Healthy Festive Feasting: Top 2 Traditional Delights For Baisakhi Celebrations

Let these traditional delights bring in a bit of nostalgia and help create new memories of joy and togetherness for the year ahead.

The harvest festival of 'Baisakhi' brings abundant joy, celebration, and the aroma of freshly prepared delicacies for all to savour. Traditional recipes passed down through generations are unique in every Punjabi and Haryanvi household. Inspired by the rich traditions of the northern states, Chef Kunal Kapoor recommends two classic dishes Kadhi Pakoda and Dal Makhani. These dishes are prepared with the goodness of blended oil, which offers a balance of MUFA and PUFA and is packed with essential nutrients and antioxidants, enriching the festive spirit with every bite.

Kadi Pakora is a comforting dish that harmoniously blends the texture and savoury flavours of fritters and curd-based gravy.

Ingredients

For Kadi

1 cups of Curd

four tablespoons of Gram Flour (Besan)

cup of sliced onion

tablespoon of Garlic chopped

tablespoon of chopped ginger

3/4th teaspoon of Turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of Red chilli powder

1 tablespoon of Coriander powder

1 teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder

Salt to taste

10 cups of Water

3 tablespoons of Saffola Gold Oil

1 teaspoon of Fenugreek seeds (Methi )

1 teaspoon of Cumin

2 nos of Dry red chilly

teaspoon of Asafoetida (Heeng )

For Pakora

1 cup of Gram Flour (Besan)

Salt to taste

A chopped Green chilli

teaspoon of Turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of Red chilli powder

1 tablespoon of Coriander seeds

1 teaspoon of Cumin

3/4th teaspoon of Baking Powder

1 cup of chopped Spinach

3/4 cup of Water

For Tempering

1 tablespoons of Saffola Gold Oil

2 teaspoons of Coriander seeds

1 teaspoon of Cumin

teaspoon of Red chilli powder

• Preparation Time: 45 minutes

• Serves: 4

Steps To follow:

In a bowl, combine curd, besan, sliced onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, salt, and water.

Heat Saffola Gold oil in a pan; add methi seeds, cumin, and dry red chilli. Stir and add heeng.

Add the curd mixture and stir continuously until it boils. Cook for half an hour, stirring the kadi occasionally, on low heat.

In the meantime, prepare the pakora batter by mixing besan, salt, chopped green chilli, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander seeds, cumin, baking powder, spinach, and water until thick.

Heat Saffola Gold oil in a deep pan and drop small dollops of the batter to make pakoras.

Cook until evenly browned. Remove and set aside.

Check kadi for salt, then transfer to a serving bowl.

Ten minutes before serving, add pakoras to the hot kadi.

For tempering, heat Saffola Gold oil in a clean pan, and add coriander seeds and cumin. Once they crackle, turn off the heat, add red chilli powder, and stir.

Immediately pour this tempering over the kadi pakora.

Serve it hot and fresh.

Dal Makhani is a popular and classic North Indian dish. It features a blend of lentils, spices, and cream simmered to perfection.

Ingredients:

160 grams or 1 cup of Black Lentil (Urad Dal)

45 grams or cup of Kidney Beans (Rajma)

4-5 cups of Water

5 tablespoons of Saffola Gold Oil

1 tablespoon of Ginger paste

1 tablespoon of Garlic paste

tablespoon of Chopped Garlic

1 tablespoons of Kashmiri chilli powder

Salt- to taste

350 grams of Fresh tomato puree

2 tablespoons of Saffola Gold Oil (for tempering)

tablespoon of Chopped Garlic (for tempering)

A generous pinch of Dried Fenugreek (Methi) leaves

175 ml or cup of Cream

• Preparation Time: 65 minutes
• Serves: 7

Steps To follow:

Soak the Urad dal and Rajma together for at least 3 hours, then wash them thoroughly and boil in a pressure cooker with 5 cups of water until the dal splits and thickens.

Roughly cut the tomatoes and puree them. In a separate pan, add Saffola Gold oil and saut ginger paste and garlic paste for 2 minutes.

Add Kashmiri chilli powder and tomato puree to the mix and cook until it thickens and oozes oil from the sides.

Add the cooked tomatoes to the dal along with some water and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes.

In a separate pan, heat Saffola Gold oil and add chopped garlic. Brown the garlic and add it to the boiling dal.

Stir in some more Saffola Gold oil and add dried methi leaves and cream.

Serve hot and enjoy the creamy delight of Dal Makhani!

So indulge in these traditional dishes from the heartlands of Punjab and Haryana to spice up your Baisakhi celebrations with your loved ones. Let these traditional delights bring in a bit of nostalgia and help create new memories of joy and togetherness for the year ahead.