As monsoon clouds gather in the sky and the sawan month brings the scent of wet earth, it is joined by the aroma of kheer-poore, a staple dish that can be seen at almost every household.For Punjabis, kheer-poore is not just a dish; it is a ritual. According to the Nanakshahi calendar, sawan began on July 16 this year. As the month began, gurdwaras started serving kheer-poore in their langars (community kitchen). Devotees thronged the religious sites to partake in the offering.“I never miss. Relishing kheer-poore in langar feels like something else altogether,” said Savreen, a resident of SBS Nagar, as she smiles and recalled the joy of sharing the sweet dish with other devotees.Kamalpreet Kaur, another city resident, said, “It is mandatory in our household to eat kheer-poore at least once during the sawan month. This is the best time, with rains outside and the sweetness of kheer inside.”“My childhood memories of kheer-poore are still so vivid. Though I can’t cook due to time constraints, my mother makes it a point to send the dish to my home,” said Gursimran, another resident.Harbhajan Singh, a retired teacher, recalled how people shared the dish at his village.“In our village, kheer-poore was not just a dish, it was a community. Neighbours exchanged plates and children waited eagerly for the first serving,” he said.