Sunday, May 24, 2009

Savitri Amavasya and Muga Chakta (Moong Fruit Salad)



Savitri Amavasya brata is celebrated by all married women of Orissa praying for the well being and long lives of their respective husbands. While I always complain that there are no festivals where men pray or fast for their wives, I still celebrate this with enthusiasm. Living outside the country, I feel these rituals and customs tie us to our homeland....



For this brata we pray and fast all day and only eat fruits smashed with soaked moong in the afternoon (muga chakta).


Ingredients


2 handful of Moong dal soaked overnight
1/4 cup mangoes - cut into small pieces
1/4 cup bananas - cut into small pieces
1/4 cup apple - cut into small pieces
1/4 cup guava - cut into small pieces
1/4 cup oranges - cut into small pieces
handful of fresh grated coconut ( I skipped this)
2 table spoons of sugar or 2 tablespoons of honey
handful of cashew nuts - coarsely ground ( I used walnuts instead and it tasted good too)

How to

Mix/Smash all the fruits with the hand. Take 1/2 cup of the soaked moong and add double the quantity of fruits. Drizzle with honey. Add freshly grated coconut and nuts and eat fresh...

29 comments:

  1. Well said! Following all these traditions makes us feel more closer to home! Never knew of this meal which is had during fasting. Good one :) Love all these traditions!

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  2. Thanks Pooja - prompt comments. Yeah this is a wholesome meal I guess - fruits + pulses...

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  3. That is a healty salad! Love fruits!

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  4. Hi,
    These rituals and traditions are required as it keeps us bound to our roots. love the plate and bowl beautiful artistry on it.
    fasting benifits in cleansing our system and controlling the food craving...we ladies are lucky in a way! we get to follow these customs :)
    which have fringe benifits more than one...love the combo of moong and fruits...normally in the south moong is used with raw veggies for salads, this concept of fruit salad with moong for fasting is fantastic, thanks for giving me another recipe useful during fasts :)

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  5. Cute bowl...Nice combo of moong dal and fruits....Best protein rich recipe when fasting..Thanks for sharing...

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  6. moong and fruits? wow! nice combo.

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  7. loved the way u decor'd it and placed in the bowl

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  8. I love this mashed thing ... reminds me of the bhogo at any puja. :-)
    Can you please post Chuda ghasa? I love it but don't know exactly how to make it .. get nostalgic about it sometimes. :-)

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  9. Nice combination of fruits and lovely fruit salad too.

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  10. nice salad recipe with mung and fruits..

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  11. A healthy salad.... looks great with fruits :)

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  12. Suparna - you are a sweetheart. Well said about us being lucky!
    Sharmila - have to get the recipe from a friend who makes it really well... It is a lot of work - hence I have stayed away.
    Divya, Pooja, Nags, Rush, shanti, sowmya and padma - its a typical savitri brata food. I guess satvik and nutritious too...

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  13. wow!! Nutritious, healthy and simple!! looks great

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  14. This is so healthy! Superb recipe!

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  15. Great healthy fruit salad...thanx for sharing info abt Savitri Amavasya..V do this on Sivratri

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  16. Love to read ur info regd the festives and fruit platter is looking so good with full of healthy stuffs.

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  17. Moong dhal with fruits thats so interesting!!! sounds very healthy and nutritious!!

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  18. Never tried mung dal with fruits-must be good though! I love traditional food served on festival days :)

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  19. Well said - traditional food was so healthy and nutritious and such less work on pooja days!
    Friends - thanks for dropping by and for your lovely comments. Will post all the authentic recipes while my mom is around...

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  20. Moong and fruit very different recipe

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  21. Cham - yes another typical authentic oriya dish for pooja days...

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  22. Love all the rituals and poojas of India. Love Sathyavaan Savithri in puranas. Great inspiration for all. The poojas have some meaning I guess. A well wish for the hubby from the wife , cleansing our body by this fasting and increasing our spiritual energy by prayer to Gods. Our ancestors were brilliant , I m sure. Good that u follow them even in abroad.

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  23. Viki - I agree there are lots of benefits for us in the fasting... Thanks for the lovely perspective...

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  24. Hi..i know another type of santula exclusively of Aaloo,Baigana,Chhuin and saru.boil with water & salt.Give tadka of garlic ,slit chiili & Pancha Putan.Yummy when hot. Good with Roti

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  25. Someone is asking about chuda ghasa,i'm from puri,so i thought to post it.make chuda powder of 250gm.,scrap one coconut & mix both with ur palms,till it gets sticky(no water plz.),then add sugar of 200gms,gol maricha gunda,crushed aleicha.now add 100gms of desi ghee and the process of mixing with palms will be continued till all things mix corsely.Now CHUDA GHASA is ready.u can always use less sugar & ghee as per ur wish.

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  26. Ashoka - I love the Baigan Chuini Aloo Santula too...
    Chuda Ghasa - I love it but never made it. Waiting for MIL to come to make it with her...

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