-
1
Mix wheat flour and rice flour in a medium or large mixing bowl.
-
2
Add salt or sugar.
-
3
Add water and knead well.
-
4
Add flour, if required, in the ratio specified above (4 scoops wheat flour:1 scoop rice flour) to get the right consistency.
-
5
Boil water over the gas and drop the kneaded dough into it.
-
6
Let it boil for 5 minutes before you remove it.
-
7
Add food colour when it is lukewarm.
-
8
Store in a closed container or plastic bag.
-
9
To get several colours, divide the dough add add colours individually.
-
10
Basic knowledge of colour variations and combinations to achieve different colours will help.
-
11
For example, yellow and pink will give you red, pink and blue will give you purple, yellow and blue will give you green, yellow, pink, black and blue will give you brown, etc.
-
12
Always remember to knead the dough repeatedly to get that perfect smooth finish.
-
13
Once prepared, the dough can be stored in a plastic bag or closed container for 1 month.
-
14
Now comes the interesting part.
-
15
To create a bird out of this dough, take a little white dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball.
-
16
Make sure the ball is perfect and without any cracks or tears.
-
17
Take a little bit of red dough, roll it lengthwise using your fingertips and palm, and place it on the ball.
-
18
Follow it with another colour and place the strip alongside the first one, as if embracing the ball halfway.
-
19
Keep adding strips of different colours until the top section of the ball gets a decorated look.
-
20
Now hold the ball on your left palm with the coloured strips facing your wrist.
-
21
Place the outer ends of your right palm on the striped side of the ball.
-
22
Slowly, roll it back and forth.
-
23
The idea is to make one end pointed.
-
24
As you do so, you will notice that the end resembles a multi-coloured bird's tail.
-
25
Press your palm on the other end of the dough to slightly narrow it and give the centre a bulging appearance.
-
26
Take a barbecue stick or any such stick and push the piece on top so that the bird's body neatly balances on the stick.
-
27
Bend it slightly on the top to make it look like a bird resting.
-
28
Pull out a bit of red coloured dough, knead it and flatten it on your palm to shape it like a beak.
-
29
Press this on the top to give your bird a beak.
-
30
Remember that this special dough is strong enough to stick easily and you do not need to add any glue to stick two pieces together.
-
31
Now, to give the bird its feet, take two bits of red dough, roll them long and place them on either side of the stick at the bottom of the bird's body.
-
32
Blend different coloured dough together (refer earlier steps) to get brown colour.
-
33
Roll it to resemble a twig.
-
34
Place it across the two red strips made for the bird's legs.
-
35
Now roll those red strips around the brown piece as if the bird is holding on to the branch of a tree.
-
36
Take two small bits of black dough, roll them round and place it on top to give the bird its eyes.
-
37
If you dont know to make black dough, use two small cloves or black peppercorns.
-
38
With the help of a pair of scissors, make a cut on the top of the bird's body, just below its head.
-
39
The cut portion will curve up like that of a cuckatoo.
-
40
To make wings, take a little white dough, flatten it on your palm and give one end a pointed look.
-
41
Press this on one side of the bird's body.
-
42
Do the same on the other side as well.
-
43
To make it appear as if the bird is perched on a blooming flower, take a little pink dough, press some white dough on the top, flatten it without blending the two and press it around the stick.
-
44
Pull the top end to give it a bloomed look.
-
45
Make a stamen with yellow dough and push it in the centre of the flour.
-
46
Yes, that's it!
-
47
There's your little birdie all set to make you smile!
