"Re: Contents of Goanet digest..." > 1. Wanted an receipe of "dos bhaji" (Albert Desouza) > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 14:02:16 +0000 > From: "Albert Desouza" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Goanet] Wanted an receipe of "dos bhaji" > > Albert writes > My mother used to make a sweet using broken wheat and jaggery(sugar cane > jaggery) and this sweet was called "Dos bhaji" I forgot to aks for the > receipe.Does any body know the receipe of DosBhaji? > albert > Dear Albert,
Fortunately, a few authors of recipe books on Goan Cuisine do include "dos bhaji". I have many of these recipes, including one from my mother and the other from my mother-in-law. This sweet used to be made quite often at my place when I was growing up. I hadn't had it for many years until I decided to give it a try and and make it here in Portugal. I tried to crush the wheat in the "Sumeet" but the resulting grain was not very encouraging. So the very next time that I visited Goa I inquired about the availability of the "broken wheat" in the market. They suggested I try the grocers and I did buy the so called broken wheat, but the end product still did not satisfy my "saudades" of "doce-baji" of my childhood days. I come from Salcete but I am married in Bardez and in Margao, I happened to run into an old colleague of mine, fom Loutulim, and having referred to her about my "craving" to eat a real "doce baji", she personally took me to a mill (guirinn) at the far end of Gandhi Market, and explained to them what I wanted. Initially, they refused to change the "disc" from fine grinding to the "coarse texture" I wanted and when I offered to take 5 kilos they immediately agreed and supplied me with it. The workers could not speak Konkani and I had difficulty to make them understand what I was saying. Yes, I prepared the sweet in Goa and it was perfect. I brought the rest of the supply with me to Portugal and placed it in the deep freezer to be used on special occasions. I must add here that I had taken with me to Goa a few packets of "Erva-Doce" which, to me, is the "key" aroma of many of my chidhood sweets. I know that since "Erva-Doce" is not available in India, the substitute used is crushed Cardamom. On my suibsequent visit to Goa I discovered a mill in Pagifonde, near the Carmelite Convent, run by a catholic family and they knew exactly what I was asking for and there I came back carrying another supply of "broken wheat" for my sweet. Incidentally, I have used it all but I have one plate of frozen "doce baji" which can be served at any time, defrosted at room temperature or warmed slightly in the microwave oven. It tastes as good. After all the above "lenga-lenga", here goes my recipe, taken from "The Essential Goa Cook Book" by Maria Teresa Menezes. "Doce Baji" (Coconut and Broken Wheat Sweet) Serves 10 - 12 Hard to resist, especially for small boys, who have been known to suffer bilious attacks after consuming far too much of this sweet. "1/2 kg (2 cups) wheat grains crushed coarsely 2 coconuts 1/2 kg (2 1/2 cups) sugar 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) Powdered seeds of 10 green cardamoms 1/2 tsp salt. Wash wheat grains and soak in water for one hour. Grate and grind coconuts coarsely. Extract 2 cups thick milk and then 2 cups thin milk. Make a syrup of sugar and water. Put wheat grains with soaking water and thin coconut milk in a pan and cook till grains are soft. Stir in sugar syrup, cooking and stirring all the time. Add thick coconut milk and continue cooking over medium heat. Add ghee, a spoonfull at a time , then powdered cardamoms and salt. Stir well. When mixture begins to leave sides of pan remove from heat and spoon into a greased dish. Cool." And enjoy it. It brings back good old memories as you savour each and every bit of it. By the way, in my mother-in law's recipe book, it is given as "doce vagi". According to Shanti Rangarao, who has written some books on cookery, "bujji" means "mash" or "crush". I have often wondered if the name "doce baji" derives from this fact. Regards to all Livia de Abreu Noronha _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org