Sweet Narikel Nadu with a sweeter Bhai Phonta Rhyme

"Bhaaiyer Kopale Dilam Pontaa,
Jomer duare porlo kaanta.
Jamuna dae jomke phonta,
Ami dei amar bhai ke Phonta.
Jom joto paramayu,amar bhai er temon paramayu hok."

 This is a small Bhai Phonta rhyme I used to recite year after year , while putting the sandalwood paste tilak on my brother’s forehead praying for his long life. Literally translated it would mean “As put the chandan mark on my brother’s forehead, there's a mark placed at the door of the Lord Yama. I mark a tilak on my brother’s forehead, the same way as Jamuna placed a tilak on Lord Yama’s forehead and I pray for Life as long as lord Yama for my brother.”

When I was small my mother used to prompt while blowing the Shankh (conch shell ) and I would repeat. By now I know it by heart. The real charm of this ditty lies in its meaning , of course it has evolved over the years , simplified in wordings and dialects changed from family to family.The fundamentals still remain the same.This childhood picture tells the untold story...

I'm a lucky sister today , for my brother is with me again , after a hiatus of so many years. And like all other good sisters, I plan to fast till I anoint my brothers forehead with a tilak of first ghee, sandal wood paste and dubba all the while chanting the small rhyme which will ensure my brothers long life like lord Yama. I also need to set up a  festive sweet plate and feed him the delicacies. I know that my mother will call up later in the day to check if all went well. I will simply nod in agreement.

That casual little nod calls for some serious preparation now.How about some 'narkel nadu' (the popular coconut sweet)?. Although its done to death for Bijoya (Vijaya Dashmi - the last day of the Durga Puja) it never hurts to re-do, and for those lazy bums who have saved up the sweet since then, might as well throw those and make a fresh batch. Trust me, these delicate looking sweets turn as hard as marbles after a week in the refrigerator. Afterall today we are praying for our brother's longer life , remember ?!

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Narkel Nadu /Coconut Laddu recipe

Ingredients 
Fresh grated coconut - 1 Whole
Whole Milk - 4 cups (or you can use Condensed Milk 2 cups)
Sugar - 1 cup (you can use 1 .5 cups jaggery too)
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

Mix the finely grated coconut with milk or condensed milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to boil over medium heat. Stir continuously.

Once it comes to boil, reduce the flame and briskly stir the mixture for around 30-35 minutes. you need to do this till the milk almost dries up and the mixture begins to leave the sides.It should look something like the below picture.

Now you can add the sugar and cardamom powder and over low flame cook for a while till the mixture comes together. Remove flame and let it cool.

Once its cool enough to handle, you can smear your palms with butter or ghee and turn it to balls.

Ready to  serve

 As I make and serve it to my brother, I pray for yours too. May your brother be prospered with health and wealth and all the life's little gems he wishes for.

Sending this entry to Anu's Healthy Kitchen and Sara's Yummy bites

Pujor Mishti Mukh : PatiSapta

Our Mythology says that Durga Puja is the time when Ma Durga comes home to visit her family with her children. We celebrate her homecoming. From Luchi-alloor dum to Kosha Mangsho and Malpua, we feast on.  Durga Puja Celebrations are done with utmost care and rituals; add to this the dimension of treating the goddess like your daughter the festive fervor takes an entire new level.

Durga Puja is also the time to take out the fine silks, about looking your best, intricate Sarees, delicate jewelry, pandal hopping., laughter that comes along with the revelry and of course time to open doors of your very own masterchef kithen  to all your near and dear ones.

Today being Navami- the Pujo frenzy is at its climax. Today is the last day of the celebrations – and I’m feeling a bit of a letdown to have missed the 'bhog', or community feast offered to the goddess first. Although I had more than my share of bhog for the last two days , missing it on the last day makes you think that you have to wait for the year to roll by before you can dig in again.

The reason why I missed is sweet though – I’m home this year. I’m donning the hat of a sous chef – helping, learning and assisting my mother in the kitchen creating something sweet and memorable for all those Bijoya guests. Rolling out the perfect bite of Patishapta  (rice flour crepes filled with stuffing of coconut & khoya )takes time, so does creating sweet memories.

Patisapta

For the pur or stuffing

Grated Coconut -4cups

Khoa /mava - 1 /2 cup

Sugar - 1 cup (Date Palm Jaggery is the most traditional sweetner for the Pithe)

For the Crepe’s batter

Maida /All Purpose Flour – 31/2 cup

Sooji or Semolina  1 cup

Rice Flour – 1/2 cup.

Milk –Around 5 cups (Might need a few tablespoons more), this should make a fairly thin batter that spreads easily on the griddle. My mother says that mixing by hand the best bet.

This is how my mother did It

Prepare the stuffing

Take all of the grated coconut(around 4 cups). Fresh is best. In a pan mix the grated coconut with sugar or jaggery and keep pressing till they are in a moist togetherness. This step is before the pan is put on the stove. Add to it slightly warm khoya. 

Put the above mixture in a pan and stir.

It should turn light brown and sticky soon.  This is a bit tedious step, and it takes around 20-30 minutes of continuous stirring on a light flame. 

Now prepare the Crepe

Take 31/2 cup cup of Maida/ All Purpose Flour and add to it 1/2 cup of Sooji. Add the finely ground rice flour.Add the milk little by little. The batter needs to be thin so as to spread evenly on the griddle, so you may need to adjust the milk depending on the batter thickness.

How to put it all together: 

Heat a Frying pan and smear a ghee on it (Tip : you can use the cut top of an eggplant to smear the ghee evenly.Perfect for the days and place when you don't have a non-stick oven). Spread it evenly and heat the pan. 

Take a ladle full of batter and pour it on the pan, spread it evenly by tilting the pan, evenly distribute the batter in a circle . You have to do this really quickly as the mixture tends to set on heat fast.

Once cooked on one side, flip. Put the stuffing lengthwise at the centre of the crepe

Roll the crepe once it golden browns. 

Serve it with Kamlalebur payesh (sweet and flavored thick milk), alternatively you can also have it with condensed milk. 

Appendix : 

Bhog : The bhog is an offering to the deity which is later distributed among the masses. The bhog comprises of a wide range of items, from luchi (fried puffed bread)and khichuri (rice cooked with lentils)to vegetable items like beguni (brinjal fry),chorchori (mixed medley  of vegetables),papad  and chutney. In sweets its usually Payesh (rice pudding) or rosogolla.

Sending this recipe to  ICC CooksJoy and Blog Hop Tuesdays and Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen