The season of festivities is here again, as we started with the month of Sawan, and now Hindu women across most of Northern India are gearing up to celebrate Hariyali Teej. The Indian festival that is celebrated with much fervour by women of Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, will be celebrated on July 31, 2022. The entire month of Shravana or Sawan is dedicated to the holy union of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Married women gather together and pray for their married life and general well-being. On the day of Hariyali Teej, they also deck up beautifully in green sari and with green bangles, which is the significant colour of the festival. Besides, they also get together and ride swings and listen to old folklores of Shiva and Parvati. On the day, some women also observe ritualistic fasts where they abstain from non-vegetarian foods. They eat a simple diet of fruits. Once the fast is over, they indulge in some toothsome delicacies like ghevar, mathri and kachoris. And that feast is a foodie's paradise.
If you are planning to celebrate Hariyali Teej with your friends and family, we’ve got some traditional recipes right here to try.
1. Ghevar
You expected this one didn't you? Ghevar is to Teej what soan papdi or kaju katli is to Diwali. A round-shaped honey-comb like Rajasthani dessert dipped in sugar syrup, ghevar is found on every sweet shop around the festival and is sold in huge numbers during the festive season. But did you know you can make it at home as well? The melt-in mouth malai and nutty topping is sure to leave you drooling
2. Mathri
This one is usually one of the first foods that women break their Teej fast with. The crispy, flaky snack is like a biscuit made from flour, water, and a hint of cumin seeds. Salty by nature, one can always customise the flavours of mathris by adding different types of spices to them. It is a super-versatile chai-time snack, that also makes for a perfect ingredient to add in chaat, sabzi and more. Mathri is one fuss-free, easy to carry snack that you can enjoy anytime on the go. Here's an easy recipe that you can try on this occasion.
3. Mirchi Vada
A Rajasthani-style mirchi pakoda, this snack includes a spicy aloo filling and is coated in a besan batter and deep-fried until golden brown in colour. Click here for a delicious recipe of masala mathri. This recipe has flavours of red chillil black carom seeds, turmeric, corainder leaves and more.
4. Bedmi Puri With Aloo
Is a festival really a festival if it doesn't have puri-sabzi for lunch? The classic combination of bedmi puri and raseele never fails to impress, and makes for a delicious affair. Raseele Aloo made in a tomato-based gravy with choicest of spices such as cumin and coriander, paired with hot and crispy pooris is a wholesome feast you cannot resist. Click here for a quick and easy recipe made with simple ingredients.
5. Dal Baati Choorma
A festival in Rajasthan without this Rajasthani staple, is no festival at all! Dal baati choorma is a serving of delicious gram flour dough deep-fried in ghee, served with dal. This simple Rajasthani delicacy has it all to be an ultimate crowd-pleaser at any lunch/dinner party. Click here for the full recipe
Celebrate Teej with these mouth-watering recipes and share your experience with us. Happy Hariyali Teej!
