The season of mist and mellow fruitfulness is here. The ripening smell of the earth, fading sunset in the west, the ground wrapped in a scarlet gown, the sultry heat of summer is over, the cooling fall is here…

The intoxicating fragrance of incense in the air, the pleasant sound of dhak says she’s here, she’s here. The long wait is finally over, omniscient & omnipresent ‘Maa’ is here…

It’s the sixth day of Navratri and  I’m ready for my puja today with fresh red & white flower, dhuno (dhup), five kinds of fruits, panchmeva and rajgira panjiri that I made this morning for Prasad. Panjiri is so synonymous to puja and Prasad that almost every Hindu has a memory of it associated with their family tradition or any religious ceremony. Although traditional panjiri is made with whole wheat flour in order to make it gluten-free I tried making it with rajgira/amaranth flour. And since rajgira/amaranth is a pseudocereal, it can be consumed during fasting as well. Also, this is my take on the humble Indian grain.

And can you believe this super yummy panjiri is so simple to make that you just have to devote 15 minutes and it’s ready to be stored in a jar for a month? Please don't cut down on ghee as all the taste comes from ghee, run an extra mile to compensate for it if you must ;)
Also, this is good to have in winters especially for kids and new mothers as it gives warmth to the body. Without slaving for hours in front of a stove, you have an amazing dessert ready that is loaded with the goodness of dry fruits and ghee, also that has a longer shelf life. What else does one need!  And if you already started drooling like me then step in your kitchen and start preparing. Believe me when I say it’s divine!

Also, don’t forget to take a look on my special conch (shankh) in the picture that is a gift from my dear brother which he especially got for me from Andaman islands. Pretty, isn't it?