Every year, on the last day of the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin , Grandma would cook a special dal. Eight dals, she would narrate to me and Dada, cooked with eight vegetables.
The dal would be offered to the deities in the evening and left overnight in the backyard, under the heavens, a humble wicker basket placed over the pot. For the autumnal dew drops to bless the dal.
“আশ্বিনে রাঁধে, কার্তিকে খায়
যেই বর মাগে, সেই বর পায়”
Make a wish, Grandma would remind us as we sat down for lunch the next day, (the first day of the Hindu calendar month of Kartik) and your wish shall come true.
But why do we celebrate this ? A curious me asks.
This is a tribute to Mother Nature, Grandma elaborates, her magical transformation as one season departs, heralding the arrival of the next. This is homage to her bounty, her abundant produce, her tantalising array of grains and vegetables.
I need to share this tradition of preparing Garur Dal (as this is called) with my lovely readers, I had promised myself earlier this year.
While I was researching this post, what struck me though was the sheer diversity of folklore behind this ritual.
Celebration of harvest, some said.
“বুরা গিয়া ভালা আ
অলক্ষ্মীকে তাড়াইয়া লক্ষ্মী আ”
Welcoming Lakshmi to the household, claimed others, prayers for prosperity and wealth. (Quite related to the harvest theory isn’t it ?)
Another school believed the feast is consecrated to the Ashwini Kumars, the physicians of the Gods. (Appeasing the Gods before the cold season set in ? Just my speculation 🙂)
Whatsoever the underlying faith is, the fact everyone is unanimous about is that the Garur Dal, cooked on the last evening of Ashwin and relished on the first morning of Kartik, tastes absolutely divine.
And as autumn is all set to take a bow and winter prepares to take center-stage, do try cooking Garur Dal (and yes, leave it outside to be kissed by the sublime autumnal dewdrops) and remember to make that wish !!
Garur Dal | Aat Aanajer Dal
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chana dal or bengal gram
- 1/3 cup motor dal or yellow pea dal
- 1/4 cup mugdal or moongdal
- 1/4 cup urad or kolai dal
- 1/4 cup toor or arhar dal
- 1/4 cup sheem bichi or flat bean seeds
- 1/4 cup black eyes peas
- 1/4 cup horse gram dal
- 1/3 cup pumpkin peeled and cut into medium cubes
- 1/3 cup mulo or radish peeled and cut into medium cubes
- 1/3 cup thor or banana stem cut into medium thin slices, remove fiber between each slices, and chop into small cubes
- 1/3 cup jhinge or ridgegourd or chal kumro peeled and cut into medium cubes
- 1/3 cup taro roots peeled and cut into medium cubes
- 1/3 cup sheem cut into medium pieces
- 1/3 cup water lily stems peel and cut into 1.5 inch long pieces
- 1/3 cup potol / parwal / pointed gourds peeled and cut into medium cubes
- 1 tsp panchforan
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2-3 dry red chillies
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2-3 green chillies slit
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 cup coconut freshly grated
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 tbsp a dollop of ghee
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak each of the lentils separately overnight.
- Drain the sheem bichi and black-eyed peas from water, gently press them to remove the outer skins. Keep aside.
- Boil the lentils with a little salt and a pinch of turmeric powder till just cooked. (Please take care to ensure that the lentils do not get over-cooked and mushy.)
- Boil the lentils with a little salt and a pinch of turmeric powder till just cooked. (Please take care to ensure that the lentils do not get over-cooked and mushy.)
- Heat a little oil in a pan, throw in the panchforan, red chillies and bay leaves, allow the spices to splutter. Now add all the vegetables, sprinkle a little salt, sauté till the vegetables become tender .
- Gentle pour in the boiled dal, add a cup of warm water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cool for another 5 minutes or so.
- Add the grated ginger, cook for 1-2 odd minutes. Add the freshly grated coconut. Give it a good stir.
- Adjust seasonings. Finish off with a generous dollop of ghee.
really it seems yummy
yummy recipe, looks so delicious.