Today is Narali Poornima. In Maharashtra, the festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated along with Narali Poornima (coconut day festival). Kolis are the fishermen community of the coastal state. The fishermen offer prayers to Lord Varuna, the Hindu god of Sea, to invoke his blessings. As part of the rituals, coconuts were thrown into the sea as offerings to Lord Varuna.
This is the day when every Maharashtrian household will have at lease one dessert made up of coconut or coconut milk. Yes, at least one. And I know a few homes where you can eat everything coconuty today, literally from appetizer to dessert, three course meal with loads of coconut in it. I will gradually update all those special recipes which are made on this auspicious day. But today, I will blog about the most famous dessert, Naral Vadi (नारळाची वडी).