Today is Karva Chauth (or Karwa Chauth).
Usually, falling in the month of October, Karva Chauth is the fourth day of the Harvest moon. Most married Hindu women go on a fast from dawn to moonrise for the long life of their husbands. It is a religious festival that has now become a social event. The markets are usually crowded with shoppers looking for different colored bangles (bracelets), gifts, Indian sweetmeats, and dishes traditionally eaten on this day. Mothers-in-law will gift their bahu (son’s wife) with an outfit or fine jewelry for keeping the fast. The women get up early morning to bathe and pray and eat their fill before sunrise! Traditional fasters do not eat or drink anything after that until moonrise.
The women decorate their hands and feet with henna. In the late afternoon, dressed in fine clothes and jewelry, they will gather at someone’s home to sing and tell the story of Karva, a faithful wife, and other religious tales. The fast is broken in the evening by looking at the reflection of the moon in a thali (round steel plate with a brim) filled with water and pooja (prayers). The fast is first broken by your husband feeding you something sweet. To show his appreciation I guess!! Some young unmarried girls keep the fast to get a good husband. A friend of mine used to do that and is still happily married!
I keep the fast not out of any religious conviction but to honor my mother-in-law’s wishes, even though she has passed away. I’m going to make Gulab Jamun at home to break the fast, although I will pick up some Mithai (sweetmeats) and Matri (savory biscuits) from the Indian grocery store as well.
Gulab Jamun
Ingredients
Gulab Jamun
- 1 cup Bisquick (if you don't have Bisquick available, jump to notes to create your own mixture!)
- 2 cups dry powdered milk
- 1-2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 2 cups oil for frying
Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- Few drops rose essence (found in Indian grocery stores)
Instructions
- Mix together Bisquick and powdered milk with the butter till you get a mealy consistency. Bind the mixture together with a little cold water or milk. Add the liquid a little at a time as it gets sticky if you add too much.
- Form lightly into walnut-size balls (about an inch in diameter).
- Heat about 2 cups vegetable oil on high heat until hot, about 10 minutes. Lower heat and fry the balls in the hot oil, tossing gently till evenly browned. They brown very quickly so remove them as soon as you get a rich brown (not black) color, less than 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Prepare sugar syrup by bringing 2 cups sugar and 1 cup of water to boil. Let boil for about 5-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and add a few drops of rose essence. Dip the fried balls into the syrup. When cool, keep in the refrigerator for at least four hours before serving.
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