Fada Laapsi - (Gujarati Pressure Cooker Recipe)

Blogging Marathon # 35 Week 2 Day 3

Theme : Pressure Cooker Recipes
Course : Dessert

My today's post all time favourite of Gujarati's and a must sweet during auspicious occasions such as marriages, house-warning ceremony, any feast to celebrate birth of a child or during kesh mundan etc, laapsi is a must and in olden days the menu without laapsi was considered as incomplete. Laapsi is made from broken wheat known as dalia, slowly roasted in ghee and cooked in milk and sugar. But in today's era people are slowing moving towards the North Indian or International Food as part of menu. I wanted to post this recipe for long time but was looking for ideal occasion and thanks to Srivalli who's brain child Blogging Marathon is ideal platform as this week my theme was Pressure cooker recipes and this is a perfect dessert recipe under the category.

I remember when we used to come to Gujarat for vacation my grand ma used to organize a bhoj and the menu would be Laapsi, Baingan - Aloo ki Sabzi, Dal and Rice, this was considered the bhoj menu in olden days and she used to make the best Laapsi in our Group or Kutumb. I learnt from her the recipe, i know where ever she is she would be very happy that I am making this dish for her but at the same time would be bit annoyed as she loved to cook in open pot and hated cooker like anything but cant blame her as any person from that era would hate pressure cooker as you wont get the same smoky flavour in pressure cooker but can still try.

In olden days they used to make this Laapsi by cooking in big kadhai or thick bottom copper pot in fire, roast dalia in ghee till pink and then cooked in milk and sugar till the grains are soft and fluffy garnish with dry fruits and eliachi powder.

Preparation time : 5 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Serves : 4

Difficulty level : Easy

Ingredients :

1/2 cup broken wheat / dalia / fada
3 - 4 tbsp ghee
1 1/2 cup hot milk
1/8 cup mix dry fruits (almonds, raisins & pistachios)
1 tbsp coarsely ground eliachi / cardamom
1/2 cup sugar
few strands kesar* optional

For Garnish :

few slices of mix dry fruits

Method : 

• Roughly chop pista and almonds.
• Heat ghee in pressure, add dalia and saute for 2 or 3 mins or till it turns pink in colour.
• Add in chopped dry fruits, raisins and eliachi powder and saute for a min or two.
• Add in milk and sugar while stirring to avoid lumps.
• Add kesar at the end give one stir and cook for 2 whistle on high.
• Remove from fire and let it cool.
• When cool enough to open, open the lid, stir properly and serve hot.
• Garnish with dry fruit of your choice or serve as it is. 

Note :

• Saute dalia well or else you will end up with gooey and sticky halwa.
• If you feel that the water or milk is less, give rapid cool technique to cooker to avoid little burning.
• When you open cooker and see that it has stuck little on sides dont worry carefully fluff the dalia and immediately transfer to bowl
  
  u will end up with sticky laapsi.
• Can make sugarfree version just substitute the amount of sugar with sugar free.
• If you can also use water instead of milk to make low fat dalia.
• If you feel that it will stick or burn, after taking from fire, put the pressure cooker under running tap. Take care to tilt the cooker or else the water might enter the cooker through safety valve.
  

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#35

Sending this link to Jagruti's event : Potluck Party Cyber Style fun

Hope you have enjoyed reading this post. Please take a minute to share views and valuable comments. Regards, 

Briju Parthasarathy