Chhath Puja, a prominent Hindu holiday celebrated throughout India, occurs a week after Diwali. This festival honours the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya (Mother Shashti or Usha). Devotees thank the goddesses Pratyusha (final rays of the evening) and Usha (first rays of the morning), as well as the Sun God Surya, believing that the Sun is the fundamental source of energy for all life on Earth. Chhathi Maiya is the Goddess who is adored beside the Sun during Chhath Puja. Chhathi Maiya, also known as Usha in the Vedas, is the sun god's adoring younger bride. In the Mithilanchal region, she is also known as "RANA MAI". Apart from its association with purity practices and fasting, the festival is also renowned for some delicious and healthy recipes.
Thekua
Thekua is a traditional Bihari snack and a common prasad during Chhath Puja. It combines the sweetness of jaggery, grated coconut, ghee, cardamom powder, and whole wheat flour. To prepare, mix jaggery and cardamom powder in water, forming a watery solution. Then, add ghee, whole wheat flour, grated coconut to make a dough. Shape the dough into your desired form and roast the thekua in ghee until golden brown. Your delicious thekua is now ready to be served.
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Chawal Kheer
Chawal kheer, or rice pudding, is a classic Indian dessert made with ingredients like low-fat milk, cardamom, almonds, cashews, raisins, pistachios, rose water, and saffron. To prepare, rinse and soak the rice for 20-30 minutes. In a heavy-bottomed pan, stir low-fat milk for 10-12 minutes. Add the rice and cook for approximately 25 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the pudding thickens. Add jaggery and roasted nuts, stirring well. Finish by adding rose water, saffron, and additional nuts for topping. Serve it warm or chilled.
Lauki Bhaat
Lauki bhaat, or bottle gourd rice, is a special dish for Chhath Puja. This vegetable dish is served with plain rice. To prepare, you will need chopped bottle gourd, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, coriander powder, cumin seeds, rock salt, black pepper, and desi ghee. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds, ginger, and green chilies, sautéing for a minute. Add tomato puree, pepper, coriander powder, and salt, sautéing well. Add chopped gourd and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook until 4-5 whistles. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice.
Laal Saag
This nutritious red spinach curry is rich in iron, Vitamin E & C, potassium, and magnesium, making it suitable for a vrat. Ingredients include red spinach, red chilli, turmeric, finely chopped ginger, a pinch of rock salt, and ghee. Heat the pan, add ghee, cumin seeds, and ginger. Add red spinach, stir, and cook for 10-12 minutes until spinach is cooked and ghee separates. Add spices, rock salt, and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Your laal saag is ready to be enjoyed.
Sita Phal Sabzi and Multigrain Chapati
A tasty and healthy sita phal sabzi is simple to cook and enjoyed by all. For this recipe, you'll need finely chopped pumpkin, ginger, coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala, asafetida, fenugreek seeds, jaggery, and raw mango powder (amchur powder). Heat oil in a pan, add fenugreek, asafetida, and cumin seeds and ginger. Add pumpkin and green chilies, stir fry until tender. Add salt, garam masala, turmeric, chilli powder, a pinch of jaggery, and cook until tender. Add amchur powder, cook for a few minutes, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve hot with multigrain chapati.
Also read: Chhath Puja 2023: Here Are 10 Tips For Upcoming Fasting
Kasar Laddu
Another sort of dessert is prepared in addition to thekua and rice kheer. It's really simple to create and ready in a matter of minutes. It's made using powdered rice, jaggery powder, ghee, and fennel seeds. Kasar ke Laddu is one such prasad made on the day of Sandhya Arghya during Chhath Puja.
Chhath Puja not only symbolises purity through fasting but also brings people together through the joy of delicious and healthy recipes like Thekua, Chawal Kheer, Lauki Bhaat, Laal Saag, and SitaPhal Sabzi. As you celebrate this auspicious festival, these recipes add a delightful touch to the festivities.