Among the many recipes passed down through generations, one that stands out is Fara. Ankita Gupta Dujari @tokjhaalmishti shared, “This dish holds a special place in my family’s history. It’s a simple yet soulful creation made from lentils, spices, and a pinch of nostalgia”. Though Ankita was not born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh, she pins this recipe to her roots, cherishing its significance in her life in West Bengal.
"I’ve always seen my grandmother and mother break their Karwa Chauth fast with this Fara. It has been a cherished tradition in our family for as long as I can remember."
Though some people claim Fara to have originated in Varanasi, the larger consensus points to Chhattisgarh. Owing to the lack of written records, the exact origin of the dish is not known. My grandmother taught me this recipe and she told me it came from Uttar Pradesh.
In her words:
As I grew up and became a full-fledged cook, the art of making Fara remained close to my heart. It became a comforting staple, especially on days when I fell ill. What made Fara special wasn’t just its taste, but the memories of my grandma, the moments of joy and sorrow woven into its essence. Passed down through generations, it symbolized pure love and resilience. Even after I sadly lost my beloved Dadi, the significance of this recipe never waned. It remains a constant presence in my life, a reminder of its origins and the values it holds. In the simple act of cooking a meal, I preserve a piece of my family’s history, ensuring that the legacy of Fara endures for generations to come.
"Passed down through generations, it symbolized pure love and resilience. Even after I sadly lost my beloved Dadi, the significance of this recipe never waned. It remains a constant presence in my life, a reminder of its origins and the values it holds."
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 250 gm Whole Wheat Flour
- 250 gm Rice Flour
- 3 gm Salt
- 300 ml Water
For the stuffing:
- 150 gm Split Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)
- 150 gm White Urad Dal
- 10 gm Ginger
- 3 pcs Green Chili
- 15 gm Whole Coriander Seeds
- 10 gm Fennel
- 2 gm Jeera
- 1 gm Asafoetida
- 12 pcs Whole Black Peppercorn
- 10 pcs Cloves
- 2 pcs Whole Black Cardamom
- 2 inch Cinnamon
- 4 gm Salt
Method:
- Soak urad dal and chana dal overnight.
- To knead the dough, mix together rice flour, whole wheat flour, salt with 250 ml water, if you think the dough feels too hard add in the other 50 ml water. Knead till everything comes together, the dough should not be very soft. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside for an hour.
- In a mixer grinder, add all the dry spices (whole coriander, fennel, jeera, asafoetida, black peppercorn, cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon) and grind them until coarse.
- In the same mixer, coarsely grind the soaked chana and urad dal with ginger and green chili. If both these mixtures are too smooth, the fara won't have any texture.
- Mix both of these together, add salt and set aside.
- In a stock pot, add 4 liters water, a teaspoon of salt and set it to boil.
- Divide the dough into equal small portions (2 in. max.) roll them out into small pooris, stuff with the mixture and seal it.
- Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add all the pieces of fara, let it cook until the water looks starchy and the dumplings are cooked.
- To serve, thinly slice fara, add a ladle full of the starchy soup, drizzle some ghee and serve it hot with a coriander, tomato and garlic chutney.