Durga Puja Bhog: A Platter Of Taste And Devotion

Pandals are built, streets are decorated and various cultural programs are already organized to celebrate the festival of Durga Puja. This Hindu festival is celebrated to pay homage to goddess Durga and mark the victory of good over evil. It is one of the most vibrant festivals which is celebrated all across the country. Apart from the grand celebration and decoration, another significant part of this festival is ‘the bhog’.  

It is an integral part of the festival where the prasad is distributed to devotees on the seventh (saptami), eighth (Ashtami), and ninth (Navami) day of Durga puja. The Ashtami bhog is a special vegetarian meal that is cooked without garlic and onions. The bhog plays a dual role as it is given as an offering to Goddess Durga, and then distributed in the community. The bhog platter mainly consists delicious Bengali dishes like khichuri, chorchori, chutney, beguni, luchi, payesh, mishti doi/ roshogolla. 

Here is the recipe of the main dishes of the bhog that is prepared on the Ashtami of Durga Puja:   

1. Khichuri 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup basmati rice  
• 1/2 cup moong dal 
• 2 red chillies  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida 
• 1 tomato (chopped) 
• 1.5 tbsp ginger (grated) 
• Salt to taste  
• 2 tsp sugar 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder 
• 2 tsp coriander powder 
• 3 cups water 
• 2-3 green chillies 
• 5 green cardamoms (roughly crushed) 
• 2- inch cinnamon (roughly crushed) 
• 3 cloves (roughly crushed) 
• 2 tbsp mustard oil 
• 2-3 tbsp ghee

Method: 

• Take a heavy-bottomed pot, add moong dal and dry roast for 3-4 minutes while stirring. Transfer it to a bowl and immediately rinse it with water and keep it aside. 
• Pour rice into the same pot and dry roast it for 2-3 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and rinse it with water. Keep it aside. 
• Then heat mustard oil and add dried red chillies, cumin and hing. Mix well and cook for a few seconds. 
• Add tomato, ginger and salt and cook over low flame for a few minutes until the tomato softens. 
• Add sugar, turmeric powder and coriander powder and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
• Then add the washed rice and dal and mix well. 
• Pour water and let it cook properly, add more water if needed. 
• Add green chillies and let it boil for a few minutes until the rice and dal are cooked through. 
• Turn the flame off. Add crushed green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pour ghee over the top and serve. 

2. Chorchori 

Ingredients: 

• 1 potato (cut into large pieces) 
• 150 g pumpkin (cut into large pieces) 
• 1 medium radish (cut into large pieces) 
• 1/2 kg spinach (roughly chopped) 
• 1 brinjal (cut into large pieces) 
• 2 ridged gourd (cut into large pieces) 
• 1 tbsp panch phoron 
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida 
• 2 tsp sugar 
• Salt to taste 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder 
• 2 tsp coriander powder 
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 1 tbsp mustard powder (mixed in 1/4 cup water) 
• 4 green chillies 
• 4 tbsp mustard oil

Method: 

• Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pot add panch phoran and asafoetida. Cook for a few seconds. 
• Add all the vegetables and mix them. 
• Add the chopped spinach and mix everything well and cook for another 3-4 minutes. 
• Add salt, sugar, turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. 
• Then pour the mustard powder slurry. 
• Mix well and add green chillies and cook for 3 more minutes. 
• Then let it boil for 10-15 minutes. 
• Turn the flame off and pour 1 tbsp mustard oil over the chorchori and mix well.  
• Serve hot.

3. Tomato Chutney 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 kg tomatoes (cut into cubes) 
• 1/2 tbsp ginger (grated) 
• 8-10 raisins 
• 1 tsp panch phoran 
• 2 red chillies  
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp salt  
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 1.5 tbsp mustard oil

Method: 

• Heat mustard oil in a pan add panch phoran and red chillies.  
• Then add chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric powder. Mix well. 
• Cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes.  
• Then add ginger and sugar and mix again. 
• Cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
• Then add raisins and cook for 5 minutes and serve.

4. Payesh 

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups full-fat milk 
• 2 tbsp rice gobindobhog rice 
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 8-10 raisins soaked in warm water 
• 1 cup dry fruits 
• 1 tsp green cardamom powder

Method: 

• Pour milk in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a boil. 
• Continue to cook it while stirring frequently until it reduces to ¾ th of its original quantity. 
• Add rice and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the rice is cooked completely. Continue to stir it frequently. 
• Add sugar and soaked raisins and cook for a few minutes. 
• Add dry fruits serve it hot or cold.

5. Beguni 

Ingredients:  

For Besan Batter: 

• 1 cup besan 
• A pinch of turmeric powder 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp ginger paste 
• 2 green chillies 
• 1 cup water 
• 1 tsp khus khus 
•  5-6 brinjal (sliced)

For Frying 

• 1 cup mustard oil 

Method:  

• In a bowl, whisk together besan, turmeric powder and salt to combine. 
• Add ginger paste and green chillies. 
• Pour in the required quantity of water and whisk the batter until smooth and thick. 
• Add khus khus and whisk until thoroughly combined. 
• Now cut the brinjal into long slices and dip it into the besan batter. 
• Heat mustard oil in a large frying pan. 
• Place the besan coated brinjal slices in the pan for deep frying. 
• Cook well until golden brown on both sides and serve.