KATACHI AMTI, WHEAT PURAN POLI & RANGA PANCHAMI

WISH ONE AND ALL A HAPPY HOLI

KATACHI AMTI, WHEAT PURAN POLI & RANGA PANCHAMI

The last time I made Puran Poli was during Ganesh Chaturthi and then I had promised to share with everyone the recipe of Katachi Amti. This is a by-product of Puran poli and hence becomes as precious as the main dish. Maharashtrians make Puran poli on Holi day. I would like to share with you’ll about Holi in Maharashtra.

Holi In Maharashtra

Holi is known as Shimga or Rangpanchami in Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra have their own grand style of celebrating Holi. The day they celebrate with colors is known as Ranga Panchami and comes five days after Phalgun Poornima.

One day before Ranga Panchami, a huge bonfire is made and an effigy of Holika with child Prahlad in her lap is kept on the logs. Usually, Holika's effigy is made of combustible materials, whereas, Prahlad's effigy is made of non-combustible one. Almost 40 days before the Holi Festival. People go on throwing twigs, dried leaves, branches of trees left through the winter besides any other combustible material they can spare, on to that log which gradually grows into a sizable heap.

On the day of Holika Dahan which usually falls on the night of Phalguna Purnima, the effigy is set alight. Next morning the ashes from the bonfire are collected as prasad and smeared on the limbs of the body. If spared by the fire coconuts are also collected and eaten.

Metaphorically though, the fire is meant to signify the destruction of evil - the burning of the 'Holika' - a mythological character and the triumph of good as symbolized by Prahlad. However, the heat from the fire also depicts that winter is behind and the hot summer days are ahead.

Dhuli Vandan, is an important festival in Maharashtra and it coincides with the Holi festival. It is celebrated on the day after Holika Dahan in Phalguna month. The festival is of great importance to farmers and agriculturalists. The ashes of Holika burned on the previous night and soil are worshipped by the farmers for a good harvest. In 2009, the date of Dhulivandan is March 11.

Dhuli Vandan is observed in Maharashtra when the rest of the country plays holi with colors. Nowadays, Dhulivandan in its strict traditional sense is limited to rural areas. In cities most people play Holi with colors on the day.

Historic significance of Holi in Maharashtra

During the Maratha regime this festival was celebrated with great pomp and grandeur. It was on a Holi festival day that five-year-old Jijabhai, daughter of Lakhooji Jadhav innocently splashed coloured water and threw gulal on young Shahaji, son of Malajirao Bhowale. Taking it as an auspicious event, the two children's engagement was announced that very day. Soon they were married. Later, Jijabhai gave birth to Shivaji, the founder of great Maratha empire.

Festival and Food

Festivals are always marked with good food and Maharashtrians usually make Puran Poli Besides people drink sugarcane juice and feed children with watermelons that are in season.

KATACHI AAMTI

As promised in my previous post on Puran Poli during Ganesh Chaturthi, I am blogging here the recipe of katachi aamti. Katachi Aamti is very popular in my marital home at Pune. They love it so much that they drink little bowls(vatis) full of it. The amti has a hot-sweet taste. I don’t like the sweet taste though, so I add less jaggery, so that the jaggery just enhances the flavor but doesn’t sweeten my amti too much. Katachi Amti is prepared using the water from the chana dal that is boiled for preparing the puran. Yo’s Kaku (Father’s brother’s wife) who lives in Barshi, Solapur, prepares this with lot of enthusiasm and love. She was telling me that it is known as “yelavni” in the solapur region. I think what changes the dynamics of the taste to this amti is using chana dal water.I didn’t use goda masala in my amti as I didn’t have it and I feel that goda masala has a very strong flavor which doesn’t suit my palate too much, but the original recipe has goda masala.

