Celebrate Chhath with these traditional recipes

Chhath devotees offer prayers at Aarey before the pandemic. Pic/Satej Shinde

Celebrated across four days in different parts of India such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand, Chhath is a festival that's dedicated to the sun god and Chhathi mata. Powai resident Rachna Prasad - the founder of Ambrosia Kitchen, a home deli - who hails from Patna in Bihar, explains that observing the rituals for Chhath is a daunting task: "There are several rules, and devotees have to fast for 36 hours without water." However, like other festivals, Chhath brings with it a plethora of delicacies that are the pride of Bihari cuisine beyond the popular litti chokha, shares the chef who started her venture to introduce Mumbai to her native fare.

Food on all four days is made on an earthen or mitti ka chulha, and is satvik in nature - sans garlic or onion. "The first day is called nahaye khaye, which literally refers to bathing and cleaning the house, and eating. On this day, we make kaddu bhat or pumpkin-chana dal and rice, and kaddu ka bachka or pumpkin fritters," she reveals. On the next day, which is called kharna, rasiya or jaggery kheer is made. It's offered to the deity along with roti, bananas and tulsi patta, says Prasad, adding that from this day onwards, devotees observe a fast that is broken on the fourth day.

Rachna Prasad

"The third day is shaam ka arag, when we worship the sun at sunset. In a soop [bamboo basket], devotees offer dhup-diya, rice, sugarcane, milk, camphor, supari, chandan, honey, fruits, thekua [a type of prashad], sweets and water to god while standing in water, facing the sunset," reveals Prasad, adding that the fourth day - which is today - is called subah ka arag, when devotees worship the sun at sunrise, and break their fast. Gur ka thekua is the main prashad made during chhath. A fried biscuit-like confection, it is prepared with wheat, coconut, jaggery and ghee. "All these ingredients make it a healthy and filling snack for those performing chhath puja. We also make godila, made with minced red chickpeas for those breaking their fast," she adds.

Rasiya

Rasiya offered to the deity with banana, roti and tulsi patta

Ingredients
>>100 gm tukda rice
>>250 gm jaggery (grated and soaked in water)
>>1 litre milk
>>50 gm almond
>>50 gm cashew nut
>>50 gm raisin (soaked in warm water)
>>5 green cardamom

Method
Clean and wash the rice thoroughly. Soak it in water for two hours and strain. Finely chop cashews into five to six pieces each. Cut almonds into thin slivers. Peel cardamom and crush its seeds into a fine powder. Let the milk simmer in a heavy-bottomed vessel. Tip in the rice and give it a nice stir with a wooden spatula. Reduce the flame and keep stirring every one or two minutes to prevent the milk from browning at the bottom. Soak jaggery in another vessel and add half cup water to it. Turn on the flame and let it simmer until the jaggery dissolves in the water completely. Turn off the flame. Once the rice is cooked and is tender, add cashews, raisins and almonds, followed by cardamom powder. Now, turn off the flame. Strain the jaggery syrup through a sieve and mix it into the kheer. Give it a gentle stir. Garnish with chopped cashews and almonds.

Thekua

Ingredients
>>500 gm whole wheat flour
>>50 gm cardamom powder
>>50 gm dry coconut (grated)
>>300 gm jaggery (grated)
>>4 tbsp ghee to add to dough
>>Hot water for making dough
>>1/2 cup ghee for frying

Method
Dissolve jaggery in hot water. Let it cool. Take flour in a large bowl. Add grated coconut, cardamom powder and ghee, and mix with the flour. Now, tip in the jaggery and water; knead to make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into small balls and flatten them on any design-making pin. Heat ghee in a kadhai and start frying the flattened slices on a low flame until they turn golden brown and crispy on both sides. Let the thekuas cool; store in air-tight containers.