CHOCOLATE MOHANBHOG (HOLI SPECIAL)

Running on the streets with Pichkaris, applying color to the strangers on the road, drenched in water and colored with Gulaal, Holi has some wild and crazy childhood memories. Okay, to be honest, the scene is same even now. It's that day in the year, when the inner child in you comes out, and you start to enjoy crazily. Now, the thing with us, Bengalis, is that we celebrate Dol, which is actually the day before Holi. This gives us another reason to celebrate the festival over two days, one on Doljatra and the other on Holi. This has been the same ever since my childhood. One day, I would spend with my family, and since my grandparent's family is a joint one, it was utter enjoyment. And on the other day, it would be me and my friends hopping around the streets with black and blue faces.

Holi to me is associated with many memories. It includes those nights before Holi every year, when Baba used to tell us the origin and history of the festival. The mornings of Holi in my house started with applying Gulaal to the feet of the elders in the family and then have those amazing delicacies made my Maa and Dida. Oh yes, how can I forget those fights with Dida when I used to run all around the house after her and she kept sneaking away from me so that I couldn't apply the Gulaal on her. The best part of spending Holi in my grandparent's home was that after playing, all of the family members would jump in the pond together. It is so nice when you are with your close ones, isn't it?

CHOCOLATE MOHANBHOG

There are some recipes which are really special to one's heart. In my childhood, I never actually had the thought of cooking, nor was I inclined much towards it. But then, as circumstances mold you, you get accustomed with the changes. Chocolate Mohanbhog was literally the first ever recipe that I had learnt from my mother (yes, apart from Daal Chawal). This is one of the few recipes I treasure. I was in Class 11 then, and I got quite a lot of praises for my first dish. Now I do not know whether those were true or just to keep me happy. :P :) These few moments of cooking with Maa will always be etched in my memory.

There's another thing which makes this dish super special for me. I was quite lucky to prepare this dish and present it to Mr. Aditya Ghosh, CEO of Indigo Airlines, in the course of a competition named Nat Geo Teenovators. Chocolate Mohanbhog made me win the final round of the competition and it was my first experience in cooking in the kitchen of a hotel at Nirula's, Noida. Ahh..A lot of memories with a single dish. :)

Mohanbhog is that one recipe which is prepared in almost every Bengali household. This is a traditional semolina based sweet dish which is also known as Sooji ka Halwa in the rest of the country. Adding a dash of chocolate to this traditional recipe can make it a perfect treat for your guests during Holi. 

Recipe:

Serves: 10

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

What you need

• 200 gm Sooji (Semolina)
• 2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 50 gm Almonds
• 1/2 Lt Milk
• 75 gm Sugar
• 100 gms Dark Chocolate

How to make it?

• Heat a wok or kadai and add the Sooji in it. 
• Dry roast it till it starts to brown a bit. Keep stirring for 8-10 minutes. You need to be careful that the Sooji doesn't get burnt.
• Remove the Sooji from the heat and allow it to cool. 
• In the meanwhile, chop the almonds into small pieces, and slice a few of them into slivers. Keep the slivers aside for garnishing.
• Heat ghee in another pan.
•  Add the chopped almonds in the ghee and fry them till they become light brown.
• Then, add the Sooji to the ghee and almonds and stir to mix it properly. 
• Fry the Sooji in the ghee for 5-6 minutes, stirring it continuously
• Now when the Sooji is fried in the ghee, slowly add the milk in it. Do not pour it all in one go and add part by part. 
• Add the sugar in this stage and then add the rest of the milk. Stir properly and make sure that no lumps remain in the mixture.
• Once the Sooji is mixed well with the milk, time to add the dark chocolate. It is better if you chop the chocolate beforehand, as that would help in easy melting of the chocolate.
• Mix everything homogeneously and cook it for a few more minutes till you get a thick consistency. 
• Take off the heat and set it aside. Once the mixture becomes mild warm, transfer it to the molds and allow it to set for a few minutes.
• While serving, garnish it with some almond slivers and you are good to go!

CHOCOLATE MOHANBHOG

A festival without a dessert is really very boring. You can now add the sparks to your Holi get-together along with this easy, yet delicious recipe. Morover, it has chocolate. What else do we need?

I wish everyone a very Happy Holi from my side. Play safe and keep away from animals. :)

This Rangoli was made by my sister many years back.. :)  

“I’m pledging to #KhulKeKheloHoli this year by sharing my Holi memories atBlogAdda in association with Parachute Advansed.”

Check out this amazing advertisement which gives you a great feel of the festival.