Ingredients

Katache Pani – 1 and ½ cups

Mashed Chana Dal – 1 ½ tbsps

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 3 tsps

Cinnamon - 1 piece

Bay leaves - 2

Curry leaves -8-10

Garam Masala - 2 tsps

Goda Masala – 2 tsps (optional)

Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsps

Asafetida - a pinch

Tamarind paste - ½ tsp

Grated Jaggery – 1 tsp

Grated coconut - 3 tbsps

Salt as per taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

Take 2 teaspoons of Cumin seeds and dry roast it till it crackles. Keep aside. Now dry roast 3 tablespoons of grated coconut and roast until faint pink color and aromatic. Now run both in a blender to make a fine paste. Keep aside.

In a wok, add oil, when its hot, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when the mustard seeds start to crackle add in the curry leaves to it, then add a pinch of asafetida, now pour the katache pani (water from the boiled chana dal), add the mashed dal, then add, red chili powder, garam masala, goda masala, tamarind, jaggery, and salt to it. Bring this to boil and then add coconut paste. Boil for some time, add water if it’s too thick. Mix well and let it boil for about 10 minutes.

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot with puran poli.

WHEAT PURAN POLI

This is the same recipe as blogged before, the only difference being that the refined flour has been replaced with wheat flour. Wheat is a healthy option and doesn’t alter the taste too much and the Puran poli tastes yummy anyways.

Ingredients

Bengal gram (chana dal) - 2 cups,

Jaggery - 2 cups

Wheat flour -2 cups

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Cardamom powder -1 tsp

Nutmeg powder 1/4th tsp

Dry ginger powder(soonth) -1/4th tsp

Ghee as required

Method

Grate the jaggery, keep aside. Soak the Bengal gram for about 2-3 hours. Then add water enough to immerse the dal completely and a bit on top. Cook chana dal in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles till it turns soft. Drain out excess water until the dal is absolutely dry. You can retain this water to make Katachi Amti (I will blog this recipe later). Mash the chana dal into a paste. In a wok, Add one tablespoon of ghee, then add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and dry ginger powder(soonth), Now add the grated jaggery, when the grated jaggery melts, add the chana dal paste and blend both well, and cook further. You will notice that the mix has become watery, which scared me out of my wites, thinking that this attempt is going to fail too. So I urgently called my mother-in-law in Pune and asked her what to do, she said don’t worry, it is like that, “Don’t cook for too long in the wok, the chana dal paste will harden and you don’t want it to get hard. She said, immediately switch off the gas and wait for the mix to cool down, then put it in the mixie and blend twice till you see it is completely mixed up, this mix, we must add in the wok and cook it on a low flame till it comes to a dough like consistency, which happens very soon, like 2-3 minutes time. Once you see it has come to a dough like consistency put off the gas and Allow the mix to cool so you can make balls out of the mixture. Make 20 balls out of it and keep aside

Mix wheat flour, a pinch of salt, oil and water and knead the dough.

The dough will be very soft and sticky dough. Keep this aside for about half an hour till it sets. Then knead again, by punching it and folding it. You can remove all your frustrations on the dough…Imagine the joys of cooking….

Knead well and divide the dough into 20 equal portions.

With greased palms, take one portion of the dough and flatten it into a disc of the size of the palm. Place a ball of "chana jaggery" paste in the centre and fold the disc from all sides to cover the paste completely.

On a well-floured board, gently roll out each poli with the help of a rolling pin into a 6 inches disc. This can get tricky as the paste does try to slide out. Use a little flour if that happens.

Roast each poli on a hot, dry girdle.Add a teaspoon of ghee around the poli , once you see some spots on the backside flip over, you will see your Puran polis puff up. Once done, Remove on a plate. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee or a bowl of warm milk and with steaming hot Katachi Amti.

I would also like to send Wheat Puran Polis and Katachi Amti to Purva of "Purva's Dawat" for "Festive Food-Holi" event.

Wheat Puran Polis, go to Roma of "Roma's space", who is guest hosting "JFI-Wheat" this month, an event started by Indira.

