"MAADHURYA" – Steamed Sweet Savoury

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With the approaching of "Deepavali - The Festival Of Lights", greetings of the 'Heavenly Victory', the good over the evil, are exchanged with traditional sweetmeats and other delicacies. During the same time, the worshipping of "Goddess Kali" is performed with deep devotion and religious fervour. The auspicious occasion of "Shri Lakshmi Puja" is also celebrated during "Deepavali", wherein, the "Goddess Of Wealth" is ushered in every household and earnestly worshipped, in a predominately tranquil setting, with the process of sweet making being an essential ritual and sweets being a conspicuous offering.

The "Culinary Portrait - Maadhurya" is my tribute to the "Three Great Indian Festivals" of "Deepavali", "Shri Kali Puja" and "Shri Lakshmi Puja", celebrated all across our nation.

"Maadhurya" meaning "sweetness" in Sanskrit, is a savoury which is prepared with the "Three" essential ingredients, inspired by the "Three Eyes of the Divine Mother", namely: homemade cottage cheese, green cardamom and jaggery. These simple and traditional ingredients make my creation a "healthy-humble choice" over sweets made from refined sugar and processed cottage cheese.

Cottage Cheese or 'Chena' is a popular source of dietary protein to the health food "Devotees". It is essential to maintain and promote muscle growth. It is enriched with calcium, which is important to ensure the health of bones and teeth.

Jaggery, has been a quintessential natural sweetener in routine traditional Indian cooking and also during festivals, across the nation. Jaggery is heralded with plenty of micro nutrients and minerals. It embellishes my creation with the minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper along with Vitamins B1, B2 and C. The antioxidant property, which is all pervading in jaggery, prevents the harmful free radicals from affecting the cells of a human body. This amorphous form of unrefined and non-distilled sugar which is prepared from the juice of sugarcane and date palm, is also renowned for the respiratory tract cleansing property in Ayurveda.

Green Cardamom, being the exotic and aromatic spice, enjoys the seat of high regards in India, since time immemorial. As per Ayurveda, green cardamom is known to kindle the digestive fire, thus effective in improving digestion. It is beneficial to those suffering from flatulence and gas. It helps in cleansing the body as it contains detoxifying properties. There are multiple remedial properties which are attributed to these miraculous pods, like for cough and breathlessness, nausea, urinary tract infection, nervous exhaustion and so on.

Number of pieces: 16 small-medium pieces (approximately)
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes (approximately)
Cooking Time: 25 minutes (approximately)

Ingredients

• Double toned milk- 2 litres
• Lemon juice (freshly extracted from 4 lemons),
• Green cardamom pods- 8-10
• Molten jaggery- 4-6tbsp (as per individual taste but definitely not more than the above mentioned maximum proportion).

Cooking Methods

I. Making Of Cottage Cheese:

* Warm milk on medium flame.

* Pour lemon juice (as much as required) and allow the milk to cuddle.

* Do not remove the milk pot from fire, as the process of cuddling requires to be executed properly.

* Once the separation of cheese is completed, the pot can be removed from fire and immediately sieved to drain the liquid.

Cooking Methods

* Press the cheese in the sieve with a spatula to ensure the drainage of excess liquid.

* Keep aside 2-4 tsp of the freshly prepared cottage cheese.

Cooking Methods

II. For Steaming Of Cottage Cheese:

* Allow the cottage cheese to cool and then mash with hand.

*Continue mashing until a soft texture is achieved.

* Add 4 tbsp molten jaggery and continue the mashing process.

Cooking Methods

* Sprinkle 1/4th -1/2 tsp of the green cardamom powder and mash again.

* In a tight metallic container, smear the base with a dash of ghee (optional,or one can use a piece of banana leaf) and then put the sweet and aromatic mashed cheese, in it.

Cooking Methods

* Now, close the container, ensure it is closed properly.

* In a pressure cooker, pour a small quantity of water.

* Place a metallic plate on the base, ensure the plate is not in a floating state.

Cooking Methods

* Now gently place the cheese container on the plate.

* Close the pressure cooker lid and remove the whistle.

* On a slow glowing fire, precisely, cook for 20 minutes.

* Once done, switch off the gas and remove the cooker lid.

Cooking Methods

* Allow the steam to release and then carefully remove the cheese container.

* Wrap the container with moist cloth and wait for a few minutes.

* Open the cover or the lid of the container.

Cooking Methods

III. For The Final Touch:

* Heat a nonstick pan.

* Pour the steamed cottage cheese and gently stir, preferably continuously, over slow glowing flame for 5 minutes.

* Add 1-2 tbsp of jaggery (as per individual taste)

Cooking Methods

* Remove and allow the mixture to cool.

* Mash well by applying pressure, also add the cottage cheese which was kept aside, earlier.

* Make small roundels with hands to give the desired shape.

My Suggestions

* Serve "Maadhurya" immediately to savour the unique taste.

* If desired, one can abstain from making roundels and can serve "Maadhurya" in the crumbled form.

My Suggestions

* The real taste of my creation comes from the freshly prepared cottage cheese. Packaged and processed cottage cheese is not recommended.

* While purchasing jaggery, do invest in a good quality, organic form of this natural sweetener.