Happy New Year. Festivals in January.

 In Maharashtra, where I come from, this festival is celebrated for three days. On the first day which is 'Bhogi', we make this special dish that celebrates the seasonal bounty of winter vegetables along with coconut, peanuts, and sesame seeds. It provides much-needed energy and nourishment to the body during winters.

On this day, Lord Indra is worshipped by farmers to bless the land with prosperity, wealth & good rains. In addition, farmers also worship their Ploughs and other farming equipment on this day. To celebrate the Bhogi festival, people discard their old belongings, marking the beginning of a new era.

Receipe for Bhogichi Bhaji

Ingredients 

to roast and ground:

▢2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

▢2 tablespoons peanuts

▢2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

for tamarind pulp:

▢1 teaspoon tamarind

▢3 tablespoons hot water

other ingredients for bhogichi bhaji:

▢2 tablespoons oil (preferably peanut oil)

▢½ teaspoon mustard seeds

▢½ teaspoon cumin seeds

▢1 large onion – chopped or ¾ cup chopped onions

▢1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

▢½ teaspoon turmeric powder

▢6 to 7 curry leaves – optional

▢1 inch ginger – roughly chopped

▢4 to 5 medium garlic cloves – roughly chopped

▢1 green chili – chopped

▢1 medium to large carrot – chopped

▢½ cup chopped broad beans (ghevada, flat beans, hyacinth beans)

▢½ cup chopped snow peas (val papdi, valor, field beans, sem ki phalli)

▢1 drumstick – peeled and chopped

▢¼ cup green peas or fresh green chana

▢¼ cup beans shelled from lima beans (pavta, surti papdi, avarakkai, mochai) – optional

▢7 to 8 small brinjals – chopped, (baingan)

▢2 medium sized potatoes – chopped

▢6 to 7 bor (ber or indian jujubes)

▢2 cups water or add as required

▢2 teaspoons Goda Masala or kala masala or 1 teaspoon garam masala

▢¼ cup chopped coriander leaves

▢salt as required

▢½ to 1 teaspoon jaggery or add as required

▢3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Cook Mode

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Instructions

 

chopping veggies for bhogichi bhaji recipe:

First rinse all the veggies, drain them well and keep aside. Apart from the veggies, I have also used ¼ cup fresh green peas and ¼ cup lima beans (pavta, surti papdi, avarakkai, mochai).

For the beans remove the side string and open both the pods.

Then break or chop them in 1 inch pieces. If there are any worms or mould growth inside the beans, then discard these beans. Keep the chopped beans aside. 

Also chop the other veggies in medium to large pieces. Place chopped brinjals in a bowl of water, so that they do not discolor.

making tamarind pulp:

In a bowl soak 1 teaspoon tamarind in 3 tablespoons hot water for 20 minutes.

Later squeeze the tamarind pulp in the water. Keep the tamarind pulp aside.

roasting and grinding:

Heat a small pan. Keep flame to a low and add 2 tablespoons sesame seeds.

Stirring often roast sesame seeds till they pop and change color. Remove and keep aside.

In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons peanuts.

Stirring often roast peanuts till they become crunchy and you see some browned or black spots on them. Keep aside.

Switch off the flame and in the same pan add 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut.

Stirring often roast coconut for a minute. There is no need to roast till light brown. The coconut just needs to be lightly roasted.

Remove and keep aside and let these three roasted ingredients cool down.

Then take them in a small grinder jar or a coffee grinder.

Grind to a fine powder using the pulse option or grind for a few seconds and then stop. Do not grind at a stretch as then oil will be released.

In a mortar and pestle, crush coarsely or finely 1 inch ginger, 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves and 1 green chili. Keep aside. 

making bhogichi bhaji recipe:

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large pot or pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.

When the mustard seeds crackle, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds also crackle and change color.

Then add 1 large onion (chopped). sauté onions till translucent.

Then add 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 6 to 7 curry leaves (optional). mix well.

Now add the crushed ginger-garlic-green chili paste.

Mix and sauté till the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.

Now add chopped broad beans, chopped snow peas and ½ cup chopped carrots. mix well.

Add ¼ cup water.

Cover pan with a lid and on a medium-low flame simmer veggies for 5 minutes.

Then open the lid and give a stir.

Now add the remaining veggies – small brinjals, drumstick, potaotes, bor or indian jujubes, green peas and lima beans. Skip bor or ber if you do not have.

Mix again. Then season with salt.

Add 2 cups water and stir.

Cover pan with a lid.

