Diwali is a time of joy and celebration for people around the country and for India’s smallest state, it’s no different. In Goa the festivities are slightly different and they prioritise the rituals of Narak Chaturdasi, which falls one day before Diwali and celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the evil Narakasura. Also known as Choti Diwali, it marks when Krishna and his consort Satyabhama, kill Narkasur and made the world free from his evil reign.
One part of the festival that holds true for all cultures and for all states however is the whole community coming together in the joy of eating, and for Goa, there are some very unique dishes that mark the occasion. One of them is the Manganem, or Mangane, a type of kheer made with chana dal and sabudana.
Similar to the payasam of the south, this dish is thick, creamy and usually served warm although it can also be chilled and served alongside fresh puris. Try it this year for a taste of a Goan Diwali in your own home.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chana dal
- ¾ cup sabudana
- 2½ cups grated coconut
- 2 cups jaggery
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup cashew nuts
- ½ cup coconut pieces
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- ½ nutmeg
Method:
- Clean and rinse the chana dal. Soak the chana dal and sabudana in water for 1 hour.
- Pressure cook chana dal for 3-4 whistles until soft.
- Take the grated coconut and 1 cup water in a mixer jar. Grind the coconut to a fine paste. Add 1 cup water again to the paste and pass it through a strainer to extract thick juice (coconut milk).
- Add 1 cup water to the residue and grind again in the mixie. To this again add 2 cups water and extract thin coconut milk. Note: Keep the extracted thick and thin coconut milk separate. Do not mix the two.
- Next, to the cooked chana dal add soaked sabudana (along with the water), cashew nuts and coconut pieces (slivers).
- Further, add thin coconut milk and jaggery.
- Also, add salt and mix everything well. Cook the mixture till the sabudana (sago) swells up and starts turning translucent.
- Once the sabudana cooks and the mixture starts thickening, add thick coconut milk. Mix well and add cardamom powder.
- Finally, add grated nutmeg (jaiphal) powder. Mix till it combines well and cook for another 5 mins.
- Serve warm or chilled with pooris or on its own as a dessert.
