Makara Chaula (Bengali Nabanna)

I am a research chemist by profession and love simplicity. My passion for cooking and art makes me explore new things and I love pursuing them. Being a chemist, it provokes me to do experiments in my kitchen too. Makara Chaula’ is a special prasad for Makar Sankranti. It is prepared in every temple and Odia household. The rice used is preferably from fresh harvest. There are slight variations in the ingredients depending on the regions where it is prepared.In Odisha, people prepare ‘Makara Chaula’ with uncooked newly harvested rice, banana, coconut, jaggery and chhena for ‘naivedya’ (offering) to gods and goddesses. I found much similarities with Bengal’s Nabanna. The dessert-obsessed Bengali cultures features some preparations called pitha, puli and payesh along with nabanno (rice pancake, rice dumpling and rice porridge) - it is made during the rice harvest festivals held in Agrahayan (poush – the Lakshmi month). There is no fixed time for nabanna. Nabanna depends on newly harvested rice and the kind of rice.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Keep all your fruits and coconut grated ready.

Step 2

Boil milk and reduce and keep aside 1 cup.

Step 3

Soak rice for 2 hrs

Step 4

Now drain the water and coarse grind the rice

Step 5

Transfer to a bowl, add jaggery, chena, cardamom powder, milk and mix uniformly

Step 6

Add all fruits, ginger, raisins and cashew and give a nice mix and serve.