JALARAM JAYANTI IN CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA

Today is Jalaram Jayanti.  It is the celebration of Puja  Jalaram Bapa’s arrival on this earth to teach us mortals compassion for  humanity. Bapa was born in 1799 on the 7th day of Kartika. His father was Pradhan Thakkar and his mother was Rajbai Thakkar of the Lohana clan. He was a devotee of the Hindu god Rama.

Bapa was not willing to live the life of a householder even though at the age of 16 he had married Virbaima.  He was inclined to completely withdraw from the materialistic world and Virbai proved to be an asset to him, assisting Bapa in his works in feed the poor and serving humanity.  At
the age of 18, Jalaram Bapa became the disciple of Bhoja Bhagatt  and accepted him as his Guru.  He was given the “Guru Mantra”  and mala
in the name of Rama. With blessings of his guru, he started “Sadavrat”, a feeding center, a place where all sadhus and saints as well as the
needy could have food any time.

Soon his fame spread as an divine  incarnation. Whoever came to Virpur, irrespective of caste, creed and religion were fed by Jalaram. This tradition of feeding people continues  to this day in Virpur.  People came to Bapa to get rid of diseases and problems. Jalaram Bapa  would pray for them in name of Rama and miracles happened. Both Hindus and Muslims became his disciples and Bapa continued to heal the sick and  feed whoever came to his ashram.

At one time, God in the disguise of an old saint came to the Ashram.  He asked Jalaram to donate  Virbai to serve him. Jalaram consulted her and  aking her consent sent her with the saint. But after walking some miles and reaching a nearby forest, the saint asked Virbai to wait for him. She Waited but saint did  not return. Instead, there was an aakash vani stating that it was only to test the dedication of the couple, this test was passed and that the Jholi and Danda that the saint had left with Virbai was to be installed in the Ashram and worshipped. This Danda and Jholi are still there at Virpur and are kept in display in a glass enclosure.
http://my-charleston.blogspot.com/2010/11/jalaram-jayanti-november-21-2010.html

Jalaram Jayanti in Charleston:
I have been blessed by Bapa to have started this annual celebration of Bapa’s birth in our little mandir in Charleston./  For the past few
years, I make and effort to decorate the altar on which I place Bapa’s murti and cook the prasad for this celebration at my home.  The prasad
served here is of the traditional variety of that served in Virpur and consists of Rotla, Shak, Kichdi.  I also make a sweet dish and some
farsan along with salad (for the health concious).  Many people turn up for this annual event and after praying, singing bhajans and arati,
everyone takes the prasad.  It is said that in Virpur, no matter the size of the crown, the food is never short.  Likewise, other Jalaram
temples around the world have claimed this as Bapa’s blessings and beleive that whosoever, feeds others wholeheartedly with Bapa and Rama
in mind, will never have the embarassment of food shortage at any of Bapa’s celebrations.  I like to think that Bapa has blessed our family
and has allowed us this opprtunity to serve him and serve through him. I  have posted some pictures here of Jalaram Jayanti 2011 and of our
Mandir.  This service has been and is a very humbling experience for me and my family and I am eternally grateful to Bapa for giving me courage
and strength to start this annual celebration in Charleston and to bring  the people of Charleston together in prayer.

Please follow the links below to see photos of our celebrations and to hear the bhajans that were so beautifully recited by Praveenbhai, my husband’s friend from Savannah.  Thank you Praveenbhai for making the celebration even more beautiful by coming over to Charleston and gracing the occasion with beautiful bhajans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdu8QJQQjRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHJVNLZ4xGk

My niece who lives in London made this cake for the Local Community who celebrated Bapa’s birthday on 18th November 2012.  We were on the phone constantly discussing the decor and both she and I were so excited at the fact that with Bapa’s blessing this cake turned out just as we have visualised.

DIWALI KI MITHAS – MARBLE LADOO

Diwali like any religious festivity is one filled with presents, food, color, friends, family, prayers and re-bonding.  Lights adorn the house, colorful rangolis on the doorsteps, the aroma of ghee and sugar and the laughter in the air to welcome the Goddesess of Wealth and knowledge  Our Diwali could not be complete without home made sweets and this particular mithai, the Marble ladoo is colorful, sweet, rich, aromatic and has a bit of a crunch to it yet melts in the mouth.

