Prashad Recipe

A Sanctified Sikh Offering

Karah Prashad

 ThoughtCo

Prashad is a kind sacred pudding which is prepared as a blessed sanctified offering in the langar facility according to a prescribed method and served during Gurdwara programs. A person preparing prashad, according to protocol, is obligated to continually recite Sikh scriptures. Suggested recitation:

  • Gurmanter - Waheguru the Sikh name for God.
  • Mool manter - Opening verse of Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture.
  • Japji Sahib - First morning prayer of Nitnem, the Sikh's set of daily prayers.

Equal parts of ghee or clarified unsalted butter, sugar, and flour are used in making prashad. Two freshly washed steel, or iron (sarbloh), cooking pots or pans, and a stirring spoon or spatula are needed for the preparation of prashad. Set aside a steel or iron bowl (sarbloh batta) to receive the cooked prashad.

Ingredients

To make about 16 servings of Prashad, you'll need: 

  • 1 cup ghee or 1/2 lb unsalted butter (2 cubes)
  • 1 cup whole grain flour (atta)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 cups water
  • Continual recitation of Japji Sahib, Moolmanter, or Gurmanter.

Assemble Ingredients for Prashad - Ik

Prashad Ingredients
Prashad Ingredients.

ThoughtCo

Follow guidelines for langar to assemble and measure all ingredients to be used in sacred prashad preparation. Wash hands and rinse all utensils under running water, and dry before using to ensure that everything needed is fresh and clean.

Add Sugar to Water and Set in Pot to Boil - Onkar

Boil Sugar Syrup
Boil Sugar Syrup.

ThoughtCo

Put 3 cups of water into a steel, or iron pot (sarbloh kaharee) and set it on the burner. Pour 1 cup of sugar into the water and bring pot to a boil. Ik Onkar

Clarify Butter to Make Ghee - Sat Naam

Melt Unsalted Butter to Make Ghee
Melt Unsalted Butter to Make Ghee.

ThoughtCo

Melt unsalted butter in a pan to make ghee.
To clarify unsalted butter heat, skim off foamy curds, and spoon out solids from the bottom of a steel or iron pan (sarbloh karahee). Sat Naam.

Add Whole Grain Flour - Karta Purkh

Add Whole Grain Flour
Add Whole Grain Flour.

ThoughtCo

Add whole grain flour, or atta, to melted butter or ghee. Karta Purkh.

Stir to Lightly Toast Flour - Nirbhao

Toast the Flour in Butter
Toast the Flour in Butter.

ThoughtCo

Stir mixture continuously to lightly toast whole grain flour, or ​atta, in clarified butter, or ghee, until mixture becomes golden. Nirbhao.

Stir Until Ghee Separates From Flour - Nirvair

Toast Flour While Sugar Boils
Toast Flour While Sugar Boils.

ThoughtCo

Continue stirring whole grain flour, or atta, and clarified butter, or ghee mixture while sugar boils to make a light syrup.
Stir until the clarified butter, or ghee, separates from toasted whole grain flour or atta, and the mixture turns a deep golden color with a nutty aroma. Nirvair.

Pour Sugar Syrup Into Toasted Flour - Akal Moort

Pour Sugar Syrup Into Toasted Flour and Ghee
Pour Sugar Syrup Into Toasted Flour and Ghee.

ThoughtCo

Pour boiling sugar syrup chasnee into toasted flour (atta) and butter (ghee) mixture.
Mixture will sputter. Take care not to be scalded. Stir rapidly until all water is absorbed. Akal Moorit.

Stir Until Prashad Absorbs Syrup - Ajoonee

Stir Until Prashad Thickens
Stir Until Prashad Thickens.

ThoughtCo

Keep stirring prashad over low heat until all sugar syrup (chasnee) is absorbed into flour (atta) and butter (ghee) mixture, and it thickens into a firm pudding. Ajoonee.

Place Prashad Into Serving Bowl - Sai Bhang

Put Karah Prashad in Bowl (Sarbloh Batta).
Put Karah Prashad in Bowl (Sarbloh Batta).

ThoughtCo

When prashad is completely cooked and thickened, all the sugar syrup (chasnee) and butter (ghee) are completely absorbed. The cooked prashad slides easily from the pan into a steel serving bowl, or iron bowl (sarabloh batta). Saibhang.

Bless Prashad - Gur Prashad

Touch the Kirpan to Karah Prashad.
Touch the Kirpan to Karah Prashad.

ThoughtCo

Bless the prashad by reciting the hymn of Anand Sahib and performing ardaas, a prayer of petition.

  • Touch cooled prashad with kirpan at the appropriate time during ardaas
  • Remove five portions to commemorate five beloved panj pyara and serve to five Sikhs. Save one portion for Granthi, the attendant of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
  • Distribute remaining prashad without bias to sangat, members of the congregation. Gur Prashad
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Your Citation
Khalsa, Sukhmandir. "Prashad Recipe." Learn Religions, Feb. 16, 2021, learnreligions.com/illustrated-prashad-recipe-2993137. Khalsa, Sukhmandir. (2021, February 16). Prashad Recipe. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/illustrated-prashad-recipe-2993137 Khalsa, Sukhmandir. "Prashad Recipe." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/illustrated-prashad-recipe-2993137 (accessed March 19, 2024).