- Recipe from the feast cooked on Mahavir Jayanti, the celebration of the birth of Lord Mahavir, the last Tirthankar (religious leader) of the Jain religion
KESAR KHEER
Saffron-Flavored Rice Pudding
An Indian festival without kheer is like an opera without a prima donna. No matter how many dishes there are spread on a festival table, if the kheer is missing, it will not only be noticed but will leave one with a niggling sense of dissatisfaction. At its simplest, it is a rustic dish of rice cooked in milk and sweetened with sugar, but at its most luxurious, it is flavored with saffron, enriched with cream, smothered with dried fruit and nuts and decorated with silver leaf in a final regal flourish. The Jain kheer is somewhere in between—neither too plain nor too grand, but just right for their muted celebrations.
Ingredients
4 cups milk
¼ cup rice, soaked for 30 minutes
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground cardamom seeds
Small pinch of saffron plus more to garnish
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
Method
- Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and add the rice. Mix well and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost tender.
- Add the sugar, cardamom and saffron. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar melts.
- Garnish with almonds and a pinch of saffron, and serve warm or chilled.
Serves 4
- Recipe from the feast cooked on Baisakhi, the harvest festival of the Sikhs and Punjabis
SAAG GOSHT
Slow-Cooked Meat and Spinach Stew
Somewhere amidst all the Baisakhi festivities is a pot of stew bubbling away, the goat’s meat enrobed in spices and a chile-spiked spinach purée. The meat, being expensive, is not everyday fare but reserved for special occasions. Goat’s meat, kid, sheep and lamb are all referred to as ‘mutton’ in India. Lamb and kid are rarely cooked, as is sheep meat, goat meat being the most easily available and the most preferred. Today, goat’s meat is being recognized the world over as a healthier, lower-calorie and more eco-friendly alternative to beef and lamb.
Most often, the meat is marinated before cooking to tenderize it, but in this case slow cooking will result in melt-in-the-mouth meat submerged in a flavorful gravy.
Ingredients
500 grams (about 1 pound) fresh spinach
2 or 3 green chiles
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bay leaf
2 green cardamom pods, split open
Pinch of asafetida
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2.5-cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
500 grams (about 1 pound) boneless goat meat or lamb
1 teaspoon red chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons yogurt, whisked
Salt
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
½ teaspoon garam masala (optional)
Method
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and refresh under cold running water. Drain well and place in a blender with the green chiles and grind to a smooth purée.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan; add the bay leaf and cardamom pods and sauté until fragrant. Add the asafetida, stir and add the onions; sauté until the onions turn soft and golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the meat, chile powder, ground cumin and coriander and sauté until the water has evaporated and the meat has browned. Add the yogurt and sauté until well mixed.
- Add the puréed spinach, salt to taste and 1½ cups water; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, on a low heat until the meat is tender and the gravy is thick, about 45 minutes.
- Add the dried fenugreek leaves and garam masala and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Serve hot with Makki di Roti or Roti.
Serves 4