Marble ladoo – so called because the combination of various nuts. vermicelli and khoya create a marbling effect in the mithai.

MARBLE LADOO

2 cups mawo

1 cup ghee

1 1/2 cup hair thin vermisly

1 cup almond grind coarse

1 cup pistacio

1 cup coconut

1 cup icing sugar

SPICES – PINCH OF NUTMEG AND PINCH OF MACE – BOTH POWDERED

In a wide pot add ghee and soute mawo until little it is a pale pink in colour.  In a separate pan add a tablespoon of ghee, cook the  vemicelli, and nuts until slightly pink.  Mix into the mawa, kool and add the coconut, sugar and spices.  .Roll into  small balls,ready to eat. Enjoy!!

DIWALI MITHAI – CHOCOLATE BARFI

My son Vishal loves chocolate barfi and i love preparing it for him.  It is a delicious fudge like sweet that is available in many forms.  There are barfi with nutmeg and cardamomm, barfi with dry fruit, barfi with coconut, barfi made from fruits.  The chocolate barfi i think is by far the most popular with the younger generation and chocolate lovers alike.  You can use, dark chocolate, milk or white as the barfi adapts to all three or you can use all three typese of chocolate to layer on the barfi one after the other…it is entirely up to you.

Here is how I make the chocolate barfi at home:

3 cups full fat milk powder such as NIDO

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water.

METHOD

take half a cup of room temperature water ( keep aside for testing the syrup consistency) – NOT TO BE USED FOR THE BARFI ITSELF

lightly oil a deep dish or cake tin

In a spacious bowl, mix together the full cream milk powder, fresh milk and warmed ghee until it resembles fine bread crumbs.

In a separate pan, pour in the  1 cup sugar and add 1/2 water and bring to a rapid boil then simmer for about 8 minutes until the syrup thickens.   To test the consistency of syrup, dip a teaspoon in the syrup and take a little of the syrup, drop it into the cup of water you have aside for testing.  if it forms a solid ball, the syrup is ready.

quickly take it off the heat and add the milk poweder mix.  stir constantly to ensure all the milk powder is blended into the syrup.  Pour this mixture into the oiled cake tin and let it cool.

COATING WITH CHOCOLATE – do this when barfi has cooled

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler and stir to ensure it is smooth.  now pour over the barfi and let the barfi cool before cutting it into pieces ready to serve

GHUGHRA

Ghughra are very popular at Diwali time, you see them in all the mithai shops, most gujarati families eitehr make these or purchase them.  Ghughra are essentially pastry encasing a sweet, nutty, creamy filling and keep well in an air tight tin for upto 10 days.

GHUGHRA FILLING

1 cup sooji

1 cup almond grated

3/4 cup coconut grated (optional)

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 tab sp pistachios

1/4 tea sp cardamom

few strands safron

1/4 cup ghee

Saute sooji in ghee on low heat until sooji is pinkish in color, take off heat and add coconut and all the chopped/grated nuts and stir until mixed.  When the mixture is lukewarm, add sugar.

DOUGH

1 cup white flour

3 tablespoons ghee

1/4 cup water

mix together the above ingredients to make a firm but pliable dough.  Keep covered for a few minutes.  Now divide the dough into several pieces, slightly bigger than a marble.  Roll out into discs then place a spoonful of the cooled sooji filling. bring together both sides of the dough and form into a semi circle.  Press these sides together and when all the gughra are done, fry in hot oil at a low heat until the ghughra are pinkish and crispy.

DIWALI KI MITHAI – BUNDI

Preparation :

Mix gram flour with just enough water to make a thick batter. Add colour. Heat clarified butter(ghee).Through a sieve, gently place
batter drops into the hot ghee. Fry till pink and drain out.

Continue till all batter is used. Reserve the fried drops as boondis.  Heat sugar with 3/4 cup water and make a sticky syrup of one-thread
consistency. Add fried boondis, almonds, cardamom powder and mix well.

3 cups gram fl

1 1/2 cups water

pinch yellow colour

4 tab sp ghee

SYRUP

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

THE DIWALI PARTY AT THE VITHLANIS

We held a diwali party at our residence in Charleston yesterday, a tradition I have followed for years. The guests, around 40 of them, all enoyed a scumptious Gujerati meal which I prepared.

