some ghee on it.

Bake undhiyu in a 400F preheated oven for 30 minutes. As soon as it is cooked, the aroma will spread everywhere and that is the sign of undhiyu being cooked. 

Let the bhakri bake well and brown on top and crisp.

Enjoy this seasons baked Undhiyu!!!

Paneer Paratha

My husband loves stuffed parathas, and paneer stuffed ones are a treat. Even on a regular working day, making stuffed parathas is quick and easy. I would surely call this an under 30 minute meal.

Ingredients: (makes 7-8 parathas)

3 cups grated paneer

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. salt

2-3 chopped green chilies

1 tsp. grated ginger

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Juice of fresh lime

2+1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. oil

Around 1+1/2 cup water to make a soft dough.

Some chopped cilantro to garnish

Oil or ghee for pan frying paratha

• Mix flour, salt, and oil together and make a slft dough with water. Knead the dough well. Cover and keep it aside foe 20 minutes.
• Grate or crumble soft paneer. Add salt, cumin seeds, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime.
• Finely chop onions and keep aside. Mix onions with paneer just before making paratha. Leaving paneer mixture with onions for a long time will make the mixture soft as onions will tend to leave water.
• Divide the dough into 7-8 parts. Roughly divide the paneer mixture in 7-8 parts.
• Using one part of the dough, using dry flour, roll into a 5 inch disc, Place one part of panerr mixture in the center. Bring the sides of the dough together and fuse the dough well.
• Press it gently. Use dry flour and gently roll parathas to form 6-7 inch diameter. 
• Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and roll to press it in the dough.
• Place paratha on a hot griddle.
• Flip and apply ghee or oil and fry on both sides till golden brown.
• Serve with sliced onions and pickle.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Grate or crumble soft paneer. Add salt, cumin seeds, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime.

Finely chop onions and keep aside.

Mix flour, salt, and oil together and make a slft dough with water. Knead the dough well. Cover and keep it aside foe 20 minutes.

Keep everything ready to roll parathas.

Mix onions with paneer just before making paratha. Leaving paneer mixture with onions for a long time will make the mixture soft as onions will tend to leave water.

Using one part of the dough, using dry flour, roll into a 5 inch disc, Place one part of panerr mixture in the center. Bring the sides of the dough together and fuse the dough well.

 Press it gently. Use dry flour and gently roll parathas to form 6-7 inch diameter.

Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and roll to press it in the dough.

Place paratha on a hot griddle.

Flip and apply ghee or oil and fry on both sides till golden brown.

Serve with onions and pickle.

Enjoy!!!