I would also like to send this to PJ’s Tasty Bites for Toddlers event

RIPE BANANA BAJJI & GORENG PISANG (SWEET BANANA FRITTERS ) AND A RAINBOW. HAPPY HOLI TO ALL

RIPE BANANA BAJJI & GORENG PISANG (SWEET BANANA FRITTERS )

AND A RAINBOW & HAPPY HOLI TO ALL.

Iam living in Singapore since 8 years and have been quite fascinated with the Singapore cuisine. One thing that I realized is that there are many similarities in various cuisines across Asia. Some recipes that are very similar to the ones made in India, the only variation being the flour used or the way it is eaten (I mean, the accompaniments). One such dish that I was fascinated with is the “Goreng Pisang” (“Pisang” means banana and “Goreng” means to fry), there is some controversy to the name though as the Malaysians and Indonesians call it Pisang Goreng which means fried banana. Anyways controversies apart I would like to share with all of you’ll the recipe of Ripe Banana Bajji(which is the Goreng Pisang of India), Bajji made with Ripe Bananas. This is a hot favorite with my husband. It’s very important what kind of banana you choose. The bananas shouldn’t be over-ripe or semi-ripe, they should be just right to eat. It shouldn’t be cut too thin else it will literally melt into the batter while frying. It should be cut into 11/2 inch lengths before frying. The batter shouldn’t be too watery, it should be thick enough to cover the banana completely, if the batter is watery the banana will get directly fried in the oil and the result will be very oily.

Ingredients

Bananas – 2 ripe ones

Bengal gram flour / Besan flour – 1 cup

Rice flour – 1 tbsp

Soda bi-carb – a pinch (optional)

Red chilly powder - 2 tsps

Salt as per taste

Oil – for deep frying

Method

Peel the Bananas and cut into chunks. Keep aside. In a bowl, Add Besan flour, rice flour, a pinch of soda bi-carb, red chilly powder and salt as per taste. Add water and make a thick paste first, this ensures that the lumps get dissolved. Then add more water till it comes to the dosa better consistency. Keep aside. Now take a deep frying pan, Add oil for frying.

Take a chunk of banana and dip it into the batter, the banana should be coated well with the batter else it will come in direct contact with the oil and absorb too much oil. Drop the coated banana chunks into hot oil and deep fry until golden brown. Once you remove from oil place on kitchen towel to drain the excess oil. Serve hot. You can eat it just like that. Just bite into one and a riot of flavors explode into your mouth, ranging from hot, sweet, salty and crispy outside and the soft and gooey banana inside. Enjoy this delightful snack on a cold winter or rainy day.

GORENG PISANG

I would like to share with you’ll the recipe of Goreng Pisang, wherein Rice flour, salt, sugar are mixed with water to form a batter like consistency and then Bananas(not over ripe usually the “Pisang Raja” variety available in this part of the world ) are dipped into this batter and deep fried. Sometimes, glutinous rice flour is also added to the batter and sometimes a bit of ginger powder is added to give that extra flavor to the batter. Then the bananas are dipped in the batter and deep fried until golden brown and served hot with a dash of cinnamon powder and some fresh cream.

I saw a beautiful rainbow outside and I thought I must capture it in my camera. There is a pot

of gold at the end of the rainbow. I thought this signifies the recession we are going through and the optimistic th

ought that it will end and things will brighten up as I believe that there is light at the end of a tunnel and we will find that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

I would like to send this wonderful dish to my blogger friend Purva for the “ Festive Food – Holi” event that she is hosting.

I would also like to send this to PJ’s Tasty Bites for Toddlers event

HOME REMEDIES FOR MOUTH ULCERS

HOME REMEDIES FOR MOUTH ULCERS
Mouth Ulcers or Canker sores are small boils which appear in the inside of your mouth, on the tongue or inner lips. Sometimes they are so painful that the person cannot speak, eat or drink anything.

Causes of Mouth Ulcers are:
Lack of Vitamin B2 in the diet
Eating acidic or spicy food
Bad stomach
Eating antibiotics or other medications which cause heat in the body
Viral infections
Sometimes minor injuries can also cause it.

