Obbattu is an perfect dessert for important occasions such as Ugadi. Learn how to make/prepare Obattu by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 Cups maida or plain flour
• 1 Cup channa daal
• 1 Cup jaggery
• 2 tsp Sooji
• 1 tsp Cardamom
• 1 tsp Oil
• A pinch turmeric
• A pinch salt
• Oil as required
• Water as needed

How to make Obbattu:

•    Cook channa daal in the pressure cooker.
•    Now drain the entire water.
•    Add jaggery to it and cook for about 10 minutes.
•    Grind them without using water.
•    Combine cardamom with it and mix well with hand to get a soft mixture.
•    Mix flour or maida with sooji, turmeric and salt.
•    Add water and oil to it to make fine dough.
•    Cover and set aside for about 1hour.
•    Make a ball from the dough and spread with hand.
•    Place a ball of channa mixture on it and cover with the dough and seal the ends properly.
•    Apply oil to the plastic paper and place the ready ball on it and roll it like chapathi.
•    Cook on hot tava until golden brown.
•    Holige is ready to serve.

Aval Payasam is made with milk and poha. Learn how to make/prepare Awal Pyasam by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup poha (flattened rice)
• 1 Litre whole cream milk
• 5 Almonds, thinly slivered
• 5 Pistachios thinly slivered
• 5 Pinches cardamom powder
• 1 Cup sugar
• 4 Cashews, broken
• 15 Raisins

How to make Aval Payasam:

•    Wash and drain the poha. Leave it aside for 10 minutes.
•    Separate poha grains with your finger.
•    Boil the milk in a large vessel.
•    When milk starts boiling, add poha and stir gently.
•    Bring to boil again.
•    Simmer till milk volume reduces to half. Stir occasionally.
•    Now add sugar and cardamom. Stir to dissolve.
•    Add raisins and cashews. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
•    Garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios.
•    Aval Payasam is ready.

Gudi Padwa marks the first day of Marathi Calendar and is celebrated primarily in the southern states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A joyous festival, Gudi Padwa is also a sacred occassion and its origins can be traced back to various legends often embedded in Hindu religious scriptures.

The Brahma Purana holds that it was on a Gudi Padwa day that Lord Brahma created the world again after a devastating deluge and time began to tick from this day forth. The day marks the start of Satyug (era of truth and justice). Gudi Padwa is said to be one of the 3 and a half days in the Indian Lunar calendar called “Sade-Teen Muhurt”. Every moment of this period is considered auspicious to start new ventures. The word ‘padwa’ is derived from Pratipada, the first day of a lunar month or the first day after no-moon day (Amavasya). Gudi Padwa is specially dedicated to the worship of Lord Brahma. Hence, special flags known as “Gudi”s are erected in honour of Lord Brahma. These are also called “Brahmadhvaj” or ‘the flag of Brahma’. Some also refer to it as ‘the flag of Indra’ (Indradhvaj).

After the Gudi is set up, everyone worships it and performs a prayer in honour of Lord Brahma.

As per another popular legend, hoisting the “Brahmadhvaj” commemorates the corronation of Rama after his return to Ayodhya from 14 years of exile. The setting up of the ‘Gudi’ before the main entrance of every house symbolizes similar arrangement by the people of Ayodhya to express their happiness over the victory of their beloved prince Rama over the demon king Ravana and his return to his own kingdom after a long gap. The ‘Gudi’ stood as a victory flag for the Ayodhyans. Gudi Padwa is said to mark this happy incident, an occassion of great significance for religious Hindus. It is also believed that on this day, Rama attained victory over King Bali.

For some Maharashtrians, the festival marks the conquests of the Maratha forces led by the great hero Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Maharashtrians have great regard and admiration for their famous Maratha leader who fought bravely to establish a Maratha kingdom free from Mogul domination.

According to this legend, the “Gudi” is evocative of the brave Marathas returning home from their successful expeditions of war. The festival is thus, a celebration of victory and prosperity.

A popular belief is that the displaying of the Gudi wards off evil and invites prosperity and good luck into the house.

Ariselu is a popular sweet, usually prepared on Makar Sankranti. Learn how to make/prepare Ariselu by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
• 1 kg Rice
• 3/4 kg Jaggery
• Oil for deep-frying
• 1 cup Water

How to make Ariselu:

•    Wash the rice and soak it for about 6 hours.
•    Drain the water and keep the rice on a cloth for drying.
•    Make fine powder by grinding it in a mixie.
•    Shred the jaggery and put it in a pan.
•    Add water to the jaggery and dissolve it by boiling.
•    Make thick syrup of this mixture on low flame.
•    Gradually add ground rice to it and stir constantly. There should not be any lump formation.
•    Remove the pan from fire.
•    Prepare balls out of this mixture.
•    Press the balls on a plastic sheet to shape them in the form of round puris.
•    To decorate, roll the puris lightly in the sesame seeds.
•    Heat oil in another pan.
•    Deep-fry these puris on low flame till dark brown.
•    Ariselu is ready.

Dharmendra: Dharmendra remained a top Hindi film star for three decades creating an influential image as a markedly North Indian (read Punjabi) macho man devoted to his mother and committed to upholding the honour of his family or the village. When one thinks of Dharmendra Deol, one automatically sees a romantic star as well as a he-man – a trait that is not quite common in Bollywood heroes. No wonder He is known as ‘Garam’ Dharam (hot Dharam), in Bollywood. He had the looks of a real gentle man, the masculine body of a he-man and when it came to his films, he had a very humorous touch in his dialog-delivery and the timing, especially. The heroics in his films are all quite remarkable and unforgettable.

Birthday: 8th December, 1935 in Punjab.

Spouse: Prakash Kaur (1954 – present)

Hema Malini (1979 – present)

Debut Film: Dil Bhi Tera, Hum Bhi Tere (1960).

Major Impact: Anpadh (1962).

Successful Films: Bandini (1963), Soorat Aur Seerat (1962), Aayi Milan ki Bela (1964), Haqeeqat (1964), Phool Aur Patthar (1966), Anupama (1966), Manjhli Didi (1967), Aankhen (1968), Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), Jugnu (1973), Kahani Kismet Ki (1973), Yaadon ki Baraat (1973), Sholay (1975), Chupke Chupke (1975), Naya Zamana (1971), Raja Jani (1972), Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Dost (1974), Aag hi Aag (1987), Hukumat (1987), Ghulami (1985), Yateem (1988), Batwara (1989), Hathyar (1989) and Kshatriya(1992), Johnny Gaddaar (2007), Apne (2007), Life in a…Metro (2007).

Awards: Won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

Forthcoming Film: Har Pall (2009).

Facts we didn’t know:

His full name is Dharmendra Kewal Krishn Deol.

He is the only actor to have starred with almost all the Kapoor members. He did not star with Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Kapoor.

He has four children with his first wife Prakash Kaur. Two sons, the Bollywood stars Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol and two daughters Ajeeta and Vijeta.

In accordance with the Hindu Marriage Act it is illegal for a Hindu to get re-married when his first wife is still alive. Two Congress party-members have launched law-suits against him under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code in this connection as he failed to make a declaration of his religion when he joined the Janata Party.

Dharmendra was also romantically involved with his Phool Aur Patthar co-star Meena Kumari.

Dharmendra has gone on record saying he does not believe that the Mumbai film industry is a place suitable for girls. He was unperturbed by his sons Sunny and Bobby joining the industry, but was vocal about his displeasure regarding his daughter Esha’s choice of profession.