Scope
The Hindu Compliance System gives direction on cooking science which is compiled from Bhaga Shastra. Bhaga Shastra classifies foods into rajasik, tamasik and satvik types. Rajasik food makes one feel agitated, aggressive, lustful and egoistic. Tamasik food makes a person lazy, sleepy and depressed. Satvik food gives clarity to the person and brings him peace of mind leading to bhakti (devotion), tripti (fulfilment) and ananda (bliss).
Six types of tastes are described in the Bhaga Shastra – salt, sweet, sour, hot, bitter and pungent. It states that every meal should include all these tastes so that the appetite is satisfied and the tongue is neutralized by all the tastes being together. As per the instructions in Bhaga Shastra, in order for all parts of the body, mind and brain to function properly, a balanced diet of all these tastes is a must.
Further, the purpose of having all six tastes is to balance the tridoshas in the body, namely vaata (acidic), pitta (alkaline) and Kapha (phlegm). Every ingredient used in Hindu cooking is classified as per its dosha properties.
For thousands of years, Hindus have been cooking food that is organic, nature friendly and with numerous benefits. This standard will help organizations, businesses like hotels, restaurants etc. to cook the food as mentioned in Hindu Scriptures.
Ingredient and Process of Cooking
Laddu or laddoo is a round/spherical shaped sweet. The name is said to have originated from the Sanskrit word Lattika. Laddus are made of flour, ghee/butter/oil, and sugar/jaggery, with other ingredients that vary by recipe, like chopped nuts or dried raisins. They are often served at festive or religious occasions. Laddoos are the most popular sweet dish from the vast cuisine of India and a favorite offering as prasad/naivedyam in temples across the sub-continent as well
as in all major Hindu celebrations such as births, naming ceremony, weddings, etc.
Following ingredients are required for making Sansana Besan Laddu (Chana Dal Balls) :
- Laddu can be prepared from a variety of grains, legumes or seeds, sugar/jaggery and ghee. Some popular ones include laddu made with roasted wheat, amaranth, garden cress seeds, fenugreek seeds, and peanuts respectively.
The required flour is combined with sugar and other flavorings, cooked in ghee and molded into a ball shape. Some laddu recipes are prepared using Ayurvedic medicinal ingredients, such as methi (fenugreek seed) laddu, multigrain and resin laddu. Dry fruits such as raisins, cashew nuts, pistachios and almonds are commonly added into laddus.
Of all laddus, the most famous is the boondi laddu which is a staple offering at Hindu temples, weddings, and Hindu festivals. Of these, the Tirupati Laddu of the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam is the most famous and greatly sought after. The second most popular laddu is the besan laddu made of chickpea (besan) flour, sugar and ghee.
Other well known laddus include rava laddu (made from semolina), til laddu (made from sesame seeds), pinni laddu (made with wheat flour) and coconut laddu.
A less known but nutritious laddu given to lactating mothers is the gond laddu/dink laddu. These laddus are called dinkache ladoo in Marathi and gond ka laddu in Hindi. The main ingredient is gum arabic which is collected from the babhul tree. Other ingredients in the gond laddu include coconut, almonds, cashews, dates, spices such as nutmeg and cardamom, poppy seeds, ghee, and sugar. An alternative multigrain recipe will have a portion of gum replaced by grains and legume flours such as besan, urid, ragi (nachani in Marathi) and wheat.
Ghee – 12 palam
De-skinned Chana dal– ½ padi
Milk – 1/8 padi
Sugar – 24 palam
De-skinned almonds – 2 and ½ palam
Rock sugar -2 and ½ palam
Cardamom powder – ¼ palam
De-skinned Chana dal has to be dried and ground coarsely. Fry 12 and ½ (palam) ghee in a
pan, until the aroma arises. Sprinkle milk little by little, fry and repeat the procedure like Besan laddu. Add cut almonds, brown sugar, cardamom powder etc. and make laddus out of it.
References
Hindu Bhaga Sasthiram: Click Here
Hindu Compliance Body
The Hindu compliance body was established under the executive order of The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, dated August 14, 2020, order number 10010, under the title Reviving the Hindu Compliance System and Body
to create, promote, spread and teach the standard procedures for all products and services that are in compliance Hindu Shastras.
Copyright
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