Add a Yellow Hue to Basant Panchami

Basant Panchami, also celebrated as ‘Saraswati Puja’, heralds Spring and is observed on the fifth day of the Magh month of the Indian traditional calendar.

The colour yellow is of deep import in the festival; as the colour of Basant (Spring) is itself yellow. It epitomizes prosperity, light, energy, freshness, new beginnings and optimism. Hence people wear yellow clothes, prepare traditional delicacies in yellow hues and offer yellow-collared flowers to the deities.

Kesar Halwa is an exclusive Basant Panchami sweetmeat. It’s made from flour, sugar, dry fruits and cardamom powder; and splashed with saffron strands to lend it a vibrant yellow colour and a mild aroma.

Presenting a sneak peek into some of the other traditional and healthy Basant Panchami dishes -

Idli: Rice cakes flavoured with turmeric powder and served with sambhar and chutney

Khaman: Yummy steamed cakes made of fermented batter of chickpeas, mustard and coconut; and served with chutney

Khichdi: A nutritious mix of rice and split green gram, flavoured with a tempering of spices in ghee

Kesari Bhaat: Saffron lends its exclusive colour and flavour to this sweet rice

Kesari Rajbhog: A sweet made from paneer (cottage cheese) with a nutty stuffing, cooked in sugar syrup and flavoured with saffron

Kesari Sheera: Semolina with saffron and sugar; generously splashed with almonds and cashew nuts

Besan Ladoo: A moulded sweet made from roasted gram flour and powdered sugar

Nariyal Barfi: A coconut fudge-flavoured with saffron.

So how about welcoming spring this Basant Panchami by wearing yellow clothes and spreading good cheer by offering the above delicacies to not only our near-and-dear ones but also to the under-privileged…?