Gujarati Daal For 4 People Need: 1/2 cup Tuver daal (Split tuver daal you can find on amazon or at Indian stores) 11/2 cup water 4 medium tomatoes 1 tbsp minced ginger 1tsp turmeric 2 tsp laal marchoo(chili powder) 1tbsp lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tbsp cane sugar (jaggery/gaud works as well) 1 tsp rai/mustard seeds 1 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds 1tsp Peanuts 2 tsp cooking oil of your choice 2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro for garnish 1 1/2 tsp adhaanaa no sambhaar (methiyo masalo) Pressure cooker Hand blender Method: Cook the daal, water with tomatoes and peanuts in a pressure cooker for 8-10 min. on medium heat. Let it air out then blend it well with a hand blender. Take a medium size pot and add oil, mustard seed and methi. Once it browns and pops add the blended daal in it. Add remaining ingredients and let it cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Taste and add salt, lemon juice or sugar if needed. Turn the stove off and add cilantro for garnish. Let's keep in touch! Sign up for my email list. #daal #recipe #recipes #gujaratifood

Papadi no Lot by Priyanka Patel (Gluten Free and Vegan) This is a great snack most Gujarati folks love. If there is a picnic, beach party or Garba(folk dance) event you are bound to find this easy and tasty Gluten Free and Vegan snack Need/Ingredients: 1. 1 Bowl Rice flour 2. 1 Bowls of Boiling water 3. 1 bowl room temp water 4. 1tsp Ajmo 5. 1tsp Jeeru/Cumin 6. 1.5 tsp salt 7. 1 tsp Baking Soda/ Kharo 8. 1tbsp of Olive oil 9. 2 tsp Sesame seeds 10. 1.5 tsp leelu marchoo/green serano or thai chili paste (depending on if you like it spicy, if you like mild then go with 1tsp serano chopped finely. 11. Medium stainless or glass Bowl 12. Steamer or a large pot with a small plate or daatharo to hold the plate on top to steam with. 13.Medium size stainless steel plate or Kathrot. Method/How to Cook: 1. If you don’t have a steamer, use a medium to large around 12 oz. pot add enough water to cover bottom 1 inch and put a small plate face down on the bottom of the pot or use a Datharo. 2. Heat 1 bowl of water in a small pot with ajmo, Jeeru, salt and baking soda. 3. In a medium bowl add flour and chili paste/leelu marchoo 4. Add the boiling water mix and mix it well by first adding boiling water then the bowl of room temp water 5. Blend well then add this mixture to the medium to large stainless steel plate or kathrot with a tbsp of oil on the bottom. 6. Put this plate in the large pot to steam on top of the small plate facing down. Make sure the water level is low and does not touch the top plate. 7. Cover the large pot with the lead and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat. 8. Turn the stove off and take the plate out. 9. Let it cool for 2-5 minutes and cut out small pieces like Dhokla or Khaman. 10. Use a spatula to lift this up and garnish with cilantro and Sesame seeds. #PAPADINOLOT #papadi #recipe #recipes #gujaratifood #cooking

