Kojagari Lakshmijojo at night. Lakshmi Puja is held in more or less every Bengali home, be it by calling Thakurmshai or reading Panchali on Tagore’s seat. Puja means offering food to Tagore. Some buy fruits and sweets from the market and others like to offer them to Tagore by preparing them at home.
No one likes to stay too long after preparing the puja from morning. In this case, what can be enjoyed, that remains.
Khichuri: Lakshmi Puja means Govindbhog rice khichuri ‘must’! Don’t forget to add a small amount of chickpeas, curry leaves, cauliflower and ghee to the mugdal khichuri! Many people also like to add potatoes to khichuri. Even if you don’t enjoy it, it won’t be bad if you make this khichuri tomorrow for your own consumption.
shoes: To keep the work light tonight, chop up all kinds of vegetables. Pumpkin, brinjal, shrimp, potal, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet potato, thor, green plantain, barbati – the more vegetables you can add, the more the taste will increase. Fry all kinds of vegetables well in mustard oil. This time grind it with salt, sugar, turmeric powder. When the vegetables are cooked well with little water, don’t forget to add coconut. If you turn off the gas and sprinkle a lemon wedge on top, the taste of the Labara will increase several times.
Puja means offering food to Tagore. Photo: Collected
Suji Halwa: Pies are made every year in Puja, this year you can try making semolina halwa to change the taste. Take enough semolina in a dry kadai and fry it until light brown and take it to another vessel. This time, soak the vessel with enough milk for fifteen minutes. Take some amount of sugar in a bowl and melt it well with some ghee. When it turns brown, stir with little water. Then add milk. Then stir well with soaked semolina for five minutes. Halwa is ready when all the mixture comes together in the form of a ball and oil starts to leave the mixture.
Canned pies: If you have to make pies, then instead of rice pies, you can enjoy it by making canned pies. Scoop out a large bowl and turn it into a mixer. Heat the milk and thicken it. After that, mix rose water, sugar, condensed milk in the milk that has been heated and boil it. When the mixture boils and thickens, stir in the pre-coated chickpeas over low heat. After that, mix it well with the can shell. When the pies are cool, spread pistachios, cashews on top.
Spinach luchi and potato stew: Many people do not give food to Tagore. In that case, instead of making normal luchi, you can spread the flour with spinach batter. The flavor of the potatoes will be great with fried spices.
