GRAND MOM’S RECIPE DOWN THE GENERATIONS 👪

GRAND MOM’S RECIPE DOWN THE GENERATIONS  👪

My khandaan (family) has been women power centric as the ration of male to female was 1:5. The ladies of the house, over the generations, have been great cooks loving to do their skills and feeding with great care n love to the family and the males were & still are foodies (khavaiiyaas). With the exception of me, who being in hospitality trade knows to cook and of course as per the khandaani tradition loves to eat different foods.

Over 20 sisters who have imbibed the cooking skills from thier mom’s and grandmom’s are being of great help in my quest for blogging on traditional Maharashtrian dishes with recipes passed down the generations. This festive season of Diwali, post my Diwali Delicacies Homemade blog and after receiving requests to provide some recipes so that some attempt can be made at home to make the “FARAAL”. I will try to be different in approach to mithais and will also provide ‘Mithai with a Difference”.

This unique quick “Mithai with a Difference” is Nagpuri Santra Halwa (to term it poetically, Orange Mandarin pulp cooked to a sweet concoction with wheat flour n milk to make a Lava consistency dessert)  

Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra is known for its Oranges. The rustic pock marked fruit is in season from February to March. Its juicy and pulpy and is known to be the best Manadarin variety. 

Most of the households have wheat flour, milk, ghee in their kitchen and access to Orange and hence it can be made as a last minute mithai, quickly.

Ingredients – Wheat Atta 500gm, Milk 300ml, Sugar 100gm, 3 Orange pulp, Ghee 50gm, 1pc. Elaichi, 6 each almonds- cashewnuts.

Method – heat ghee in kadhai, add wheat flour and roast till sandy consistency. Keep aside. Boil milk, add sugar/elaichi and reduce 20%, add orange pulp while stirring. Once milk starts curdling, remove from heat. Put on gas flame under the kadhai with wheat flour and start adding the orange milk mixture slowly to make it into thick “lava” or “halwa” consistency. Grease a pan or tray, pour the mixture and spread evenly. Garnish with shredded almond & cashewnut. Rest for 15 minutes. Cut into diamond or rectangle pieces and serve. The Halwa has shelf life of 2 days in refrigerator.

(recipe courtesy Gargee Mane-Raut)