Durga Pujo is a festival of joy, happiness, and, most importantly, togetherness. Everyone comes together to celebrate the festival; there is a feeling of community and belongingness. Gathering in the pandal, making bhog and prasad together, performing dhunuchi naach in a group, or dancing together in the visarjan rally—the festival is best enjoyed with your entire "para,” or colony. And if you think the Pujo madness stops right after the Visarjan, there is the Bijoya Dashami celebration that you are missing out on!
Bijoya Dashami is celebrated after the idol of Durga Maa is immersed in the water. After the visarjan, people visit each other's houses to do “Bijoya Pronam”, which means wishing everyone a happy Vijaya Dashami and taking the blessings of the elders. And it is considered a courtesy to offer your guests sweets, called “mukh mishti” in Bengali language. But the Bijoya Dashami platter contains things way beyond just sweets. Let us look at seven dishes that you can add to your festive Dashami thali.
Nimki
Recipe - NishaMadhulika
Delicious, crispy, and crunchy savoury snacks—nimki is a must-have during Bijoya celebrations. Every family has a different kind of nimki that they prepare, but the base remains maida. Maida dough is spiced up with cumin, hing, and other spices of your choice, then cut into tiny square pieces. They are deep-fried and made khasta, or crispy.
Ghughni
Prepared with yellow peas, or matar, ghughni is a tasty combination of tangy and savoury. It can be completely vegetarian, or you can add a tiny mutton chunk for that ex-factor. Ghughni is served with a generous garnish of chopped onions, freshly squeezed lime juice, and roasted cumin-coriander powder. Some people prefer garnishing the ghughni with sev to give it a crunch as well.
Narkel Naru
Recipe - Beena's Kitchen
This dessert is made with freshly grated coconut. The coconut is cooked with either sugar and khoya or jaggery to make a delicious mixture. Cardamom powder is also added for aroma and an earthy flavour. These coconut laddus can be prepared and stored in air-tight containers for a couple of weeks or more. So, make narkel naru during Durga Pujo and enjoy them till Diwali!
Fish Chop
A very popular dish that is made as a snack for the platter is the fish shop. Either katla or rohu fish filllet is boiled and deboned. Then it is made into a mixture along with rice flour and all-purpose flour, along with spices like garam masala, red chilli powder, and cumin powder. Made into balls, covered with corn crumbs, and deep-fried to create a deliciously crispy chop, this dish goes best with kasundi and sliced onion.
Mochar Chop
For a vegetable alternative to fish chops, this dish made with banana flowers is a very popular snack that is served all over Bengal and in Bengali households across the country. It is just as delicious as any non-vegetarian snack and, again, tastes best with kasundi, onions, or even plain tomato ketchup. This rare delicacy is a little tricky because banana flowers need to be cleaned and cooked properly, but it is totally worth the effort.
Mihidana
The Bengali version of motichoor, mihidana, is also served on the Bijoya platter to strike a balance between sweet and savoury. The literal translation of the word mihi-dana is fine grains. Tiny besan droplets, soaked in sugary sweet syrup, mihidana is prepared by halwais, mainly from Burdhwan, who have been doing it for generations.
Mughlai Paratha
If you want to make your Bijoya platter really heavy and filling, all you have to do is add Mughlai paratha to your menu. This loaded paratha is stuffed with minced chicken, eggs, or sometimes both. Made with maida, a refreshing dhaniya-mint chutney pairs best with the shallow-fried paratha. Your festive plate will get a huge facelift with this indulgent paratha.