This festival is dedicated to goddess Saraswati and is particularly significant for students, scholars, and learners who seek success in their educational pursuits. This festival involves setting up makeshift altars adorned with flowers, fruits, and books. Saraswati idols are worshipped. Here are some delicious sweets to celebrate Saraswati Pooja at home :
1.Coconut Ladoo
Roast grated coconut until it turns very slightly golden. Cook until all of the sugar has melted, forming a sticky liquid. You could also add condensed milk for extra thickness and sweetness. Once the sugar and coconut have been combined, remove from the heat and form into small balls. Garnish with sliced nuts and roll in fresh coconut flakes.
2.Sandesh
It is a creamy Bengali sweet. Knead freshly grated paneer until it attains a smooth consistency. Mix it with sugar and shape it into any design you desire. The primarily preferred shapes are flattened circles or small cylinders with various decorative lines. Garnish with chopped nuts or edible silver foil on the top.
3.Malpua
The batter comprises flour, semolina, and milk.Pour the batter into small circles and deep fry in oil until the edges are crispy. Then, dunk it in sugar syrup for extra sweetness. Some variations include adding mashed bananas, coconut, or nuts to the batter. Drain any excess syrup and garnish with chopped nuts.
4.Basanti Pulao
It is famed for its distinct yellow color and gobindobhog rice. Soak the rice first. Then, saute it in ghee with whole spices such as bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Next, add water, turmeric, sugar, and salt. Stir continuously till all the water gets absorbed. Garnish with toasted cashews and raisins.
5.Rabri
Rabri is a decadent dessert made only with milk. Heat some whole milk and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir frequently until the mixture thickens and reduces by about half. Scrape the cream that has formed on the sides of the vessel and combine it with the milk. After it has thickened significantly, add the sugar and continue stirring until it dissolves. Garnish with crushed cardamom seeds, saffron strands, and add chopped nuts like almonds and pistachios.
6.Besan Ladoo
Roast the gram flour in equal parts ghee until it turns golden. Allow it to cool slightly before adding sugar and ground cardamom powder. Knead it thoroughly until it reaches a dough-like consistency, then shape into small balls. You could also incorporate chopped nuts in the dough for an added crunch.
7.Patishapta
Make a batter using rice flour, semolina, milk, and salt. Pour it over a hot, greased griddle to form crepes. The filling is primarily made of grated coconut, khoya, jaggery, and cardamom, and it is placed in the center of each crepe. It is then rolled around the filling, thereby sealing it. Cook until golden brown.
8.Kesar Sheera
Roast semolina with equal parts of ghee until it turns golden brown. Slowly add water to form a thick, smooth mixture. Then, add a generous amount of sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron-infused milk. Keep stirring to prevent the semolina from sticking to the pan. Once all the liquid is absorbed, turn the heat off. Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins.
9.Kalakand
Simmer whole milk until it thickens and has a creamy consistency. Add crumbled paneer and sugar to it. Stir until the mixture has a fudgy consistency and the sugar has dissolved. Pour this mixture onto a tray and let it set. Once cooled, cut it into square or diamond shapes and garnish with finely chopped nuts.
10.Kesar Kheer
Begin by soaking a handful of rice for around thirty minutes. In a separate pot, bring the milk to a boil before simmering and adding the soaked rice. Cook this mixture on low heat until the rice is soft and the milk thickens. Next, add sugar, cardamom powder, and some saffron strands. Garnish with chopped nuts on top and serve either warm or chilled.
11.Mysore Pak
Melt ghee in a pan and gradually add besan flour to it. Stir constantly to prevent lumps and ensure that the besan roasts to a golden color. Prepare a syrup with water and sugar and pour it over the besan mixture. Cook until it has a fudge-like consistency. Once done, pour into a greased tray and spread it out to fasten the cooling process. Cut it into long rectangles before serving.
12.Boondi Ladoo
Blend chickpea flour with water to create a smooth batter. Pour this through a slotted spoon into a wok containing hot oil to form little balls called boondi. Fry the balls until golden and crisp. Next, soak it in a thick syrup made of sugar, water, and cardamom powder. After the syrup has been absorbed, combine it with the chopped nuts and form into ladoos while still warm.
13.Dodhikorma
Thicken full-fat yogurt by hanging it in a muslin cloth for a few hours to remove the excess whey. After the yogurt has thickened, whisk it until it becomes creamy. Add the sugar and mix until it is dissolved. In a separate pan, heat the ghee and dry roast the dried fruits and nuts (almonds, cashews) for several minutes. Finally, mix in the fried dried fruits and nuts with the yogurt.
14.Rajbhog
It is similar to rasgulla but has a filling and is more prominent in size. Make a dough by kneading chunks of paneer and shape it into large balls. Stuff each ball with a filling of finely chopped nuts. Prepare a simple syrup using sugar, cardamom, saffron, and water. The balls are boiled in the syrup to absorb the flavors and become spongy. Once cooked, remove from heat and allow to soak in the syrup.
15.Peda
Khoya is cooked in a pan until it turns golden and detaches from the sides of the pan. Next, add the required amount of sugar and stir continuously so that it blends into the khoya. After it has reached the consistency of a dough, turn off the heat. Shape it into the signature peda shape. Once cooled, garnish with chopped nuts.
16.Moong Dal Halwa
Soak a handful of moong dal for a few hours and grind it into a coarse paste. Cook this paste with an equal amount of ghee until it is golden brown. Next, combine the sugar, cardamom powder, and milk. Stir continuously until the halwa thickens, indicating that it has been cooked. Garnish with ghee-roasted nuts and serve warm.
17.Paruppu Payasam
Cook moong dal in water until tender. In a separate pan, combine coconut milk and jaggery thoroughly. Next, add the cooked dal and stir well to combine everything. Simmer the mixture for four minutes until it thickens. For added flavor, consider using cardamom powder. Garnish with ghee-roasted dried fruits and nuts.
18.Jalebi
Yellow Jalebi is a famous Indian sweet. Make a batter using all-purpose flour, yogurt, and baking soda. Let it ferment overnight. The fermented batter is poured in concentric circles into a wok with hot oil and deep-fried until golden. Next, soak the fried spirals in a sugar syrup to add sweetness and create a beautiful glaze on top.
19.Gajak
Roast the sesame seeds and peanuts together until they emit a nutty aroma. Grind it to a fine powder and mix with a syrup made from melted jaggery. After blending thoroughly, spread the mixture thinly on a flat tray and allow it to solidify. Once cooled, cut into rectangles or squares. Garnish on top with white sesame seeds, chopped nuts, and dried fruits.
20.Panchamrit
Milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and sugar are the five ingredients that make up this sacred concoction. Mix equal proportions of cow’s milk and yogurt. Next, add a generous amount of honey, ghee, and a spoonful of sugar. You could also add fresh fruits like apples, bananas, pineapples, and pomegranates to the mixture.
