It’s the season of festivities, and here are some delectable reasons to celebrate. Festival food customs speak dimensions of our rich culture. Traditional recipes are passed on from one generation to another. It’s food preparation that marks the commencement of any festival. Durga Puja celebrates shakti, the mother goddess, and this continues for over a week; preparation begins much earlier. Here are a few easy-to-prepare ‘Bhog’ recipes which are presented every day to goddess durga during the week.
Moong Dal KhichuriIngredients:
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup split moon dal (yellow)
1/2 inch-piece cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2-3 green cardamom
3-4 cloves
A pinch of asafoetida
1 potato
1/4cup green peas
1 tomato
1/4 cup cauliflower florets
2 tspn ginger paste
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn red chilli powder
2 green chillies slit
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Ghee for cooking
Method:
Wash and soak rice and dal separately for half an hour. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker; add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and sauté for a few seconds. Add asafoetida.
Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
Add ginger paste, green chillies, turmeric and red chilli powder. Add a few drops of water, vegetables and salt. Saute for a few minutes.
Now add rice and dal and sauté for a minute. Add water till it’s half an inch above the rice-dal mixture. Pressure-cook for three whistles or till soft and cooked well.
Tomato ChutneyIngredients:
3 tomatoes chopped
4-5 dates (deseeded)
1tspn mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies
50 gms jaggery powder
1 tspn ginger paste
2 tspn raisins
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
Now add red chillies and salt.
Add chopped tomatoes, dates and raisins, and cook till they are soft and done.
Dates should merge well with the tomatoes.
Add ginger paste and mix. Now add jaggery, cook on a low flame till the jaggery is melted and chutney comes together.
Baingan BhajaIngredients:
1 big brinjal
1 tbspn turmeric powder
1 tbspn red chilli powder
2-3 tbspn mustard oil
2 tbspn lemon juice
Salt to taste
Method:
Cut brinjal into medium slices (round). Use a fork and punch a few holes. Take some mustard oil in a bowl, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and lemon juice and make a marinate paste. Smear the marinade generously over the brinjal slices. Heat a non-stick tava or a griddle. Add a few drops of mustard oil. Place these marinated brinjal slices, cover them with a plate and cook over a low flame for 3-4 minutes or till brown and crisp on one side. Flip these and let the other side cook. Serve hot.
PayeshIngredients:
1 cup any fragrant rice
6 cups milk
2 cups coconut milk
2 tbspn chopped nuts
2 cups sugar (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup jaggery powder
2-3 green cardamom
1 bay leaf
Method:
Wash rice and keep aside. Boil milk. When the milk stars to boil, add rice. Stir continuously and check if rice is cooked. When the rice is almost done, add sugar and jaggery. Keep stirring continuously to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan. Add chopped nuts, cardamom and bay leaf. When the payesh is ready, transfer into a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours. Serve chilled garnished with coconut crust.
