Here are the shortlisted entries from the Khyaal’s World Food Day Contest, where our Khyaal Club members showcased their culinary creativity around the theme “Taste of Tradition.” They have cooked a special dish that has been passed down through generations and shared the story or memories behind it.
Swati Trivedi
Dish: Dal Kachori
Ingredients:
For the Dal:
1 cup tuvar dal (pigeon peas)
3 cups water
½ tomato, finely chopped
Sweet lemon (nimbu) to taste
Salt to taste
Jaggery (gur) to taste
Turmeric powder
Coriander-cumin powder
Red chili powder
Garam masala
Chopped coriander leaves
Ginger-green chili paste
Finely chopped lemon pieces
A few peanuts
For tempering the dal:
Oil
Mustard seeds (rai)
Cumin seeds (jeera)
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf (tej patta)
Dry red chili
For the Kachori dough:
1½ cups wheat flour
3 tablespoons oil (for shortening)
Salt to taste
Water, as needed
For the Kachori filling:
4 small boiled potatoes, mashed
Ginger-green chili paste
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Lemon juice to taste
Sugar to taste
Red chili powder to taste
Garam masala to taste
For serving:
Garlic chutney
Green coriander chutney
Cashews
Raisins
Method:
Cook the dal: Pressure cook the tuvar dal with water until soft. Add lemon, ginger-chilli paste, tomato, turmeric, coriander-cumin powder, garam masala, and other spices. Add water and simmer on a low flame.
Prepare the dough: Mix wheat flour, salt, and oil. Add water to knead a slightly stiff dough. Rest it.
Make the filling: Mix mashed potatoes with lemon juice, sugar, salt, spices, and coriander.
Shape the kachoris: Roll small puris, add filling, seal, and shape like kachoris.
Cook the kachoris in dal: Drop stuffed kachoris into simmering dal and cook till they rise and change colour.
Serve: Garnish with chutneys, cashews, and raisins. Serve hot.
Story Behind the Dish:
This Dal Kachori recipe is very close to my heart. Since my childhood, Dal Kachori has always been made at my maternal home on Diwali day. The Dal Kachori made by my mother’s hands was loved by everyone. We used to wait the whole year for Diwali to come, just so we could enjoy her freshly made, warm Dal Kachoris. On Diwali, all of us brothers and sisters would sit together and eat - those moments were filled with joy and laughter. Even today, whenever I think about Dal Kachori, it reminds me of my childhood days and the festive atmosphere at home. That’s why this recipe is deeply connected to my emotions and memories.
Madhu Bedi
Dish: Dry Fruits Panjiri
Ingredients:
Almonds, cashews, raisins, pistachios
Gond
Grated coconut
Pumpkin seeds
Flax seeds
Muskmelon (kharbuja) seeds
Suji (semolina)
Gur (jaggery)
2 spoons oil
Method:
Heat oil in a karahi and fry all dry fruits till golden.
Add gond and fry slowly on low heat.
Roast the grated coconut for a minute.
In the same pan, roast pumpkin, flax, and muskmelon seeds.
Crush all roasted ingredients coarsely.
Roast suji for 7–8 minutes on a low flame.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Melt gur and pour over the mixture. Mix well.
Your nutritious and tasty Dry Fruits Panjiri is ready!
Story Behind the Dish:
When I was a child, my mother used to make this Dry Fruits Panjiri for me, saying that her mother used to prepare the same for her to make her strong and healthy. The story doesn’t end there! When I became a mother, I too made it for my son, and now my daughter-in-law makes it for her daughters. My granddaughters lovingly call it “Dadi Wali Panjiri” and always insist that their mother make it for them. This Panjiri is made from dry fruits, makhana, and seeds, making it rich in calcium, fibre, and essential nutrients required for healthy growth. An interesting fact about this dish is that it is loved by kids of all generations in our family! This Dry Fruits Panjiri beautifully keeps our family tradition alive from one generation to the next - being both filling and nutritious.
Veena Rajendra
Dish: Modaka (Kadubu)
Ingredients:
Rice flour
Jaggery (gur)
Grated coconut
Cardamom
Poppy seeds (khas khas)
Sesame seeds (til)
Fried gram
A pinch of salt
Method:
Prepare the filling using jaggery, coconut, cardamom, poppy seeds, sesame, and fried gram.
Mix rice flour with boiling water and salt to make a dough.
Shape small balls, fill with sweet stuffing, and form modaks.
Steam or fry as desired.
Story Behind the Dish:
Modak is Lord Ganesha’s favourite food and was my husband’s too. I remember how he once told me, “Whenever you make Kadubu, you’ll think of me.” Even after his passing, making Modaks fills me with joy and his memories. Our younger generation should carry these traditions forward - they are our cultural treasures.
