Teej is celebrated to honour Goddess Parvati for her fervent devotion,as she was united to Lord Shiva. On this day, women feel immensely liberated and gather together in large cohorts to interact and amuse themselves with assorted folk songs and dances.
Both married and unmarried women perceive a rigorous fast on this day, going the entire day without consuming even a single grain or drop of water.They envisage fasting to be a gesture of devotion or prayer for the longevity and well-being of their husband as well as for the prosperity of their family.
In addition, following a season of summer heat, Teej embraces and celebrates the advent of the monsoon.
The eve (first day of Teej) is ‘Dar Khane Din’, when a lavish feast is served by friends and family.
In Nepali, ‘daro khana’, which translates to ‘a hefty food’, is what women who enter a fast the next day eat. It is stated that daro khane eventually morphed into daar. The daar comprises a large feast that evening that includes desserts, mithai, Nepali fare like sel, puri, and fruits, as well as non-vegetarian fare like chicken and mottons in some villages.
Nepal Traveller recommends some scrumptious recipes to make your daar even more spectacular.
Vegetable Pulao (Veg Pulav) is a spicy rice meal prepared simply by sautéing a variety of spices, vegetables, and rice in oil and ghee before simmering it in a pressure cooker. The inclusion of bay leaf, cinnamon, and cloves, which provide a nice and complex fragrant essence, is what makes this simple mixed vegetable pulao recipe special.
Recipe
-After washing, let the rice soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
-Heat ghee and oil together in a pressure cooker
-Sauté for 30 seconds after adding the bay leaf, cinnamon, and clove.
-Add the onion and cook until it turns light brown.
-Add diced tomatoes, carrots, green peas, and French beans and stir fry for about two minutes.
-Rice that has been pre-soaked and drained should be added along with salt, garam masala, turmeric, and red chilli powder and stir-fried for around two minutes.
-Stir well after adding 1 cup of water.
-Put the lid on and cook for two whistles on a medium heat. After the first whistle, turn the flame down low and continue cooking until the second whistle, when you turn off the flame.
-Allow the cooker to spontaneously depressurize by cooling it off at room temperature. Carefully lift the lid, then use a fork to fluff the rice. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves after transferring the dish to a serving platter.
Sel roti is a classic Nepalese dish that is a sweet rice delicacy in the form of a ring, typically made during Hindu festivals. It is a specialty of Nepal and is prepared and served all throughout the nation at festivals, weddings, and other rituals. A batter comprised of rice flour, sugar, ghee, and spices is used to make it, and it is then deep-fried in cooking oil.
Recipe
-Wash and soak rice overnight, drain excess water.
-Ghee and sugar should be blended into a fine paste. The paste needs to be smooth and sticky (lesilo).
-For 1-2 hours, let it sit covered at room temperature so that the ingredients can melt and blend.
-Heat a pan with cooking oil. The base should be flat, and the pan should be deep enough to float sel.
-Pour a thin layer of batter into heated oil in rings and let it cook until it turns brown or golden.
-Make sure they are brown on all sides.
Aloo ko achar
Nepali aloo ko achar is a simple Nepalese recipe made with boiled potatoes, which is the best way to add spice and flavour to the daar. It can be eaten as a main course or as a quick snack. You can also serve it with rice, pulau, roti, sel roti, or poori.
Recipe
-Boil the potatoes till they are soft yet firm.
-Remove them, then peel the skin. Leave them aside after cutting them into smaller cubes.
-Roast sesame seeds till they have a slight colour and grind them.
-Pour the mustard oil into a frying pan or kadai and when the oil is heated, add the fenugreek seeds.
-Allow the seeds to develop their colour and emit their aroma. Add two diced green chilies. Add the turmeric, cumin, and coriander powders after stirring them around.
-After a stir, season with salt. Keep the temperature between medium and low and add some water to prevent the spices from burning.
-Add the hing and sesame powder when the raw turmeric powder scent has faded.
-Add a little water to smooth it out because it quickly lumps up. Add potatoes and coat them with spices.
-Add a tbsp of mustard oil and a tiny amount of water (only if required).
-Toss in the cucumber and taste for seasoning. Add lemon juice, as per your preference.
-Add extra chopped coriander leaves and split green chilies to finish it off and serve with rice, roti, sel roti, or poori.
Kheer (sweet rice pudding) can be prepared for daar as an appetising Nepalese dish. Kheer has long been a go-to option for daar because it takes little effort to make and takes little time to cook. A rich, smooth rice pudding with distinct subtleties of flavour, kheer is indulgent and mellow. The aroma of cardamom and saffron enhances the rich, creamy flavour of sweetened milk and makes it taste even better.
Recipe
- Cashew nuts and almonds are roasted until light brown for one minute in one teaspoon of ghee in a heavy-bottomed or non-stick pan. Transfer them to a plate.
-Add cooked rice, milk, condensed milk, sugar, and milk to the same pan.
-Cook, stirring constantly until the milk is absorbed and the mixture is medium thick. It will take 12 to 15 minutes on a low flame. Keep the mixture at a medium-thick consistency because it will thicken further as it cools.
-Mix well before adding 2 tablespoons of ghee and nutmeg powder.
-Place the finished kheer in a serving bowl, then garnish with roasted cashews and roasted almond nuts. Serve it warm or chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
One of the edge desert recommendations from Nepal Travellers is to serve deep-fried, crispy jeri. The luscious, crispy jeri satisfies the sweet tooth and is one of the best dessert options.
-In a bowl, blend the flour, semolina or rice flour, baking powder, curd, and 3/4 cup water (preferably a ceramic bowl).
-Whisk the mixture thoroughly.
-After thoroughly combining, add the remaining water and 1/8 tsp. of the saffron powder, and whisk until smooth.
-Set to ferment for about two hours.
-Before using, whisk well.
-By blending sugar and water, make one string syrup.
-Saffron and cardamom powder should be added just before the syrup is ready.
-Heat oil in a pan.
-Pour the batter into the pan in a steady stream to create coils.
-Deep fry them until they are golden and crisp all over but not brown.
-Take them out of the pan, drain on paper towels, and then dunk them into the syrup.
-Allow them to soak in the syrup for at least 4-5 minutes.
Sampada
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