To me, this particular celebration is rather important.  Living in the west, I feel our children are well informed about Christmas and Easter however, I think it is equally important that they get excited about Diwali and our customs. Therefore, for  several years now, I have held a traditional Diwali dinner at our home, inviting our friends and families to come together to celebrate this festive occasion. On of my favourite activity is lighting the diyas. I try and create a traditional atmosphere and light hundreds of diyas (ghee lamps and battery operated candles for the sake of safety).  Our front porch is graced with a traditioal rangloli design (created this year and last by my brother Krishan).  As in most Indian homes, food is at the centre our our culture and get togethers. The Jikoni sees a lot of activity at this time and food prepared here forms a focal point for our celebrations.  I grew up in East Africa and we always served tradiotnal, gujarati foods at our home both at my parents and then at the inlaws and our home in Dar.  Even though the new generation has grown up  here in the USA, and are more used to Western tastes, this is one time when tradition prevails. Though this festivity is essentially supposed to be dry, Manu my husband and Akash my son like their beer and hence this is free flowing at our Diwali party.

Deciding on the perfect menu for the upcoming holiday of Diwali  had been challenging! I had been trying to decide the elaborate menu for a Diwali party for the past few weeks.  It is after all the time of year to indulge  in delicious and tasty food, without a regard for calories!

The party menu will make your mouth water I am sure as I made:
Dhokla – see previous posts for recipe
Samosa – see previous post for recipe
Tindora Shaak
Mattar Shaak (fresh peas)
Potato Shaak (see previous post for recipe)
Gujarati dal

Rotli – Chapattis
Plain boiled rice
Bundi Ladoo – see blog for bundi recipe

Marble Ladoo – see previous posts for recipe
Ghugra – see previous posts for recipe
Red Chutney
Green Chutney
Papaya Sambhar0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DHAN TERASH – MOONG LAPSI ON THE MENU

Dhan Teras marks the start of Diwali Festivities.  It is the first of the five days followed by Kali Chaudash, Diwali, Padwo and Bhai duj or Bhai bij.  Each of the five days have their own significance and legends associated with it.  The foods prepared on this day are of traditional variety.

Dhan Terash is the day on which we seek blessings from Lord Ganesha (always worshipped first in all auspicious events) and Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and good fortune.  It is customary to purchase items of gold or steel on this day and then use this in the puja.  The puja is done at an auspicious time of the day as per the panchang and generally involves bathing the dieties of ganesh and Lakshmi in panchamrit ie: milk, sugar, curds, honey and ghee followed by a gentle bathing in water.  After the bathing, the dieties are offered, kumkum, abil, gular, chawal and flowers.  The same process is followed for Riddhi Siddhi, Lord Ganesha’s consorts and the dieties are given a gracious welcome.  A silver coin is then bathed and anointed in the same manner followed by your purchase of gold or steel.  The purpose is to bring the dieties, Riddhi. Siddhi, wealth and good fortune in the house. Ghee lamps are lit all over the house to enusre every nook and cranny is lit up.  Dhan means wealth.

There are many legends linked to Dhan Terash however, the most popular one states that Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya from 14 years in exile to ensure that the promise his father King Dashrath had made to his wife Keikei would be fulfilled.  It is said that when the Lord was returning home, the good ciitzens of Ayodhya lit ghee lamps to light up the Lords path home and  hence the tradition has carried on over centuries.

i will be making moong lapsi on Sunday 11th November, the day of dhan terash and here is the recipe and method for both moong and lapsi

In our household it is customary to cook moong and lapsi (broken wheat kernels) on this day.  In fact, moong lapsi are cooked in gujarati households on most important days and celebrations such as graduations, passing of exams, new jobs, new businesses, welcoming guests, saying farewell to visitors and so on.

MOONG

3/4 CUP MOONG (pressure cooked in 1/2 cup water)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/tsp chilli paste

1 tbsp crushed tomato

1/4 tsp turmeric

3/4th tsp dhana jeera

fresh cilantro

WAGHAR

3tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp jeeru

1/4 fenugreek seeds

few leaves limbdo

pinch of asafoetida

1 dry red chilli

Heat up the oil for tempering in a spacious pan. now add the other tempering ingredients and let them start to crackle.  Now add the pressure cooked moong with the stock (water that the moong are cooked in) and add all the other spices ie. salt, turmeric, tomato, dhana jeera etc.  Bring to a rapid boil to let it  thicken slightly and take off the heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rotli or puri, shak and rice..

