The Prasad

Prasad as it is called on the day of the Satyanarayan pooja. It is the halwa or the pudding made as an offering to the Lord. Made with lots of clarified butter and some aromatics. Here goes my mother's recipe. This one is never as good as the one she or my grandmom made...but keep trying is what one can do!! 

2 cups of semolina roasted in half cup of clarified butter till it leaves an aroma and gets a lovely golden colour
2 cups milk
2 cups of sugar or as per your taste
4 green cardamoms freshly crushed
A few strands of saffron
1/2 nutmeg crushed
 1 cup clarified butter for finishing off the dish

In a pan take three cups of water with the saffron, nutmeg and cardamom and keep it to boil, once it boils, add milk, it will soon boil, add the roasted semolina  bit by bit stirring continuously to see that it does not form lumps. Once everything gets mixed well with no lumps, add sugar, let it cook after mixing well, add 1 cup clarified butter, let it cook a bit. Now add the rest of the clarified butter. Keep covered to cook well till the pudding or halwa leaves the pan and you can see the clarified butter. Now this is offered to the Lord garnished  with roundels of banana and some holy basil leaves. This is eaten only after the pooja is done and that is why it called the prasad. Little is had after the pooja and then to your heart's content in your meal. Tastes too good with lime pickle.