29 states, 1,618 languages, 6400 castes, 6 religions , 6 ethnic groups, 29
major festivals & 1 country! Nothing quite like India.
India is one of the few countries in the world that can boast of people from different backgrounds and different religions living together and enjoying and celebrating festivals of each other with the same enthusiasm as they celebrate their own. These different religions provide India with a lot of different festivals that are celebrated all year long. In fact India is a subcontinent of nationalities., with a wide variety of food that ranges from vegetarian to non- vegetarian. It would take a lifetime to learn about the different cuisines in India.
After we moved to Kuala Lumpur, I made it a point to celebrate Independence Day – 15th August – and Republic Day – 26th January- in our house in order to teach our children about our country,s history. One of the best ways to teach children is through food and we had a lovely time experimenting with the colours of the Indian flag. Over the years we have made cakes, puddings, pulavs, biriyanis, pasta, sandwiches and desserts galore. Today I happened to have a class with some friends from Japan and decided to make this Easy Rice Payasa or Deconstructed Payasausing the colours of the national flag.
We had a wonderful time and everyone enjoyed the dessert.
The Indian Flag
The National Flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of India saffron, white and India green; with the Ashoka Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, and it became the official flag of the Dominion of India on 15 August 1947. The flag was subsequently retained as that of the Republic of India. In India, the term “tricolour” Tiraṅgā almost always refers to the Indian national flag. The flag is based on the Swaraj flag, a flag of the Indian National Congress designed by Pingali Venkayya.
By law, the flag is to be made of khadi, a special type of hand-spun cloth or silk, made popular by Mahatma Gandhi. The manufacturing process and specifications for the flag are laid out by the Bureau of Indian Standards. The right to manufacture the flag is held by the Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission, who allocates it to regional groups. As of 2009, the Karnataka
Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha has been the sole manufacturer of the flag. Wikipedia
Saffron denotes courage and selflessness. White denotes honesty, purity and peace. Green denotes faith, fertility and prosperity.
The circular symbol in the center of the flag, the Ashoka Chakra, is the wheel of the dharma, the cosmic law that upholds the order of the universe.
The Recipe:
Independence Day Dessert
India gained independence on August 14th 1947 and this dish is to celebrate that.
1 cup basmathi rice, wash and drain.; 2 cups thick coconut milk fresh or canned; 1 tsp cardamom powder; a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp caster sugar. Place all ingredients in the rice cooker and switch it on. Prepare the other stuff while the rice cooks.
When it is done, divide the rice into three portions. Mine came to 65 gms x 3 portions of cooked white coconut milk rice. Colour one portion green, one portion saffron and leave the third portion white. I used natural pandan colour for the green and carrot powder for the saffron. However you may use whatever is convenient for you or available in your kitchen.
Ring Mould for plating- Mine is a 5 inch round steel ring.
For Sauce: 1 cup evaporated milk; 3 tbsp almond meal.
Whisk evaporated milk and almond meal together.
Garnish: A few cashew nuts
Take the ring mould and keep it on a plate. Layer the rice in the following order – green, white and saffron on top. Press each layer firmly with a spoon before adding the next layer. Gently unmould and set in the refrigerator overnight. Garnish with cashew nuts and serve with evaporated milk whisked together with almond meal. My Japanese guests loved it and had 3 helpings each. One of the best compliments I have received.
Come on, it’s time to celebrate the bravery of our father’s and their gift of freedom. Happy Independence Day!
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