Baisakhi Menu - Kangan , Westin

Baisahki - Punjabi New Year and the harvest festival celebrated in the land of 5 rivers is on April 14th, 2015 and the celebrations have already begun.

All over Punjab there are Melas (fairs) to bring in this joyous occasion .

No celebration in Punjab or in a Punjabi household where ever it may be on the globe is complete without food , drink and the generous spirit of sharing joy and love.

Kangan - the restaurant at Westin , Pune that serves delectable cuisine from the legendary North West Frontier province and Hyderabad , has put together a wonderful selection of authentic Punjabi favorites to celebrate Baisakhi.

I was absolutely delighted with the spread and here are a few pictures of what we enjoyed.

The Baisahki menu has wonderful Punjabi staples like Langar Walli Daal , Aloo Wadi , Dhabewalli Kukkad , pindi chole , slow cooked sarso ka saag , Fish Amritsari with a wonderful flavor of Ajwain that will take you back to little bylanes of Amritsar where this snack originated and other wonderful dishes

 Wonderful beverages to accompany your meal , we enjoyed some Lassi and Jal Jeera !

Ofcourse the desserts are wonderfully executed , we had crisp jalebi with rabri ....it was just right not overpoweringly sweet and the signature dessert at Kangan - Gulab ke patte ki kheer is something you should not miss!

Do checkout the Baisakhi special menu.

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Gulabjamun Recipe from scratch using Milk powder

Easily one of Indias most loved desserts gulabjamuns can be a little tricky to make ....either they are right and so good or they are just a mess!

There isnt anything in between...

Well I have been looking for the perfect Gulabjamuns-from-scratch-recipe for many years!

I have tried pure milk powder Gulabjamuns, 1:1 Milk powder Flour , all khoya, part kohya....the list is endless....

Some versions were good while some recipes yielded gulabjamuns as hard as stone.....

Hence after a lot of trial and error  I have combined several recipes and tips  and I can proudly announce this recipe is the ONE!

Its the perfect texture ....I even put it through my famed Gulabjamun test! The test is basically cutting a Gulabjamun into half ,it should be moist and danedaar right to its very centre, it should not be hard and it should not be falling apart either!

So here is the recipe, with a little care and attention to detail anyone can make  perfect gulabjamuns at home...


1 cup Nestle Everyday Dairy Whitener (Milk Powder)
1/2 cup Plain Flour (Maida)
1/4 tsp n a lil pinch more of baking soda
1-2 tablespoons thick curd
1.5 tsp ghee
1 tablespoon Sooji ( Semolina)

Sugar Syrup
1.5 cups sugar
3 cups water
A splash of rose water
2-3 bruised green cardamom pods

Start by mixing the milk powder, flour,Semolina and baking soda with your fingers in a large bowl.
Once all the dry ingredients are well combined add the ghee and use your fingers to mix everything well again.

Now is the tricky bit, start adding the curd into the dry mix but start by adding only a teaspoon of curd at a time.
Milk powder tends to get all gooey very quickly so watch out . You dont want to add more curd than necessary. After each teaspoon addition of curd mix very well and knead. You should need only about 1-1.5 tablespoons of curd to have a homogeneous mixture.

Dont over work the dough it does not need to be all smooth and perfect you just need to bring everything together , look at the picture.

 Once the dough is ready leave it aside for 5-10 minutes.


Get started with the sugar syrup. Add the sugar to the water along with crushed
gren cardamom seeds and some rose water. Boil the syrup for about 15-20 minutes.

Now start making little tiny rounds of your dough first take a little dough and flatten it between your palms, then make it into a small ball this ensures minimum cracks on the surface of the dough. Little because on frying they will increase in size and swell up once again when you soak them in the sugar syrup.

Heat enough oil to be able to deep fry the dough balls. Heat oil and then reduce the heat for 5 minutes. Now gently add about 7 gulabjamuns to fry. You dont want to add too many.

You need to fry the dough balls evenly and on a low flame. To ensure even cooking make sure you keep swirling them around in the oil. Once they acquire a nice brown even color add them to the hot sugar syrup.

Let them soak for a minimum of 10-15 minutes before you serve them!

I hope you try this recipe soon......:)

Navroz Mubarak 2014

Happy Persian New Year (Nowruz)!
Nowruz, or "new day" in Persian, is an ancient festival that marks the beginning of spring and celebrates the rebirth of nature. 

The Iranis celebrate Navroz in a special way. A circular table or the dining table dons an exquisite new look. A special table cloth known as ‘sofreh’ is spread on the table which sets in the festive spirit. 

The whole decorated table known as ‘Haftashin’ is a feast for the eyes and delight to the senses and the soul.

Navroz ushers in the message of gratitude, joy, hope renewal, spiritual rejuvenation and renewed resolutions, new life in the natural cycles, growth, prosperity, inner awakening and of course the triumph of the good over evil for all humanity.

A day of universal dawn: a dawn of a new awakening.

The joyous advent of spring and its traditions, customs and rituals are not only observed by the Parsi-Irani community in India and the Muslim community in Iran but is quite widespread throughout the globe, observed by several Nations of the world.

The table in each home varies in its contents and the availability of items.


All the 7 items start with the leter ‘s’ or ‘sh’ in the Persian dialect having its own special significance. 

The number 7 represents the 7 creations of Dadar Ahura Mazda as also signifies the ‘Seventh Heaven’ or the state of perfect happiness or heavenly bliss in Islamic belief.

The seven items represent
‘sib’ or red apples, Nature’s most wholesome fruit 
‘sirka’ or vinegar if wine or ‘sharab’ is not available
‘shir’ or milk with its pristine sanctity as milk is the first sip a new born sucks as it enters the world
a plate of ‘shakker’ or sugar to make your whole year as sweet as sugar,
‘shama’, a candle to light up your life but today a ‘shem’ or a diya is kept on the table besides Prophet Zarathushtra’s photo with a book of Avesta prayers,
‘sir’ or garlic, nature’s most trusted anti-biotic , 
‘sikkeh’ or coins to usher in wealth and prosperity ,
‘sonbol’ known as hyacinth, a plant grown from a bulb with heads of pink, white or blue flowers and if that is not available then a pomegranate surrounded with 5 or 7 roses or a Vase adorned with fresh scented roses – all reminding us to remain fresh and colourful and spread the scent of success and family happiness to all around us,
‘sabzi’ fresh green vegetables or shoots of wheat grass signifying robust evergreen health throughout the year,
‘sirbenj’ a traditional Irani sweet dish more like our rice-kheer or simply sev-dahi or ‘ravo’ as is the custom on all auspicious occasions.

Grains are also kept in a plate to usher in the spirit of harvest and abundance.

‘Sheesha’ or a mirror is placed in such a way to reflect Prophet Zarathushtra’s photo as well as the pomegranate. Some even keep a bowl of gold fish.

It is also believed that if you look into the mirror which has already reflected Navroz and make a wish, you will have good vibrations and reflections throughout the year.

Excerpts from the Afternoon Dispatch & Courier
By Dr. Shernaz Baji Avari