Besan ki Barfi with Kesar, dry fruits and Rose petals for Dhanteras On Dhantrayodashi or Dhanteras, Lakshmi - The Goddess of wealth and Kuber – The Lord of wealth are worshipped for prosperity and well being. Most families buy gold on this day and conduct a small pooja in the evening (after sunset) to welcome Goddess Lakshmi into the house. The other day, a banker told me something very interesting - The Indian denomination of Lakh is derived from Lakshmi! It is amazing how history and culture can shape the financial terminology in a country! In my family, on this day, the sweets and food which are prepared for ‘Naivedyam’ (offereing to god) are intentionally chosen on the basis of their colour. Typically, the colour yellow is associated with wealth as it resembles the colour of gold. Usually, I start planning the menu a week in advance to ensure uniformity and appropriate colour selection. While contemplating the sweets selection, the goal I had in mind was to make rich, royal and worth of being offered to the goddess. So, I revamped the transitional ‘Besan ki barfi’ that my mom used to make and infused it with kesar, dry fruits and dried rose petals. Making the perfect besan ki barfi is a tough task in itself. Most ‘Besan Ki Barfis’ fail the taste test, as they are grainy and crumbly in texture. The key to making the barfi is sieving the besan at least 2-3 times to remove the graininess of the flour. It took me about two hours to accomplish this feat and frankly there are no shortcuts to getting it right. The procedure of making the barfi, in itself is quite simple, but the sieving is a test of patience and takes some getting used to. But, once you taste this Barfi, you will know that all the effort is worth it after all! Here is an interesting story about this day: According to ancient legend, there was a king called Hima, his son’s horoscope predicted that he would die on the fourth day of his wedding due to a snake bite, while he sleeps. The king was concerned and tried his best to save his son from the tragic death that awaited him. Eventually, the prince grew up and fell in love with a beautiful girl. Their love was so strong that even after the elders forewarned the girl about the prophecy, she was still ready to be his bride. They got married and on the fourth day, the newly-wed wife did not allow the prince to fall asleep. She laid out all her ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins at the entrance of the sleeping chamber and lit a thousand lamps around the chamber. To ensure that the prince doesn’t fall asleep, she narrated stories and sang songs for him all night. When time came, Yama (the god of Death) arrived at the prince’s doorstep in the guise of a serpent. He was dazzled and blinded by the luminance of the lamps and the glittering gold. Yama could not enter the Princes chamber, instead he sat at the entrance, the entire night listening to the stories and songs. When morning came, he silently blessed the couple and went away. Traditionally, on this day the ladies of every household decorate their doorsteps with rangoli and light lamps in the evening as an offering to Yama. The lamp or ‘Yamadeepdaan’ is an earthen lamp which is kept burning throughout the night. Here is wishing all of you a happy and prosperous Dhanteras. Keep shining and stay blessed!
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 08:25:22 +0000
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