LAPSI (BROKEN WHEAT KERNELS)

1 cup lapsi (broken wheat)

3 cups water

1/2 cup jaggery (gur)

1/4 cup ghee

1 tbsp sultana

1/2 cup mawo

pinch saffron

first mix the water and jaggery and bring to boil.  Now in a separate pan, heat ghee and add lapsi mix and roast until pinkish in color.  Now to this roasting lapsi, add the jaggery water and let the laspi kernels absorb the water on a low heat.  halfway through the cooking process add the sultana and saffron. You will note the kernels will fluff up like rice.  Once the water is absorbed, add the mawo, gently mix this in and garnish with pistachios and serve.

PATRA

PATRA is a gujarati speciality made from Colocasia leaves, battered, rolled and steam fried.   The leaves are large and shaped like elephant ears.  In order to use these in the cooking process, they must be deveined -as it has irritants that can cause discomfort to the lips throught and mouth.  The use of lemon juice of tamaring is recommended to counter the effects of the irritants.  The acid in lemon or tamarind helps the process.

INGREDIENTS / METHOD

10 medium size advind na paan ( colocasia leaves) – DE-VEINED

BATTER

1 cup gram fl

1 tab sp wheat fl

3/4 tea sp salt

1/2 tea sp termeric powder

1/4 tea sp garam masalo

1 tea sp chili paste

1/2 tea sp garlic paste

3 tab sp tamarind paste

2 tab sp yogurt

1 tab sp oIL

1/2 tea sp eno (fruit salts)

appx 1/2 cup water

Mix all the above ingredints in a bowl make a smooth batter.

Apply the mixture onto the patra leaves (you can add 2/3 leaves on top of each other facing in opposite directions.  Fold the leaf from both the sides, apply batter again and roll the leaves tightly while appling the better.

Repeat the same proceger with remaing leaves.

Put into the steamer and steam for appx 20 to 25 min until the batter has solidified.  When its done cut them in to thin slices and use the tempering ingredients to temper and garnish.

Waghar / tempering

4 tab sp oil

1 tea sp rai

1 tea sp tal

few leaves limdo

Heat the oil, add above ingredients when it starts crackling put the patras in the oil saute on medium hear appx a min. Garnish with grated coconut and cilentros.

Diwali Festivities have begun in Charleston and Srikhand is on the menu

Diwali fetivities have most certainly begun inour hometown Charleston.  My friend Sadhna and her family are starting the celebrations with a
diwali dinner party at their home and a horde of friends and their families are invited.  Now Sadhna, makes the best fruit srikhand ever.
This is light, fluffy creamy and really fruity and I can devour lots of this.  The sugary strained yoghurt and fruit form an excellent dessert
although traditionally, Srikhand is served with puffed up plain puris.  At my inlaws, Srikhand is always on the menu on Padwa (Hindu New Years day) however, they do not m ix fresh fruit into it but garnish it with
saffron, slivered almonds, cardamom and nutmeg,  pistachios.

Seeing as I will be indulging this this decadent luxury, I will share  Sadhna’s recipe in my future blogs so keep a look out.
A HUGE thanks to Sadhna for the invite and for making my  favourite sweet.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

500 grm curd

3 tab sp  sugar

few strands saffron

Pistachios

Almond

cardomom

Nutmeg

METHOD

Hang the curds in a muslin cloth for appx 3 to 4 hrs.Whisk the curds chees  and sugar till the curd becomes smooth and fluffy.Garnish with saffron,pistachios,almond,cardomom,and nutmeg. Serve Shrikhand cold.

 

DIWALI SNACKS – MATHYA

MATHYA

3 cups mathya flour

Oil for deep frying

2 tea sp salt

5 tab sp sugar

2 tea sp chili paste

1/8 tea sp turmeric powder

1 tea sp ajma /ajwain seens ground coarsely

pinch asafoetida

Take 1 1/2 cup water add salt and let it Boil until its 3/4 . Add sugar and let it kool and sugar disolves in boiled and bind the flour  using this water adding all the above ingredients.

Keep the dough aside for appx 30 min…………the knead the dough and with a rolling pin, pound the dough until it is pliable.  Now divide the dough into small pieces and roll out into very thin discs.  Deep fry in hot oil