5 foods that find a mention in the Mahabharata and are still loved

Mahabharata is a timeless epic that depicts the power struggle between the Pandavas and Kauravas and the events that lead to the iconic battle of Kurukshetra. The ultimate religious philosophy of Hinduism, Srimad Bhagwat Gita forms a part of the Mahabharata. Many believe that the foods eaten during the Mahabharata era were pure and pious. It included both vegetables and games. From sweet rice to payasam or modern-day kheer, and cakes to meat, here are 5 foods that were common to find during the Mahabharata era. (Images: Canva)

Made by boiling rice in milk along with sugarcane/sugar, this sweet pudding is something that Yudhishthira loved having every other day. Its reference can be found in ‘Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section CXLIII’.

Sashkuli is a Sanskrit word for a round pie made of rice/barley boiled in sugared water. In the Bhagavad Gita, this food is described as a large cake made of rice flour, sesame seeds, and sugar, which is fried in ghee and has the shape of an ear. You can find its reference in the section CCXXVIII off Santi Parva: Mokshadharma Parva.

It’s often described as a liquid food and is like a thick paste, which is made using rice, milk, sugar, sesame seeds along with some aromatic spices like saffron, cardamom and cinnamon. One might think of it as a kheer, but the rice is completely mashed in the milk which one can’t find with naked eyes. Think of it as a blended kheer. This dish is also mentioned in the Santi Parva.

It was a popular dish during the Mahabharata era that was made with wheat flour, milk and fried in ghee and finds mention in the Anusasana Parva: Section CIV. This dish is also described as a thin cake made from unleavened dough, sugar and aromatic spices, which is fried in ghee.

During the Mahabharata era, there were a lot of non-vegetarian dishes cooked that involved poultry meat, bird meat, and fish. Also, a lot of people used to enjoy the meat of hunted animals. Its reference can be found in section LXXIII of Drona Parva: Abhimanyu-badha Parva.