Simmer on medium-low to medium flame till the vegetables are almost cooked.

In between do check when the mix vegetables are cooking. Simmer till the veggies are almost done.

Now add the tamarind pulp.

Add the ground sesame seeds, peanuts, desiccated coconut powder. Also add 2 teaspoons goda masala (or kala masala or 1 teaspoon garam masala powder) and ½ to 1 teaspoon jaggery.

Add ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves. mix well.

Simmer bhogichi bhaji further for 4 to 5 minutes. Check the taste and add more salt or jaggery if required.

Lastly switch off the flame and add 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.

Serve bhogichi bhaji with sesame seeds-bajra bhakri, chapati, khichdi or steamed rice.

christmas cake

 

History of Christmas Cakes - Recipes and Ideas

Christmas cake is a long standing tradition that started all of the way back in the 16th century! This tradition has been carried through families from all over the world and has many variations depending on the recipes that have been passed down over the years. The Christmas cake is a very popular item around the holidays with variations of cakes with frosting, mixed spices, powdered sugar, orange zest, other fruits and more!

What is the traditional holiday cake eaten at Christmas?

In England, Christmas cake is an tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding.

In the United States, fruit cake is often served around Christmas time but this is not considered an actual Christmas Cake.

Why is it called Christmas Cake?

In the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe, and butter, wheat flour and eggs were added. These ingredients helped hold the mixture together and in what resulted in a boiled plum cake. Richer families that had ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, for Easter. For Christmas, they made a similar cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the Wise Men. This cake became known as "Christmas cake."

What's the difference between Fruit Cake and Christmas Cake?

Christmas cakes are made many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, unleavened, etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, a dusting of confectioner's sugar or plain. Christmas cakes are also commonly made with pudding while a fruit cake uses butter, however there are Christmas cake recipes that do contain butter.

The traditional Scottish Christmas cake, also known as the Whisky Dundee, is very popular. It is a light crumbly cake with currants, raisins, cherries and Scotch whisky. Other types of Christmas cakes include an apple creme cake and a mincemeat cake. The apple creme cake is made with apples, other fruit, raisins, eggs, cream cheese and whipping cream. The mincemeat cake is made with traditional mincemeat or vegetarian mincemeat, flour, eggs, etc. It can also be steamed as a Christmas pudding.

Christmas cakes have many recipes, if it is your first time making a Christmas cake from scratch we recommend you try out our recipe for Christmas cake.

How long does Christmas Cake last?

All Christmas cakes are made in advance. Many make them in November, keeping the cake upside down in an airtight container. A small amount of brandy, sherry or whisky is poured into holes in the cake every week until Christmas. This process is called "feeding" the cake.

In Japan Christmas cake is a frosted sponge cake with strawberries, chocolates or seasonal fruit. It was an expression that to call women over the age of 25 "Christmas cake," meaning that they are out of season, as the cake is after December 25th. Now the age is raised to 31, linked to toshikoshi-soba, a noodle dish eaten on December 31st.

In the Philippines Christmas cake is a yellow pound cake with nuts or the traditional British fruitcake. Both cakes are soaked in brandy or rum, a palm sugar syrup and water. Rosewater or orange flower water is usually added. The cakes have a long shelf life, usually lasting many months. Sometimes they are eaten the following Easter or Christmas.

Where to buy Christmas Cake?

christmas cakes

 

In   the  16^th century oatmeal  was removed from the original recipe and butter, wheat flour & eggs were added. These ingredients helped hold the mixture together and in what resulted in a boiled plum cake. Richer  families  that  had ovens  began  making  fruit  cakes  with  marzipan and almond  sugar paste  for Easter.  For Christmas  they  made a  similar cake  using  seasonal dried fruit and spices.  The spices represented the exotic  eastern  spices  brought by the  Wise Men.  This cake became known as  "Christmas cake."

Food

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism. Food is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

Historically, humans secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering and agriculture, which gave modern humans a mainly omnivorous diet. Worldwide, humanity has created numerous cuisines and culinary arts, including a wide array of ingredients, herbs, spices, techniques, and dishes.

Today, the majority of the food energy required by the ever-increasing population of the world is supplied by the food industry. Food safety and food security are monitored by agencies like the International Association for Food Protection, World Resources Institute, World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Food Information Council. They address issues such as sustainability, biological diversity, climate change, nutritional economics, population growth, water supply, and access to food.

The right to food is a human right derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), recognizing the "right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food", as well as the "fundamental right to be free from hunger".