Maha Shivratri 2023: Bhog recipes that you just can't skip

Let's make 'The Great Night of Shiva' no less than a feast. Maha Shivaratri is just around the corner and it's that time of the year when devotees of Lord Shiva indulge in a host of traditions to seek his blessings. One of these is to prepare bhog, which comprises a variety of delectable dishes offered to the deity. Prepare some using these recipes.

Begin by boiling some rice and milk together in a pan. Once done, simmer it over low flame. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from burning. When the milk turns thick, add sugar and your favorite nuts like raisins, almonds, and cashews. Mix in some cardamom and stir until the sugar gets dissolved. And once that is done, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.

Fry some gond in ghee till cooked. Remove from the pan and then grind in a blender. Now fry makhanas until brown in the same ghee and pan. Later fry some almonds also until they turn slightly brown. Remove them and now roast some whole wheat flour and ajwain in the same pan. Finally, add sonth, almonds, makhanas, gond mixture, and magaz. It's done!

The word panchamrit combines panch (meaning five) and amrit (meaning the nectar of God). It is offered to Lord Shiva and later distributed among the devotees on Maha Shivratri. To prepare it, you need five tablespoons of yogurt, one teaspoon of honey, one cup of milk, one teaspoon of ghee, and one tablespoon of powdered sugar. Mix everything and garnish it with tulsi leaves.

Melt some ghee in a pan and then add semolina (sooji). Saute until it turns light brown. To this, add gram flour and saute for three-four minutes. Once done, sprinkle some saffron. When this mixture turns light brown, add milk slowly and keep stirring continuously. Reduce heat and cook for a minute. Now add sugar and cardamom powder, and mix until the latter dissolves.

Hang yogurt in a muslin cloth at a cool place for approximately three hours or until all the whey has drained out. Now soak some saffron in warm milk. Once done, mix the saffron mixture with cardamom powder, sugar, and hung yogurt. Mix well using a whisk. Your shrikhand is ready! Garnish with pistachios or almonds and offer fresh.