Food is more than sustenance or fuel for the bodily vessel. Food can be intrinsically linked to how a person feels, for it can remedy their state of mind. Comfort foods are subjective for everyone, but it can soothe us and give us a moment of solace when the world and it’s affairs prove to be overwhelming. Some food preparations are made specifically keeping the Almighty in mind, and are deemed to be auspicious. Fada ni lapsi is one such dessert dish from Gujarat that is made on special occasions, and can easily be someone's comfort food given how few ingredients it requires to put together. Made from fada or broken wheat or daliya, this traditional sweet preparation is also popular in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
Fada ni lapsi makes for a wholesome, nutritious and hearty dessert that is made on all sorts of occasions, like, buying a car or a house, getting a job, before setting out for crucial examinations, on birthdays, name ceremonies, and even engagements. Daliya is cooked with water or milk, flavoured with cardomom, sweetened with jaggery or sugar, and garnished with slivered nuts creates this unbelievably simple yet luscious dessert that no one can refute. Commonly made during festivals like Diwali, Janmasthami, Raksha Bandhan and others, this dish is not limited to being an offering to God, and can be prepared at times when guests show up unnanounced. Daliya is deemed to be a whole food source that is high in dietary fibers, protein and complex carbohydrates. Mixed with milk and jaggery, it becomes a rich source of protein and essential micronutrients that the body needs. Beyond being a dessert, Fada ni lapsi is a healthy bowl of whole grain goodness that you can make in one-pot at home, with the recipe given below.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup fada/ daliya/ broken wheat
- 4 tbsp ghee
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 2 pods cardamom
- 2 cloves
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 4-5 threads of saffron
- ¼ cup jaggery
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cup full fat milk
- 2 tbsp cashews, chopped
- 2 tbsp almonds, slivered
- 2 tbsp raisins
Image Credit: spiceupthecurry.com
Method:
-Take the full fat milk and heat it gently in a microwave. To the warm milk add the saffron and cardomom powder. Stir and set aside.
-In a pressure cooker, heat 3 tbsp ghee and saute the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves until it turns aromatic.
-Add the daliya and roast with the ghee on low flame for 5 minutes or until the daliya turns aromatic.
-Once the daliya is roasted and has changed colour to golden brown, add the warm water and mix well.
-Put the lid on and pressure cook for 5 whistles or until the daliya has cooked completely.
-Open the cooker and add the jaggery and flavoured milk. Stir it well making sure the jaggery has incorporated in the daliya completely.
-Cook for a while more until the daliya turns thick in consistency.
-In a separate tadka pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and add the cashew, almonds and raisins to roast until golden brown.
-Add in the roasted nuts and raisins as garnish and voila!
Enjoy this decadent yet simple fada ni lapsi recipe and share it with your friends and family.