In this blog series we will be exploring different rituals and traditions of Gujarati culture and we shall begin with Gujarati Wedding. There are so many traditions associated with Gujarati weddings as normally it is a 3-4 day affair. Let’s begin with the pre-wedding rituals. Gujarati Wedding Rituals: Pithi/Haldi Gujarati weddings are at least 2-3 days long as there are so many different vidhis (rituals) to follow. This is true for all Hindu weddings be it Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi etc. Many Hindu rituals require that people performing the rituals are pure and clean before they begin and the same is true with the wedding festivities. Pithi or Haldi is a vidhi performed for the bride and the groom individually at their own homes or at a designated venues separately. It is believed that applying this mixture of turmeric, sandalwood, coconut oil and rose water aids in purifying and beautifying the bride and the groom. This vidhi originated in the times when there was no beauty parlor with facials, massages, manicures and pedicures. However our ancestors were so brilliant that they created this tradition that allows the couple to be married to get this treatment. Vidhi: The bride or groom’s foi (Dad’s sister) begins this by putting a tilak of kanku on the bride or groom’s forehead and giving them a coconut. This symbolizes the beginning of this holy ritual by praying to the pure souls in them and reminding them to be like the coconut- hard on the outside but soft on the inside. Foi brings the bride to the mandap- the stage where the ceremony will be performed. The pithi/haldi is a mixture of turmeric, rose water, sandalwood and coconut oil. In the old days the bride is asked to sit on a “baajath” small stool and the women in the immediate family apply this on the bride or the groom with a beetle leaf. It is rubbed down on their skin that is exposed. There is lot of playfulness that happens here if the groom is getting married his Bhabhis- sister in laws get silly and apply it under his pant leg or behind his ears to tease him. In many non-Gujarati traditions after the haldi has been applied, the bride or the groom is showered with clothes on with milk to help the glow. The women that participate in this vidhi are normally the masis, fois, mamis, bens, bhabhis and friends (maternal aunts, sisters, sister in laws and sometimes friends). Traditionally, this has been a ritual for the women only as a lot of skin gets exposed. However, there is a new trend in India these days where the brothers also come and apply the pithi. In return of applying the pithi these women receive a token gift from the bride or the groom’s parents. Traditions says to donate the clothes that get all yellow from the turmeric including your undergarments to the village barber (Vaanand). Normally it takes a long time to wash all of this off but it is believed that this certainly brings a great glowing skin for both the bride and the groom and it allows everyone to be playful and enjoy the beginning of the wedding festivities. Sing up for my email list to keep learning about traditions! #traditions #rituals #weddingrituals #gujarati #culture

Why Gujarati? Gujarati is the 26th most spoken language in the world. There are 65 million Gujarati speakers and growing. For some of us it is our mother tongue or Matru bhaasaa. This is the first language some of us heard when we came into this world. Gujarati is not the sweetest of languages as it can sound rude at times. There are so many different dialects of Gujarati. To name a few, Surati, Kathiyavadi, Parsi, Gamdiyu, Amdavadi, Mehsaana, Charotar, and many others. I have always loved everything Gujarati I’m always looking for ways to share the love I have for this culture and language. Lately, I have been thinking, what can be done to increase people’s curiosity about Gujarati. There are many of us who are working towards this goal directly or indirectly. Gujarati movies and nataks (plays) are becoming more modern and popular. Of course, Garba songs and their inclusions in Bollywood movies help as always. What is stoping us from speaking in Gujarati at home or in our social settings? You have seen French, Chinese, Mexican, German folks speaking their native language around you so why are you not speaking in Gujarati more often? This is something we all have to think about. For me, there were times when I was trying to fit in so hard that I was a little ashamed of speaking in Gujarati, I had to prove that I belonged here, I was like everyone else. It sounds so strange now that I think about it, because really who was I trying to impress? It is actually so beneficial for our brains to be able to switch from language to language. The more I am surrounded by Gujarati, it is easier to switch back and forth. Like reading Gujarati books, magazines, or watching Gujarati Nataks or films, singing Gujarati Garbas or even watching silly videos done in Gujarati. Are you interested in Gujarati language or culture? Sign up for my email list! #gujaratilanguage #language #speakgujarati #culture

Sanskar Gujarati News: Many of you who travel a lot or read about India know that in the recent years the names of many big cities have changed. I was reading an article in the Gujarati Newspaper Sandesh the other day about this. The British brought with them many wonderful things however failed to appreciate the richness of the land they came to. One of my students whose family is from Baroda asked me what is the Gujarati name for Baroda because that doesn’t sound Gujarati:) We had the following discussion in our class on why is Bombay now Mumbai and Baroda back to Vadodara? The history: Ancient India was a very rich culture and the britishers took over this country in 1747 and ruled for over 200 years. Many small kingdoms were destroyed and the infrastructure all ruined. The cities and towns were renamed from their original names as the Englishman could not pronounce them correctly. All the signs were changed and the towns got their fancy English names. In 2009 the Indian government looking back wanted to step away from the shadows of the britishers. One of the things they decided to do was rename the cities back to their original names. So.. Bombay became Mumbai Baroda became Vadodara Ahmedabad became Karnavati Madras became Chennai Although we may not like everything the British brought to India or took away from India we can never shake off their influence and changing the names of the towns back to their original names may bring peace but it can not erase the history. In reality, we have also learned and adopted some wonderful things from the English as well. Let’s get rid of what was negative and did not serve us and hold on to the positive and generous things both the cultures have blessed us with! Sign up for my email list: #bombay #mumbai #language #namechange #india #culture

