Chhath Puja Recipes

Chhath Puja, besides being known for the ultimate purity practice people take during fast, is known for some of the best recipes too. Here is a list of Chhath Puja recipes-

Chaawal ki Kheer

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice (shorter variety) 200gm
• Milk 2 and 1/2 liter in quantity
• Elachi 1/2 teaspoonful
• Sugar as per taste
• One pinch of saffron powder (optional)
• 2 teaspoonfuls of raisins (dried grapes) & cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale)

Method:

• Soak and wash the rice in water. Now boil the rinsed rice in milk at low flame. Stir continuously or else the rice will get sticky to the base of the pot.
• When the rice is cooked, add sugar and mix well. If needed add saffron or else leave it.
• After a consistent sticky combination of rice and milk, take it out of the flame and let it cool
• Garnish kheer with cashew nuts and raisins and serve.

Lal Saag

Ingredients:

• A bunch of Lal Saag
• Red chilli - 1 or 2 whole
• Turmeric -1/3 teaspoon
• Ginger (1/2') - chopped finely
• Salt - to taste.
• Cooking oil - 1 tea spoon

Method:

• Clean the leaves, remove the hard stalks and chop the saag roughly.
• Heat oil in a pan; add ginger and red chilli. Saute the ingredients on medium flame for a few minutes.
• Now add chopped lal saag and sauté for a a couple for minutes.
• Turn the heat at low flame, add turmeric and add well. Now cover the lid and cook for at least 10 minutes.
• Keep checking in between and if found sticky and dry, add a little water.
• Now add salt to taste, sauté for a minute.
• After a few minutes take out the saag and serve hot with parathas and chapattis.

Thekua

Ingredients:

• 500 gm Whole Wheat Flour
• 300 gm Jaggery (Gur) or sugar
• 2 tbsp Coconut, chopped
• Ghee (or Vegetable Oil)
• 4-5 Green Cardamom, peeled & mashed
• 1.5 cup Water
• Saancha (Vessel to make)

Method

• Make a watery solution by mixing sugar or jaggery, water & green cardamom.
• Add about 4 tbsp of ghee to the solution prepared and mix it to the wheat flour with chopped coconut and make dough.
• Take a piece of dough and make a ball. Now press it against the saancha to make thekua.
• Once the thekua has taken the imprint of the saancha, deep fry it in ghee till golden brown.
• Filter out ghee and put thekua aside.
• Now the thekua is ready for Chhath Puja.

Kohnda or Sita Phal ki Sabjee

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin/ Kohnda finely chopped
• Ginger
• Coriander
• Powder
• Turmeric
• Garam masala
• Asafetida
• Fenugreek seeds
• Sugar
• Raw mango powder

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan, add fenugreek, asafoetida seeds and cumin seeds.
• When seeds start to splutter, add ginger.
• Now add pumpkin and green chillies, stir fry until the pumpkin becomes tender.
• Add salt, garam masala, turmeric, chilli powder, and cook the ingredients over medium flame.
• Lower the flame and stir 3-4 times until the ingredients become tender.
• Now add amchoor powder and cook for a few minutes.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot.