Traditionally cooked for Diwali

A festival that is marked by celebration, which illuminates the country with its brilliance, and dazzles everyone with joy is Diwali. It illuminates with not just lights but also with the sumptous delicacies that are cooked especially for this occasion.

These delicacies have been traditionally prepared in homes through generations and carry a significance that is forgotten but the recipes and dishes have managed to survive. Take for instance, Jimmikand ka bharta which is especially prepared in certain communities from Uttar Pradesh.

Malti Devi, a resident of Rohini shares its recipe with Metrolife, “Jimikand is first cut into small pieces and boiled in a pressure cooker by adding salt. Turn off the gas after 5-7 whistles and then mash it well. Prepare a tadka in mustard oil, add a few mustard seeds along with whole dry red chilli, salt and chilli as per taste. The dish will be ready after stirring it for 15 minutes.” A simple dish, itgains significance because of the occasion it is prepared on.

But what adds true flavour to the festival are the sweets. Harsh Lata Shukla, a homemaker shares, “Diwali is a major festival and it has been a tradition in our home to prepare shakkar pare and namak pare a few days ahead of the festival, to be served to the guests who come over to visit.”

But on the festive day, “Gulab jamun and lauki ki barfee is a must have!” she says and shares the delicious recipe for the same, “In one pan grate lauki after de-seeding from it and cook it for a while but maintain its green colour. In another pan prepare a thick sugar syrup (ek taar ki chashni) and mix it with grated lauki. Set the mixture in a thali and let it cool. Its texture will remain soft but its taste will make your Diwali truly sweet.”

To add to this sweet, there are a few homes in which cooking jalebi and serving it in a unique way is a tradition. Pooja Arora, a homemaker says, “My grandfather has been keeping the tradition alive. We always cook jalebi at home. But the sweet is served with a little milk. It is necessary to have five fruits (that have a crunchy taste), in this milk which are diced equally. The mixture tastes not just different but uniquely tasty.”

Other homes cook kheer and then some others (usually Bengali homes) which make even gujiyas (normally reserved for Holi) on this occasion. So keep the tradition alive and cook all these to make your Diwali real special!

A festival that is marked by celebration, which illuminates the country with its brilliance, and dazzles everyone with joy is Diwali. It illuminates with not just lights but also with the sumptous delicacies that are cooked especially for this occasion.

These delicacies have been traditionally prepared in homes through generations and carry a significance that is forgotten but the recipes and dishes have managed to survive. Take for instance, Jimmikand ka bharta which is especially prepared in certain communities from Uttar Pradesh.

Malti Devi, a resident of Rohini shares its recipe with Metrolife, “Jimikand is first cut into small pieces and boiled in a pressure cooker by adding salt. Turn off the gas after 5-7 whistles and then mash it well. Prepare a tadka in mustard oil, add a few mustard seeds along with whole dry red chilli, salt and chilli as per taste. The dish will be ready after stirring it for 15 minutes.” A simple dish, itgains significance because of the occasion it is prepared on.

But what adds true flavour to the festival are the sweets. Harsh Lata Shukla, a homemaker shares, “Diwali is a major festival and it has been a tradition in our home to prepare shakkar pare and namak pare a few days ahead of the festival, to be served to the guests who come over to visit.”

But on the festive day, “Gulab jamun and lauki ki barfee is a must have!” she says and shares the delicious recipe for the same, “In one pan grate lauki after de-seeding from it and cook it for a while but maintain its green colour. In another pan prepare a thick sugar syrup (ek taar ki chashni) and mix it with grated lauki. Set the mixture in a thali and let it cool. Its texture will remain soft but its taste will make your Diwali truly sweet.”

To add to this sweet, there are a few homes in which cooking jalebi and serving it in a unique way is a tradition. Pooja Arora, a homemaker says, “My grandfather has been keeping the tradition alive. We always cook jalebi at home. But the sweet is served with a little milk. It is necessary to have five fruits (that have a crunchy taste), in this milk which are diced equally. The mixture tastes not just different but uniquely tasty.”

Other homes cook kheer and then some others (usually Bengali homes) which make even gujiyas (normally reserved for Holi) on this occasion. So keep the tradition alive and cook all these to make your Diwali real special!