Khaman: (Yellow savory sponge cakes) by Gita Patel Gluten free (Can be made Vegan) 1. 1 cup Chanaa ni daal 2. 2 tbsp Greek Yogurt/ or for Vegan Option use 2tsp Lemon Juice 3. 2-3 green serrano peppers 4. 1tbsp minced ginger 5. 2tsp salt 6. 2tsp Eno/Baking Soda mix 7. 1tbsp Olive oil + 1tbsp Olive oil for vaghar 8. 1tsp mustard seed/Rai 9. 2tbsp chopped Cilantro for garnish. 10. 1tsp of Asofetida(Hing) 11. Steamer or a medium pot with a daatharo or small stainless steel plate facing down. 12. 1-2 bowls of water for steaming. 13. 1 medium-large stainless steel plate or Kathrot 14. Blender or Vitamix 15. 2 bowl water to Soak the daal in. Mehtod/How to cook: 1. You can soak the Chanaa daal overnight or even just for 2 hours. 2. Blend the Chanaa daal, serrano peppers, ginger, Salt, Yogurt or lemon juice with 2-3 tbsp of water or more if needed to get medium thick consistency. 3. Boil the 2 bowl water in a medium pot to steam the Khaman 4. Take a medium plate, add 1tbsp of Olive oil, add the blended mixture in this plate and add the Eno/baking soda mix and mix well. 5. Put this plate in the medium pot to steam on top of the small plate facing down. Make sure the water level is low and does not touch the top plate. 6. Cover the lid and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat 7. Turn off the heat and remove the plate using mitts as the plate will be hot. 8. Let it cool off for 10 minutes 9. You can cut these into pieces and eat it just like this or continue 10. Small nonstick pot put 1tbsp of Oil and add mustard seeds and let them pop, add the Asofetida(Hing) 11. Add this mixture on top of the plate of steamed Khaman. 12. Garnish with the Cilantro. I send out recipes, language learning tips, and more in my newsletters! Sign up to stay in touch. #KHAMAN #yellowspongecake #recipe #recipes #gujaratifood #cooking

Jeera Rice (Gluten Free) Need: 1. 1 cup Basmati Rice 2. 2tsp Cumin seeds 3. 2 bay leaves 4. 1 tbsp Ghee (Purified butter) 5. 2 1/4 cup of Water to cook the rice with. 6. 1.5 tsp of salt Method: 1. In a small pot add the ghee on medium heat 2. Once it heats up add the cumin and let it brown for 2-3 minutes 3. Add the bay leaves and brown them for 30 seconds. 4. Add the rice and let it brown while stirring it for 2 minutes 5. Add the water, salt and cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, once it boils then reduce it to low heat, cover the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes. 6. Turn the heat off but leave the lid closed so it continues to cook. More more recipes and Gujarati culture, sign up for my email list! #jeerarice #jeera #recipe #recipes #gujaratifood #cooking

