The Colourful Chaos Called India!

This article is meant for those of you who have never been to India but are planning to go. There are some things which you should know in advance - however, there is absolutely NOTHING that can prepare you for such adventure. No matter how much you read about it, how much you know about it, how many Bollywood movies you have seen and how good your Hindi has become - once you come, everything will be upside down in your westernized mind!
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India is HUGE!

The varieties of India are found everywhere. The first thing what fans of India must understand is the fact that this country is literally as big as one third of Europe! Trying to catch up with everything that is going on in just one day on area as big as one third of Europe seems like an impossible task. Therefore, judging a country of this size, which is populated by almost double more people than the whole Europe as well, by some breaking news that find their way to our TV is simply indecent. Being informed about India does not mean to be aware of all current news but actually requires a lot of attention and personal engagement.

The size of India is one third of Europe but its population is twice as big!

India is VARIOUS!

The best word to describe India would be - various. Varieties are on every step from the top to the bottom. Not everywhere people speak the same language, nor they eat the same things, nor they live the same lifestyle. A true fan of India should know at least the main differences between North and South India. This is the point where you should start from to get a better concept of the Indian culture. Next step should be learning about Indian religions, which have a big impact on the culture and behaviour, attitude and manners of the people in general. Residents of such multicultural country come with a different background and are interested in different things. On top of that, it is not equally developed which results in obvious differences among people walking on the street every day. The key point to understand these varieties is to keep the mind open. We know you would be thrilled to jump of the plane and enter into a Bollywood film - but this will not happen :)

An open mind is the key for understanding the varieties of India

India is BEAUTIFUL!

That is right - India in Bollywood films is not what you will experience once you go there and the sooner you remove that concept from your mind, more open you will be for catching its real beauty! What you see in the films is just a small frame filled with desired looks, behaviour and values. It is a good way of observing what is important to the people, however, one should not get confused with reality and film on the screen. Just as it would be ridiculous to expect that everyone is jumping as swiftly as like Lara Croft, singing heavenly like Mariah Carey and is as charming as George Clooney in USA - in the same manner it is ridiculous to expect that every man in India is ready to dance on the street like Hrithik Roshan, every businesswoman looks like Priyanka Chopra and every married couple lives their life happily ever after, feeding each other with sweet laddus every day... after they had run away from their strict parents who did not agree with the marriage. Actors live in the film, characters live in the books and real people live in real world.

Himalayan valley of flowers

India is ASTONISHING!

The warmness and closeness present among Indian relatives and friends is something worth focusing on. Here on the West side of the map many people are not in good relations with their family members and would probably not consider everyone as a "family" like an average Indian does. Families in India are very big and well connected. They nourish their relations as something of the highest value. Therefore, anyone of us can learn more about importance of family and friends from Indians.

Another amazing thing about India is food! So much of different delicious food nowhere will be found! From vegan to vegetarian and meat dishes - all of them prepared in a unique way with exotic flavors get everyone hungry in a second. Eat while you are in India! Let those worries about weight at home because this is a once in a while opportunity.

Last but not the least among the most astonishing things about India is its nature. In this country you can definitely see pure, untouched nature in its best form. From fresh Himalayas and Himalayan valleys to sparkling Ganga and Yamuna - everyone can find something they will love about India. And that is the biggest beauty of it. You might not find exactly what you were expecting over there, but you surely will be amazed... if you are open enough.

INDIAN CUISINE: Exotic and Delicious Dessert - Sabudana Kheer

There is no need of travelling far or going to restaurants of certain cuisine to have a dessert of exotic flavors and aromas! Here on the West side of the map of the world, most of the desserts that people prepare nowadays are cakes, small cakes, muffins, fudges etc.; desserts that are quite often based on chocolate, fruits, syrups, baking powders, eggs, gluten flours and in general all kinds of bought powders, aromas, grease etc. that are not always beneficial for our health. Indian culture is not originally familiar with sponge cakes and similar oven- and/or microwave-prepared desserts.

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Indian desserts are referred to as Mithai in northern India. Mithaiya (pl.) are in fact what we consider as "sweets". These sweet dishes, often very simple with just a couple of ingredients, are usually based on milk products and sugar or some other kind of natural sweetener. Back in the time, people could not afford their families rich desserts. Their lifestyles and diet were very simple and so were the dessert recipes. Sweets were, therefore, made with what people already had at home and in such a way their preparation would not take too much of time. Some of the sweets must be eaten fresh while others are made to last for a very long time.

Variation of these sweets are too numerous to be counted. Once you have mastered the original recipe, adding or substituting ingredients becomes a fine, small type of an art. Ingredients which will be rotated in most of the cases are fruits, dried fruits and nuts. There is often no rule and the recipes are easily adapted according to the person's taste buds and preferences! That is the beauty of Indian Mithaiya in contrast to Western desserts in which even one slight change might end up fatal for the result. Mithai which we want to present you today is called as Sabudana Kheer.

Sabudana Kheer - a delicious exotic, tapioca and milk based dessert!

Kheer itself is a dessert which can be compared to what we know as rice pudding. Kheer is milk and rice based dessert with dried fruits, mostly raisins, and nuts, usually cashews and almonds. It also contains spices such as saffron and cardamom. As it was mentioned, the recipe can have many variations; and so you can put in it whichever dried fruit and nuts you prefer (dates, figs, unsalted or sweetened peanuts, walnuts etc).