Asha Gauri Shankar
Dish: Kesariya Rasbhari (A Golden Heirloom of Sweet Memories)
Ingredients:
1 litre full-cream milk
200 g fresh paneer (crumbled)
4–5 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
Few strands of saffron (soaked in warm milk)
½ tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp chopped almonds
1 tbsp chopped pistachios
Few drops rose water
Method:
Boil milk and simmer till it reduces to ¾.
Add crumbled paneer and cook till thickened.
Add sugar and stir till dissolved.
Mix in saffron milk and cardamom powder.
Add nuts and simmer.
Cool, add rose water, refrigerate, and serve chilled.
Story Behind the Dish:
Every family has that one dish that carries memories - for me, it’s Kesariya Rasbhari. First made by my grandmother, at a time when sweets were lovingly prepared at home, it filled our festivals - Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, Holi - with the aroma of simmering milk, saffron, and cardamom. My mother continued the tradition, creating this dessert from simple ingredients - milk, paneer, sugar, and dry fruits - yet it felt like pure gold. Over time, Kesariya Rasbhari became more than a sweet; it became a symbol of togetherness, a way of saying “we’re family.” Even today, I feel my mother’s guidance as I prepare it. This dish has passed through five generations, travelling across continents - from sharing it with friends in London in the Seventies to teaching my granddaughter in the USA over Zoom recently. I happily share this recipe with family and friends; it is my legacy, a dish that binds us together.
Sobhana K.P.
Dish: Ricepea Chundal
Ingredients:
Chickpeas – 200 gm
Rice flour – 150 gm
Coconut milk – 500 ml
Salt – as required
Mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves, ghee – as needed
Method:
Soak chickpeas overnight and cook them in coconut milk with salt until soft.
Mix rice flour with salt and boiling water to make a dough.
Shape small balls and add them to the chickpeas.
Cook on low flame until the mixture thickens.
Temper mustard seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves in ghee and pour over.
Story Behind the Dish:
I belong to a large joint family, where every evening after school, Amma would prepare this humble yet delicious dish for all of us. It was healthy, simple, and filled with her love. Watching her cook in the kitchen, I unknowingly learned the art myself. Now, whenever I make it, I feel her presence beside me. Though Amma, now 98, lives away from me, her culinary magic continues through my hands. My children say I inherited her golden touch. On this World Food Day, I dedicate this traditional dish to my beloved mother - the true flavour of my heritage.
Premlata Singh
Dish: Tangy Poha Delight
Ingredients:
1 cup poha
½ cup curd
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black salt
¼ tsp sugar
¼ cup peanuts
½ tsp mustard seeds
1–2 green chillies, chopped
Curry leaves
Method:
Rinse poha and drain water.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, then peanuts, chilies, and curry leaves.
Add poha, salt, black salt, and sugar. Cook 2–3 minutes.
Add curd, mix gently, garnish, and serve.
Story Behind the Dish:
The Grandma’s (Nani Ji) Monsoon Secret”: During the monsoon season, my grandmother would often make this poha recipe to warm our hearts and bellies. She’d add a pinch of love, a dash of nostalgia, and a whole lot of flavour to this simple dish. The combination of crunchy peanuts, tangy curd, and spicy mustard seeds would make us feel like we were in a different world. To this day, the smell of mustard seeds and peanuts takes me back to those cosy monsoon afternoons spent with my grandmother, listening to her stories and savouring this delicious poha.
Shashi Seth
Dish: Duska (Traditional Dish from Bihar & Jharkhand)
Ingredients:
200 g chana dal
50 g rice
25 g green chana (choliya)
1 tsp ajwain
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Red chili powder and salt to taste
¼ tsp garam masala
Mustard oil for frying
Method:
Soak chana dal and rice for 4–5 hours.
Grind with hing into a smooth batter.
Add spices and mix well.
Heat mustard oil and drop spoonfuls of batter.
Fry until golden and crisp.
Story Behind the Dish:
Duska is traditionally made during Holi and shared among friends and family after playing with colours. For us, it’s a winter favourite - warm, crispy, and nostalgic, reminding us of laughter-filled mornings and festive gatherings.
Sandya Gupta
Dish: Chandrakala Sweet
Ingredients:
For the dough: Maida, ghee, a pinch of salt
For filling: Khoya, dry fruits, sugar powder, cardamom
For syrup: Sugar, water, saffron
Method:
Mix maida, ghee, and salt into the dough. Rest.
Prepare filling by mixing sautéed khoya, nuts, sugar, and cardamom.
Roll small circles, fill, and cover with another circle.
Seal and shape like moons.
Deep fry till golden and soak in sugar syrup briefly.
Story Behind the Dish:
Chandrakala has been a family favourite for generations - made in different shapes and loved by all. Every bite carries the sweetness of tradition and togetherness.