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In Madhya Pradesh’s tribal regions, Dusshera is celebrated with customs that showcase the state’s diverse indigenous heritage. With the act of the Ramayan battle, the tribals also focus on their connection with nature and seasons. Each tribe - Bhil, Gond, Korku, Sahariya - has its way of celebrating the festival, often around food and harvest.
Traditional food plays a big role in these celebrations. Rashmi Mehta, SHO Tribal Department, Satpura, MP, says, “Families make recipes using locally foraged ingredients like Mahua flowers, Bael, and wild berries. Special dishes like Mahua Puran Poli, a flatbread sweetened with Mahua flowers and jaggery, and Tamarind Chutney, which balances tangy and spicy, are made during this time. Feasts are accompanied by cultural Mahua liquor, which is used in rituals.”
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For them, Dusshera means communal feasting, offering to local gods, and making snacks from harvested grains. This is the tribal way of thanking the land and the community for keeping the evil away from them and blessing them with prosperity.
Things Made During Dusshera Celebration
Mahua Dishes
Mahua is an ingredient in tribal cuisine and is called the “Tree of Life” for its many uses. During Dussehra, the Mahua flower is used to make various festive dishes to symbolize prosperity and happiness.
One of the popular ones is Mahua Ladoo. To make it, the dried flowers are soaked, then ground into a paste and mixed with jaggery, sesame seeds, and sometimes groundnuts to form small energy balls. These laddoos are a sweet treat and are also believed to give strength and warmth in cold weather.
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The tribes also make Mahua Halwa, a sweet pudding in which the flower paste is cooked with ghee, sugar, and cardamom. Mahua juice, made by fermenting the flowers, is another popular drink consumed in moderation during the festive season to add a local flavour to the celebrations.
Kheer
In tribal communities, Kheer takes a different form depending on the ingredients available in the region. While the traditional kheer is made with rice, milk, and jaggery, the tribes use millets like bajra (pearl millet) or jowar (sorghum) or even makhana (fox nuts) to make variations that are nutritious and flavourful.
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In some cases, wild berries like ber (jujube) or dried jamun are added for a tangy sweetness to balance the creamy texture of the dish. For Dussehra, Amla Kheer made by blending fresh gooseberries with rice and jaggery, is also popular among the Gond tribe, which is believed to boost immunity and digestion.
Puran Poli
Puran Poli is a traditional sweet flatbread made during special occasions like Dussehra to symbolise prosperity and sharing. The filling is boiled chana dal (split chickpeas) mashed and mixed with jaggery and spiced with cardamom and nutmeg to give it a rich and aromatic flavour.
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In tribal versions, they sometimes add ground coconut or local herbs to the filling to give it a different taste. The dough is made with whole wheat or jowar flour to give it a rustic texture, which is then rolled out, stuffed, and cooked on a griddle till golden brown. It is served with a dollop of homemade ghee and sometimes with a simple dal or vegetable curry to balance the sweetness and saltiness.
Traditional Curries
Tribal curries use minimal oil and maximum fresh local spices. Roasting eggplants make Baingan Bharta over an open flame, then mashing and mixing with wild herbs, tomatoes and green chillies, giving it a smoky and spicy taste.
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Rai ki Sabzi is another staple, where fresh mustard greens are sautéed with garlic, onions, and a blend of wild spices like rai dana, jeera, and dhania. In some tribal areas, game meat or locally hunted poultry is marinated with a paste made from wild turmeric, tamarind and freshly pounded green chillies, then slow-cooked with herbs and roots to make robust and flavourful stews.
Roasted Grains And Pulses
Roasted grains and pulses are not just a festive snack but a superfood. Sookhe Chane is seasoned with wild herbs, salt, and lemon, making it a quick energy booster for long hours of celebration.
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Litti is a popular dish among the Kol tribe where wheat or barley balls are stuffed with roasted gram flour, green chillies, and herbs, then roasted over an open flame and served with tangy tamarind chutney. These are consumed during rituals and community gatherings as they are easy to make in large quantities and can be stored.
Special Snacks
Chakli and Murukku, crispy spiral-shaped snacks, are made by mixing rice flour or millet flour with ajwain, cumin and sesame seeds. They are shaped by hand and then deep-fried until crispy. Ragi Khakra is a thin roasted flatbread made from finger millet flour and served with spicy chutneys made from wild tamarind, raw mango, or even bael fruit pulp.
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Wild Fruits
Wild fruits like jamun, ber, and mahua are an integral part of tribal celebrations not just for their taste but for their nutritional and medicinal properties.
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Jamun Chutney is a tangy side dish made by grinding fresh or dried jamun with green chillies, salt and mint leaves and served with roasted grains or rice. Ber Curry is a unique preparation where the fruit is cooked with tomatoes, onions, and a blend of local spices to create a sweet-savoury curry often served with millet flatbreads.
Herbal Teas And Infusions
Herbal teas are made using locally foraged herbs like tulsi (holy basil), lemongrass, and ginger roots. During Dussehra special teas are brewed using wild turmeric, amla, and neem leaves to ward off seasonal illnesses and boost immunity. The teas are often sweetened with honey collected from forest hives, adding a natural sweetness and depth of flavour.
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The food traditions of Dusshera in Madhya Pradesh’s tribal areas are a reflection of their rich heritage and sustainable living. Each dish, whether it Mahua Ladoo, millet kheer or roasted grain snack, is a reflection of their relationship with the land and seasons. Celebrating Dusshera through these authentic dishes is a way for the tribal communities to honour their ancestors, preserve their cuisine and share the joy of plenty with their family and neighbours.
