Chhath Puja 2017: 6 Chhath Puja Recipes that You Must Savour this Year!

Highlights

The festival is celebrated in the month of Kartik
Food plays a vital role in the holy festival of Chhath Puja
On this day, devotees thank Surya Devta for his protection

People in Northern India, especially in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are gearing up to celebrate the four day long festival, Chhath Puja or Chhath Parva that starts from today and will continue till 27th October, 2017; the main puja, however will be observed on 26th October, 2017. The festival is celebrated in the month of Kartik, and is dedicated to the god of energy, the Sun God. On this day, devotees thank Surya Devta for his protection, seek his blessing and pray for happiness and a robust life.

Considered as a 'Mahaparva', Chhath puja is not only about fasting, but also about preparing traditional feasts especially cooked during the grand festival. Food plays a vital role in the holy festival that includes the preparation of Prasad made using holy Ganges water on traditional chulha made of mud. Here are some of the recipes prepared during the four day long festival. During the festival, all the savouries are prepared without using onion, garlic and common salt.

1. Thekua

Thekua is the most popular dish that is prepared during Chhath Puja; it is made using wheat flour, sugar, ghee and lots of dry fruits. Tight dough of all these ingredients is prepared and further shaped into small tikkis and then are deep fried in pure ghee. Click here for Thekua recipe.

2. Chawal ki Kheer or Rasiyaw

Rasiyaw is essentially rice kheer; the only difference is that the sugar in Rasiyaw is replaced with jaggery or gur. Other ingredients include rice, milk and water. It is offered to Surya Devta on the second day of Chhath Puja and further served as Prasad. It is generally served with whole wheat chapatti or puri.

_{Rasiyaw is offered to Surya Devta on the second day of Chhath Puja}

3. Kaddu ki Sabzi

Any savoury that is prepared during the festival is prepared using pure ghee. Kaddu ki sabzi is made in order to enjoy it with puris and other foods. Here's a recipe of Kaddu ki Sabzi by Chef Niru Gupta. You can skip the steps that include onion and garlic and replace common salt with rock salt or sendha namak.

_{Kaddu ki Sabzi is prepared with pure ghee during the festival of Chhath Puja}

4. Kasar

Kasar is a popular sweet from Bihar and is majorly prepared during Chhath Puja. It is made of powdered rice, fennel seeds, jaggery and ghee. Kasar recipe can be prepared during winters too as this dessert helps keep the body warm.

_{Kasar is a popular sweet from Bihar and is majorly prepared during Chhath Puja}

5. Puris

Puris are an essential part of the Chhath Puja Prasad and feast. Made with wheat flour, it is deep fried in pure ghee and savoured with various sabzis like bottle gourd sabzi, kaddu ki sabzi, et al. Puris also make excellent accompaniment with rasiyaw and green chana.

_{Puri is deep fried in pure ghee and savoured with various sabzis}

6. Green Chana

This simple Chhath Puja recipe is prepared after soaking green chana overnight. It is then sautéed in ghee, cumin seeds and green chillies and served with puris and rasiyaw or rice kheer.