It all started with food
Ilika
Bhoger Khichuri
The food one cooks for Bhog (as an offering to the Deities) is by tradition supposed to be made without tasting. One also has to be on a fast till the food is cooked and the puja done and only then can one taste it once it has been offered to the Gods and has become prasad.
Recipe
Dry roast 1 cup yellow moong dal (yellow lentil) to an even light brown. Wash and soak for some time and then put to boil. When the dal is almost done and most water has evaporated, remove from fire. Wash 1 cup rice and keep soaked.
Cut vegetable of your choice: potatoes, cauliflower, broad beans, french beans, green peas. Heat oil and fry the potatoes to an even golden. Fry the cauliflower pale golden too. Now heat 2-3 tbsp of ghee and temper with whole jeera and bay leaf.
Make a wet paste of 1 heaped tbsp jeera (cumin) powder, 1 tsp daniya (coriander) powder, haldi (turmeric) powder, chilli powder to taste and 1 tbsp ginger paste. Fry this masala (spices) well till oil is released.
Add the dal and the rice and mix well along with salt and just a little bit sugar. Add enough water along with 2-3 green cardamoms, cloves and some cinnamon sticks.
When rice half done, add all the vegetables except for the peas. Add the peas towards the end. Cook to a thick consistency.
Take off fire with some more ghee and green chillies. You may add coconut slivers fried in ghee.