Simply Refreshing Homemade Widaa (Paan)

This post of mine has been coming up for the last 6 months and I am sure most of you are thinking that I have completely forgotten about it or have simply abandoned my blog and run away. Initially I found it funny that I have a very smart statement (a bit oversmart actually) like coming up next  posted here but nothing happens for six months and I actually had a good laugh over it everytime I popped in to see my blog  but then gradually it was not funny anymore. I knew I had to get down to actually  creating the post, as this is definitely something worth sharing .
The delay happened at first because I wanted to click step by step pics of the whole process of filling and  rolling a widaa, but somehow I never got to take the pics. I just kept thinking I'll get them I'll get them but to no avail. So I have finally decided that I am going to share this post with you pics or no pics :))

So here we go:

As most of you know this is a paan recipe, except that it is a homemade paan which called Widaa in marathi. It is a very much healthier version of the paan we buy at the roadside paan shops and very very delicious.

Paan is basically the betelnut leaf which is found in many varieties the most popular being Maghai and Banarasi. Paan or Widaa is eaten after a meal to cleanse the palate and leave a very refreshing taste in the mouth and it also acts as a very good digestive so much so that new mothers are advised to one paan everyday for at least a month after giving birth.
At home we make Widaas  on special occasions and it is my mom who is the expert although my sis and I have learnt the art too.

What you need to make these homemade widaas:

For 10 widaas:

20 Maghai leaves (can be bought at the local paan shop , some people also have the maghai plant in their gardens)

10 generous  tspns of gulkand

5 tspns of store bought ground masala supari

1 tspn elaichi powder (a pinch in each widaa)

10 tblspns of fresh grated coconut

paan chutney (available at paan shops)

a small amount of chuna (a smear of chuna on each paan is enough)

and kaat balls (this is what colours your mouth read after eating a paan)
10 cloves to pin the paan together
10 whole almonds
few strands of saffron (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and de -stem all the paan leaves .
2.Place 2 leaves one on top of the other with the dark green and glossy side of both leaves facing downwards. Arrange all the leaves (in pairs) similarly in a row so you fill all the widaas simultaneously .
3.Put a smear of chuna on the top leaf of each pair. Then place a tspn full of gulkand on top followed by half a tspn of masala supari, pinch of elaichi , a couple of kaat balls, 1/4 tspn of paan chutney and half a tspn of coconut and a couple of strands of saffron .
4.Now roll the top leaf only by bring in all the sides (OOHhh I wish I had the pics at this stage)
And then wrap this rolled leaf into the outer leaf ( close the bottom edges and leave the tops open)securing the edges with a clove.Prop up all the rolled paans tightly together  in a container as you see in the pic above
5. Put the remaining coconut into the open tops of the paans and tuck in an almond in each of them.
6. You can place them in the fridge for a little while as they taste really fresh when eaten cool .

Believe me although it is very easy to pop over to your local paanwaala and buy a paan these homemade widaas are highly appreciated when you are entertaining guests , people can't believe you took all the effort to make these at home and they are worth every bit of the effort you take