A time for self-discipline, introspection, fasting, and seeking forgiveness, Paryushan invites the Jain community to pause and embrace simplicity. While food forms an intrinsic part of the observance, the festival’s essence extends to finding meaning in restraint and conscious choices.
For chef Aruna Vijay, Paryushan is often looked at much through the lens of food. In Chennai, home to a strong Marwari and Gujarati community, the festival is celebrated in a “meaningful and beautiful way”, bringing people together for prayers and reflection.
But its lessons can also be found in everyday acts — “not getting angry, not wasting food on your plate, being more conscious about what you consume, or even saying a prayer before you eat”, says Aruna. She adds, “These may sound like very small things, but I think that is actually the beauty of Paryushan. It teaches you that spirituality does not always have to be something grand.”
The food, too, is finding new expressions across generations. A Paryushan-friendly thepla, for instance, could become a paneer-filled taco, with the rules remaining unchanged even as the approach evolves. Calling the perception of Paryushan cooking as restrictive is a “very big misconception”, Aruna says the festival is an opportunity to explore “such a wide variety of legumes, pulses and grains” and rediscover ingredients that are often overlooked through the year.
And perhaps creativity need not always mean reinventing a dish. Sometimes, as Aruna points out, “the most exciting thing you can do is rediscover something that has almost been forgotten” — whether it is a recipe from a grandmother’s kitchen or a humble ingredient finding its way back onto the plate. With that spirit of tradition, experimentation and rediscovery in mind, CE brings together a range of dishes to inspire your Paryushan table.
Recipes by Nikita Shah (IG: @saltinall)
Bringing together comforting staples and festive favourites on one plate, Nikita Shah recommends a Paryushan thali comprising chutti magnidal, puri, steamed rice, chana dal dhokla, kheer and boondi ladoo.
Chutti Magnidal
Ingredients
Yellow moong dal :1 cup
Oil: 2 tbsp
Rai (mustard) seeds: 1 tsp
Jeera seeds: 1 tsp
Haldi: 1 tsp
Coriander: 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp
Water:1 cup
Salt: as required
Method
Wash and soak 1 cup of yellow moong dal for 30 minutes.
Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a kadai, add 1 tsp of each — Rai (mustard) and Jeera seeds — and let them crackle.
Add in a pinch of hing, 1 tsp of haldi, 1 tbsp of coriander, and 1 tbsp of red chilli powder. Immediately add in the soaked dal, followed by 1 cup of water, and season with salt.
Stir well, cover, and cook on a low flame for 8-10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Chana Dal Dhokla
Ingredients
Chana dal: 1 cup
Salt: as required
Water: as required
Eno
Oil: as required
Red chilli powder: as required
Method
Soak 1 cup of chana dal for a minimum of 4 hours.
Drain out the water and transfer into a high-speed blender. Add salt and grind it into a smooth paste.
Transfer into a bowl and add a little water to get the desired consistency.
Preheat your dhokla steamer.
Add Eno to the dhokla batter, mix, and pour onto a greased dhokla plate.
Steam for 10-12 mins until a knife comes out clean.
Drizzle some oil on top and sprinkle red chilli powder.
Serve hot with green chutney and enjoy!
Recipes by Jalpa Gada (IG: @thepink.apron)
Kurmura Vageni
Ingredients
Kurmura: 3 cups
Roasted chana dal: ½ cup
Red chilli: 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar: 2 tbsp
Mint powder: 2 tbsp
Oil: 2 tsp
Mustard: 1 tsp
Jeera:1 tsp
Haldi:1 tsp
Hing: tsp
Sev: for garnish
(You can use green chillies, curry leaves, and tomatoes if you use them in your house during Paryushan)
Method
Blend roasted chana dal and chilli flakes into a mixture. Meanwhile, soak the kurmura in water and strain it.
Add the chana dal mixture, mint powder, and salt to the kurmura and mix well.
Prepare a simple tempering of oil, mustard seeds, hing, jeera, and haldi. Add the kurmura mixture to the tempering and let it cook for a few minutes.
Add a pinch of sugar and lime (if you use it). Garnish and enjoy!
Whole Wheat Rava Cake
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour: ½ cup
Semolina (rava): ½ cup
Milk: ¾ cup (room temperature)
Castor sugar: ½ cup
Ghee: ¼ cup
Oil: ¼ cup
Cardamom powder: 2 tsp
Saffron: a few strands
Baking powder: 1.5 tsp
Baking soda: 1 tsp
Method
Add ½ cup of rava and ¼ cup of castor sugar to a mixture and blend.
Add ¼ cup of castor sugar, ¼ cup of ghee, and ¼ cup of oil to a bowl and whisk till well incorporated.
Pour ¾ cup of milk and continue whisking. Add the rava sugar blend and whisk again. Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Add ½ cup of whole wheat flour, 1.5 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 2 tsp of cardamom powder, and a few strands of kesar, and whisk.
Fill in a donut baking pan and bake at 170 degrees (the time depends on the mould you use for baking).
Recipes by Neetika Ligga (IG: @food.naama)
Poha Bullets
Ingredients
Poha: 1 cup
Water: as required
Roasted besan: ½ cup
Jeera
Hing
Salt
Red chilli powder
Garam masala
Chat masala
Coriander powder
Oil for frying
Method
Wash and soak poha in water.
Add tempering of oil, jeera, and hing.
Dry roast besan for 2-3 minutes and add to poha.
Add all the spices and water (if required) and make a smooth dough.
Make cylindrical-shaped bullets and air/deep fry.
Pappad Pockets
Ingredients
Paneer: 1 block (sliced)
Salt
Red chilli powder
Dhania powder
Chat masala
Oil
Papads: as many pieces as required
Method
Add red chilli powder, dhania powder, chat masala, and oil to the sliced paneer and mix well.
Wet the papad sheet a little, wrap it around the paneer, and seal with water
Deep fry until crispy and serve hot.
Recipe by chef Aruna Vijay
Shahi Gatta Rolls
Ingredients
For the Gatta Dough
Besan - 1 cup
Ajwain - 1 tsp
Hing - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
For the gravy
Oil - 1 tbsp
Tej patta - 2
Hing - ½ tsp
Dry red chillies - 2
Jeera - 1 tsp
Whisked curd - ¾ cup
Red chilli powder - 2½ tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi
Water - ¼ cup approx
Method
Knead everything together to make a firm gatta dough.
Roll the dough out evenly into a thin sheet.
Mix the grated paneer with salt and spread it evenly over the rolled-out dough.
Cut into strips and roll each one tightly, as shown.
Steam the rolls for 7-8 minutes and let them cool slightly before cutting into pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices and hing. Add the whisked curd along with the spices and cook well.
Add the steamed gatta pieces and a little water. Cook until the gravy coats the rolls well. Finish with kasuri methi.
Tips
Make the gatta dough firm and knead it well for easy rolling.
Spread the paneer mixture evenly and roll the gatta tightly for better shaping.
Once you add the curd, keep stirring it to prevent from curdling.