Om Asato Maa Sadd-Gamaya |
Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya |
Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih
Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya |
Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih
Meaning:
From untruth lead us to Truth.
From darkness lead us to Light.
From fear of death lead us to Immortality.
Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
(This prayer is the very essence of Diwali-the festival of lights !) From fear of death lead us to Immortality.
Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
I am in a day-dream mode .Though I am physically here,my heart and mind is completely lost in India.I wish I was Mr.India ...No no not like a fashion model and moreover,certainly not a male model per se :D ...I meant like Anil Kapoor in the famous Bollywood movie "Mr.India", where he could become invisible at his will.
During festivals that's what I badly wish for - to vanish and be visible only in India among my family at my home ,helping mom to clean not only house but also every food item she prepares for the festival ,helping (read -pretending)dad to decorate our home and pester him to entertain me with some ancient fables side by side,ordering my big bro to buy all kinds of crackers even though I limit my dare-ness to phool jhadis/sparklers .
A very busy day indeed for me-busy in kitchen -finishing up one by one delicacies and alongside,switching channels one by one in TV to watch all the festival related programs .God how I love to be busy all of a sudden!!I am utterly confused to be at home or to be outside .It is a difficult decision but day is for home and night is for outside because that's when all the fun begins.The darkness of night starts glowing not by stars but by diyas (an oil lamp made with clay with a cotton wick dipped in oil) lit at every homes,temples ,communities etc.,the sky sparkling and shaking with the burst of varieties of firecrackers and every home bustling with near and dear ones ,smiling,carefree ,feasting and celebrating. Aaah festival is in the air !! Diwali is in the air !!
. . . .
Drrrrrr..duppp...thudddddd.......
.
.
.
Toota toota ek parinda aise toota Ke phir jud naa paaya
Girta hua woh asma se aakar gira zameen par
Khwabon mein phir bhi badal hi the woh kehta raha magar
Ke allah ke bande hasde allah ke bande....
(Toota Toota Ek Parinda Aaise Toota song from the bollywood movie Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part 2)
As the song says,my dream broke,I fell on my face AND welcome back to reality .....
Not to mention,I feel darn homesick !!
But like the song,thank God and keep smiling atleast I've all these wonderful memories to reminisce and tomorrow when I'll have kids I know for sure how to recreate and give my kids their fair share of festival memories as well...well,till then,it's another kinda lonely celebration for me and Honey P!
Anyways,for now a visit to a near by temple,a few diyas lighting up our home,a not-so-perfect rangoli design by me on entrance floor ,a few prayers to Goddess Lakshmi and Shri Ganesha ,few phone calls to near and dear ones in India,their happy tones and heartfelt wishes will be suffice to have a chota sa dhamakedaar Diwali......
Oh oh by the way I missed the most important thing that can turn any festival more sweeter ....well,the SWEETS !!
This year,I made a very simple yet a variety Gulab Jamun -The bread Gulab Jamun.Gulab Jamun (if you don't know - I doubt -but still-I'll enlighten you:P) is a very popular traditional Indian dessert like a dumpling made with milk-solids/Khoya traditionally but there are easier ways to make it too.I tried making Gulab Jamuns using milk powder last time and this time I tried it with bread.I believe this is one of the easiest way to make instant gulab jamuns though taste will be different but believe me or not one-of-a-kind for sure.Initially,I was skeptical about it how can it be so easy but the outcome just blew my taste buds away .( My taste buds are back to its place once I was done with eating every single piece of Gulab Jamun..just FYI :P).
Usually, all you need to make this bread gulab Jamun are Bread,milk and homemade sugar syrup.I ran out of milk at the right time :-\ but I had whipping cream so I used it instead which made it more richer--- the result was "No-regret-at-all-I-LOVVVE-IT"!
This is how I made a bread Gulab Jamun,
Bread Gulab Jamuns
Makes - 10 Jamuns approx
Ingredients
Bread slices - 6 nos
Whipping cream - 8 oz
Oil for deep frying -1-2 cups
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom,crushed- 3-4 nos.
Rose essence - 1/4 teaspoon(optional)
Method:
- Boil sugar and water in a pan until the sugar dissolves .
- Add cardamoms,reduce the flame medium-low until it reaches a sticky consistency (Carefully test a drop of sugar between your thumb and index finger, it should be sticky).Remove from the stove, add the rose essence and Keep it aside but warm.
- Trim the edges of each bread slices and keep it away. (Don't discard the edges/crust,my next post will be how to turn them into another tasty recipe)
- Cut/tear the bread slices into small pieces by hand/knife/kitchen scissor and dip them in the whipping cream.Lightly squeeze out the excess cream and put the bread pieces in to a mixer/blender and blend it for a minute or until it becomes a smooth paste.
- Now, turn it into a dough and divide the dough into small smooth balls without any cracks( or I did a oblong shape here )and keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan.Put it on high flame and put a piece of the dough into the oil to check if the oil is ready to fry or not.If that piece immediately surfaces on the top of oil,the oil is ready for frying.Now reduce the flame to low.
- Fry the jamuns without over crowding it on low flame and make sure all the sides are fried well until golden.
- Now immerse all the fried jamuns into the warm sugar syrup . Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Serve it hot or chilled as you wish.
- Instead of whipping cream,you can certainly use plain preferably wholefat milk (1/2 cup) and to make it more flavorful add 2-3 tablespoons of milk powder to it.BUT when you use whipping cream/heavy cream it turns out more richer and full of flavor comparatively.
- If you are not able to make it into a dough or ball shape,add another chopped bread slices to it.So,the bread dipped in cream or milk shouldn't be watery.It should be able to hold a shape.
- I got 10 gulab jamuns but then it depends upon the size and shape of the gulab jamuns.
I hope our life will be as easy and sweeter like this sweet , all our worries will burst and will be gone with the wind with every firecracker we experience and our life will be ever glowing ,blessed and I wish you and your lovely family the same..Have a safe and blessed Diwali !! Enjoy ....Have fun ..remember me when you or your kid uses a sparkler/phool jhadi :P...just kidding....keep smiling ;)
Ke Allah Ke Bande Hasde Allah Ke Bande ,
Allah Ke Bande Hasde Jo Bhi Ho Kal Phir Aayega
(Continuation of the above song meaning God's children, keep smiling. Whatever happens, tomorrow will come again.....)
Happy Diwali !
