Gopalkala: Krishna's Janmashtami Treat!

It is time to celebrate Bal Gopal's (little Krishna's) birthday as Janmashtami is just a couple of days away. So how are you going to treat Lord Krishna this year? If you are running out of ideas, here is the perfect one for you. Gopalkala is a popular dessert recipe that is named after Krishna himself. Needless to say that Gopalkala is one of Lord Krishna's favourite foods.

Gopalkala is an Indian dessert that can be used both as a 'prasad' (offering) for Janmashtami and as a sweet dish. It is an easy dessert recipe that can be prepared within minutes. Even if you decide to prepare Gopalkala an hour before the puja, it will be ready on time. The main ingredients of Gopalkala are coconut and beaten rice. Let us see how to make it.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Coconut- 2 cups (grated)
• Beaten rice- 1 cup
• Sugar- 3tbsp
• Curd- 1 cup
• Cucumber- 1 (chopped)
• Ginger- 1 inch (chopped finely)
• Green chillies- 4 (finely chopped)
• Cumin (jeera) seeds- 1tsp
• Ghee- 1tbsp
• Salt- 1 pinch

Procedure

1. Soak the beaten rice in water for 10 to 15 minutes. This will puff up the rice.

2. Do not leave it soaked for too long as it might make the rice wilt.

3. Stain the rice from the water and keep in a large bowl.

4. Add curd, sugar and coconut to it. Top it up with the pieces of cucumber.

5. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with a serving spoon or with your hand. You can add a pinch of salt if you like.

6. Now heat ghee in a pan. Season it with cumin seeds. Fry the ginger and green chillies in it for a minute or two.

7. Pour the extra ghee and the seasoning on top of the Gopalkala.

Gopalkala is a perfect dish to celebrate your Janmashtami. So, do tell us how you treated baby Krishna and your family with this tasty dessert.