Thali Menu #145 – Diwali Special- North Indian Festive Thali
About Diwali
Diwali, Divali, Deepavali or Dipavali is a festival of lights, which is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists across the globe. Diwali symbolises the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.” Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness.
During the celebration, temples, homes, shops and office buildings are brightly illuminated. The preparations, and rituals, for the festival typically last five days.
The rites
Diwali occurs on the night centering the new moon – the darkest night. During this time, diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns are lighted up all around. The 5 day festival is divided as such: Dhanteras (Day 1), Naraka Chaturdasi (Day 2), Lakshmi Puja (Day 3), Padwa, Balipratipada (Day 4), Bhai Duj and Bhaiya Dooji (Day 5).
Dhanteras: The festival of wealth, where metal (not iron) is purchased.
Naraka Chaturdasi: On this day, people carry out early morning rituals with oil, flowers, and sandalwood.
Lakshmi Puja: The main day where prayers are offered to Lakshmi.
Padwa, Balipratipada: A day to celebrate the love and bond between husband and wife. Men will present gifts to their wives on this day.
Bhai Duj, Bhaiya Dooji: The last day celebrates the bond between sisters and brothers with a prayer.
The most important aspect of the festival, as with most festivals, is feasting with family and friends. Festive food, especially Indian sweets is the hallmark of Diwali.
The Diwali Festive Thali
At Daana, we present a festive Menu typical of North Indian homes… so, come, join us as we celebrate the beautiful festival of lights at Daana.
Thali Menu for Saturday 26 October 2019 – DIWALI SPECIAL (North Indian)
Recipe of the week
Laal Maas
Laal maas - a fiery Rajasthani meat curry with freshly roasted spices and a burst of red chillies
- 2 Small onions (finely chopped)
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
- 18-20 red chillies
- 2 tsp coriander seeds (whole)
- 1 tsp jeera
- 1 cup mustard oil
- 10 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 piece small ginger (finely chopped)
- 1/2 kg lamb (cut into pieces with bones)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup kachri powder (Kachri is a dried vegetable, a variety of cucumbers found in Rajasthan and ground into a powder, small. You will find this in an Indian grocery store.)
- 3-4 pods cardamom
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cinnamon stick
- A pinch of mace
- 1 pod black cardamom
- water
- Handful coriander leaves (chopped)
1.Dry roast the red chillies to give it a nice distinctive aroma which adds great flavor to the dish.
- 2.Add to that the coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
- 3.Once done, grind it into a nice fine powder.
- 4.Heat some mustard oil in a pan. Add to this the garlic and ginger.
- 5.Once the garlic turns slightly brown add the lamb pieces.
- 6.Give it a good mix. This is also a good time to add salt.
- 7.Now add the kachri powder. Not only does this powder tenderize the meat, its also adds a nice tangy flavor to it.
- 8.Now add the chopped onions and mix all well.
- 9.Once the onions have roasted well add the whole spices, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, mace, black cardamom. Stir well.
- 10.Now add the red chilly powder and let it roast for about a minute.
- 11.Add enough water to cook the lamb. Cover it and let it simmer for a couple of minutes till the meat is cooked.
- 12.Once the meat is cooked, take out all the pieces on a platter and strain the gravy.
- 13.Straining the gravy gets rid of all the whole spices and keeps the essence and flavors intact.
- 14.Now add the lamb pieces you had taken out to the refined gravy and put it back on fire but on low heat.
- 15.Add about 1/2 cup water and some coriander leaves.
- 16.Let it simmer for a while and when you reach a good consistency of gravy, turn off the heat.
- 17.Serve hot with a good garnishing of chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with Rice or Roti