Kesari Bhat

RATHA SAPTAMI..

Ratha Saptami marks the seventh day following the Sun’s northerly movement (Uttarayana) of vernal equinox starting from Capricorn (Makara). It is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun God Surya turning his Ratha (Chariot) drawn by seven horses, with Aruna as the charioteer, towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easterly direction. The symbolic significance of the ratha and the seven horses reigned to it is that it represents the seven colours of the rainbow. The seven horses are also said to represent the seven days of a week starting with Sunday, the day of Sun god Surya. The chariot has 12 wheels, which represents the 12 signs (each of 30 degrees) of the Zodiac (360 degrees) and constituting a full year, named Samvatsara. The Sun’s own house is Leo (Simha) and he moves from one house to the next every month and the total cycle takes 365 days to complete. The Ratha Saptami festival seeks the benevolent cosmic spread of energy and light from the Sun God.
Ratha Saptami also marks the gradual increase in temperature across South India and awaits the arrival of spring, which is later heralded by the festival of Ugadi or the Hindu lunar New Year day in the month of Chaitra.

Kesari Bhat

Kesari Bhat -

 This is rice based traditional Indian vegetarian sweet dish which is existed since several decades. It is prepared by many on the auspicious days. I prepared this dish for Ratha Saptami festival. Very  easy and simple to prepare. 

Ingredients –

1.     1 cup- Basmati Rice

2.     1 or 3/4 cup sugar ( depends on your taste)

3.     Few strands of Saffron

4.     Few- Cloves, Elaichi/ green cardamoms, Raisins, Almond

5.     1 tbsp- Ghee.

Method-

1.    Cook rice in a normal way in a pressure cooker.

2.    Now remove from the cooker n spread the rice on a plate & cool it.

3.     Soften the saffron threads in hot milk, set aside.

4.    In a heavy based pan, heat the ghee and fry the almonds and sauté till they change colour a little. Remove the nuts keep aside.

5.    Add cooked rice, sugar,  raisens, laung and elaichi. In the same ghee and mix well.

6.     Lower the heat.  Put the lid on and cook for about 1/2 an hour.

7.     Check it in between. 

Serve hot, garnished with the raisins and the nuts.

Enjoy friends…