Rakhi in India

Auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan calls for celebration and best of festive food! Try out these delicious Rakhi Recipes with love and delight your brother or sister with dishes made by you.

Vermicelli Kheer

Ingredients:-

1cup Roasted Vermacili
1.5 liter Milk
½ tsp. Cardamom Powder
½ tsp. Saffron
Dry fruit and resins

Method:-
Boil the milk in a broad mouth pan add the roasted Vermicelli and sugar to taste. Let it boil till thick. Dissolve saffrom in 1tsp. Water. Add cardamom and saffron to the thick vermacelli and milk mixture Garnish with soaked almonds and resins.

Mal Pua

Ingredients:-

250 grams plain flour, sifted water
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
oil for frying
Sugar Syrup
500 grams sugar
625 ml water
Garnish
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Rose water
Fresh cream sweetened

Sugar syrup
Put sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes till thick syrup is formed.

Method:-
Mix sifted flour, sugar and water to form smooth, medium thickness batter and keep aside for 30 min. Heat oil in a shallow flat bottomed pan. Carefully spread the mixture in the pan and fry till golden brown. Transfer the pancake into the sugar syrup. Serve hot garnished with cardamom, rosewater and fresh cream.

Khoya Burfi

Ingredients:-

1 Lt. Milk
75 gms sugar
50 grams naryal chura (coconut powder)
20 grams pistachios, chopped
20 grams almonds, chopped

Method:-
Boil milk reduce heat and let it simmer for 45-minutes to one hour till thick paste like. Keep stirring in between. Add sugar and coconut powder and stir till sugar dissolces. Grease a thali and pour the batter. Garnish with pistachios and almonds. Let it cool and cut into square or rhomboid pieces.

Rakhi is the physical symbol of the emotions involved with the festival. The emotions of love, affection and care. It is the sentiments that matter on this day and what can be a better expression of the sisterly love than a self made rakhi.

Ideas on Rakhi making..

Silk Threaded Rakhi

Materials required:-

1. Silk threads-multi-coloured
2. Cotton thread
3. Beads, sequins
4. Scissors
5. Glue

Method for making Rakhi:-
Take a bunch of silk threads, multicolored if you want a colorful rakhi. Red and yellow are considered auspicious colors. You can also use a strand or two of golden thread. The threads should be around 30" long. Fold the length of the thread bunch to half. Tie a tight knot at one fourth of the length using the cotton thread. Cut the loops of the folded thread and fluff the open ends with a hard brush.

Divide the longer part of the thread into two halves and plat them in desired way. Tie the ends with the cotton thread and fluff the open ends. These two strands will be used for the tying.

Decorate the upper part with sequins, beads or religious motifs. If you are using multicolored threads arranged in some specific way, cut them short to a suitable length not more than ½".

Kalava or Moli Rakhi

Materials required:-

1. A Moli or Kalava
2. Cotton Thread
3. Scissors
4. Glue
5. Religious Symbol/ Rudraksh
6. Tulsi/ Sandalwood Beads or Tiny Shells

Method for making Rakhi:-
Take a 50" long thread and fold it in the middle. Plat the thread in the desired manner. Tie the cotton thread leaving some space at the ends. Remove all the loops from the ends. Stick the religious symbol or rudraksh in the middle and if you want decorate the rest of the length of the rakhi with beads or tiny shells. You can stick them or even stitch them on the braided thread.

God Rakhi

Materials Required:-

1. Colored thread
2. Few golden beads
3. Small sized buttons
4. Small picture of Goddess or religious symbol

Method for making Rakhi:-
Take a colored thread and tie about 5 golden beads and a small button after it. Repeat this along the entire length of the thread. Paste any religious picture or symbol on the button in the middle of the thread. Your home made rakhi is ready.

Rakhi festival in India is essentially celebrated between brothers and sisters and intends to strengthen the eternal bond of love share by them. Rakhi is celebrated all over India and amongst all sections of Hindu society.

Rakhi Customs

People wake up early and take bath to purify their mind and soul. Sisters along with the mother prepare festive food including a sweet dish. A sister then arranges the customary Rakhi Puja Thali consisting of Rakhi, Tika, Mithai, Diya besides other traditional puja items to carry out the ceremony. At the opportune time she ties Rakhi on her brother's wrist, apply tika on his forehead and perform arti of him. Praying for her brother's long life sister puts a sweet in bhaiya's mouth.