Home remedies for mouth ulcers

• Avoid stress, Have a good sleep and eat a balanced diet
• Avoid eating hot and spicy food, avoid drinking hot tea/coffee.
• Have a diet of Rice mixed with cold yogurt and a pinch of salt till your mouth ulcers are gone.
• Take B-Complex capsules (Becosules) twice a day, it is quite effective.
• Keep rinsing the mouth with salt water. Take more salt, about 2 tsps in one cup of lukewarm water.
• Make a solution of 1tsp salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder in lukewarm water and rinse 3-4 times a day.
• Gargle alternately with hot and cold water.
• Take 4-5 leaves of Tulsi ( Holy Basil) and chew them in the morning and evening with water. This can be done 5-6 times a day. This not only cures mouth ulcers but also prevents bad breath.
• Biting on to small pieces of coconut, chew until the coconut milk starts to flow, swish the coconut milk in your mouth, this is one home remedy suggested by my grandmother which is quite effective.
• Apply Coconut milk mixed with honey 3-4 times a day on the ulcers for relief.
• Mix one teaspoon of turmeric powder to one teaspoon of glycerine and apply this solution on the ulcers
• For bad mouth ulcers take raw coconut break it into pieces and chew it with little sugar. Do this 4-5 times a day.
• Application of Peppermint oil to the mouth ulcers gives relief from pain and irritation.
• Make a paste of Amla (Indian Gooseberry) and apply to the ulcers, this also works effectively.
• Have Mint leaves (Pudina), 2-3 in the morning and chew onto it. You can do this 2-3 times a day. Mint is very cooling for the system.
• Remove the gel from aloe vera and put it in a blender with some distilled water. Keep this solution in a bottle and regularly, swish it round your mouth, holding and swishing for a few minutes then just swallow it, if you also have a sore throat gargle before swallowing. Aloe vera can also be used on other ulcers.
• Boil one teaspoon of coriander seeds in a cup of water. When this is warm, gargle with it 3-4 times a day.
• Baking soda and lemon juice is very effective in ulcers of the oral cavity relieving pain as well as the severity of the sores.
• Gargle a solution of 1 teaspoon of apple vinegar with half a cup of water three times a day.
• Bicarbonate of Soda dabbed on the ulcer will clear it up quickly. Dip finger in powder and apply to ulcer, leave for as long as possible. It will sting at first but will give relief soon after.
• For mouth ulcers, use alum. Take a cotton swab and place alum on infected area.

DISCLAIMER : "HOME REMEDIES ARE JUST SUPPLEMENTARY APPROACHES. ALWAYS SEEK A QUALIFIED PHYSICIAN'S ADVICE FOR ANY ILLNESSES."

PUFFED RICE UPPUMA (PORI UPPUMA)

PUFFED RICE UPPUMA (PORI UPPUMA)

We were used to snacking in the evenings and every evening Amma used to rustle up some tiffin for us, but sometimes we used to get bored with the usual fare and then amma used to make Pori (Click on the link to know more about Pori )Uppuma for us, which is not only nutritious but tasty and kids love the softness and guess what a lot of vegetables used to go in along with it and the dish is so colorful so kids completely adore it. I kind of forgot about this dish, but, one day after I was married and moved into Singapore, while I was pondering over what to make for nashta (evening snack or tiffin as it is called), I remembered the Pori Uppuma, so I made it. I served it to my husband(who happens to be a Maharashtrian, by the way) with a dash of lime and he told me they make it too and it’s called “Sushila” I kind of felt weird about the name, sounds like the name of a girl….Its called Pori Uppuma down south….what the heck, call the dish by any name it still tastes the same, there is some variation from one state to another, but I still call it my Amma’s signature dish. So here’s a low fat and nutritious dish that you can rustle up for your loved ones.

