DHANDAL LAGAN SERA PATIA (Dhan Daar Patio)
         Rice with Lentils and Spicy fish sauce.

Dhandal, Lagan Sera Patia is eaten on special occasions, Navjotes (confirmation ceremony), and Wedding Luncheons. There are 3 dishes in all - boiled rice, mori dal and patia.

1. Boiled Rice:
         1 kg basmati rice
         32 ozs water
         1 tbsp salt
         2 tbsp oil or ghee
        
         Wash the rice then add the required water,
         ghee, salt and put on stove and cook
         covered, on full flame for about 10 minutes.
         Then reduce the heat until water is fully
         absorbed and rice is cooked.
        
2. Mori Dal:
         1/2 kg dal, toovar non oily
         2 tsp salt
         1 tbsp turmeric
         1 pod garlic
         1 tbsp cummin seeds
         750 grms water
         1 large onion, finely sliced
        
         Wash the dal well then add water, salt,
         turmeric and allow to cook till tender.
         Remove from stove and sieve it. Put on
         stove and allow to thicken according to taste.
         Fry the sliced onions, clean garlic and chop fine and fry in oil   till light gold. Then add the cummin seeds and remove from
         stove adding all the fried items to the dal just before serving.
        
        
3. Lagan Sera Patia:
         1 kg fish
         8 ozs tomatoes
         8 ozs onions
         4 tbsp oil
         1 tsp salt
         1/2 tbsp turmeric
         2 tsp curry powder
         1-2 tsp chilli powder
        
         Grind:
         4 ozs dessicated coconut
         1 pod garlic, cleaned
         1 tsp cummin seed
         2 tbsp coriander seeds
        
         2-3 lemons, juice of, or
         4 ozs tamarind and 4 ozs jaggery
        
         Slice and wash fish. Rub in salt and keep aside. Steam
         the tomatoes and skin them, cut into small pieces.
         Heat the oil and fry the chopped onions light brown,
         add the tomatoes, stir a while. Add ground masala
         and powdered spices. Allow to cook, adding a little water, if
         necessary. When the gravy is cooked add fish, allow to        

         simmer for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice according to taste or  

         add tamarind jaggery juice made by boiling both together and

         then straining.  Serve with plain rice and mori dal.

Note: Food is served on banana leaves for a typical wedding dinner. The menu would be, starting with Sukka Meva nu Achar (dried fruit pickle), wafers(saria) with muramba (sweet, like jam). Followed by kothmeer per eeda (eggs on spicy spinach and coriander), vegetable stew, machi nu saas (fish in gravy), jardaloo ma chicken (chicken with apricots), palau and dal or dhandal with lagan sera patia, custard. Dahi (curd), sweet sev and a banana. Small packets are handed out containing a macaroon. pistachios, almonds and  cashews.