From Sundal To Dudh Poha, Desis List Festive Delicacies To Relish From Every Corner Of India

The festivals have kickstarted in India and any celebration is incomplete without hogging on some lip-smacking food and chasing it down with yummilicous desserts. While store-bought mithai is our go-to option, desis put in their heart and soul to give the festivities a personal touch by preparing homemade delicacies.

Now, all you health-conscious people might be thinking, ‘but sugar isn’t good for our health’. Well recently, celebrity nutrition expert Rujuta Diwekar listed down reasons why one SHOULD eat Halwa and Sheera now!

Sharing a picture of her bowl of halwa, she wrote that these desi desserts that were served traditionally during puja as ‘Prasad’ worked like an immunity-boosting shot of sorts. She added that eating home-cooked food in sync with the season is healthy for the planet and its people.

 

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Halwa/ sheera and why you must eat it now – One dish that every household made to nurse their sick back to strength was gaud sheera or sooji halwa. Roasted in an iron Kadhai, cooked in ghee & milk, spiced with sugar, kesar & dry fruits. It stroked their appetite, lifted their spirits and led to a speedy recovery. This is also why the sheera was also celebrated as the mandatory Prasad at every Puja. These pujas were traditionally planned around seasonal changes and everyone getting a dose of this Prasad worked like an immunity boosting shot of sorts. Then the food industry displaced our common sense approach of eating according to the season with the fear of sugar. Sugar is poison, it told us. And even as sugar consumption through colas, cookies, chocolates rose, the cooking & celebration of seasons and festivals with sheera, laddoo & barfi dropped. Eating ultra-processed food is poison whether it has sugar or it’s substitute. Eating home cooked & in sync with season is healthy for the planet & it’s people. Scientists warn of many more pandemics in the future. The human behaviour that leads to climate change & biodiversity loss is exactly what will bring pandemics too, they say. Truth be told, mindless consumption is poison, not sugar. PS – The recently concluded Navratri festival ended with the celebratory meal of chana pooori & halwa. PPS – what’s the celebratory meal of your region?

A post shared by Rujuta Diwekar (@rujuta.diwekar) on Nov 2, 2020 at 6:24am PST

While highlighting the benefits of consuming our favorite desi sweet dishes, she also asked people to share the celebratory meal of their region.

And her post became a festival in itself with people commenting the delicacies they savour during festivals. Take a look at the appetizing suggestions.

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Well, although I don’t have a sweet tooth, I can easily devour a generous serving of hot, ghee-loaded, meetha Kada Prasaad at any point of the day. What’s your favorite desi mithai? Share with us!