Ingredients

Puffed Rice(Pori/ Kurmura) - 400 gms (2 Packet)

Peanuts – 2-3 tbsps

Onion-1(finely chopped)

Potato – 1 (peeled and chopped into cubes)

Tomato – 1 (chopped into cubes)

Green Chillies-2 -3

Grated ginger – 2 tsps

Mustard Seeds -1 tbsp

Bengal gram (Chana dal) l-1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt as per taste

Oil – 2 tbsps

Curry leaves – A sprig

Coriander leaves for garnish

Lemon – ½ a lemon

Method

In a wok, heat 2 tbsps of oil, Fry the peanuts until u see them cracking and slightly brown, keep aside. In the same oil put in the mustard seeds and chana dal and when the mustard seeds start to splutter, add in the green chillies, ginger paste and curry leaves and fry for a minute. Now add Onion and fry until transparent, then add in the tomatoes and potatoes, add salt as per taste, turmeric and a pinch of asafetida. Add in the fried peanuts.

Wash the puffed rice (pori) in a colander and soak for about 5 minutes, you can do this while the vegetables are getting cooked. Once, the potatoes are soft and cooked. Add in the soaked puffed rice. Mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes, then switch off the flame and keep it covered for another 5 minutes. Squeeze lime, mix well and serve hot.

Puffed Rice Uppuma, has got Tomato as one of the ingredients and I believe that tomato adds zest and color to this dish, therefore this dish goes to Sanghi of "Sanghi's Tasty Bites" for her blog's new event

Since Pori Uppuma has so many vegetables and peanuts and is nutritious to eat and kids would love to eat it because its soft, colorful and got potatoes which most kids love, I would love to send this to Deepa of "Simple Home cooking" for the event "Cooking for kids-P

otato", this event is started by Sharmi.

I would also like to send Pori Uppuma to Purva of "Purva's Dawat" for "Festive Food-Holi" event, as it is so colorful and festive looking.

I would also love to send Pori Uppuma to Srivalli’s Monthly Mingle 31 – Kid’s lunches originally started by Meeta as kids simply enjoy the color and softness of this dish and it is healthy and nutritious

I would also like to send this to PJ’s Tasty Bites for Toddlers event.This can be fed to ages 3 and up.

RAVA KESARI (SOJJI) (CREAM OF WHEAT INDIAN DESSERT)

RAVA KESARI (SOJJI) (CREAM OF WHEAT INDIAN DESSERT)

Sojji is a simple, easy to make and very enjoyable sweet. Easy to make is an under statement, as if the proportion of the ingredients is not correct the Kesari will come out either too pasty or too dry. If the flame is too strong the sojji wont come out well. So, here’s the recipe for a perfect kesari (sojji)if followed exactly as it is here. I had earlier blogged in the recipe of Strawberry kesari /sheera in my blog (Click on the link to check it out.)
Here I would like to mention the Sheera made by the Maharashtrian Brahmins for Prasad for the Satyanarayan Pooja ceremony. It will always be so perfect wherever you go, whichever Satyanarayana Pooja you go to, not so pasty, separate and rich and exotic with loads of ghee. When we had the Satyanarayana pooja at home, I asked the Brahmin who made it how we does and he said that we take 1 ¼ cup of Semolina, ghee and sugar. I did want to try it but when it came to pouring the ghee I didn’t have the heart to pour so much, thinking of the calories and how many kilometers I will have to walk to burn it. So I sacrificed on the ghee and the result was a disaster.

Since my daughter is a huge Sojji / Kesari / Sheera fan, I searched and searched for the perfect recipe that would make my daughter compliment me and tell me that I make the best Kesari. She always compliments my downstairs neighbor’s Kesari and come what may she says I can’t match up to it. I asked Anita(my downstairs neighbor) for the recipe, even got it done from her, she makes fantastic Kesari, but, the same problem, oodles of ghee (Fat!!!! Calories!!! Weight!!!!) and my knees would turn to jelly. Every person I asked said, “Kesari wouldn’t be Kesari if there is no ghee”. But this recipe doesn’t have as much ghee and still tastes good. Here is a no-fail recipe, if followed properly as per the measurements given here and the procedure followed here. Make this Kesari and enjoy the compliments.