Sabudana is tapioca, and Sabudana Kheer's recipe is not much different than tapioca pudding recipe. If you know how to to make tapioca pudding, you are already qualified for making this exotic dessert! However, if you have never made this dessert so far, follow these easy tips to make it. What is very important is the ratio of milk, sugar and tapioca which should be equal to 1/2 cup of tapioca and 1/2 cup of sugar for 3 cups of milk. Sugar is, of course, optional in case you do not tolerate it well. In case omitting it, you can add a spoon or two of tapioca more. What is special about this dessert are exotic flavors of dried coconut (coconut flakes), dried fruits and nuts as well as spices such as saffron, cardamom, vanilla etc. Pick the optional ingredients you love the most and enjoy your Sabudana Kheer! We encourage you not to omit coconut flakes :)

Here are the steps to make a perfect Sabudana Kheer!

1° Rinse tapioca pearls - then let them soak for about 20 minutes in a pot.

2° Once the pearls are half transparent, take 3/4 of the water out of the pot and add milk and sugar.

3° Cook on a low or lower medium heat while stirring at the same time! Do so until tapioca pearls become completely transparent. If they have whitish core, they will be "chewy". This will take about 20 minutes but it is worth it! Moreover, it is very important you pay attention the milk does not come to boil. If you see that coming, immediately lower the temperature of the heat.

4° Add coconut flakes, fruits, nuts and spices you picked for this dessert and add them all together around 3-4 minutes before you are done or the dessert achieved desired thickness.

One more thing we want to emphasize is that this dessert is a perfect Ekadashi treat and is very often consumed during fasts in India. Tapioca is also well-known to help with digestive problems such as diarrhea or constipation - it absorbs water but is also jelly-like. Here you can learn more about Ekadashi.

Enjoy! :)

Let us know how it turned out!

INDIAN CUISINE: Paratha (Parantha)

Paratha or parantha is Indian flatbread. The most characteristic feature of parathas are layers of the dough - crispy from outside and soft ones inside. This is the reason why it is a bit more difficult to make parathas than rotis or chapatis - it takes some practise to learn how to make the layers and at the same time to be careful that the bread puffs. However, there are a few types of paratha among which each of them goes well with any kind of vegetable dish, lentils, rice, soya chunks or meat. Some will require more skills and practise, some less. Parathas will usually be made fresh right before the meal.

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Paratha is a type of Indian unleavened flatbread. Traditionally parathas will be made with Ghee - however, you can use any oil or butter instead of it. While simple roti/chapati dough is made with only two main ingredients - flour and water - into paratha dough we add some ghee/oil/butter as well. But on the other hand, even if you do not add it into the dough (suppose you are not able to eat or you are avoiding extra grease for some other reason) - parathas will turn out just fine. The key point is not to put grease into the dough but between the layers of the dough. The dough should be soft but firm and not sticky. The amount of the ingredients is not so important - it depends on how much and how big parathas you want to make. Slowly start adding water into the dough (and a few table spoons of grease). When the dough is not sticky anymore and it is soft, let it rest for around 10-15 minutes.

Corn-wheat Paratha Dough

Layered parathas are the most simple to make - though it takes practise to perfect the technique. If you are making parathas for the first time, give yourself some time. If you have already mastered puffing rotis/chapatis earlier, then this will not be a big problem for you. This layered paratha is meant to be the simplest because the layers are simply made by folding the rolled out dough. First of all, the dough needs to be rolled out in a round shape, just as if you would be making a roti. Then you take a bit of grease, traditionally ghee, and spread it thinly on the rolled out paratha. You fold it once and fold it again that you get a nice little triangular shape. When you have rolled all of your parathas like this, you heat the pan on high or maximum temperature and roll out the triangles. Rolled out layered paratha is then put on the pan. You have to wait a bit, until the bubbles become visible on the surface, and turn it over. Once you have done than, take  maximum one half of tablespoon of grease and gently spread it on the top side of the paratha. Gently press paratha where there are no bubbles. Flip the paratha and do the same thing once again. Paratha should be puffed at this point.

Simple Layered Paratha

Another way of making parathas is a bit more difficult but once it becomes a habit, it goes smoothly. This one is called lachha paratha and it has more than 3 layers. The procedure is the same as simple layered paratha until the folding point. When the grease is thinly spread on rolled out paratha, you sprinkle it with flour and try to spread it evenly with table knife. The other easier option is to have a plate with flour next to you and just dip that side of paratha into it. After that, the paratha has to be folded like a hand fan - folds are made by folding the dough back and forth. This way you should get a layered stick which you stretch a bit and fold it in a spiral, kind of like a snail's house :) when you are done with all parathas, you roll them out and fry them on the pan in the same manner.

Rolled Parathas

At last, there are stuffed parathas. There are many types of stuffing you can use. Mostly they will be mashed vegetable or lentils, sometimes even spices. The stuffing will be like an inside layer itself. the procedure is again the same until the folding part. Instead of folding you will be adding the stuffing in the middle of the rolled out paratha. Cover the stuffing with the rest of the rolled out dough. Once you have done this to all parathas, gently and softly roll them out. Be careful not to break the dough - else the stuffing will come out. Apply grease from both of the sides of the stuffed paratha on the pan in the same way as already described.

Parathas with lentils and fried potatoes

These are the three basic and most common ways of shaping and making parathas. Any flour can be used for the dough as long as it is finely grinded. You can also use harsh corn flour but make sure that at least one third of the dough is wheat flour. If not, the dough will be breaking in dry pieces and it will be difficult, almost impossible, to roll it and make layers. You can also use rice flour if you are gluten intolerant. You can add grease in the dough as well as salt - but it is not compulsory as parathas will turn out just fine. It is the technique that matters the most. The rest can be adjusted up to your preferences and health condition.
Parathas can be eaten as breads along with the other dish, alone with a gravy or sauce or it can be used as a roll, just like tortillas. They can be also made in different shapes - triangular, round, squared etc.