Diwali, the celebration of lights and sweets, is h]ere! We are all preparing for the celebration. From shopping, making our skin glow, cleaning and decorating the house, to donning new clothes, Diwali is all about coming together and celebrating festivals with family and friends. What holds the most importance during this festival is the Diwali Puja of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha is the God of wisdom and Goddess Lakshmi is considered to provide wealth, luck and prosperity. A special Diwali Bhog is always prepared to offered to the deities. What have you decided?
If you want to prepare something at home for Diwali Pujan, Avni Kaul, a nutritionist and wellness coach, is suggesting some recipes for your festival celebration.
5 bhog recipes that you can offer to Goddess Lakshmi and lord Ganesh on Diwali
1. Boondi Laddu
Boondi laddu is an integral part of Diwali Pujan bhog. They are quite easy to prepare and very delicious.
Moong daal sabudana kheer is quite rich and classic, besides being delicious and aromatic.
Ingredients
½ cup of sabudana ½ cup of moong dal 2 cups of jaggery 1 tbsp of ghee 2 cups of milk 4 cardamom pods, crushed 1 tablespoon of ghee 2 tablespoons of cashews 8 raisins For tempering and garnish
Preparation
Wash sabudana and soak them in water for at least 2 hours. While in a pressure cooker, add moong dal and roast it using medium-low flame until aromatic. Wash the roasted dal, mix 2 cups of water, and pressure cook it for 2 whistles.
Add jaggery and ½ cup of water to another pan and cook till the time jaggery melts and syrup is made. Let it cool completely.
In another pan, add the soaked and rinsed sabudana with 2 cups of water and cook. Intermittently, keep stirring and cook until sabudana becomes translucent and soft while pressed between fingers.
Once the pressure releases naturally, open the pressure cooker lid and whisk the moong dal properly. To this, add cooked sabudana and mix.
Add milk and bring it to a boil, stirring it repeatedly to avoid it from burning from the bottom. To this, add crushed cardamom pods, mix them well, and switch off the flame. Cover and keep this aside for around 10 minutes.
Post 10 minutes, add the jaggery syrup to the kheer mixture and mix it continuously.
In a small pan on medium heat, add ghee. To this, add cashews. Once they turn golden, add raisins and put off the flame. Add it to the kheer. Now, serve and enjoy.
You will love this recipe of sabudana ki kheer. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
3. Phirni
It is a milk-based sweet offering to Goddess Lakshmi.
Ingredients
¼ cup basmati rice 1 litre whole or organic milk ½ cup of sugar or as needed 10 to 12 almonds (blanched, peeled, reserve a few for garnishing) 10 to 12 pistachios (blanched, peeled, reserve a few for garnishing) ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or 6-7 green cardamoms, grind and powdered in a mortar-pestle 12 -15 saffron strands 2 tsp rose water
Preparation
Rinse and drain the rice. Then grind it till it seems like sooji.
Boil water in a bowl, add the nuts and cover the bowl.
Blanch it for around 30 minutes, drain the water.
Then peel and chop almonds and pistachios when they become warm.
Save a few almond and pistachios slices for garnish.
Heat milk using a thick bottomed broad pan or kadai.
While the milk becomes warm, take 1 tbsp from it in a small bowl.
Mix the saffron strands in the warm milk and keep aside.
Allow the milk to boil. Then reduce the heat and add the ground rice. Stir and mix sugar also.
Using low to medium heat cook the ground rice inside the milk. No need to cover the pan.
Continue to stir at intervals so that the lumps are not created.
Also powder the elaichi in a mortar-pestle. Discard the cardamom peels.
When the rice is almost cooked, add the almonds, pistachios, cardamom powder and saffron infused milk.
Stir and cook it for a further 5-6 minutes or more or till the phirni thickens and the rice granules are softened and cooked fully.
Lastly, put rose water, once the phirni is done.
Pour the phirni using serving bowls. Garnish it with the rest of the chopped almond and pistachio slices.
Cover the bowls properly with a lid or secure firmly using aluminum foil. Once cooled at room temperature, refrigerate phirni for around 4 hours or more.
Another bhog recipe that many people offer to Goddess Lakshmi is gur ka halwa, made from jaggery.
Ingredients
1½ cups jaggery or gur (small chunks) 3 cups of water 2 tbsp semolina (suji) ¼ cup besan ¾ cup atta ½ cup ghee Handful of chopped almonds Handful of chopped cashew nuts Handful of pistachios Half tsp cardamom powder
Preparation
Blend together water and gur and bring it to a boil, low flame to dissolve the jaggery. Remove from heat and strain the water to filter out impurities.
In a pan put little ghee and lightly fry the dry fruits and wait for brown shades. Now take them out.
Add remaining ghee and put atta and besan. Use medium heat to cook the flour till it turns brown. Add the gur syrup and cook till all of the water is absorbed. Cook till it leaves the side and add the dry fruits. Remove and serve hot.
You’re going to thank us for this halwa recipe! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
5. Coconut milk rice
Also known as Cheppi Kheeri, coconut milk rice is traditionally belongs to the coastal region of India. They are good for digestion and immunity as well.
Ingredients
3/4 cup of raw rice 1 ½ cup of thin coconut milk 1 ½ cup of thick coconut milk 1 to 2 turmeric leaves
Preparation
Inside a pressure cooker, add raw rice that has been washed and drained besides thin coconut milk
To this, put turmeric leaf pieces or knots, cover with the lid, and pressure cook it for two whistles. Allow the pressure release on its own.
Open the lid, put thick coconut milk and mix. Get it to a boil and simmer. This porridge will thicken as you cook or as it cools down. So you can adjust the consistency by having water or additional coconut milk.
Aayushi Gupta is a health writer with a special interest in trends related to diet, fitness, beauty and intimate health. With around 2 years of experience in the wellness industry, she is connected to leading experts and doctors to provide our readers with factually correct information. ...Read More
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