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Basant Panchami 2022: Basant Panchami marks the advent of the spring season and all things basanti (yellow). On this day dedicated to goddess Saraswati, the colour yellow is considered auspicious and people wear yellow or white outfits and gorge on delicious foods and desserts that match the spirit of the festival.
One of the popular Basant Panchami recipes is Meethe Chawal that can actually serve both as main course and dessert. Meethe Chawal is prepared with rice, sugar or jaggery, saffron, a dollop of ghee and generous amounts of dry fruits.
Saffron in this dish lends a beautiful yellow colour to it as well as amazing flavour. Saffron also contains powerful antioxidants and has anti-cancer properties. Saffron is also known to control appetite and aid in weight loss.
The spices and dry fruits used in this recipe too pack in a lot of health benefits. Apart from adding to the taste, spices like cloves, cardamom and cinnamon help with digestive issues and have antibacterial, antiviral, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Eating dry fruits like almonds, cashewnuts reduces diabetes and heart disease risk apart from taking care of bad cholesterol.
Here's a popular recipe of Meethe Chawal by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Take a look
Meethe Chawal recipe
By Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
Prep Time : 21-25 minutes
Cook time : 16-20 minutes
Serves : 4
Taste : Sweet
Ingredients for Meethe Chawal
Basmati rice wash and pat dry 2 cups
Sugar 1 1/2 cups
Ghee 1/2 tablespoon
Green cardamoms 3-4
Black cardamom 1
Cloves 6-7
Cinnamon 1 inch stick
Black peppercorns 7-8
Almonds chopped 1 tablespoon
Almonds blanched and peeled 10
Cashewnuts chopped 1 tablespoon
Carrot juice 4 cups
Orange juice 4 cups
Saffron (kesar) a pinch
Method
Step 1
Heat ghee in rice cooker. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns and sauté for 1 minute.
Step 2
Add chopped almonds, blanched almonds, cashewnuts and rice and mix lightly.
Step 3
Add chopped almonds, blanched almonds, cashewnuts and rice and mix lightly.Add carrot and orange juice and mix.
Step 4
Add saffron, cover and cook till ½ done.Add sugar and mix well. Cover and cook till fully done. Serve hot.
