Perfect Festive Platter

Perfect Festive Platter

Bong Flavours
Durga Puja is more than a festival. It is an emotion. With ‘mother’ coming home, her children are more than delighted to welcome her for the four days when Bengalis celebrate their biggest festival. A big part of the festivities also involve food. And we all know about the Bengali community’s love for food and elaborate recipes. 

Pune-based homemaker Chandana Mukerjee says that as soon as monsoon starts retreating and the blue sky appears with the sun beaming and white tufts of floating clouds, we know that the autumn festival is here. She says, “Food plays an important role in any kind of celebrations. On the first day of Durga Puja, we prepare Radhaballavi and Aloor Dum which the family enjoy for breakfast. The best part is that the recipes have been passed down for generations and we prefer not to change it.”

Mukerjee further says that most of the women in her family are excellent cooks and they strongly believe in keeping alive the traditions. “Whenever this combo of Radhaballavi and Aloor Dum is prepared, everybody sitting at the table wait for the fluffy stuffed puri to be served to them so that they can just devour it and wait for the next round,” she says, adding “The best part of Durga Puja is that the whole house becomes lively, and the atmosphere is festive and full of smiles.” 

For Mumbai-based DJ Paroma Chatterjee, Khichudi with Tomato Chutney is her all-time favourite. “It is not just a regular dish but also a significant dish for any auspicious ceremony. Made with rice and yellow lentils, which should be primarily roasted, you can add your favourite vegetables or the seasonal ones to the Kichudi, or you can have it plain, garnished with roasted red chillies, coriander leaves and a teaspoon of butter,” says Chatterjee adding that it is indeed healthy and tasty, and leaves you craving for more. She says that even if you make this famed Bengali Khichudi at home, having it at pandals during Durga Puja  is a must because it has a different flavour altogether. 

Recalling the time when her father started Thane East Durga Puja, Chatterjee says that as kids they used to simply wait for the bhog and would relish several servings. “It is a love affair that every Bengali has with Khichudi and Tomato Chutney!” she exclaims, adding, “The excitement heightens when it is served as bhog.”

West Side Story 
Pune-based homemaker Amisha Panchmatia rightly points out that for every Gujarati, Navratri is a very special festival. “Decorating the puja ghar at home, Gujaratis perform daily rituals. They also immerse themselves in the festivities of dandiya. Sporting colourful chaniya-choli and kediya, women and men play garba and dandiya. Dandiya has also caught the imagination of other communities,” says Panchmatia, adding, “Festivals are also about indulging in lip-smacking delicacies. My mother used to offer Sukhadi as prasad during Navratri.” 

That special connection of this yummy and healthy snack with Navratri has stayed in her heart. “The moment I would return from school I would get the aroma of Sukhadi wafting from the kitchen — the flour being roasted in desi ghee would get me super excited,” she says. 

Now that she is a mother herself she sees the same kind of excitement in her son who has ditched biscuits for Sukhadi. “It’s deja vu for me when I see my son today expressing the same kind of delight. I am sure this tradition in my family will stay for long,” she adds. 

Harsha Trivedi, a homemaker from Gujarat, says that one special dish that she has been preparing every Navratri is Laapshi which is made of jaggery, wheat flour and ghee. Trivedi explains that it is very sweet and indicates good luck for the future. Other than regular fasting food that is made at home, Laapshi too is an integral part of the festival. “I remember, when I got married, my in-laws were very adamant about me making it on the first day when I went to their home, but I did not know how to make it. That said, my husband helped me make the dish,” recalls Trivedi. 

To perfect it, she would practice making it every week and her husband would give her instructions on how to cook it. “After 27 years now, I know the recipe like the back of my hand. I have the tendency to put extra ghee for making it more flavourful, which is loved by everyone, and the sweetness of Laapshi adds sweetness to the smiles of my family which is my biggest treasure and compliment,” says Trivedi. 

Southern Sojourn
Navratri, which is a celebration of the nine forms of the goddess, is observed across India. In Tamil Nadu, people follow the ritual of Bomma Golu during which dolls are displayed on wooden steps. Padmaja Rishikant, a homemaker, currently based in Kolkata, says, “We have a 10 day-celebration wherein we have a tradition of setting up steps made of wood in odd numbers. On the steps, we arrange the dolls, made of clay, in a sequence that represents various gods, goddesses and saints. On the first step, we keep the goddess on a kalash with a coconut on it or an idol directly. Also, there are dolls of bride and groom made of rosewood. There are mostly odd number of steps from 1 to 11 and every step has a significance.” 

Speaking about the dishes savoured during Navratri, Padmaja says that people make Sundal — a South Indian delicacy made with grated coconut, curry leaves and mustard seeds. “Sundal is made with all kinds of pulses. Pulses or dhanya, represent prosperity, and that is the reason we make them during festivals. We also make Sakkarai Pongal or Kesari (Sheera) or Paysum.” 

Sharing her childhood experience, Bengaluru-based BCom student Darshini Raghuram says, “Navratri is very close to my heart. I still remember the numerous visits we would make to the homes of my friends and family. The people, who celebrate Golu, invite their family and friends to their homes as it’s important to share the joy of the festival. When it comes to festival food, each day we prepare different kinds of offerings for the gods and goddesses. This is distributed among the people who visit the Golu that day.”

Enjoyed reading The Bridge Chronicle?
Your support motivates us to do better. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest stories.
You can also read on the go with our Android and iOS mobile app.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
The Bridge Chronicle
www.thebridgechronicle.com