Amarat Paak/ Rava Paak...Celebration of Raksha Bandhan

This is not Coconut burfi....... Amrat Paak is Gujarati name. It is also called by Rava Paak or Suji Paak

Raksha Bandhan, a day to celebrate the wonderful bond between a brother and sister. A bond that is pure and special as nature itself.

Raksha Bandhan is known by various names: Vish Tarak-the destroyer of venom, Punya Paradayak-the bestower of boons, and Pap Nashak-the destroyee of sins.

According to the Hindu legend Indra's Wife Sachi was the first woman to intiate a bond of protection (raksha). So on a symbolic note the Rakhi is also a talisman ensuring protection of the righteousness from the forces of evil.

Rani Karnavati of Chittor sent a rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun when she was threatened by Bahadur Shah of Mewar. Humayun Abandoned an ongoing militrary campaign to ride to her rescue.

When Bengal was partitioned in 1905 Rabindranath Tagore used the occasion of Rakasha Bandhan as a community festival and gave a call to tie a rakhi amongst all Hindus and Muslims so as to maintain peace and harmony between the communities and spread the nationalist spirit among people from different ethnic backgrounds.

Down south, Rakhi Purnma is known as Avani Attam or Upakarman and is an auspicious day for Brahmins who change their holy thread (Janeyu). There is a similar kind of celebration in Nepal called Janai Purnima when men of the higher caste change their sacred thread (Janai) While a red or yellow protection cord (a raksya bandhan) is tied around the wrists of other people.

A group of women from the Brahmakumari sect tied rakhis on the wrists of Pakistani prisoners in Chandigarh's Central Jail during a special function (2006) organised by jail authorities.

In Central India, Especially Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, Rakhi Purnima is also called Kajri Navami when wheat or barley is sown. It is a day of relevance to farmers.

Better known as Nariyal Purnima or coconut Full Moon festival by people living in the coastal area especially Konkan, an offering of a coconut (nariyal) is made to the sea that marks the beginning of the fishing season.

Considered to be the world's largest rakhi-50m long and weighing 15kg was in 2005 tied around a neem tree in Lucknow's Prince of Wales Zoological Gardens with the aim to raise awareness about conservation and environmental protection

Edit my post after reading magazine Btw. This is information from BTW Mag.:)

So lunch is ready my dear friend....what is new in this plate?

In this plate my father gives lots of love. Today is holiday of Raksha Bandhan and I check the student paper in the morning so my papa cooks the Potato-Cabbage curry, Kadhi and Rice. I only made Roti. My papa always helps me when I need. So this whole plate is for my mom, me and my grandmother only. My papa was cook but he is not take lunch with us because he was going outside for one social function. My mom is not well so my papa is always helping me in kitchen. I have no words for my great papa.:))

Ingredients:
2 cup semolina (Rava / Suji)
2 cup sugar
1 cup ghee
1 cup mava
1 cup dry grated coconut
Water for making sugar syrup
Almond, kishmish and cashewnuts as you like…

Method:
Step 1: Grated the mava and keep it aside.

Step 2: Heat the ghee in a deep pan in low flame.

Step 3: Add suji in hot ghee on low flame.

Step 4: Fry the suji until it turns light brown in color. Also ghee appears in top of the suji.

Step 5: Turn off the flame and add grated mava in it.

Step 6: Mix well with suji and keep aside.

Step 7: Take a small pan and add sugar and water in it.

Step 8: Turn on the flame and heat this sugar mixer until they are bubbling.

Step 9: When bubbling is stop and this mixer becomes slightly thick then turn of the flame.
Step 10: Let it cool for 3-4 minutes.
Step 11: After that add this sugar syrup into the prepare suji material.

Step 12: Mix the half of dry grated coconut in it.
Step 13: Mix well and spared it in big size flat dish.

Step 14: Decorated with half of coconut powder.

Step 15: After 5 minutes of cooling cut into square shape.
Step 16: Put one almond over each of piece.

Step 17: When it is totally cool then place it in container.

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Lovely blueberry muffins that are vegan and gluten-free.

Vegan Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Based loosely on my tried-and-true favorite Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins, this updated vegan and gluten-free recipe is wheat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free. How's that for allergen-free goodness?

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together in a mixing bowl:

1 1/4 cups sorghum flour* see note
1/2 cup buckwheat or millet flour
1/2 cup potato or tapioca starch
1 cup organic light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Add in and combine:

1/2 cup organic applesauce
1/2 warm vanilla rice milk
1/3 cup extra light olive oil or Spectrum Organic Shortening
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract

Prepare and fold in your egg replacer:

For two eggs:

1 tablespoon Energ-G Egg Replacer
4 tablespoons warm water

Whisk till frothy. Add to the batter and gently combine.

Karina's Notes:

If the batter appears too dry, add more rice milk, one tablespoon at a time.

If the batter is too thin and wet, add a little extra rice flour, a tablespoon at a time. Humid weather can make flours damp.

