Chhath is celebrated specifically in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and in the Madhesh region of Nepal. Chhath Puja is dedicated in honour of the solar deity, Surya and his sister Shashti Devi (Chhathi Maiya), in order to get their blessing and to thank them for bestowing all the fortunes of life. This year Chhath began on November 8 with Nahay Khay and will conclude on November 11 with Usha Arghya which will be marked by people breaking their 36-hour long ‘nirjala’ fast after offering arghya to the rising sun. Enjoy Chhath Puja Evening with these easy and mouth watering recipes of baked thekua, rasiya rice and laddu.
1. Baked Thekua
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour (Atta) – 1 cup
Fine semolina (Sooji) – 2 tablespoons
Baking powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Jaggery (I used powered) – 1/3 cup
Ghee – 3 tbsp
Cardamom (choti elaichi) and fennel (said) seeds – 1 tsp (crushed)
Method:
Firstly, add some hot water in the jaggery powder and let it melt. In a mixing bowl, take atta, add in sooji, crushed fennel seeds, cardamom and baking powder.
Add the ghee to the flour and mix it well until it resembles the texture of bread crumbs. Now slowly add the jaggery syrup to the flour mixture and knead to form a stiff dough.
Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 180° and line a baking pan with butter paper. Divide the dough into small pieces and roll each piece into a ball and then flatten it with your palm. Decorate it as you want.
Place the shaped dough on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, or until the Thekua turn light brown. They will still be a little soft when you take them out of the oven but will harden as it cools down.
2. Rasiya or rice kheer
Ingredients:
1 ltr milk
1½ cup rice (small grain)
2 tbsp almonds & pistachios (washed and soaked overnight)
1 tbsp raisins (optional)
1 pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
½ cup jaggery powder
2 tbsp kewra water (optional)
Method:
Heat milk and add saffron strands. Let it boil and lower the flame. Strain soaked rice and add to milk. Cook for 20 minutes in medium flame. Keep stirring to avoid lumps.
Add cardamom powder, all dry fruits, jaggery powder. Stir well and add kewra water (optional). Keep the flame at high and cook until the kheer becomes thick. Switch off the flame and let it cool for a few minutes.
Serve hot or chilled as per your preference. Garnish with extra dry fruits and rose petals.
3. Chawal ke ladoo
Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
4 tbsp desiccated coconut
3/4 cup fresh milk malai
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Dry Fruits
Method:
To make rice laddu, place a pan on low flame and add 1 cup of rice flour. Now stir continuously and roast rice flour on low flame. After rice flour starts aromatic, add 5 tbsp of desiccated coconut to it, mix well and roast.
Now add 3/4 cup of fresh milk malai and mix everything well. Now add 1/2 cup of sugar powder and mix well and cook on low flame. Now add 1/2 tsp of cardamom powder and mix well.
Now turn off the flame and stir continuously for 30 seconds. Close the lid and let it rest for 7-8 minutes. Now, add some dry fruits( as you like) into the pan and mix well.
Grease your hands with Ghee and take a small part of the laddu mixture and make a laddu from it. Prepare laddu from all the mixture. If you cannot prepare laddu from the mix, add little ghee or hot milk, then try again.