Ingredients
Cream of wheat (rava/ semolina) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 - 1.5 cups

Clarified Butter (Ghee) - 3-4 tbsp
Cardamoms (de-skinned and crushed) - 3-4

Golden Raisins (kismis) - 8-10
Orange food color (kesari) -1tsp
Method:
Add 1 tbsp ghee in a wok with a thick bottom, when its hot add the raisins and de-skinned and crushed cardamoms, once the raisins become plump, Add the semolina and roast in the ghee along with the raisins and cardamom till the rava gets a faint pink color. Keep aside. Now in the same wok, add 3 cups of water, add the color and let it boil. When it comes to boiling point, add the semolina slowly, constantly stirring, and mix well. Allow the semolina to be cooked at medium heat. The trick is that the semolina has to cook well. Keep covered and cook for a while. When it is fully cooked, add the sugar and stir well. The sugar makes it watery, so stir well. When the sugar is fully dissolved, add the remaining ghee. Keep stirring until the semolina starts leaving the sides of the pan. Your Kesari/Sheera/Sojji is ready. Check the close up snap of the Kesari, it shows how moist and well cooked it is. Serve warm, dunk in with a spoon and enjoy it.

I would like to send my Aparna’s FIC Orange Event which was initially started by Sunshinemom

I would also like to send this toAlka's Sindhi Rasoi and since it is Valentines Day today and this is a Valentine event, this goes out to my 5 year old who loves this dish very much.

Sojji also goes to Priyanka of Asankhana who is hosting the event Cooking with luv for luv

Iam also sending this lovely dessert to Recipes for the rest of us-Dessert event started by Ramki of One page cook books and hosted by Varsha of Willo the Wisp

Priti has bestowed upon me the Lemonade Award, Thank you Priti for the lovely award.

I would also like to send this to PJ’s Tasty Bites for Toddlers event

POTATO BAJJI (POTATO FRITTERS)

POTATO BAJJI (POTATO FRITTERS)

Here is yet another offering from my kitchen. Golden crispy Potato fritters. My parents are here with me and my father and my daughter love these fritters(bajji), so I decided to indulge in this yummy delight on a rainy weekend, which sets me in the mood to usually serve these kind of deep fried delights at home.

Ingredients

Potatoes-2

Besan flour – 2 cups

Rice flour – 1 tbsp

Soda bi-carb – a pinch (optional)

Green chillies paste – 1 tsp

Ginger paste – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 2 tsps

Ajwain seeds(Bishop’s weed) – 1 tsp

Asafetida – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil – for deep frying

Method

Wash the potatoes well. Slice them into think roundels. Keep the slices soaked in cold water. Putting the slices in cold water makes the slices crisp and separate and ensures that they don’t become black. Keep aside.

In a bowl, Add Besan flour, rice flour, a pinch of soda bi-carb, green chillies paste, ginger paste, red chilly powder, ajwain seeds, asafetida and salt as per taste. Add water and make a thick paste first, this ensures that the lumps get dissolved. Then add more water till it comes to the dosa better consistency. Keep aside. Let the batter marinate with the spices for about 15- 20 minutes.

Now take a deep frying pan, Add oil for frying. In the meanwhile add some more water and make the batter a bit thinner (not too thin or watery though). Mix well, when you dip the potato slices the batter should stick well to the slices.

Once the oil is hot, dip the potato slices into the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Once you remove from oil place on kitchen towel to drain the excess oil. Serve hot with Tomato ketchup and Coriander chutney.

Dunk them into the ketchup and coriander chutney and enjoy the crispy potato bhajjis.

Tips : Potatoes and gram flour together can be gassy. So I always add in ginger paste, asafetida and ajwain seeds, which helps in aiding digestion. This is a tip from one of the popular street vendors in Mumbai who sells these fritters.

