Festive Cooking Made Simple with Rujuta Diwekar’s Mitihara on Audible

These wholesome, traditional recipes, coming from Rujuta Diwekar’s Mitihara, celebrate the wisdom of Indian food culture and the richness of seasonal, local ingredients. Handpicked for the festive season, each dish, from the celebratory Til Gul laddoo to the nourishing Ragi kheer, energy-boosting Aliv Laddoo, and the indulgent yet balanced Shrikhand, reflects Rujuta’s philosophy of eating simple, time-tested foods that are in harmony with nature. These recipes, which are based on Ayurveda and regional traditions, incorporate flavor with the goodness of nutrition and balance. They also offer a sense of connection to our cultural heritage. You can explore many similar recipes and gain insights in Mitihara.

Til Gul

Ingredients:

• Sesame seeds: 150 grams
• Peanuts: 2 tbsp
• Coconut dry grated: 30 grams
• Jaggery: 120 grams
• Nutmeg powder: 1 pinch
• Ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. In a shallow pan, roast the sesame seeds until they begin to crackle, then transfer them to a bowl.
2. In the same pan, roast the peanuts until they are golden.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the peanuts to make a coarse powder. Set this aside in another bowl.
4. Roast the grated dry coconut in the same pan until it turns light pink. Transfer it into a bowl immediately to ensure that it does not burn from residual heat.
5. In a large bowl, combine the roasted sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and roasted coconut. Add the nutmeg powder as well to this. Mix well and set this aside.
6. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee on medium heat for a few seconds and add jaggery. Allow the jaggery to melt and cook it into a syrup.
7. Once a syrup has been made, stir this into the prepared mixture and mix well.
8. To form the laddoos, grease your palms with 1/2 tablespoon of ghee.
9. Take small amounts of the mixture and roll them into medium-sized balls.
10. Til gul is now ready to serve.

Ragi Kheer

Ingredients:

• Ragi flour: 120 grams
• Jaggery: 130 grams
• Milk: 1 cup
• Salt: A pinch
• Water: 1 cup
• Nutmeg powder: A pinch (optional)
• Dry fruits: 50 grams (optional)

Method:

1. Combine ragi flour with 3/4 cups of water in a bowl. Mix this well until it smoothens.
2. Heat 1/4 cup of water in a pan until it becomes warm. Gradually add the ragi slurry into the water and stir continuously.
3. Once the mixture begins to thicken, add the jaggery. Cook this while stirring occasionally. Keep cooking until the mixture thickens and bubbles form.
4. Pour milk into the mixture along with salt and the nutmeg powder, which is optional. Mix this well to combine.
5. If you are adding dry fruits, gently fold them into the kheer.
6. Heat the kheer until it begins to simmer, then remove it from the heat.

Aliv Laddoo

Ingredients:

• Aliv (garden- cress seeds): 75 grams
• Coconut water: 2/3 cup
• Milk: 2/3 cup
• Coconut freshly grated: 1 cup
• Jaggery: 50 grams
• Ghee: 1/2 tbsp
• Nutmeg powder: 1 pinch

Method:

1. Soak the aliv in 2/3 cups of milk or coconut water for an hour.
2. Drain the liquid from the aliv after 1 hour. Mix in the freshly grated coconut and jaggery with the aliv. Let this rest for approximately 30 minutes.
3. Take a kadai/ wok-like vessel, heat ghee on medium heat for a few seconds.
4. Once the ghee is hot, add the aliv-coconut-jaggery mixture to it and cook it while stirring simultaneously. You can expect the jaggery to melt and blend well into the coconut. A sticky and fragrant mixture will be formed.
5. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and it reaches a consistency with which balls can be formed.
6. Once the mixture is ready, remove it from the heat and cool it slightly.
7. For an added layer of flavour, sprinkle some nutmeg powder and stir well with the mixture.
8. Take a handful of the mixture and roll it into small balls between your palms to make laddoos.
9. Store the laddoos in airtight containers and refrigerate it.

Shrikhand

Ingredients:

• Full-fat milk: 2 cups
• Buttermilk: 1 1/2 tbsp
• Powdered sugar (icing sugar): 1 cup
• Nutmeg powder: 1/4 tsp
• Kesar (saffron strands): 4-5
• Warm milk: 1 tbsp
• Pistachios chopped: 1 tbsp
• Cashews chopped: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat milk in a saucepan on low heat for 10-12 minutes. Just before the milk comes to a boil, add the buttermilk and stir.
2. If you don’t wish to add buttermilk, simply mix 1 teaspoon of curd with 1 tablespoon of water for an instant version of buttermilk.
3. Pour this entire mixture into a bowl and set it aside for 7-8 hours to make dahi.
4. Once the dahi is set, hang it in a muslin cloth/ cheesecloth and hang it for 5-6 hours to allow the water to drain.
5. Hung curd will then be formed.
6. Next, mix the powdered sugar into the hung curd,
7. Place this mixture into a strainer and gently stir with your hand, allowing the shrikhand to drip into a bowl below.
8. Alternatively, you can also use a puran yantra, a special masher for this step.
9. For flavour, add the nutmeg powder and soaked kesar to the shrikhand and mix well.
10. Finally, garnish the shrikhand with chopped nuts and enjoy it cold.