Dishes You Can Try This Festive Season in August

The festive season in India begins with the onset of the monsoon. The plethora of charming festivals celebrated by different communities in August reflect India’s diverse culture, traditions, and heritage. The celebrations and the festive aura in the air helps enjoy the rain splashes even more.  

Apart from the beautiful rituals, Indian festivals are high on fun, and food. Almost every festival in India has some special food preparation or an elaborate feast. Let us look at some of the popular festivals celebrated in August and the best festival dishes you can enjoy. 

Ada Pradhaman during Onam

Festival date – 30th August to 8th September 

Onam is one of the biggest and most important festivals in Kerala. The Malayalam community celebrates this harvest festival with great fanfare. And, one of the highlights of this festival is the elaborate meal/feast that they make known as Onam Sadhya.  

The meal consists of about 25-30 dishes, including an array of vegetables and curries, rice, 3-4 types of pickles and chutneys, papadam, but the star among the Onam Sadhya dishes is Ada Pradhaman, a type of payasam or kheer.  

Ada is basically a rice dough that is rolled into thick long ribbons. It is then cooked in coconut milk and jaggery until it becomes thick. The dish is rich, decadent and the addition of a spoonful of ghee makes it a dish that is made in heaven.  

Modak during Ganesh Chaturthi

Festival date –  31st August to 9th September 

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the biggest and the grandest festivals celebrated in Maharashtra. Dedicated to the God of Wisdom, Lord Ganesh, during the festival, people bring idols of the god to their home. During the festival, people do pooja, worship the lord, and make many delicious dishes to offer to the God. But, the most popular Ganesh Chaturthi dish is Modak, which is also considered to be God’s favourite food.  

Modak is basically a sweet dumpling. It is made of rice flour, and has a delicious filling of grated coconut and jaggery. It is then steamed, which gives it a soft, and melt-in-your mouth texture. These bite-sized dumplings are balls of goodness and taste absolutely delicious.  

There are also different varieties of Modaks that are made of mawa or khoya with different flavourings like kesar, chocolate, paan, etc. Modak is first offered to the God during the pooja, and is then distributed to the people as prasad. If you are in Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai and Pune, during Ganesh Chaturthi, make sure to taste a few different varieties of Modak, and each one will delight you.

Panjiri during Janmashtami

Festival date – 18th and 19th August 

Janmashtami is an important festival for the Hindus, as they celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. While the festival is celebrated all over India, some places like Vrindavan, Mathura, Gokul, are the best places to witness the festival celebrations.  

Like all festivals in India, people make many delicious dishes during Janmashtami and offer it to the God. People make Lord Krishna’s favourite food items like Kheer, Makhan Mishri, Makhana Paag, etc, most of which are sweet items and made of milk.  

One dish that deserves a special mention, and a favourite Janmashtami for many is Panjiri. It is considered one of the most important prasad items during this festival. It is made with coriander seeds powder, powdered sugar, raisin, almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts and desi ghee. It is a tasthy, healthy and nutritious food that is considered good for gut health. It is particularly famous in north Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab.  

Celebrate the Indian festivals and enjoy the delicious treat at Club Mahindra Resorts 

If you are planning a family holiday during one of these festivals, you can book your stay at the Club Mahindra resorts. These resorts in India are the best, featuring spacious rooms, top-notch modern amenities, and a range of exquisite experiences that you cannot enjoy anywhere else.  

These resorts are a perfect blend of modern and tradition. At every resort, you enjoy the traditional reception and warm hospitality. The resorts also ring in the various festival celebrations with great fanfare and serve delicious traditional meals keeping the spirits of the festival intact.  

From Onam Sadhya to modaks, and Teej specialities, you can enjoy the various traditional delicacies at these resorts.