This year, Chhath Puja will be celebrated on October 30th and on the first day, called Nahay Khay, vratis take a bath, wear clean clothes and prepare a prasad for Surya. Chana daal and Kaddoo Bhaat is a popular prasad that devotees make on this day while on the second day, called Kharna, a prasad of kheer made with gud and arwa chawal is made.
After having this prasad, devotees begin an arduous nirjala fast (without water) lasting for 36 hours. On the third day of Chhath Puja, vratis observe fast without eating or consuming even a drop of water and a prasad of thekua made with jaggery, ghee and flour is prepared by the vratis for the puja.
Chhath Puja festival is unique to the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and the country of Nepal and is dedicated to Surya by Vratis or devotees who eat only Satvik food. Here are some special prasad recipes for Chhath Puja 2022:
1. Carrot Halwa
Ingredients:
Carrot ½ kg
Jaggery 250 Gms
Ghee 5 Tsp
Dry Fruits 100 Gms
Method:
Take half kg of carrot, grate it with the help of a grater. Take a pan, add 5 tsp of ghee and grated carrot, cook it on a slow flame for 15 minutes. Cover it with a lid and cook until the color turns deep orange and becomes thick. Add 250 gms of organic jaggery and next add 100 gms of chopped dry fruits almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, etc.
2. Pumpkin Halwa
Ingredients:
Pumpkin 2 Cups
Jaggery Powder 250 Gms
Ghee 20 Ml
Sesame Seeds 1Tsp
Coconut Milk ¼ Cup
Method:
Take half kg of white pumpkin, grate it with the help of a grater. Take a pan, add 20 ml of ghee and grated white pumpkin, cook it on a slow flame for 15 minutes. Cover it with a lid and cook until it becomes thick. Next, add ¼ cup of jaggery powder and mix it well. Next, add ½ cup coconut milk until it becomes thick. Top it with roasted sesame seeds and switch off the flame.
3. Spinach Ragi Halwa
Ingredients:
Spinach 6-7 leaves(1 Tsp puree)
Ragi 2 Cups (Finger Millet)
Water 2 Cups
Jaggery Powder ¼ Cup
Ghee 20 Ml
Method:
Heat ghee in a pan, add Rajgira (finger millet flour) and saute until golden brown in color, next add ¼ cup jaggery powder and 2 cups of water. When the ragi starts to absorb the water then add Spinach puree and top it with dry fruits.
(Recipes: Dr Smita Naram)
4. Sago Kheer
Ingredients:
½ cup sabudana or sago (tapioca pearls) – for a thicker kheer, you can add ⅔ sabudana
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
4 to 5 tablespoons sugar or raw sugar – add as required
½-teaspoon cardamom powder or 4 to 5 green cardamoms crushed in a mortar-pestle
2 tablespoon chopped cashews
½-tablespoon raisins
3 to 4 saffron strands for garnish – optional
Gold Leaf for garnish – optional
50 grams dates
Method for soaking sago:
Rinse the sabudana pearls until the water runs clear of the starch. Take a thick-bottomed pan or saucepan in which you will be making the kheer. Add the rinsed sabudana pearls and water in the pan. Cover and let the pearls get soaked in the water for 15 to 20 minutes.
Method:
Later keep this pan on the stovetop and begin to cook the sabudana pearls. Meanwhile heat or warm the milk too. No need to boil the milk. After 4 to 5 minutes, add the milk to the pan and continue to cook.
Add sugar and cardamom powder and simmer until the sabudana have cooked well for about 20 to 25 minutes on a low to medium flame. Keep on stirring often so that the kheer or the cooked sabudana does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Switch off the heat and add cashews and raisins. Garnish with saffron strands and gold leaf. Serve sabudana kheer hot or warm or chilled.
(Recipe: Executive Chef Amit Kumar)
5. Makhana Kheer
Ingredients:
1 cup makhana (foxnuts or phool makhana)
2 cups full fat milk
2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
10-12 cashews or 10-12 almonds and pistachios – blanched and sliced
1 tablespoon golden raisins
3.5 to 4 tablespoon sugar or as required
1 pinch saffron
2 to 3 teaspoons Ghee (clarified butter)
Method for roasting makhana and cashews:
Heat ghee in a pan. Add the phool makhana and cashews. On a low heat, roast the makhana and cashews in ghee till the makhanas become crunchy. The cashews will also get golden. Stir often while roasting them.
Then remove them in a plate and keep aside. However, keep the cashews separate from the makhana as we will be making a powder of the roasted makhana.
Method for making Makhane Ki Kheer:
Heat whole milk in a sauce pan or a thick bottomed pan on medium-low to medium heat. Stir at intervals so that the milk does not scorch from bottom. Let the milk come to a boil.
While the milk is getting heated up, reserve ⅓ cup of the roasted makhana and add the remaining in a grinder or blender jar. Add cardamom powder along with a pinch of saffron strands.
Grind or blend to a fine powder. When the milk comes to a boil, then add sugar. Add the ground powdered makhana. Also add the reserved ⅓ cup makhana. Mix very well. Simmer till the makhane softens and the milk thickens a bit.
About 9 to 10 minutes on a low to medium heat. Scrape the evaporated milk solids from sides of the pan and add to the milk. Lastly add the golden cashews, pistachios and raisins.
If using blanched and sliced almonds, then you can add at this step. Stir and simmer the kheer for a minute. Serve makhane ki kheer hot or warm or cold.
(Recipe: Junior Sous Chef Rahul Singh)