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Every year, as per the Hindu calendar, on the third day of the Lunar Shukla Paksha during the month of Bhado, Hindu women across India celebrate an auspicious occasion called Hariyali Teej. Also known as Shrawan Teej, Hariyali Teej is celebrated by women as a symbol of fertility and motherhood. Legend has it that Hariyali Teej symbolizes the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, making the festival doubly auspicious for married women. This year, Hariyali Teej will be celebrated on August 19, 2023.
Since this day is especially auspicious for women and girls, it is tradition across Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to fast on Hariyali Teej. Across all these Indian states, women are presented with gifts of auspicious clothes, food and symbols of fertility called Daan Saman and Sindhara. In Bihar, it is tradition for women to observe a Nirjala fast, where water is also not consumed.
The Hariyali Teej fast is broken on the day after Hariyali Teej and on this occasion as well as the beginning of the fast, many traditional dishes are consumed. These traditional dishes are not only considered to be auspicious but are also nutritious. In Bihar, the auspicious dishes offered to women before and after the Hariyali Teej fast are also true representatives of the state’s rich culinary tapestry. Here are a few such Hariyali Teej-special dishes from Bihari cuisine that you must try.
Video Credit: YouTube/Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana
Thekua
You might associate Thekua only with Chhath Puja, but the fact is that this delectable Bihari dish is prepared for every auspicious festival, including Hariyali Teej. A dough is made with wheat flour or atta, jaggery or gud and ghee. Seasoned with cardamom and carom seeds, the dough is then shaped into delicate shapes using moulds and deep fried to golden perfection.
Pidukiya
While most people are familiar with Gujiyas, you may not know that Bihar has its own version of the dish in the form of Pidukiya. The shell for Pidukiya is prepared using refined flour, ghee and water, while the stuffing is made with coconut, jaggery or sugar, cardamom and dry fruits and nuts. How is it different from Gujiya? Well, Pidukiya are deep fried but not dipped in sugar syrup, ensuring that they stay fresh for much longer withiut refrigeration.
Kasaar
One of the lesser-known delights from Bihari cuisine, Kasaar is prepared for special occasions like Hariyali Teej and Chhath Puja. Made with rice flour, Kasaar is a type of laddoo which is loaded with flavour and nutrition, and is yet very easy to make. All you need to go is dry roast the rice flour, mix it with jaggery and cardamom, and turn the mixture into little laddoos.
Pua
Like every auspicious occasion in Bihar, Pua or Malpua takes centrestage during Hariyali Teej celebrations. A thick batter is made with wheat flour, bananas, milk, sugar and cardamom. The batter is then deep-fried in the form of pancakes and then dipped in a flavourful sugar syrup before serving. Pua is not only offered to Shiv-Parvati on Teej, but also consumed as Prasad afterwards.
Litti
Everybody knows Litti, the Bihari counterpart of Rajasthan’s Dal Baati—and while the former is served up in Bihar during Teej, so is the latter on the same occasion. In Bihar, traditional Littis have a shell made with wheat flour and ghee, while the stuffing is made with sattu or a type of gram flour, onions, green chillies, herbs and spices (including pickle spices). These little bombs are grilled over coals to get a smoky flavour and served for the Teej fast breaking meal.
Chandrakala
It is tradition to offer sweets to begin and break auspicious fasts in India, and for Teej, Chandrakala is the mithai that takes centrestage. Quite like Gujiyas, Chandrakala is made with a refined flour shell and a filling consisting of mawa or khoya, dry fruits, nuts, seeds and aromats like cardamom. The difference is that Chandrakala is shaped like a full moon instead of a crescent moon, is dipped in sugar syrup and served with sprinkled almonds and pistachios on top.
Parwal Ki Mithai
This unique Bihari sweet dish simply has to be a part of your auspicious Hariyali Teej offerings platter. Made with Parwal or pointed gourd, this mithai is a must-have Bihari delicacy. The pointed gourd is scraped, deseeded and boiled in sugar syrup until translucent. Then a stuffing of mawa or khoya, dry fruits and nuts is places inside the slits of the gourd. Topped with edible silver paper, nuts and pistachios, this one is a true representation of Bihari food.
