Shradh Naivedyam Thali - Sarva Pitru Amavasya Special

Pitru Paksha (fortnight of the ancestors) is a 16-lunar day period in Hindu calendar when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors (pitrs), especially through food offerings. In southern and western India, it falls in the 2nd paksha (fortnight) Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September) and follows the fortnight immediately after the Ganesh Festival. It begins on the Pratipada (first day of the fortnight) ending with the no moon day known as Sarvapitri Amavasya. Source : Wikipedia

Pitru Paksha is designated for karmic cleansing and for performing rituals and prayers for the ancestors. It is believed that souls of our ancestors are closest to the Mother Earth during these days. Our ancestors leave behind their good and bad karmas. We enjoy happiness, success, peace and prosperity because of their good karmas and face obstacles, hindrances and illness in life due to some of their bad karmas that keeps reflecting in our lives. When we perform rituals for their peace, they bless us in return as we have helped them in releasing their negative karmic ties.

Normally the shraddh or the other rituals are performed  in the name of a particular ancestor on the tithi when he or she left the physical body. But at times, one is not aware of the lunar dates , the ancestors left their mortal body. In such cases, "Sarve Pitru Amavasya" comes as a rescue. As the name suggest, sarva means all, pitru means ancestors and Amavasya is the dark night- which means a day designated for all ancestors irrespective of the day they have died on. Source:https://www.religionworld.in/mahalaya-amavasya-significance-rituals/

On this day devotees remember their ancestors and pay homage to them and offer, food, clothes and sweets to the Brahmins. The  belief of offering food to the dead ancestors is said to free their souls from the circle of life so that they can attain salvation. The food offerings made for the ancestors are cooked at home and offered typically on plate and cups made of dried leaves. I have grown up seeing my parents doing all these rituals very religiously every year. The food offered during shradh varies from place to place in India. The thali i have shown here is what we cook in our family on the shradh tithi and on Sarva Pitru Amavasya as an offering to God , ancestors and then all the family members have this as prasad. The food is satvik ( no onion -garlic food).

Video for Shradh Naivedhyam Thali

My shradh naivedyam thali for Sarva Pitru Amavasya has

•  Rice Kheer : Chawal ki kheer a traditional Indian dessert holds an important place in the shradh thali.. A creamy rich sweet preparation where in rice is cooked and simmered in milk. Click here for detailed recipe.

Rice Kheer

• Kadhi - A simple yet delicious dish made by tempered butter milk with fragrant Indian spices. This Maharashtrian kadhi is very different from the North Indian kadhi , it is thin , slightly sweet in taste and is served steaming hot with rice.

• Cluster Beans- Gavar phali ki subji : A simple onion garlic free curry which gets a characteristic nutty flavor and thickness from the added roasted peanut powder. Click here for the detailed recipe.

Cluster Beans Curry

• Pumpkin Stir Fry : Lal Bhopalaychi Bhaji as called in Marathi is a lip smacking dry vegetable curry in which pumpkin pieces are stir fried along with basic tempering spices and curry leaves. The dish gets a mild sweet taste which comes from the added jaggery powder.
• Bhindi / Okra stir fry. : A simple okra stir fry which goes well with chapati. 
• Kurdai / Papadum is a typical Maharashtrian snack which comes under papad category but is made from wheat. Kurdai is made during summer time, sun dried and used whole year round. No festive Maharashtrian thali is complete without this snack. It is deep fried and served with meals. 

• Bitter melon Stir Fry / Karele Ki Subji  : A flavorful dry curry in which thin bitter melon roundels are stir fried with spices. It is mildly tangy because of amchur powder and slightly sweet because of the added jaggery powder. Click here for the detailed recipe. 

Bitter Melon Stir Fry / Karele ki subji

• Aluchya Vadya / Patra : Alu vadi is a popular stuffed taro leaf (Colocasia) starter dish in west region of India. It is known as Patra in Gujarati and Aluchya Vadya in Marathi. In this savoury steamed leaf roll recipe , a spicy, tangy and slightly sweet gram flour batter is applied on the arbi (Taro)leaves. This smeared leaves are then stacked upon each other , rolled and then steamed. The steamed multi-layered taro leaf roll is then cut into slices and tempered or deep fried.  Click here for the detailed recipe.



Aluchya Vadya / Patra

•  Split Black Lentil Fritters : A deep fried urad dal fritter also known as medu vada. Medu vada is a popular South Indian snack. Click here for detailed recipe.

• 

  Udadache Vade / Split Black Lentil Fritter                       

• Sponge Gourd Fritters : In this the sponge gourd roundels are dipped in a spicy chickpea flour batter and deep fried until golden brown from both the sides.
• Dhirde : Spicy chickpea flour pan cakes are made and here they are cut into long strips and served.

• Apart from this Panchamrut   and a banana raita (Kelichi Koshimbir) is also a part of shradh Thali. 



Panchamrut