Parijata Pitha

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups wheat flour

2 ripe bananas

1 cup grated coconut

1 ½ cups powdered jaggery

2 tbsp ghee

¼ tsp salt

Spices:

1 large whole cardamom

¼ tsp black peppercorns

¼ tsp cloves

1 tsp fennel seeds

Instruction

Grind all the spices coarsely using a hand mortar and set them aside.

In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas well and add the grated coconut. Mix them thoroughly.

Add salt, powdered jaggery, the ground spice mixture, and ghee to the banana-coconut mixture, combining everything into a smooth blend.

Gradually add the wheat flour in small batches to the mixture, kneading well until it forms a dough.

If the dough feels too tight, add a little milk or water to soften it.

Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. After resting, the dough should become softer. Grease your hands with a bit of ghee, then take small portions of the dough and shape them into flat patties or circles. Place them on a plate.

Heat ghee or refined oil in a kadhai over medium heat.

Fry the patties in the hot oil until both sides turn golden and crispy. Remove them from the oil and set them aside.

In a separate pot, add 1 cup of jaggery and a little water. Boil it until it reaches a sticky consistency or forms a one-string syrup.

Once the syrup is ready, add the fried Parijata patties and let them soak for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the syrup and transfer to a plate to serve Lord Jagannath.