This country of ours is a country of thirteen festivals in twelve months. During most of the year, the festival is full of joy. Bengaliana has unique characteristics and thousands of years of cultural heritage found in various cuisines. In our country’s rural fairs, Paush Sankranti festival, Baisakhi fair, Sonargaon craft fair, Eid festival, Durgotsav, there are many traditional delicacies. Fairs come alive for people of all ages because of these foods. From children and teenagers to people of all ages, these foods of various flavors attract the attention of people.
A variety of delicious food is prepared on the basis of various festivals. Just as Eid is not complete without Semai, similarly Durga Puja including Lakshmi Puja, Swaraswati Puja, Kali Puja, Vishwakarma Puja, Janmashtami and many other pujas are complete without Naru. As Naru is a Bengali traditional food, its taste is unmatched. The custom of making naru during puja is not today but from long time ago. There is a tradition of making naru of various flavors everywhere in the village or in the city. It is very easy to make at home. And paddy is the special and main offering and food on the occasion of Puja. This folk food is closely related to Bengali culture and tradition.
Puja Naru
The festival is based on various pujas. Flavorful food goes with the mood of the festival. And there will not be naru in the list of food in the puja, will it happen again or not? Puja food remains incomplete without naru. This sweet and savory food is equally loved by everyone. Everyone from children to old people succumbs to the taste of naru. Varieties of naru were a popular term for Bengali festival food in the villages in ancient times. This naru is very tasty and easy to make.
Traditional Bengali food is the special attraction of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Sanatan religionists. Among these dishes, the most popular dishes are handmade naru and laddoos. Naru is a special offering in the Durga Puja of Sanatana religionists. Traditional women wear clean clothes to make naru as a puja offering. Non-vegetarian food is to be taken on the day of preparation of puja offerings.
And Bengali worship is not complete without food. The festive mood of the temple is created by the colorful decoration of the temple. But the nobility of worship is revealed in the food. Vegetarian, non-vegetarian food and sweets are available from Shashti to Dasami. Bengali traditionalists prepare naru in every house a few days before the puja in order to indulge in the puja feast. And special food for worship. Just as there is an obsession for spiritual liberation throughout the entire puja, there is also an effort to attain the liberation of taste. So almost every morning of Puja will have sweet food. Such as coconut naru, rasgolla or jilapi or sandesh.
The naru, sandesh, fried chira and hand-fried mudri prepared during the puja were sent from house to house. The tradition of making these dishes has been preserved in every town or village over time. However, it is still customary to send sweets and naru to the homes of neighbors and relatives.
Sesame Naru
Ingredients: Sesame seeds 250 grams, jaggery 1 cup, water siki cup, crushed or ground almonds roasted siki cup, ghee 2 tbsp.
Method: First fry the sesame seeds lightly. Then add water and jaggery to the stove. When the mixture becomes thick and sticky, keep stirring frequently with sesame seeds and almonds. Shake it a little and make round sesame balls. Apply ghee to each naru for ease of cooking. It will not stick to hands while making naru.
Carrot Coconut Naru
Ingredients: 3 cups grated carrot, 1 cup grated coconut, 1 cup milk powder, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup ghee, 1 teaspoon cardamom powder.
Method: First grate the carrot and drain the water. Now heat the pot with ghee, carrot and keep stirring. When carrots become soft, stir frequently with sugar and grated coconut. When the water of coconut and sugar is absorbed, keep stirring with powdered milk. When it becomes sticky, stir it with cardamom powder and let it cool. When it cools down, roll it in dry coconut in round laddoos shape.
Chira Naru
Ingredients: Fried chira 250 gm, date jaggery 300 gm, grated coconut 1 cup, little cardamom powder, little roasted cumin powder, 2 tbsp ghee.
Method: Heat jaggery with 1/2 cup of water and ghee. When jaggery boils and thickens, add cardamom powder and roasted cumin seeds. If it becomes sticky, stir for a while with the fried chira. When the chira-molasses mixture is well mixed, take it down. Before it gets cold, spread some ghee on your hands and make round naru.
Muri Naru
Ingredients: Muri 500 grams, jaggery 300 grams.
Method: Heat jaggery in a pan. When the jaggery becomes thick and thick, it should be poured into the mudri. Then moa should be made according to different sizes. Moa should be made while the jaggery is sticky.
Coconut Naru
Ingredients: 2 coconuts, 2 cups of grated jaggery, 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder.
Method: First grate the coconut well. Then mix grated coconut, jaggery together and put it in the pan. Fry until brown. Add cardamom, jaggery and sesame powder and stir quickly. Once fried, take the kadai off the stove and while it is still hot, take the coconut paste and make round balls.