Pitra Paksha has started and it will go on till 15 days. Also called as Shraad, these days are observed to feed our late ancestors who come to us in the form of crows, according to Hindu Mythology. On this day are made several delicacies which are fed to crows first, and then used for Prasad.
Here are some of the dishes that you can prepare of Pitra Paksha.
Veggies: You can cook any seasonal vegetable, just make sure you don’t use onion and garlic while preparing it. It’s prohibited to have onions and garlic during Pitra Paksha. Some of the vegetables that you can prepare are gourd, lady finger, pumpkin, raw bananas, etc.
Here is the recipe for preparing gourd or lockey.
Ingredients:
• Gourd (cut in pieces): 250 grams
• Tomato (finely chopped): 1
• Turmeric: ½ teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder: 1 ½ tablespoon
• Salt: According to taste
• Oil: sufficient to cook the vegetable.
Method:
• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin.
• Add the cut pieces of gourd and sprinkle turmeric, red chili powder, and salt.
• Stir and cover it with lid. Let it cook.
• When cooked, add chopped tomato and stir thoroughly.
Make all the veggies likewise.
Kheer (sweet rice pudding): Kheer is inevitable for Pitra Bhog. The Prasad is incomplete without sweet rice pudding.
Ingredients:
• Rice: 1 cup
• Milk: 500 ml.
• Sugar: 2 cups
• Dry Fruits
• Cinnamon Powder
Method:
• Boil rice in water.
• Drain the remaining water and add milk in rice, and let it cook on gas stove.
• When considerably thick, add cinnamon powder in Kheer.
• When it has cooked properly, add dry fruits (don’t add raisins).
• Turn off the gas stove and add sugar.
Stir thoroughly.
Puri (deep fried tortillas): Instead of tortillas or Roti, we prepare deep fried tortillas or puri for Pitra Bhog.
Ingredients:
• Wheat flour
• Oil
Method:
• Filter the flour and add some oil in it.
• Make a hard dough of this flour and make small-sized round tortillas on rolling plate, with the help of rolling pin.
• Heat oil and deep fry the puris.
These dishes are quite suitable for the Bhog of Brahmins .
Translated from HIndi by LetsDiskuss