HIMA - THE WHITE SQUIRREL OF KRISHNA

HIMA - THE WHITE SQUIRREL OF KRISHNA

One day some cowherds brought dry firewood and stacked it in front of the kitchen of Ma Yashoda because her stock of firewood was exhausted. By chance a small white squirrel had got trapped in the dry boughs and thus arrived at the kitchen courtyard of Chief Nanda. Afraid of her new surroundings, she ran nervously first to one side, then to another.

Suddenly Krishna came and stood before her. He bent down on his knees and gently spread out his hand towards the lovely visitor and said, "Come, little squirrel, sweet squirrel come to me."

On hearing that mellifluous voice the squirrel looked up and saw Krishna's enchanting face haloed in curls, on which rested a golden circlet with a peacock feather. She was no longer afraid but felt joyfully happy. As if in a trance the squirrel climbed on Krishna's spread out palm. Krishna caressed and petted her and then took his new little friend inside the house to show to Yashoda Ma, Nanda Baba, and to his many friends.

In Gokul nobody had ever seen such a beautiful squirrel before. Everyone said, "She is not of the forest of Vrinda. Surely she has come from the Himalayas -- that is why she is snow-white and has such a fluffy tail."

And so she was called Hima, named after the Himalaya which means `The Home of Snow'.

Slowly Krishna and Hima became inseparable companions. Krishna loved her and Hima simply adored Krishna. Wheresoever Krishna went, Hima followed. Sometimes she climbed on to his shoulders, sometimes onto his curly locks, to perch upon the headband of Krishna and to peep through the peacock feather. Sometimes she slid down inside Krishna's shirt and nestled against his heart, or sometimes she just ran after him. She used to look at Krishna with such interest that she even forgot to eat nuts. She would eat only when Krishna fed her himself. All the young cowherds brought the choicest nuts and fruits for Hima but she refused to feed from anybody else's hand. Only if Krishna asked her to go and take something from a friend would she go and take it.

This little Hima was very, very intelligent. She had one curious habit: she began to steal dry fruits from the homes of the milkmaids of Gokul and heap them in Krishna's room. The milkmaids eventually became fed up with this nuisance. By and by they learned to carefully hide the dry fruits out of Hima's reach. But Hima was not to be easily defeated. Her nose was so sharp that in a flash she could discover the new hiding place. She continued to steal away the choice almonds of Kabul and the sweet raisins of Kandhar. The milkmaids of Vrindavan became more and more cautious but to no avail. Invariably Hima triumphed.

Once two of the milkmaids Gori and Madhu had an argument. Madhu said that Hima could not possibly be an ordinary squirrel, that surely some goddess had taken her form. Gori scoffed at this idea. Madhu asked,"Then why is it that not a single one of us, trying our best, has been able to hide the dry fruits in a place which is safe from Hima?" Gori took up the challenge.

She went home and made a tiny bundle of dry fruits and then hid that bundle inside a pillow, sure that it would be safe. Thus reassured and quite happy at this precaution she went to milk the cows. But for Hima it was only a work of seconds to locate the scent of the treasure. She nibbled very fast and when Gori returned she found not only the fruits gone but the pillow spoiled as well. When the other milkmaids saw the scattered cotton of the pillow they laughed and laughed at Gori.

Now Gori was truly annoyed. The next month she tied a new supply of special nuts tightly inside a piece of cloth. Then she put this packet in a small earthen pot. This pot she put into an even bigger pot and then she hung the whole thing on a long rope, hanging from the ceiling. Somehow Hima sensed the challenge. When she came to visit Gori she saw a big pot hanging on the rope to the ceiling. Her nose told her that there were special nuts inside, nuts which she wanted to take for her Krishna. She climbed the wall, reached the ceiling and then, clinging to the rope, she slithered and slid to the pot. The covering was too heavy for her tiny paws to move. But Hima was not to be easily put off. She started to nibble at the strands of rope. In a few minutes the rope was cut and that big pot crashed with a very great noise. Both the pots were broken and when Gori came running in she was just in time to see the fluffy white tail of Hima as she escaped with

a few nuts. Gori at last accepted defeat and started to store her nuts in a tin box.

