Raksha Bandhan is an auspicious festival that celebrates the beautiful bond between brothers and sisters. Popularly known as Rakhi, this festival is observed in the month of Sawan on a full moon day according to the Hindu lunar calendar. This year, it occurs between August 30 and August 31. On this day, the sisters tie Rakhi around their brother’s hand and receive gifts or cash in return.
Raksha Bandhan is also celebrated with a variety of sweets such as ladoos, kheer, mawa barfi, kalakand, halwa, kaju katli, and gulab jamun. Treating each other to their favourite meal is another popular way of celebrating Rakhi. You can take your siblings out and enjoy delicious foods at their favourite spot or cook a special meal for them at home.
If you are planning for the second option, then here is a fully planned three-course vegetarian menu to treat your siblings on Raksha Bandhan:
For Starters
Paneer Cheese Balls
This is an easy and quick recipe that tastes incredibly delicious. Made with paneer, corn flour, onion, cheese, and a few spices, this snack is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Prepared in no time, you can serve it to your siblings with tomato ketchup or any of their favourite dips. This rich and cheesy snack will surely please your siblings' taste buds.
Aloo Tikki
This popular Indian snack is loved by all. Made by combining boiled potatoes with peas, breadcrumbs, ginger, and a few spices, aloo tikki is perfect for all those picky eaters. This crispy and flavourful appetiser goes well with tomato ketchup and green chutney. If you want to make the recipe a little healthier, you can bake the tikkis instead of frying them.
For Main Course
Lachha Paratha
This is a popular flatbread from North Indian cuisine that is made with whole wheat flour, ghee, and salt. The speciality of this paratha is its visible flaky and crispy layers; however, it is incredibly soft and tender in taste. Lachha paratha goes well for lunch as well as dinner when combined with any curry or gravy dish. It also has a South Indian variation known as parotta.
Matar Paneer
Talking about vegetarian meals, how can we miss paneer? This protein-rich and versatile ingredient can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. So, let's prepare matar paneer for this Rakhi. It is made with cottage cheese cubes and green peas cooked in a tomato-based gravy that is flavoured with garam masala and other spices. It perfectly pairs with lachha paratha, roti, puri, and rice.
Lauki Kofta Curry
Loaded with vitamins and various essential nutrients, bottle gourd, or lauki, is not loved by all. But your mind will surely change after taking a bite of lauki kofta curry. Made with grated bottle gourd, gram flour, rice flour, and ginger-garlic paste, this dish is cooked in a spicy gravy prepared with tomatoes and spices like cumin, coriander powder, and garam masala. Kofta curry goes well with all kinds of parathas, puris, and steamed rice.
For Desserts
Malpua
This irresistible sweet dish is prepared at almost every Hindu festival. Made with all-purpose flour, yoghurt, khoya, and nuts, this dessert can satisfy all the sweet cravings of your siblings. Dipped in sugar syrup, this dish is perfect to sweeten the bond of Rakhi. If you want to enhance its taste, you can also serve it with rabri. No dessert can match the combination of malpua and rabri.
Shahi Tukda
This is another mouth-melting dessert that is perfect to celebrate Raksha Bandhan. Made with bread, rabri, and sugar syrup, this rich and creamy dessert is loaded with roasted nuts and kesar. Belonging to the royal cuisine of the Mughals, you cannot be satisfied with just one serving of this dessert. Shahi tukda is also known as double ka meetha in Hyderabad.