My Food Story: A festive treat with the goodness of lentils

Our family usually used to have ‘Fara chatani’ during the festival of light, Diwali.

Fara chatani

Ingredients

Lentils

Rice flour

Chilli, garlic

Asafoetida

Salt.                                                   

Method

Soak dal and grind it with garlic, chilli, and salt. Stuff rice dough in the shape of gujiyas and steam them just like momos (Tibetan-style dumplings).

Pulses are more than just ingredients in Indian kitchens. They are a source of protein, nutrition, and a deep connection to family traditions. On World Pulses Day, we celebrate not just the health benefits of these humble legumes, but the memories, stories, and love that people pour into pulse-based recipes passed down through generations.

My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).

Join us as we showcase the recipes shared with us by the participants of a recently concluded recipe contest on winter dishes.

Sheela Pal is an academician from Uttar Pradesh