Each morning when Ma Yashoda came to wake up her darling Krishna she beheld a strange sight. All around her sleeping Krishna would be spread heaps of nuts and flowers. These were the morning offerings of Hima to her dear adorable Krishna. The jasmine, hibiscus and roses around his face made it look as if someone had worshipped a sleeping god. Hima woke up early and gaily ran to the garden and collected the most beautiful flowers from the plants and placed them round her Krishna - a great task for her tiny paws, but she never tired. If she saw some special flower in the Pooja room - the room of worship of the family gods and goddesses - she just took it off the deity and also put it near her Krishna.

Sometimes Ma Yashoda was upset about this. She didn't feel it was proper to take away flowers that had been offered to gods, but she didn't know how to punish this naughty Hima. On her side Hima felt all the beautiful and best things of the world were made for her Krishna.

One day Krishna went to Vrindavan with his friends to graze his cows. Hima was proudly perched on the peacock headband of Krishna. All the friends were laughing and playing pranks. Suddenly there was a swooshing noise in the air above and, before the children could think, a terrible bird from the sky swooped on Krishna. The noise of the wind against the bird's wings had alerted Krishna and just in time he ducked down, at the same time shouting to his friends, "Fall flat on the ground!"

All the children dived and lay face down on the ground. Because of Krishna's sudden ducking, the bird could not capture him. His aim fell a little short and only Hima came into his claws.

This flying creature was a demon of King Kamsa disguised as a bird. For a long time he had been hovering in the sky, looking for an opportune moment to pounce upon Krishna and kill him. He had to be very careful. He knew that if he were to come within reach of Krishna's hands nothing would save him, for Krishna had killed many demons.

Now by a split second his claws missed Krishna's neck and instead he held Hima and rose higher and higher. By the time Krishna and his friends stood up he was soaring high in the sky. Poor Hima was crying. She was saying in her squirrel language, "Krishna, save me! Krishna, save me!" But soon her piteous cries became too faint to be heard.

For a moment Krishna was undecided. What should he do? How could he save his beloved Hima? Except for the sticks and lassoes for herding the cows, the children had no arms.

The demon bird was flying farther and farther away. He was now like a black dot in the blue sky. Krishna was truly and terribly angry. "Oh! That brute! He has taken my Hima. I must punish him."

Then he sat upon a large rock. In a moment he became quiet. His anger left him. There was only a fierce determination in his heart to save Hima.

At last he took out his flute and started to play a sweet tune on it, the Raga of Sleep -- a strange tune which made the world feel drowsy. Krishna's friends, the cows, the trees and plants all started dozing. Even the wind stopped its whispering. The heads of the birds dropped onto their breasts and the beasts crawled under bushes to sleep.

The tune started spreading in the atmosphere. Its pure and clear notes were carried higher and higher. At last the demon bird heard the magic melody. Suddenly, as if for no reason at all, the demon bird started feeling lazy and sleepy. His wings beat slower and slower till he dozed and started falling towards earth. He tried his best but the notes of the flute as if enmeshed him in sleep. Falling like a stone he finally crashed just at the feet of Krishna, flattening many bushes by his fall. Hima was still clutched in his claws. Now those terrible talons opened and in a trice Krishna picked up Hima, trembling with fear, and placed her inside his kurta where she thankfully nestled against his heart.

Krishna replaced his flute in his waistband. With his left hand he patted Hima and with his right he caught hold of the unconscious demon-bird. Then he placed his foot on the back of the demon and bent its terrible neck backwards until the demon's body lay limp and lifeless. This demon would never cause trouble again.

Now Krishna went to another large rock a little farther away and sitting upon it he started to play a new tune -- the music of dawn, of new life, of awakening. Trees and plants, birds and beasts, and all the cowherds woke up as if from a sweet dream.

Hima was her usual happy self once again. She came out to perch on Krishna's headband. She was swaying to the tune of the flute as the children continued on their merry way.

(Picture courtesy www.krishna.com)