Govardhan Puja, known as Annakut or Annakoot (meaning a “mountain of food”), is a Hindu festival celebrated on the fourth day of Diwali in which devotees worship Govardhan Hill and prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to Krishna as a mark of gratitude.
How to make ‘Annakut Ki Sabzi‘
The special dish made on Govardhan Puja is Annakut Ki Sabzi which is a combination of vegetables ideally prepared with 56 different ingredients for Annakut Bhog or Prasad, also known as Chappan Bhog. It is generally made with a large number of seasonal vegetables like eggplant, radish, carrot, bottle gourd, cauliflower, potato, peas, etc. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, fenugreek, etc. are also used.
This recipe has no ginger or garlic because it is made for a festival & is served with roti or poori, along with moong dal, kadhi, and chawal.
Ingredients
Take small pieces of the following vegetable to make a total of 1 kg.
- Eggplant
- Water chestnut
- Radish
- Potato
- Tomato
- Flat beans (sem)
- Sweet potato
- Fenugreek leaves (methi)
- Cauliflower
- Pumpkin (kaddu)
- Bottle gourd (lauki)
- Peas
Spices and condiments
- Asafoetida: a pinch
- Cumin: 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
- Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
- Chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala: 1 teaspoon
- Fresh ginger: 1 inch piece
- Green chillies: 4 or 5
- Dried mango powder (amchoor): 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Vegetable oil – 5 tablespoons
Method
- Peel and cut the vegetables into small pieces.
- Put a wok (kadhai) on flame and heat the vegetable oil.
- Add the spices and condiments and the vegetables. Cook the vegetables till they are soft and can be mashed. Add water if needed.
- Add ginger and green chilies.
- When the sabji is ready, add garam masala and amchoor. Mix well and serve with puris.
It is traditionally said that one should include all seven colors and six tastes for a balanced diet. Eating a diet predominant in vegetables (bitter and green) helps to undo the imbalance caused by eating calorie-rich food during Diwali.
Recipe source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/