The batter should be slightly thicker than wheat based muffin batter.

When the batter consistency looks good, gently stir in:

1 heaping cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries (still frozen, not thawed)

Spoon the batter evenly into the twelve baking cups. Sprinkle a little organic brown sugar on the tops if you wish.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes if using frozen blueberries, until the muffins are golden and dry in the center (check with a wooden pick). If using fresh blueberries, cut back on the baking time and check for doneness at 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack very briefly, then tip the muffins out of the pan and place them on a wire rack to continue cooling (this way, they don't develop soggy bottoms).

These are oh-so-yummy warm from the oven.

For future snacking, wrap the muffins individually in foil, then freeze in a big zip-freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature or briefly re-heat in a microwave for thirty seconds.

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8 (More) Random Factoids

Will Patton photo by Mark Williams © 2007

Some time ago I participated in the Ten Things You Never Knew About Me meme. Since then I've been asked- perhaps a dozen times- to join in the Eight Random Facts About Me meme, and when Isaiah of Gluten-Free Bay e-mailed me, Tag - you're it! I knew it was time to give in, kick off my flip flops and jump in feet first.

Eight More Random Factoids::

1. Will Patton and I bonded over a hat. And an off-the-cuff dialogue edit on the set of Steve's movie The Canyon.

2. I curse like Rene Russo in Get Shorty.

3. My Irish grandfather once hid his bookmaking book in my crib. I was in it at the time. He was hiding it from the police who were searching the house. The female officer assigned to keep an eye on my mother and me evidently bought my whole wide-eyed innocence act. After all, you don't expect a toddler to be holding.

4. While Kelly at Celiac Chicks once got on stage at a Chris Isaak concert, I barely escaped fisticuffs at one of Chris Isaak's gigs (see Factoid #2). Steve bought us front row seats for my fiftieth birthday. The view was serious eye candy. Unfortunately, the drunken buffoon behind me decided to scream Freebird! and Stairway to Heaven! while Chris was performing his acoustic set. When the lout responded to my request to Please! Shut the f*ck up! with Go f*ck yourself! and then poured beer on my jean jacket, things almost got ugly.

5. Leonard Cohen asked me to dinner once and my response was, Oh. I'm not dressed for it! (Note to self: When Leonard Cohen asks you to dinner, you say, Yes.)

6. I eat chips and salsa in bed.

7. When Warren Zevon died I cried for a week.

8. My fantasy dinner party would be to invite Lauren Bacall, Frances McDormand, Martha Plimpton, Kathy Bates, Diane Keaton and Dame Helen Mirren. I like to laugh. What would I serve? Pitchers of margaritas and green chile enchiladas, of course.

If any of you Dear Readers who blog want to join in and post your own 8 Random Facts- don't be shy. We don't stand on ceremony here at Casa Allrich. Kick off your shoes and confess your own juicy tidbits. 

(Note: comments are now closed.)

Bharwa Bhindi (Bharela Bhinda / Stuffed Okra)

An all-time favourite of Bhindis stuffed with lip-smacking spices.

This lovely dish for Laavanya…..........................................................
She was request me give gujarti recipe for stuffed Bhindi…..so Laavanya this is for you my dear…..Enjoy original Gujju dish…So I request to all my friend if you request for gujarti dish and if possible for me than I will always try to complete your wish.

Laavnaya requested two recipes............second recipe I will post after some days my dear……Wait for that Laavanya.:)))

Ingredients:
150 gm fresh bhindi
2-tbsp garlic paste
2-tbsp oil
1-tbsp mustard seeds
1-tbsp cumin seeds



Ingredients for filling:
5-tbsp besan flour
1-tbsp red chilli powder
1\2-tbsp turmeric powder
3-tbsp lemon juice
2-tbsp cumin+coriander powder
2-tbsp sesame seeds
1-tbsp oil
Salt to taste


* Mix all ingredients for filling.

Method:
Step 1: Wash the bhindi and dry with towel. Make long slits on the bhindi.

Step 2: Stuff the bhindi with the besan filling.

Step 3: Arrange the stuffed bhindi in a steamer plate.

Step 4: Steam this stuffed bhindi until they are soft approximately 10 minutes in medium flame.
Step 5: Heat the two tbsp oil in a flat pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they begin to pop then add garlic paste in it.

Step 6: After that add stuffed bhindi in it gently.
Step 7: Turn the flame law and cook smoothly for 10 minutes so they become crispy.

Step 8: Add reaming filling mater in it. Mix well and cook in law flame.

Step 9: Cover the pan and turn off the flame after one minute. Place it in serving bowl.

Step 10: Serve hot with Roti, Rice and Dal.:)

Note: If you like then add garlic paste in filling material also.

In middle of Rain season this is picture of rain out side my home…..if rain is begin and any body serve this hot dish then I always feel like heaven…..

Next coming is something sweet for Raksha Bandhan. Any body says the name of this sweet dish?