1. What are Sanskar Teaching Live Classes? In Sanskar Teaching’s live online Gujarati classes, each student is part of a class of other students plus a Sanskar-certified teacher. The class gathers via and easy to use online platform called Zoom at the regularly scheduled class time. Here, the teacher can see, hear and interact with the students and vice versa. 2. How long are classes? Depending on the students’ age, classes are either thirty minutes or one hour. 3. Do students sit in front of the screen the whole time? To keep classes fun as well as productive, at various times during class, we have students move around. This gets their energy shifted and keeps boredom at bay. We incorporate games like ‘Chhagan kahe” (similar to ‘Simon Says’ in English) where the teacher shares commands in Gujarati and students follow them. This normally involves some stretching, yoga and running a bit. There are short art activities sometimes as well. 4. How old do students have to be to join a live class? As much as we want our students to begin learning Gujarati early, we advise that you wait until your child reaches age 4-5 before beginning classes. 5. Do I have to be home in front of a desktop to do this? Most certainly not. We have had students attend classes through their iPads as well as smartphones, from their cars, hotels and from a relative’s house. Although this is not ideal, it gives everyone the flexibility to stay current with the class because of all our busy schedules. 6. Do students need any materials for the live class? Several days before the scheduled class, students receive an email package for the class that Sunday. Parents are encouraged to print out all needed materials as well as to listen to/watch videos before class as necessary. 7. How is the live class different from the digital course? The Live Classes curriculum is very different than the online course. The greatest difference between the two is that there is interaction between teacher and students in the live classes.  The live classes take place at a specified time while the digital course can be worked on any time that you choose.  The live classes focus on becoming conversational in Gujarati very quickly.  The live interactions allow students to ask questions in real-time as well as to have pronunciation corrected. Here’s a glimpse of the curriculum for the Live Classes: * Prarthana-Prayers — Practice singing using phonetic words provided via PDFs and audio clips from their weekly packages. These allow additional practice on their own time. * Greetings —Students practice pronunciation and receive real-time correction, as they communicate one-on-one with the teacher, which builds confidence in their ability to speak Gujarati. * Scenarios —We create make-believe scenarios wherein the students must their Gujarati speaking skills. * Festivals— Upcoming festivals are discussed in detail. We teach which activities, stories and traditions that are followed for festivals. * Game time — Games such as Chhagan Kahe/Gujarati Simon Says or Gujarati Scattegories are played during classes to encourage movement and fun. * Alphabet learning — For those who want to learn the basic Gujarati reading and writing. * Vocabulary & Sentence translating—Helping students translate certain words and sentences to build their vocabulary including learning present, past and future tenses. * Story time — Students watch a video of a story in Gujarati and we help them translate and understand the story through English words. * Homework — Homework includes practical skills to help students use what they learn in class throughout the coming week by making it part of their daily routines. This may include art activities, singing, dancing, acting, field trips, visiting grandparents, phone calls with Dada-Ba, and many other creative tasks. * Cultural activities —This part is for students able to travel or living in and around southern California. Once or twice per year the students perform at our temple in Los Angeles, where they get to showcase the Gujarati skills they acquire during the year. Depending on the event, there may be dancing and singing included. 8. Are there make-up classes or refunds? Unfortunately, our Sanskar-certified teachers are unable to add make-up classes to the schedule. However, if you notify us ahead of time, the entire live class can be recorded for you so you can watch and do the work when time allows. There are no refunds provided for missed classes. 9. What if my student feels behind and needs to catch up? Our goal is to empower students in their ability to speak Gujarati, so if there is a need, the teacher will definitely work with the individual family to make sure the students are comfortable. We also have a wide variety of resources on our website to help with additional needs. 10. I have more questions, what can I do? Vaishali is happy to schedule a meet & greet with you and your kids to answer any questions you have and get to know you! This is a great way to make sure our Virtual School is the right fit for you. Schedule one here. 11. I'm ready to register my kids, where do I go? Yay! We're so excited to have you in class. Follow this link to sign up now. Sign up for my email list to always know when classes are enrolling new students! #languageclasses #learngujarati #learnhindi #learnpunjabi #learnalanguage #liveclasses #zoomschool #zoomclasses #zoom #faq

For 4 People For stuffing: 2 large Potatoes boiled 1-2 tbsp Dabeli Masala from the Indian store 1 tsp Tamarind Paste 1-2 tsp Dhaanaa Jeeru 1-2 tsp Salt (according to taste 1-2 tbspRoasted and crushed Peanuts 1 tsp Garlic Mix all of the above to form a patty like mixture For sides: 4 tbsp of chopped Cilantro 3-4 tbsp of chopped Onions 3-4 tbsp chopped Tomatoes 3-4 tsp chopped Green Chilli 1 cup Pomegranate seeds (A Must) 1 cup fine Sev 4-8 Hamburger buns For sides: 1 tbsp Garlic paste 1 tbsp Red chili paste 2 tbsp Sesame seeds 1 tsp salt Blend it all well together For Sweet Chutney: 8-10 Dates 1-2 tbsp Tamarind paste 1-2 tsp Salt Blend it all together How to put it all together: Toast the hamburger buns as you like. Spread the red spicy chutney on the bun as you like, then add the stuffing and all side items and add the sweet chutney as desired. Enjoy! #DABELI #Gujaratifood #cooking #recipe #recipes #sweetchutney #chutney #tamarindpaste

