Basant Panchami, also known as Vasant Pachami, is a time of new beginnings as it heralds the arrival of spring after winter. There’s a celebration in the air as the new season approaches. This festival is linked to the colour yellow, which stands for hope and prosperity. Many festive-special dishes have hues of orange or yellow, as you’ll notice.
These recipes are a must-try for Basant Pakshai.
Rice with sweetness
This is commonly referred to as meete chawal or zarda, which is derived from the Persian word “zard,” which means “yellow,” referring to the dish’s colour. Cardamom, cloves, saffron, and orange food colouring are added to cooked rice, typically basmati. Add the sugar, ghee, and roasted dry fruits when it’s halfway cooked, and stir until the sugar melts. A few finely chopped nuts are used as a garnish. You have the option to use saffron in place of the artificial food colouring.
Jaggery kheer
This kheer could be of interest to you if you’re searching for a straightforward dessert. This is created with milk-cooked rice and a dash of cardamom powder. After the rice is cooked, add the crushed jaggery to the mixture. The mixture is topped with sautéed dry fruits in ghee as the jaggery melts and blends in. This is served hot and well combined.
Idli Kanchipuram
This dish, which is a spice-infused take on the well-known idlis, highlights components like cumin seeds, pepper, and curry leaves that are typically used for tempering. Add coriander leaves, turmeric powder, and dry ginger powder to the standard idli batter. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, ginger, green chillies, pepper, cumin seeds, and cashews to a hot pan and fry until golden brown. Use this mixture to make the idlis by adding it to the batter. Typically, they are served with coconut chutney.
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Kesari halwa
In keeping with the saffron theme, this halwa is incredibly delicious. Cooked with ghee, saffron, and water is roasted semolina. To intensify the orange tint, some people use food colouring. Once the semolina is cooked through, sugar is added. Stir this until the halwa thickens and the sugar melts. After cooking some nuts and dry fruits in ghee until they turn golden brown, combine them with the sweet dish and serve it hot.
Dhokla
This tasty Gujarati treat is perfect for breakfast or as a snack. To make this easy recipe, combine gramme flour, baking powder, salt, and turmeric powder with whisked curd. It is seasoned with oil, curry leaves, mustard leaves, green chillies, and a concoction of water, sugar, salt, and lemon juice after steaming. Add some desiccated coconut and coriander leaves as garnish, then savour.
