Paryushan is about to begin; starts date 16th Aug to 23rd Aug, 2020. These 8 days are the holiest day in Jainism. They do fasting, worship, and other kriyas like “Jeevdaya” That’s why they take care of food which doesn’t harm any small insect or bacteria. We have concluded some Jain dishes which you can make during Parva Paryushan.
Within India, festivals, and celebrations go hand-in-hand, and every occasion strengthens the bond of happiness and harmony. Among such festivals, Paryushan Parv is one, which is one of the holiest occasions followed by the Jain community.
Based on the Hindu panchang/calendar, Paryushana Parv is celebrated in the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapad month. There is a belief that during the Prayushan, Jains follow the path of enlightenment and increase their spirituality through fasting, prayers, and meditation.
Mutually the sects of the Jain community follow this festival with a lot of enthusiasm and divine spirit; Prayushan starts with fasting and prayers. This festival is observed for eight days for the Swetambara sect and ten days for the Digambara sect. Regardless of fasting, food, and feast play a pivotal role in this Jain Parv. Fascinatingly, the food prepared during this time is not only delicious, but at the same time, the ways of preparing food amidst restrictions are pretty interesting. They are an ideal example of culinary heritage with a minimalist approach.
Whereas Jain cuisine is known to be devoid of garlic, onion, and potatoes, during the Paryushan week, devotees also avoid green leafy vegetables and fruits. Dairy products, rice, lentils, cereals, and pulses take center-stage around this period.
Therefore apart from the regular dal chawal-roti, we make gatte ki sabzi, methi thepla, dry methi sabzi, Paanch Kuta, boondi raita, gatte ka pulao, coconut chutney and more. For sweet dishes, we have mithi khichdi, lapsi, rice kheer, and aate ka halwa, among others. Because Paryushan is undertaken to cleanse the soul, the food during this period is kept simple, with many keeping a count on the intake too. “
Jain food also varies in different regions. Consider Pravina Jain, “As Jains from Rajasthan, they tend to cook with minimum water; the emphasis is more on using milk, buttermilk, butter, and ghee while preparing dishes. Since fresh vegetables are avoided and explore the use of dried vegetables, which is quite common in Rajasthani cuisine, the most exciting thing is during Paryushan, we can find pakode wali kadhi, dal dhokli, dhokla, ker sangri and dahi vada made at homes. “
Many people prefer to step away from traditional dishes and serve popular global dishes. Talking about the changing flavors, Chef Milind Sovani says, “With people traveling frequently and getting exposure to global recipes, food is no longer restricted to Indian or local cuisine. public try various universal recipes and combinations that are simple and delicious and stay within traditional parameters. “
Here at hand, there are no strict rules for fasting, except that the food should adhere to that which is allowed in the Jain diet and should be consumed between sunrise and sunset.
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Hing Kesari Paneer Tikka
Ingredients
h Paneer; Thick curds 300 gms; Sonth (dry ginger powder) ½ tbsp, Cumin powder ½ tbsp; Coriander powder ½ tsp; Red chili powder ¾ tsp; Hing (asafoetida) ½ tbsp; 10-12 strands saffron (soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk); Salt to taste Method Cut the paneer into 2 X 2-inch cubes which are ½ inch thick.
Mix up together the beaten curds, sonth, chili powder, coriander and cumin powder, salt, and saffron to make it into a smooth marinade.
Now add the paneer cubes to the above marinade and mix well. Leave it aside for 20 minutes.
Arrange the marinated paneer on a skewer. Bake in a tandoor for 6-8 minutes or arrange on an oven skewer at 200 C or grill it.
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Lapsi
Ingredients
Wheat (slightly big grained) 1 cup; Jaggery or sugar 1 cup; Water 3 cups; Ghee 34 cup; Almonds peeled and slivered 1 tbsp; Cardamom powder 12 tsp.
Method
Cook/boil together a cup of water and jaggery till fully dissolved. Cover and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan. Put in wheat germ, stir and cook on a low flame till it’s light golden.
Boil the remaining two cups of water. Include the roasted wheat germ.
Boil till the grain is tender and the water is absorbed. Put in the earlier sweet water; strain while pouring it.
Stir gently. Continue the same process till all the water is absorbed and the ghee separates.
Dust cardamom powder, half almonds, and mix well. Garnish with almonds and serve hot.
-Recipe by Mala Surana
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Gatta Sabji
Ingredients
1 cup of (Besan); Red chili powder 1 tsp; Hing (asafoetida) 2 pinches; Oil 2 tsp; Salt to taste; Warm water; Normal water 2 cups For making gravy 1 cup of sour curd; Ghee or oil 1 tbsp; Red chili powder 1 tsp; Coriander powder 12 tsp; Turmeric powder-12 tsp; Cumin and mustard seeds 12 tsp,1 cup of Water; Salt to taste,
Method
For the gatta, Take the flour in a plate, add oil, and all dry powder masalas to it. Pour a little bit of water at a time and knead it to a little stiff but smooth dough.
Do small balls from the dough and roll on a flat surface into a thin, long cylindrical shape.
Take a heavy-bottomed pan and put water to boil. When it starts bubbling, gently immerse the gattas and allow them to boil. Mix during intervals as it simmers for half an hour. Remove the gattas from the water. Cut down the cooled gattas into half-inch pieces and keep the water aside. For the gravy, Make a paste of the dry masalas in 12 cup water.
Heat oil; add mustard and cumin seeds to it. While they splutter, add the masala paste and stir for two to three minutes.
Put in curds and stir continuously till it starts boiling. Put in the water drained from the boiled gattas and bring it to a boil.
Put in the gattas to the boiling gravy and simmer on low heat for five to seven minutes or till the gravy is a little thick.
Conclusion:
In this busy running life, we tend to forget our culture and lean towards western culture; this article holds the essence of the Indian Jain culture and there cultural practices done on the occasion of Paryushan Parv.