Kanjak Special: The Festival Of Poori, Chana And Halwa That Every Little Girl Looks Forward To

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Kanjak used to be, and to a certain extent still is, one of my favourite festivals. I wake up to the sweet smell of hot halwa, fluffy pooris and dry masala chanaa, and it makes me smile. Seeing my expression my mother turns to tell me how I'm too old for kanjak but not too old for the food. Then, I casually walk towards the balcony and peep down the railing only to find little boys and girls with plastic bags in their hands and big smiles across their face going door to door, and being greeted with warm food and inexpensive gifts or money.
 

What is the Significance of Kanjak?

So what's the significance? Navratri is a festival that's dedicated to the nine incarnations of Maa Durga: Sailaputri, Brahmacharini, Andraghanta, Kusamanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalarati, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. And Kanjak is celebrated on either ashtami or navami (the eighth or ninth day) of Navratri. It's just another way of paying gratitude to the Supreme Goddess. Tradition says that the lady of the house welcomes nine girls into the house by first washing their feet and then tying moli (red thread) around their wrists. These girls are seated and given halwa, poori and chole (also known as 'bhog') along with all kinds of gifts: pencil boxes, hair clips, clothes etc. Young girls that haven't yet hit puberty are seen as the embodiment of goddess Durga.

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Kanjak Recipes

If you've never celebrated Kanjak before and would like to be a part of the festive fervour (if not for spiritual reasons, at least for the food), here's how you can make these delicious dishes at home:

1.    Halwa - This suji halwa made by Niru Gupta is flavoured with cardamom and garnished with almond slivers. You can also add pistachio or raisins if you like.
 

2.    Puri - Take your time frying these gorgeous puris till they're golden brown and fully risen.
 

3. Black Channa Recipe

Ingredients

1 Cup Black Channa
1 teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin)
1 teaspoon red chilli
1 teaspoon dhaniya powder (coriander powder)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
Salt to taste

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Method

1. Wash and soak the channa overnight, or till it it gets large in size.
2. Boil the channa in the cooker with salt.
3. Take a pan and heat some oil/ghee. Use more ghee/oil than usual so that it kills the bitter taste of the channa.
4. Add jeera, mirchi and dhaniya powder
5. Drain the channa and put it in the pan with the dry masalas.
6. Let it cook for about 10 minutes till the water dries out.

CommentsThe celebration of Kanjak in itself might not be something that'll carry forward from generation to generation, but the essence of the practice, the fact that girls of the house should be loved, respected and treated equally well, if not better than the boys should be treasured forever.