Yeppie a promotion…. जानेवारी 27, 2009

Glad to annnounce that i got the promotion. Now my visting card reads Senior Application Specialist.
It is a quiet a acheivement as my hard work and dedication has payed off.. though it was a big shock ofr me.. as i wasnt least expecting the promotion.
One fine day.. oops sorry it was 8th jan 2009…(gosh how can i forget the day) i got a call from HR manager to mmet the MD in conference room. Prior to that i had just attended the general meeting for the year 2008 and having a complete idea of companys sales turnover. Though we were not that badly affected as compared to the IT companies we still had our sales down as majority of the custoerms were just holding out orders. The accounts head had already informed in hush hush tones about increment, incentives and bonus this financial year. Though all his ppt we could hear only cost cutting throughout.
For a jiffy i thought ohh my god.. now its my turn to say goodbye to company…………..my hands and feet started sweating profusely and i could feel the numbness in my hands afterwards.
Looking at my expression my colleague asked wat the matter was… i said i dont know.. he asked me to come to confernce room….

10 mins later i was in CR with MD where is was smiling and my immediate boss winking at me…. ( Well at this point i gave lots of censored bad words to him in my mind…. buts thats understable .. isnt it)Well MD handed over the letter and kept smiling and with trembling hands i opened the letter…after reading the few words… i clouldnt rread further it was as though.. i am illiterate the only words that came out was “What r u serious?”

Thanks boss for appreciating my hardwork..however i owe this one to my mohter in law .. without her support i cldnt have reached this position at such young age…..

Petha Paan… a delicacy जानेवारी 27, 2009

Being a ardent fan of Taj Amahl i stumpled one yet another extic type of Petha- a sweet dish made of gourd water in sugar for whcih Agra is equally famous after Taj.. i tasted a Petha Paan…
Wrapped ina a triangular green colored petha with fillings of pista, angoor petha,kesar etc this dish is a absolute delicacy.. unknown to most of the people…
Sorry the mobile battery d own cldnt click a single pic of this beautifull petha paan…

Petha Paan

Posted on September 29, 2008. Filed under: Sweets | Tags: chenna, petha paan, pistachio sandesh, sandesh |

Petha Paan are thin pistachio slices with pistachio sandesh. So, first we need to know how to make Sandesh with the help of Chenna.

Method to prepare Chenna :

Ingredients

1 litre cow’s milk

1/2 teaspoon citric acid (nimbu ke phool)

Method

1. Dissolve the citric acid in 1/2 cup of water and keep aside.
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a pan, stirring continuously.
3. Remove from the fire and stir for 5 to 7 minutes till the milk is slightly cool.
4. Add the citric acid solution and stir the milk gently.
5. The milk mill curdle and the whey will separate. The whey has to be clear thus indicating the milk has completely curdled. Allow it to rest for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Strain out all the whey using a clean damp muslin cloth.
7. Fold all the 4 sides of the muslin cloth and twirl it gently so that all the whey that is in the milk solids gets evenly drained out.
8. Gather the cloth from all 4 sides and squeeze the chenna lightly about 3 to 4 times so that most of the whey gets drained out.
9. Remove the chenna onto a clean plate and knead gently so that it is free of lumps and take care not to apply too much pressure while kneading the chenna.
10. It is advisable to use this almost immediately.
11. Use as required.

Tips

Points to remember :
Make sure that the milk is lukewarm while adding the citric acid mixture. Do not shock hot milk as it will affect the quality of the chenna.
Always use cow’s milk for making chenna as it has a low fat content.
If you use buffalo’s milk, let the milk rest after boiling it and then discard the skin that is formed.
Always use fresh chenna for making rasgullas.

Now it’s time to prepare Sandesh which is a traditional Bengali sweet (a light creamy delicacy from West bengal made with curdled milk.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup chenna
1/4 cup sugar

Method

1. Add the sugar to the chenna and mix gently.
2. Cook on a very low flame in a kadhai stirring continuously with a flat wooden spoon.
3. Remove the kadhai from the flame at regular intervals so as not to overheat the sandesh. If it does over heat, it will become grainy and fat will separate.
4. The sandesh is ready when it leaves the sides of the kadhai and is neither too dry not too moist. It should have the consistency of a very soft dough.

Petha Paan :

Ingredients

20 petha slices
20 cloves for garnishing

To be mixed into a filling

2 tablespoons pistachios, finely chopped,1 Sandesh

a few saffron strands
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
2 to 3 drops green food colour

Method

1. Prepare the petha slices as mentioned in the recipe for petha.
2. Divide the filling into 20 equal parts and shape each portion into even sized rounds.
3. Place one portion of the filling on a petha slice.
4. Fold it along the sides to form a triangle and stud it with a clove .

Tips

To slice the petha, use a sharp wafer slicer. each slice should be at least 200 mm. x 200 mm. (4″ x 4″).
VARIATION : KESAR PETHA PAAN
Use yellow food colouring instead of the green food colouring in the above recipe.