Since a lamp lights up our life make Whole Wheat Flour Diyas and worship them. Kankeche Dive Recipe is a very easy and simple way to appreciate all your blessings. Whole Wheat flour is a pantry ingredient in Indian homes so making these Diyas and steaming them is easy.
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About the event for which I am posting
For Shhhhh Secretly Cooking this month we are steaming food! This theme is suggested by Anu Kollon. Shravan, the Hindu month where we consume steamed food which is light and easy for digestion.
This month my partner is Anu Kollon. Anu blogs at Ente Thattukada. Check out her homemade ice cream it looks so delicious.
Keeping in the tradition of the rules of challenge Anu has given me 2 simple ingredients flour and water. I gave her coconut and cardamom as her ingredients. Check out the delicious Vattayappam she made with her ingredients. I am drooling her picture.
Why am I talking about lamps?
Hinduism is the way of life, we worship Nature as God. The fact that Man and Nature should coexist has been taught to us for ages. What better way to do that other than worship nature.
But we have lost the scientific reasoning behind the rituals somewhere along the way. We have forgotten to rejoice in small happenings in our life.
Simple things, we lit a lamp in the evening in the Tulshi in the courtyard. The men after work would return late. The lamp, in the dusk, was leading them home. Now, who remembers the reasons?
I was unaware of this ritual, but my Sis-in-law, the very one who got me blogging, shared pictures of her Pooja.
I was like, "Food!"
Naturally, I asked her what, why etc. This is a tradition followed in Maharashtra. I am not aware of this tradition anywhere else.
So how do we thank the lamp for lighting our path?
Yes, on Ashadha Amavasya we Worship the lamp or Deep Pooja. Ashadha Amavasya is also called Deepaanvit Amavasya.
On this day all the lamps in the house washed and placed together. Then after drawing a rangoli around them these lamps are lit and worshipped. The offering is these Kanakeche or wheat flour diyas. These Dive are then distributed as Prasad. The belief is that one gets healthy and begets a long life.
Ingredients
- Jaggery: I have used regular jaggery you can use organic or powdered jaggery.
- Whole Wheat flour: Chakki ka atta is a staple ingredient in our homes.
- Water: Warm water to soak the jaggery.
- Ghee: I used homemade ghee but you can use any oil like groundnut or sunflower oil.
- Salt: to taste
- Cardamom: The flooring agent as in any traditional food is elichi.
- I have not used these optional ingredients but you can if you have them in your pantry. Rava or Semolina, Kharik powder (dried dates or chuare powder), nutmeg powder.
Method
- Heat water and add the jaggery to it. We just want the jaggery to melt. Set aside to cool.
- If you plan to use rava mix it with the flour, add the elichi powder, nutmeg etc if using add the salt.
- Heat the ghee and add to the flour mixture. The flour sizzles. Mix well.
- Add the jaggery water a little at a time and make a stiff dough. Make a ball and set aside for say 15-20 minutes.
- Make small-sized balls and knead them well to smooth balls. Shape the balls in a cup and pinch one side. This is similar to making a modak but easier. Flatten the base.
- Repeat till you finish all the dough.
- Heat water in the steamer. Apply a little ghee to the base of the steamer.
- Place the divas on the steamer plate. Steam covered for 15 minutes.
- Cool a little. Add a cotton wick and ghee in the Diya. Lite them and make your offerings.
- When serving I warmed the Diya in the microwave a little.
Kankiche Dive Recipe
Equipment
- Bowl
- Steamer
Ingredients
- ½ cup jaggery
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon rava optional
- Salt
- 3 teaspoon ghee
Instructions
- Heat up water in a pan add jaggery and let it melt.
- Switch off the gas and let the mixture cool down.
- Take wheat flour into a bowl add the elichi powder, nutmeg add the rava if using, salt to taste.
- Heat the ghee and add to the flour mixture. The flour sizzles. Mix well.
- Add the jaggery water a little at a time and make a stiff dough. Make a ball and set aside for say 15-20 minutes.
- Make small even sized balls and knead well to smooth balls. Shape the balls in a cup and pinch one side. Flatten the base.
- Repeat till you finish all the dough.
- Heat water in the steamer. Apply a little ghee to the base of the steamer.
- Place the divas on the steamer plate. Keep some space between the Diyas.
- Steam covered for 15 minutes.
- Cool a little. Add a cotton wick and ghee in the Diya. Light them and make your offerings.
- When serving I warmed the Diya a little.
More steamed food
- Siddu/Sidu Steamed Bread
- Steamed Moong dal Dhokla
- Steamed Sooji na Dhokla
- Ukdiche Modak
- Idli(Steamed Rice Cakes)
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NARMADHA says
It is interesting to learn different traditions followed by people in different states. Diya looks so divine and it must be tasting so delicious too. We prepare similar thing with raw rice and it is called as maa vilakku(in tamil)
ArchanaPotdar says
Though we live in different places we have a common thread binding us all. Unfortunaletlywe concentrate on differences!
