Lapsi Recipe.

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Lapsi in our Hindu community in Guyana, is an offering that is made to The Devi, The Divine Mother. Lapsi is another traditional dish that came with our Ancestors from India. It is made for Nav Ratri which is the period of 9 Nights worship of the Divine as Female Energy. Laspi is also made when there is any Devi Puja. 

It is made for the Mudan ceremony and any Worship of Ganga Ma ( Ganges). Mudan is when the baby's hair is shaved and then buried in the Ocean's mud/sand or any body of water. Ladies who are childless often go to the Sea and worship it as Ganga Ma. Many get their wishes and after the baby is born, the Mother and other ladies in the family then would go to the same Seaside and give thanks to Ganga Ma.The Baby's head is shaved. The hair is placed in a Loi. This is a ball made of flour dough which is flattened  then the hair is placed inside, the ball is rolled up with the hair hidden inside. This Loi is then  buried in the floor of the Sea or Ocean. The Mother and Baby take a bath in the waters and then do puja to Ganga Ma. Lapsi and Puri are the Parsad(offering) that is given to the Devi for the Mundan (Mooran) Ceremony.

Lapsi is white in colour and there is another form of Halva that is dark.  Lapsi is "white" Halva.The dark Halva is made and offered on the 9th day ( 9 day ceremony) after the birth of a Hindu baby. This will be posted as another recipe . It us a little more complicated than the White Lapsi.

Lapsi means Porridge. It certainly has the consistency of Porridge. In its orginal form and even today, it is made from Dalia or broken wheat in India. As with all of the dishes made from wheat, our ancestors had to adjust when they came to the West. They had to substitute all of their dishes that used "whole wheat flour/atta" to using maida or all purpose white flour as only the latter was available in the "New World." 

• "lapsi is cooked with the flour of any grain boiled in milk and eaten with  sugar..When it is  made with salt instead of sugar, it is called ghattha."
• Traditional food of Bihar - Bihargatha (google.com)

This lapsi recipe will yeild about 2 teacups of Lapsi. It can be used for about 25 small puris. Please make it before you make it as prasad just to get a good average. It can be made, eaten and served any other time too and not only for Nav Ratri or Devi puja.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups brown sugar ( any sugar can work)

4 cups millk ( I used Half and Half. Evaporated(Carnation) milk can be used)

4 tablespoons ghee

Method:

1. Mix flour, sugar together in a deep bowl or basin.

2. Add milk and stir thouroghly to incoperate using a whisk. It should be runny but not watery.

3. Strain this into another bowl. This is to ensure that there are no lumps and thus you will get a smooth lapsi.

4. Heat the ghee in a karahi or deep and heavy bottom pot. 

5. When the ghee is almost hot, turn down the flame to low.

6. Now pour the liquid into the heated ghee, stirring vigourously but carefully so as not to spill. Using a whisk works better at prevent lumps from forming,The liquid can stick to the bottom and burn quite fast. 

    6. Keep on stirring and making sure that you scrape the bottom and side of the karahi. 

7. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes on low heat as you need to cook the flour or else it will literally have the raw flour taste in the lapsi.

8. It will become jelly like and now be harder to stir,

9. Remove from the flame at this time. If you just turn off the stove and leave the karahi on the burner,it will still continue to cook and become lumpy. 

10. Keep on stirring to make the lapsi smooth and creamy.

11. Pour the lapsi into a bowl and cover with a towel . Please do not cover it tightly if using any other covering as it will sweat and the water can run down onto the lapsi and spoil it.

It is always better to make the Puris first then make the Laspi. The Puris can sit and wait while Lapsi can get lumpy or loose it's nice creamy texture.

Your Lapsi is ready. 

Enjoy.