Every year, Basant Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha of Magha month, which is the eleventh month in the Hindu calendar.
Also known as Saraswati Puja, the festival marks the beginning of the spring season and it is celebrated with much fervour in several parts of the country, especially in West Bengal.
The day is celebrated by worshipping Goddess Saraswati, who is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts and science.
Apart from this, people on this festival wear yellow-hued clothes, take a bath with haldi ka ubtan and prepare mouth-watering traditional delicacies.
Here are 5 must-have Bengali dishes on Basant Panchami.
Khichuri: A classic khichdi is honestly a must-have dish on the afternoon of Basant Panchami when your friends and family gather together. While you can give it a twist by adding spices as per your liking, don’t miss out to enjoy this dish with oodles of ghee.
Beguni: The eggplant fritters are one of the easiest and quickest snacks that you can prepare for your guests on this auspicious occasion. The crispy outside and smooth inside combination of this dish tastes amazing with mint chutney.
Labra: This is basically a mixed vegetable dish using mustard oil, ginger and a combination of spices. You can best enjoy it with either rice or chapati. The usage of fresh vegetables signifies the wealth of harvest as spring approaches.
Payesh: Once done with the main course, now is the time for a sweet dish. And how can you miss out on payesh on this auspicious day? This is basically a kheer that is prepared with rice but is less thicker in consistency than kheer.
Raj Bhog: Saraswati Puja will truly be incomplete if we don’t relish Raj Bhog on this occasion. The melt-in-mouth texture of this spongy treat will honestly make it your ultimate favourite.