Bye Bye Winters...welcome Spring!!

It is the first day of the Spring season in India and is celebrated as "Vasant Panchami".The Winters have quietly begun to wrap up and the sun shines brightly in the day.

Now,Spring  is the season when nature is at its beautiful and bountiful best. Flowers are in full bloom and trees sprout new shoots. It is a season when nature regenerates and every thing is fresh and new. New life is evident in the woods and fields. In North India the cool morning air is laden with the faint smell of Mango blossoms(the sign that we may look forward to eating those luscious,tangy and juicy things in the next few months to come...YUM!!).Mustard fields turn into a heady mix of yellow and green as the blossoms add color, poetry and romance to life.

Its a time to celeberate and eat(the best part..aint it?) and so i decided to make something sweet today and  zeroed it on "millet pudding"or "Bajra Halwa" as we call it here.It is a speciality from the state of Rajasthan and also loved in Gujraat and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• A cup of Millet flour
• 1/3rd cup of Demerara sugar(white sugar will do as well,a tspn of mollasses/jaggery can be added for color)
• A cup and a half of whole milk(about 180 ml. or 6 oz.)
• A handfull of mixed nuts(i used cashews only)
• Some raisins and chopped dates
• 1 and 1/2 tblspns of clarified butter/ghee
• 2 or 3 green cardamom pods
• Saffron threads(optional) around 5 or 6 soaked in a spoon of warm milk.

Preparation:

• Dry roast the mixed nuts in oven (at appx 120deg.C. for about 7-8 mnts)or in a pan over medium heat.Remove and keep them aside.Crush them lightly when they've cooled down.

• Bruise the cardamom pods slightly so as to release flavour.Heat a tbl spn of ghee and add the cardamoms,followed by the millet flour.

• At medium heat,keep stirring the flour,till it gets sandy in texture and darkens slightly in color.The beautiful aroma rising from the pan will let you know when the roasting is complete.

• Now add the whole milk,the sugar,raisins and the chopped dates.Roll up your sleeves and be ready to slog(yes!! a lil bit though)...stir like a manic now ;-).

• After about 4-5 mnts of continuous stirring the thick slurry will begin to leave the pan slightly from the sides.At this moment add the remaining ghee(1/2 tblspn) and the whole thing will start to combine up in a single ,slightly squidgy and mushy mass.
• Add the crushed nuts and saffron and cook for another minute or so,continuing the stirring.
• This halwa tends to set on cooling down ,so it can either be spread in a Flat greased dish;so that it can be cut into pieces later or else served hot in individual bowls.Garnish it with chopped dates and nuts.Eat your way to good health and let people take guesses!!

Health tip:

Millet is one of the superfoods that has a bomb of nutrients filled inside tiny seeds.It reduces cholestrol,prevents colon and breast cancer and lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

This tiny grain is gluten free and is packed with minerals and vitamins like niacin,manganese,magnesium and calcium ;therefore is a boon for people who are allergic to wheat and other glutenous grains.

This recipe in particular is great for breakfast or a mid meal snack.Using a little ghee with millet actually reduces its glycemic index and hence aids in fat burning.It should be kept in mind to never have it post any of the major meals else its nutrients are not utilised.