Baisakhi is celebrated by the Sikh community worldwide on April 13 or 14. It marks the beginning of a new harvest season and also commemorates the formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh. This festival involves joyous processions, traditional dances like Bhangra, and religious ceremonies. Here is some delicious mithai to mark the joy of Baisakhi :
1. Meetha Pooda
The batter is made with rice flour, jaggery, grated coconut, and salt. Gradually add water to the batter and mix to reach the desired consistency. In a pan, pour a ladleful of batter and spread it out into a thin circle. Cook on a low flame until the edges brown and lift from the pan. Flip and cook for a minute on the other side.
2. Phirni
It is a creamy rice pudding. Soak rice in water and grind it into a fine paste. In a pan, add milk and sugar. Steep the milk using crushed cardamom pods. Next, add the ground rice paste and mix well till it reaches a pudding consistency. Pour into earthenware pots and refrigerate to set. Garnish with sliced nuts and saffron.
3. Gud Ka Halwa
In a pan, roast ghee and whole wheat flour on a low flame until golden brown. In another pan, make a syrup by melting jaggery with water. Add this jaggery syrup into the flour and stir it continuously. Cook the halwa until it thickens. Garnish with chopped dry fruits and serve warm.
4. Coconut Ladoo
Roast grated coconut until very slightly golden. Add sugar and stir so that the sugar melts and forms a sticky liquid. You could also include condensed milk for more sweetness. Coat the coconut in the sugar syrup. While it is still warm, shape into small balls and roll it in fresh coconut flakes.
5. Badam Panjiri
In a pan, dry roast almonds and grind it coarsely. In another pan, roast wheat flour in ghee till it is golden brown. Next, add jaggery, the ground almonds, cardamom powder, chopped coconut pieces, and cashews. Mix all this together well and cook for few more minutes. Let it cool to room temperature before serving.
6. Gulgule
The batter is made using flour, sugar, milk, and grated coconut. Shape it into small, round balls and deep-fry in hot oil. This results in a crispy outside and soft inside. Soak the Gulgule in a syrup made with cardamom, water, and sugar. Once it has absorbed the syrup, drain the excess and serve hot.
7. Gujiya
The dough comprises all-purpose flour and ghee. Roll it into flat discs and fill each one with a mixture made with khoya, grated coconut, nuts, and cardamom. Once filled, crimp and seal the edges thereby forming a half-moon shape. Deep-fry until golden brown. You could also dip it in sugar syrup for added sweetness. Garnish with chopped almonds.
8. Kada Prashad
In a pan, roast equal parts of ghee and whole wheat flour until it turns golden brown. In another pan, dissolve sugar with water and bring it to a boil. Pour this hot sugar syrup into the roasted flour mixture and cook this till the ghee separates. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve warm.
9. Atta Ladoo
In a pan, roast gram flour with an equal amount of ghee till it turns golden. Then, add sugar and ground cardamom powder to it. Mix well and let it cool to room temperature. Knead the mixture and shape it into small balls. You can also add chopped nuts in the dough for an extra crunch.
10. Rice Kheer
Rinse half a cup of basmati rice and soak in water for half an hour. In a pan, boil four cups of milk. Drain the water from the rice and add it to the milk. Add sugar and crushed cardamom pods to it. Cook on low flame till the rice gets cooked and thickens. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve cold.
11. Rajbhog
Rajbhog is similar to rasgulla but is larger in size and is filled with dry fruits. Knead chunks of paneer into large balls. Stuff each of it with finely chopped nuts. Next, make the syrup using sugar, cardamom, saffron, and water. Boil the balls in the syrup for it to absorb all the flavors and becomes spongy.
12. Shrikhand
Start by hanging thick yogurt which is hung in a muslin cloth to strain it well. Soak a handful of saffron strands in milk to steep both the flavor and color. Mix the yogurt along with sugar, the soaked saffron milk, and your desired spices. Garnish with chopped nuts and rose petals. Serve cold.
13. Meethe Chawal
Cook the basmati rice separately in a cooker. Infuse the rice with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. You could also add colour to the rice by utilizing saffron or food coloring. Finally, sweeten the rice using sugar or condensed milk. Garnish with ghee roasted nuts and dry fruits.
14. Gajar Ka Halwa
In a pan, melt a generous amount of ghee and add two full cups of grated carrots. Saute for a few minutes and pour enough milk to cover the carrots. Once the milk reduces, add sugar and cardamom powder. Stir well and cook the halwa until it reaches the desired consistency. Garnish with ghee roasted nuts and dried fruits.
15. Motichor Ladoo
In a bowl, mix gram flour, orange food coloring, and water together. Pour it through a strainer into hot oil to create small round droplets. Soak it immediately in a sugar syrup so that it becomes soft. Drain the excess syrup and shape the boondis with your hands to form ladoos. Garnish with chopped pistachios and a silver leaf on top.
16. Dodhi Barfi
In a pan, roast coarsely ground wheat flour in ghee until brown. In another pot, boil milk and sugar together. Keep stirring for the sugar to dissolve entirely. Gradually incorporate the roasted flour and cook till it leaves the sides of the pan. Transfer this to a greased tray and smoothen it out. Once set, cut it into squares and garnish with chopped nuts.
17. Doodhi Halwa
It is also known as Lauki Halwa. Peel and grate an entire bottle gourd. In a pan, saute the bottle gourd in ghee for it to soften. Then, add milk, sugar, and cardamom powder to it. Cook on low heat so that the milk gets fully absorbed. Once the halwa thickens, take it off the heat and garnish with chopped nuts.
18. Balushahi
Make the dough with all-purpose flour, ghee, and baking soda. Shape this into small circles and make a small indentation in the center. Deep-fry it in ghee to obtain a golden and flaky texture. Next, soak it in a syrup made using water, sugar, and cardamom. Once the syrup gets absorbed and the Balushahi becomes glazy on top, garnish it with chopped nuts.
19. Gulab Kheer
Grind soaked rice into a fine ground paste. In a pan, boil milk until it reduces by half. Then, add the ground rice into it. Keep stirring to prevent lumps. Once the rice gets cooked, add sugar, rose water, and cardamom powder to it. Cook this again for another two minutes. Garnish with fresh rose petals and chopped nuts. Serve chilled.
20. Malai Ladoo
In a pan, add a cup of condensed milk, cardamom powder, sugar, and crumbled paneer. Keep stirring everything together continuously till it thickens well. Then, take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Shape this mixture into small slightly flat balls. Garnish with chopped pistachios on top.
