Diwali is the biggest and one of the most important festivals of Hindus.
In Maharashtra it is celebrated on a grand scale just like the rest of our country, India.
Diwali faraad are the sweets and savouries prepared by Maharashtrian women to offer as naivedya to Goddess Mahalakshmi on Lakshmi poojan as well as to distribute in their social and friends circle.
Any guest visiting a Marathi house on the occasion of Diwali gets to taste a plateful of these goodies.
The work of the women folk starts much before the festival as the things to be prepared need to be planned, calculated and assembled as these items are prepared on a huge scale so as to distribute generously among family, relations, neighbours and friends.
Broadly the list of items prepared include the following -
Besan Ladoo (बेसन लाडू ) - One of the most delicious of Indian home made sweets, Besan Ladoo is made by roasting chickpeas flour in pure ghee to the point it gives a nice aroma. Sugar and cardamom powder along with grinded or roughly crushed cashew nuts and raisins are added to give it a rich taste.
Rava Ladoo ( रवा लाडू ) - Similar to the Besan Ladoos, Rava is firstly dry roasted or roasted in ghee to remove its uncooked flavour. Sugar syrup is added to bring it all together before shaping into ladoos. Adding cashew nuts, raisins and almonds is optional.
Nankhatai ( नानखताई ) - Nankhatai can rightly be said to be Indian cookie. A dough of refined flour, ghee, powdered sugar and powdered cardamom is made.
Depending on the size preferred , Nankhatai is baked in a home OTG or from the nearest bakery. Adding half a cashew or almond or powdered pistachios on the top gives it a crunchy bite.
Teekha sev ( तिखट सेव ) - Dough of Chickpeas flour,oil, flavoured with red chilli powder and salt is shaped in the Sev maker and deep fried to crispy state.
Bhajani chakli ( भाजणी चकली ) - Rice, moong dal, urad dal , coriander seeds and cumin seeds are dry roasted separately and cooled. They are then pounded from the nearest flour mill to get a fine flour. Adding in hot oil, white sesame seeds, carom seeds, red chilli powder and salt a dough is prepared and spiral-shaped in the chakli maker. They are then deep fried till crisp and crunchy.
Nariyal karanji ( नारियल करंजी ) - A sweet and savoury pastry can be an apt description of a karanji. A dough of refined flour is made and rolled into small rounds. Dessicated coconut, powdered jaggery, khus khus, cardamom powder mixture is stuffed in the centre. The corners of rolled dough are packed with little water and pressed in a karanji presser. The karanjis are then deep fried, cooled completely before storing in airtight steel containers.
Shankarpali ( शंकरपाली ) - A dough of refined flour, ghee and sugar syrup is rolled like roti. Shankarpali cutter is used to cut into small 1 inch pieces with curly ends. Deep fried to remove the uncooked taste and bring it to the required crisp and crunchy state.
Poha chivda ( पोहे चिवड़ा ) - Thin poha is either deep fried or dry roasted to crispiness. Peanuts, dry coconut slices, cashew nuts, raisins, chana dal, curry leaves, and green chillies are each fried separately in little oil. Everything is mixed with the roasted poha and a special chivda masala is sprinkled as per taste along with a teaspoon of sugar.The whole thing is again dry roasted together so as to assimilate the seasoning. Cooled and stored in airtight containers.
Home made sweets and savouries are undoubtedly better than market ones due to quality, taste and lack of chemical preservatives.
Marathi Diwali Faraad is a treat non-maharashtrians look forward to each year that make this festival even more special.
( Pictures - Anju Bhagnari )
