Neha Grover | Updated: October 15, 2019 18:49 IST
Feni is an important part of the sargi thaali
The festive vibe doesn't seem to die down. Right after Navaratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra, the festival of Karwa Chauth is almost here. On this day, married women observe nirjala fast (without food and water) from sunrise to moonrise. They dress up in formal traditional attire, apply henna or mehendi, and pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for their husbands' longevity and good health. In the evening, all the neighbourhood women come together to read the story narrating the significance and purpose of the festival. The women start the day by getting up early in the morning before sunrise and consuming a pre-dawn meal known as ‘sargi' after which, they eat or drink again only after sighting the moon in the evening.
As per the Hindu lunisolar calendar, Karwa Chauth falls on the fourth day after the full moon in the holy month of Kartik. This year, the festival is being celebrated on Thursday, October 17, 2019. Sargi is considered a very important ritual of Karwa Chauth. Mothers-in-law prepare some traditional savoury and sweet dishes and present the thaali of sargi to their daughters-in-law. One of the important sweet dishes in the thaali is feni, which is basically a vermicelli pudding made with thin strands of vermicelli or soot feni.
(Also Read: Karwa Chauth 2019: Date, Puja Time, Significance And Foods)
Vermicelli or feni is eaten for sargi
How To Cook Feni For Karwa Chauth
Ingredients:
Hal cup feni
2 glasses full fat milk
Half teaspoon of kesar (saffron)
Sugar to taste
1 tablespoon dry fruits – Cashews/almonds/raisins/walnuts
Method –
Step 1 – Soak the saffron strands in 2 tablespoons of water.
Step 2 – Saute the feni in some ghee (clarified butter) in a non-stick pan till it turns light brown. Take out the roasted feni and keep aside.
Step 3 – In the pan, add some more ghee and roast the dry fruits or nuts, and keep aside.
Step 4 – Now, boil milk in the pan and let it simmer for at least 15-20 minutes till it thickens.
Step5 – Add sugar and saffron along with saffron water.
Step 6 – Add the roasted feni and mix well.
Step 7 – Take it off the stove and garnish with dry fruits.
You can either make the feni in the morning and enjoy it hot during the sargi feasting, or make it the previous night and let it chill in the refrigerator to have it cold in the morning. Either way, this traditional sweet dish is a delicious treat to enjoy for sargi thaali, which will fill you up for the long day of fasting ahead.
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About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.
