How to make Marathwada-style whole wheat kheer for Pitru Paksha rituals

After Krishna Paksha begins in the month of Bhadrapada, people remember their ancestors and pay tribute to them. The period is considered highly sacred for remembering forebears. On Shraddha days, sattvic and traditional dishes that the ancestors liked are prepared.

These dishes include rice kheer, wheat kheer, vadas, mixed vegetables and dal-rice. In many parts of Maharashtra and Marathwada, khapli wheat kheer is made as naivedya, the offering. The kheer, with its traditional taste, is also said to be good for health.

The kheer is prepared by cooking wheat and adding milk and jaggery, and it tastes very good. But there is often a worry that the kheer will curdle once the milk is added. The dish is made especially in Marathwada, Khandesh, western Maharashtra and Karnataka. The dishes made for mahaprasad or the Shraddha meal have religious and cultural significance. Here is the recipe.

The ingredients are wheat, jaggery, milk, cardamom powder, cashew nuts, pieces of dry coconut, ghee, poppy seeds, fennel powder and dry ginger powder.

First, wash the wheat well in water. After washing it three times, drain the water and spread the wheat on a cotton cloth to dry.

Once the wheat is dry, put it in a mortar and pound it coarsely. This will remove the husk.

Now put the khapli wheat in a cooker vessel with water as required. Let it cook for 5 to 6 whistles until the wheat is soft, so that it cooks through well. Once the wheat is cooked, add jaggery to taste and mix well.

Then heat ghee in a pan and roast the cashew nuts and pieces of dry coconut until light red. Roasting improves the taste of the dish. Add the roasted mixture to the kheer and stir. Then add dry ginger powder, fennel powder, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and mix again.

Let the kheer simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the gas and serve. The traditional khapli wheat kheer is ready.