Naru and Nimki: The flavours of festivity – GetBengal story

I can still clearly recall how excited we were to finish the half-yearly exams. We were still buried in books, but the city outside was already bustling with preparations—pandals forming, hoardings rising. We would then rush home with excitement in our hearts as soon as the final exam ended.

That was the time to sit beside Grandma, watching her nimble hands as we helped her roll out naru and cut nimki. It was almost a ritual in every household to prepare these simple and soulful snacks just before the Pujo days began. 

Even the rhythmic beats of the dhaak seemed to echo “nimki naru, nimki naru” in those days. A handful of just two narus and some nimkis was enough to fill our hearts with joy. Each bite carried not just sweetness, but also the warmth of home and the promise of celebration. But today, many of those simple rituals have slowly given way to fancy, store-bought snacks, leaving behind only the memory of those homely flavours that once defined the spirit of Pujo.

Narus are small, round sweet balls, usually made with coconut (narkel naru), sesame seeds (tiler naru), and Besan (Sirir naru) . 

Here are the recipes for these narus:

Narkel Naru 

Ingredients
• Freshly grated coconut
• Jaggery or Sugar (as needed)

Method
1. Grate fresh coconut and set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine the grated coconut with jaggery. Mix well with your hands until evenly blended.
3. Now heat the pan and stir continuously so the mixture does not stick or burn.
4. Cook until the jaggery melts completely and the mixture turns sticky and holds together.
5. Remove from heat. While still warm (and manageable by hand), shape the mixture into small round balls.

Til er Naru

Ingredients
• Sesame seeds
• Jaggery
• Ghee (for shaping)

Method
1. Heat a pan and dry-roast the sesame seeds until golden and aromatic. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, melt the jaggery and cook until it thickens into a sticky syrup.
3. Turn off the heat and quickly mix in the roasted sesame seeds, coating them well with the jaggery or sugar. 
4. While the mixture is still warm, grease your hands with ghee and shape into small balls.

Sirir Naru 

Ingredients
• Besan (gram flour)
• All-purpose flour
• Water, as needed
• Oil/ghee 
• jaggery

Method
Prepare the Sev Batter
1. In a bowl, combine besan and all-purpose flour.
2. Add water gradually to form a semi-tight batter (not too runny, not too stiff).
3. The batter should be of such consistency that you can drag it into long strands.
4. Heat oil in a pan over medium flame.
5. Pour and drag the batter through a sev maker or by hand to form long, thin sev.
6. Fry until cooked but do not over-fry, the sev should remain light and crisp, not too hard.
7. Remove and set aside. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Prepare the Jaggery Syrup
8. In another pan, heat water and add the jaggery.
9. Cook until the jaggery melts completely, then allow it to cool slightly.
10. Turn off the gas and add the fried sev into the melted jaggery. Mix well until evenly coated.
11. While still warm, grease your hands with a little oil and shape into small round balls.       

If naru is the sweetness of Pujo, nimki is its perfect counterbalance. A crispy, diamond-cut, salted snack made from flour and ghee, fried golden. They balance out the sweetness of naru. They are often served with cha when guests visit during the celebrations. And the crunch of the nimki is so addictive that you can finish the whole jar at a time.

Nimki

Here is the recipe : 
Ingredients
• All-purpose flour (maida)
• Ghee or oil (for moyan / shortening)
• Nigella seeds (kalonji) or carom seeds (ajwain)
• ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
• Water, as needed
• Oil, for deep frying

Method
Prepare the Dough
1. In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and nigella seeds (or ajwain).
2. Mix in the ghee or oil until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Slowly add water and knead into a firm, smooth dough.
4. Cover and let it rest for 20–30 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into small portions and roll each portion into a thin circle (like a roti).
6. Cut the rolled dough into diamond or square shapes using a knife.
7. Prick each piece lightly with a fork (this prevents puffing).
8. Heat oil in a deep pan over low to medium heat.
9. Fry the nimki in batches until golden brown and crisp.
10. Remove and drain on paper towels.
11. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
12. Stays fresh for 2–3 weeks.

Durga Puja is rich with flavours like khichuri and labra served as bhog, phulko luchi with alur dom, beguni, and payesh. Yet, naru and nimki remain special because they represent the timeless flavours of Durga Pujo.