Priya vj says
Very nice to know about the traditions followed in India . I would call this a divine post rather than commenting yummy or delicious. We south Indians also offer lamp made using rice flour for auspicious occasions.
ArchanaPotdar says
Really, Priya? Even Narmadha was telling me about this custom. We are all bound with the same traditional threads.
The Girl Next Door says
Beautiful post! We make something similar in Tamilnadu - a hand-pounded rice flour lamp that is filled with ghee and lit. It's so interesting to note that the same tradition is followed in other parts of India too.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 Thanks.
Swati says
In North we too light diya made with whole wheat flour but don't add jaggery or steam it.. that's very interesting useful post for the present coming generations about the tradition
and the reason behind it is followed
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Swati.
Sujata Roy says
In India every state has different rituals. Loved readings your post. Its great to know about custom of different states. Edible dia looks fabulous Archana. Excellent share.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Sujata.
Poonam Bachhav says
Such a divine post di ! We make steamed kankiche dive , lit them and offer to the deity but not on Ashad Amavasya. We make 11 steamed whole wheat diya without jaggery , lit them with ghee and offer it to goodess Gauri during Ganpati festival. After the puja, we dip the diyas in kheer or varan and eat them as prasad.
ArchanaPotdar says
Glad to learn this Poonam. We seem to have similar traditions all around the country.
Renu says
In our tradition too we too make this edible diyas. Have some memories associated with it and your post made me revisit those. Wonderfully made dive..
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Renu.
Mayuri Patel says
I remember my grandmother making diya out of wheat flour for Diwali but I love these edible ones. Every state in India has different traditions. So glad you shared the Ashadha Amavasya tradition with us.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Mayuri.
Anu Kollon says
Beautiful post Archana. I am sure these make a delicious snack. I never knew they make edible diyas. Such a beautiful way to present a dish.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Anu it was a pleaseure being paired with you.
Shobha Keshwani says
Interesting information. Nice to know that these diyas are first litand then taken as prashad. We make wheat flour diyas but just with the kneaded dough . but those are immersed in the water after the pooja.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 Thanks.
Vasusvegkitchen says
Very divine recipe di, nice write up too. We prepare rice flour lamps, in telugu called 'pindi jyoti' for Gowri pooja , Venkateswara swamy pooja etc, di. Good to know about traditions and the way you explained the scientific reason too di.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Aruna.
Jayashree T.Rao says
Nice information about the traditions that exist. We do not make these diyas, but while doing aarti for gowri we make it with jaggery and desiccated coconut.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Jayashree this tradition I diid not know.
preethicuisine says
I love these various traditions. These whole wheat jaggery diya looks so divine. Loved the beautiful write up about the traditions.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks.
Pavani Gunikuntla says
I remember these my amma is to make these dive for festivals.You nailed the recipe.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks.
Mina Joshi says
I loved reading about the traditions behind making these diyas which are used in Pooja but are also edible. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the traditions behind making these. I spent the morning reading about these on Google and really enjoyed learning something new
ArchanaPotdar says
Wow! I love the ways you can spend the morning.
kalyani says
such a beautiful post, Arch. we have similar maa vilakku (but made of rice flour) that is lit during ashaad or ashwayuj months (depending on the tradition) .. so beautifully captured, and as always an interesting post to read and ruminate..
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Seema Sriram says
I am excited to see such exciting recipes in our cuisine. Look at these, they look like full festtivities on. Loved the information here. I am reminded of maavilakkau that we make for karthigai
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 Thanks, Seema.
Priya Satheesh says
Absolutely loved your post.. looks divine. We also make something similar but using rice flour. This sounds interesting.. will try sometime.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Priya.
Sharvari says
Yesterday was Deepa Amavasya of 2022. I read your article and followed the recipe....and voila ...before I know it..I had far surpassed my grandmother's as well as my mother's diwe. My mom fell in love with my diwe and polished them off ....the experience was simply divine...all thanks to you . I could make 13 diwe...though admittedly I marginally increased the proportions. All this coming from a person who is notorious for shirking kitchen duties and who has never made a dish in her life. Your instructions were clear and precise right down to the sizzle of the flour hitting the ghee and the divine fragrance it emitted after. Thank you so very much for making my first Deepa Amavasya special and memorable !
ArchanaPotdar says
Aww! So sweet of you! I appreciate your lovely comment.
I am glad you could work with my recipe and more importantly enjoyed it. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to let me know. I hope you like some more of my recipes.