Nagpur: Janmashtami, Lord Krishna’s birthday is celebrated all over India, but in slightly different ways. This is the reason it has many names also like Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanti apart from Janmashtami. In Maharashtra it is called Dahi Handi. In Tamil Nadu, it is called Gokulashtami. Janmashtami is also celebrated in Nepal.
Ingredients
Rava (Sooji) – 2 cups
Evaporated Milk – 150ml or 5oz
Unsalted Butter – 1/4 cup (You can also use ghee instead)
Dry Shredded Coconut Powder – 1 ½ cups
Sugar – 2 cups
Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
Saffron – 1 pinch, powdered (optional)
Raisins – ¼ cup (roasted in a little butter)
Cashew/Almond/Pistachio – ¼ cup (coarsely chopped/sliced and roasted in a little butter/ghee)
Method
1.Melt the butter in a non-stick pan.
2.Add the rava and fry until you get a nice aroma.
3.Add shredded coconut and sugar and mix well on low heat for few seconds.
4.Add raisins, nuts, saffron, cardamom powder and mix well.
5.Add the evaporated milk and turn off the stove.
6.Keep mixing for few minutes until the evaporated milk is well incorporated.
7.Remove pan from stove to prevent the rava from getting burnt.
8.While the mixture is still hot, take a small quatity of the mixture and roll it into balls. You can the balls as small or as big as you want.
