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Today, the 13th of April, is known as Vaisakhi. Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi as it is the day of the formation of our religion as we know it, back in 1699. Usually we would be spending the day going to the gurdwara (Sikh Temple) and meeting friends and family. Lockdown Vaisakhi is a little different, but I decided to perk the boys up by making Karah Parshadh at home.
Karah parshadh is the name given to the warm sweet dough which is served at the Gurdwara at the end of the prayer ceremony. It is served as a form of offering from God, a sweet token for each member of the congregation to savour. When Parshadh is given to you, you must hold out both hands cupped together, in order to receive it with respect. We are encouraged to finish it all, and to let it enrich us.
Today, as I made our Parshadh, I was thankful for the ability to cook it. Thankful that I was able to find ingredients in the stores to make it, thankful that I have been able to nourish myself and my family with food and water, and thankful for our home, our happiness and above all, our health.
For the first time, eating something which I have been eating throughout my life brought a tear to my eye, as I realised the extent that the lockdown has made me reconnect with the simpler elements of life, some which had been overlooked for so long.
I wish you all a happy, healthy, blessed Vaisakhi, from my family to yours.
You will need:
1 measure of ghee or butter,
1 measure of wheat flour
1 measure of sugar
3 measures of water
To make Karah Parshadh:
While making Karah Parshadh I had my hair covered and was listening to the calming Simran of Qi-Rattan.
I took a saucepan and spooned my ghee in, letting that warm up. When hot, I added flour and fried it until it browned.
In a separate pot, spoon in 3 measures of water, 1 measure of sugar and heat until all sugar has dissolved.
Once flour has browned and sugar has melted, add the sugar water to the flour and ghee. Stir rapidly until the dough balls up, then decant to a steel bowl to cool.
