Ghevar

Who does not want to enjoy the rim-jhim showers in the monsoon months? This month of Saawan brings the holy festival of rakshabandhan to celebrate भाई - बहिन का स्नेह . In the month of saawan, there is a special significance of worshipping Bhagwan Shiv .

According to Hindu belief, Lord Mahadev, drank the poison emanating from the churning of the ocean to protect the universe. The temperature of the poison was so high that Indra Dev had to cool him down by continuous pouring of rains. Lord Shiva saved the world by drinking poison. This incident was said to happen in the month of Sawan.

Whenever there is a mention of the festive month of Sawan the Ghevar will always be there on the list of the most popular sweets. Ghevar is considered to be a special dessert of monsoons, although now the demand for Ghevar has been reduced by the advent of new age sweets, still many people give importance to Ghevar.

Ghevar

The tradition of giving Sindhara to sisters and daughters on the occasion of Teej in Sawan is very old. No matter how many other sweets are added to it, but this Sindhara is incomplete without Ghevar.  Now the trending traditional sweets and traditions on social media, are bringing  Ghevar to the forefront. Since monsoons or rainy season or saawan is the only season when Ghevar is available in plenty, people are now turning towards this seasonal sweet. To meet the demand of ghevar in Sawan, small confectioners to reputed confectioners start work months in advance.

Old people tell that without Ghevar, neither the celebration of Raksha Bandhan is considered complete nor of Teej. In the era of globalization, the form of Ghevar has also changed. Ghevar is available in the market ranging from Rs.200 to Rs.1000 per kg, everyone can buy the kind of stuff they want according to their affordability. Plain Ghevar is cheaper while the ghevar with Pistachio, Almond, and Ghevar with mawa or malai is expensive. Since people want to splurge of festivals, the Ghevar with pistachio, almond, and mawa is more popular.  Some people prefer the simple plain ghevar mfor the pority of taste. It is mostly about the choice one makes. 

If you happen to visit the old market area of your city around this festive time, I am sure you will find yourself soaked in the fragrance of ghevar. This fragrance is missed in the big sweetmart shops in the malls and in airconditioned shops.

Ghevar is amajor constituent of Chappan Bhog. This crunchy and sweet dish dessert is made from all-purpose flour and resembles a beehive. (Frankly speaking, it is very yuck to look at. The best way to enjoy the taste is to close eyes and put a spoonful in mouth 😋)

Ghevar is of two types, insipid (फीका) and sweet. Fresh Ghevar is crispy but it starts to get a little soft and soggy when kept for days. It tastes best when fresh.

Ever heard of ghevar pakoda? While researching the history and growth through times of ghever, I came to know that फीका Ghevar is wrapped in gram flour batter and fried to make delicious pakodas.

Many enthusiastic cooking experimentalists give Sweet Ghevar a makeover and converted it into pudding. This kind of fusion plays an important role in the growth of culinary styles and tastes.

Have you enjoyed Ghevar in this Sawan?

If you haven't eaten a piece of ghevar on Teej, don't miss to take a bite on Rakhi.

By the way, many cooking enthusiasts want to make it at home too. Some for the love of cooking and some purely for the social media posts. For all of them, many recipes are available on the net. 

But if you are my kind, who do not want to waste efforts on something which is available in the market ( or by the click of a finger), then get up, go to your favourite halwai or sweet mart and get your share of Ghevar.

Bring some extra ghevar to share with the people who are working at home, in your happiness. As they say, sharing is caring. Also when you share in happiness, it is said to be doubled.