Ukdichya Shenga

Marathi Festive Recipes

For several years now my daughters have asked me to gather all my recipes and make a journal for them. I kept putting it off thinking that they know most of them, especially the ones they love. They keep reminding me that they want all of them, not just their favorites. So, here I am jotting them down in a journal and taking it a step further..., yes, I decided to enter the internet age to blog the good times we had while making these exquisite foods and savoring  them as soon as they were ready! What better beginning than the auspicious month of Shravan!

Shravan Mahina (Month)

Shravan is one of the most auspicious months of  the Hindu calendar. (The Hindu calendar is lunar based). It usually falls in the month of August, during which, a number of poojas ( worship to God) are performed and various sweets are made as per the occasion.

Each day of the weeks holds its own importance.

Beginning with Monday, a different type of Birdha (a curry made from sprouted and peeled lentils) is made for each Monday.

The different Birdhas are made from various lentils or beans, either Kadve Val, moong dal, blackeyed beans , Urad or Vadi cha Saambhar.

(Ingredients and proportions are different for each Birdha depending on the lentil or bean).

Some people fast on “Shravani Somvaar”.

Eating fresh and dried fruits (but no melons or papaya) and a few underground roots (potatoes, tapioca and sweet potatoes) is permitted.

It is traditional to “break” the fast before sunset.

 Certain rules are observed for this meal.

It has to be served in a plate with all food items placed in a certain order only.

Salad ( koshimbir ) and mango pickle, papad/papdya ( on top center).

Bhaaji ( non- bitter vegetable) on the right side.

Birdha near the vegetable.

Some sweet (shira – made with cream of wheat) on the left side of the salad.
At the bottom center position is a molded rice mound with “varan” and “tup”.

After the meal a pan vida ( masala paan).

Summer Products made for Shravan during the months of May and June.

Mango products – pickle, raitae, moramba,

Papdya – Sago

Papad – urad

Every Tuesday a Gauri pooja (manglagauri) is performed.

Today is Naagpanchmi. On this day an offering is made to the “naag” (the king of snakes, the cobra). 

Snake charmers are seen on streets and some people will offer milk to the naag.

In most homes, a picture of a “naag” (image1)  is drawn on a Chaurang ( a small decorated wooden platform) and then milk, Bael leaves, Rough Chaff Tree leaves and “durva” (specific type of grass shoots) and grains are offered to the naag.

The food offering is as follows :

Vaalacha Birdha, aalu chya paanachi bhaaji (taro leaves cooked with vaal), ukdichya shenga filled with coconut chav, varan(lentils) and bhaat.

The meal is arranged in the same order on a plate as previously described for “Shravani Somvaar”, but here the bhaaji is Taro vegetable, the birdha has to be vaalacha and sweet is ukdichya shenga.

One of the recipes I would like to share with you is the ‘ukdichya shenga’:

“Ukdichya shenga” are steamed, half moon shaped rice dumplings with a sweet coconut filling.

Recipe :

Filling:

Ingredients :

Grated fresh coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery – ½ cup
Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – 1 pinch ( optional)

Ghee – ½ tsp

For the rice dumpling:

Rice Flour – 1 cup

Boiling water – 3/4 cup

Oil – 1 tbsp (to knead the dough)

Procedure:

First make the filling for the shengaa.  In a small pot heat the ghee and jaggery just enough to melt it. Add coconut, cardamom powder and salt to that.
Stir continuously till it reaches a boiling point. Turn the heat off, as you do not want to harden the mixture.

For the dumpling, boil water and add rice flour to that.

Give a quick stir and shut off the heat. Cover and keep it for 10 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the pot and knead it with a little water and oil to form the dough.
Take a small portion of it (one inch ball) and mould it into a round flat shape (approx. 2 ½ inch dia.).
Put the filling in the center and close it to make a half moon shape.

Use water as glue and press down the edges.
Steam these shengaa for about 10 mins.
They are ready to eat!!

Hope you enjoy this one sweet which is one of our favorites!!

This image represented a naag :