For 4 People Ingredients: Medium size bowl diced Bhinda 1-2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Ajmo 1 tsp Coriander Powder—Dhaanaa 1 tsp Curmin —-Jeeroo 1 tsp Turmeric powder —Hadadar 1-2 tbsp Cooking oil 1-2tsp minced Garic 1 tsp minced green Chili 1tsp chopped green cilantro 1 cup Buttermilk 2tbsp Gram/Chickpea flour —Chanaa no lot Method 1. In a medium frying pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil, garlic and ajmo. 2. Once Ajmo seeds pop, add the diced Bheenda and stir, mix well and cook for 5-8 min stirring occasionally on medium heat. 3. Add salt, chili pepper, dhaanaa, Jeeroo, hadadar and cook for another 2 minutes. 4. Once cooked, remove the bheenda and in the same pan, add the other 1tbsp of oil and add the gram flour and stir till it browns a little bit for about 2 minutes. 5. Add the buttermilk in the same pan, add the cooked Bheenda here. 6. Taste and add additional salt and turmeric as needed. 7. Add cilantro to garnish and serve. Want more recipes and guju life? Join my email list! #recipe #recipes #gujaratifood #BHEENDANIKADHI

Gujarati wedding traditions – Mandap Mahoorat/Ganesh Sthaapnaa/Thaambli Poojan Some of you may have walked into a Gujarati home in India and see a poster or a mural of Ganapati(Lord Ganesh) in the living room of a house especially in small villages. This is most likely from someone in that house getting married and performing the ritual of Ganesh Sthaapanaa — which in Gujarati language means actual presence of that deity in that house . This will include the bride or the groom’s names, their parent’s names, the date of the event in English calender and in the Hindu calendar. This in many homes proceeds the Pithi (Yellow mask and cleansing with milk) ceremony of purification of the bride and the groom and in some homes is done at the same time. The priest is invited to recite Ganesh mantras along with other mantras to purify the space where the wedding ritual will be taking place. Ganesha is believed to be the lord who removes all obstacles so many Hindu folks pray to him before beginning any new ventures where they may encounter any obstacles or ‘Vighna’. Many desi (including many Gujarati people) people have small statue of Ganesha in their cars as well to protect them and their loved ones in the vehicle. Back in the day, the wedding ceremony normally took place in front of the bride’s home by setting up a special square Ghzebo called Mandap for the hindu wedding ritual. The prayers to bless this space and to bless the new couple are performed during – ‘mandap mahoorat’. The ritual of putting the first pillar down for the ‘mandap’ is known as ‘Thaambli poojan’. Where all the elder man in the house, including the bride or the groom’s father, uncles and brothers use the red powder known as ‘kankoo’ on the 4×4(wooden pillar) known as ‘Thaamblo’ and with the priest chanting the mantras put it in the ground. This symbolizes that the foundation for this marriage and for the ceremonies has been firmly planted with lots of love and good wishes. This is an important part of a Hindu wedding as there are many ceremonies and rituals to be performed with many many guests and the host family appreciate this prayer of thank you and a prayer for a smooth 3-4 days without any obstacles at all. #wedding #weddings #weddingtraditions #traditions #gujaratiweddings #rituals #mandap #thaamblipoojan #MANDAPMAHOORAT #GANESHSTHAAPNAA

Masala Chai is a Desi staple drink that originated in South Asia. Another variation is Saffron Chai where the Saffron adds a bit of earthy sweet tones to it. You can make a Masala-Saffron Chai or keep them separate. Here's how to make my favorite Desi Chai: Masala Chai Recipe For 4 People Need: For 2 cups of Chaa 1 cup water 1 cup milk 11/2 tsp black tea leaves 2 tsp cane sugar 1 tsp minced ginger 1/2 tsp turmeric (optinal) 1 tsp tea masala ( find them on Amazon or Indian stores) Tea Strainer Small pot Method: Boil the water for 1 min. on medium heat Add the tea leaves, sugar, masala, ginger. Boil for another min. Add the milk and boil until it boils up.. Add the turmeric stirr Strain it out in a cup. Enjoy your Chaa… #chai #chaa #tumeric #ginger #recipe #drink #milk