HYDERABAD: It’s Bhai Dooj, the fifth and last day of the Diwali festivities. The day is marked with sisters celebrating their brothers, and wishing them prosperity and health. The way to a man’s heart, as they say, is through his stomach.
So, if you’re a sister fretting over last-minute plans to make your brother’s day, we’ve got your back. Check out these go-to traditional recipes for Bhai Dooj. Not only are they lip-smacking, they’re packed with nutrients, giving your brother a break from the unhealthy junk
PINEAPPLE & MOONG DAL GALETTES
Ingredients
Method
● Soak the moong dal overnight
● Drain the excess water and grind it to a coarse paste
● Peel the pineapple and chop into small cubes
● Finely chop the onions, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and coriander leaves
● Bind in all the ingredients together and add gram flour
● Make small flat roundels and cook them with ghee on a griddle
● Serve with a salad of your choice and mint chutney
Health benefits: Moong dal is packed with fiber and protein, both are known to keep you fuller and prevent unhealthy munching. Pineapple is low in calories and high in fibre and antioxidants, and also helps in lowering the risk of cancer
RUM PAYASAM
Ingredients
Method
● Boil the rice in milk in a thick-bottomed vessel till reduced to half its volume
● Add sugar, keep stirring and let it simmer for 10 minutes
● Refrigerate. Just before serving, mix in chilled rum
CRISPY CREAM DOSA ROLL
Ingredients For dosa:
Method
● Dissolve jaggery powder in 1 glass of water
● Mix in the flour to make a smooth batter without lumps. Adjust water to get dosa consistency
● Heat a skillet and pour a ladle of batter to make a dosa
● Flip it on the other side and cook till almost crisp
● Transfer the dosa to a plate
● Spread whipped cream, sprinkle cinnamon powder and roll the dosa
● Serve with a drizzle of chocolate sauce over the rolled dosa
GULAB JAMUN PANNA COTTA
Ingredients
Method
● Heat milk in a pan
● Remove from flame. Add agar agar and whisk thoroughly
● Heat this milk-agar agar mixture on medium flame till it fumes (do not boil)
● Add powdered sugar and stir till dissolved
● Remove from flame and add vanilla essence
● Give it a good whisk.
● Allow the milk to cool down for 15 mins
● Pour the milk mixture into 6 glass bowls
● Slice a gulab jamun into half and place each half with the convex side up, in the centre of the panna cotta
● Refrigerate for 4 hours or till it is completely set
● Garnish with edible flowers or cinnamon shards
(Gita Hari, food/travel writer, culinary expert )
SAGO PEARL PORRIDGE
Ingredients
Method
● Rinse 1 cup of sabudana or tapioca pearls a couple of times in running water until all the starch is washed away. You can use a colander while rinsing
● Soak the sabudana in water. The water level can be 1 to 1.5 inches above the sabudana
● Depending on the quality of the sabudana, you can soak overnight or for 5-6 hours
● Using a strainer or colander, strain all the water from the sabudana.
● Take the sabudana pearls in a mixing bowl
● Add the peanut powder (coarse) and salt, and mix well
● Take some ghee in a pan. Once the ghee is hot, add cumin and green chilli, saute it. Add boiled potato cubes, saute it
● Add sabudana and peanut powder mixture. Cook on a low flame for no more than 4 mins. Garnish with lemon juice and chopped coriander
● Health benefits: Sabudana reduces blood pressure, helps weight gain, and is a delicious gluten-free option. It also improves one’s digestive functions.
( Akshay Kumar, Executive Chef, Taj Vivanta, Begumpet )