Chaitra Navratri Festival 2018 - Not Fasting In Navratri, Still You Can Enjoy These 5 Delicious Food

Usually a large part of north, west and central India observes a fast on all nine days. Some people may choose to fast only on the first and the last day of the festive period. Fasting is a way to pay your gratitude to the Goddess. Traditionally in Hinduism, the consumption of alcohol and non-vegetarian food is considered inauspicious and unholy but there is also sound science behind it. During these fasts people avoid eating meat, grains, alcohol, onion, garlic etc. From an Ayurvedic perspective, these foods attract and absorb negative energies and should be avoided during a seasonal change as our bodies tend to have low immunity around that time.

Navratri festivities give you a chance to get back to the roots and deviate from the day to day affair. Ingredients like kuttu atta, singhara atta, fresh vegetables, milk, yogurt and makhanas are preferred as they are light on the stomach and can be digested easily.

# Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients

440 grams / 2 cups Sabudana before soaking
450 ml/ 2 cups water
2 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3-4 curry leaves*
½ tablespoon grated ginger *
2 green chillies finely chopped *
2 medium sized potatoes peeled and cubed / 2 cups approx
½ cup roughly crushed roasted peanuts
Salt to taste ( sendha namak for upvaas )
2 teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Lemon juice or to taste
Fistful of Chopped cilantro
Few roasted peanuts for garnish

Method

* Place Sabudana in a colander .Wash Sabudana under cold tap water until clear water appears. This takes off most of the starch and prevents sticking.

* In a big wide bowl soak sabudana by adding just enough water to cover them.

* Just ¼ inch more than sabudana level.

* Soak covered for 5-6 hours , preferably overnight.

* Sabudana will fluff up after soaking.

* Do the smash test mentioned above in the tips.

* Drain off excess water if any before cooking.

* Add oil to a heavy bottom non stick pan.

* Once warm , add in the cumin seeds.

* Add in the cubed potatoes and cook on a low flame until tender , flipping it occasionally. Now add in the curry leaves , ginger , chopped chilies and cook for a minute more.

* Meantime, add in sugar, salt , crushed roasted peanuts and lemon juice to the sabudana bowl and mix well.

* Now add the coated sabudana to the pan , mix everything well and cook until the sabudana are a bit translucent and well coated.

* Keep stirring occasionally.

* Taste test and adjust the seasoning if needed.

* Add in lots of chopped cilantro and more peanuts.

* Serve warm with chilled yogurt.

# Kuttu Ka Dosa

Ingredients

3/4 Cup - Kutuu Atta/Buckwheat Flour
1 - Chopped Green Chilli
1/2 tbsp - Chopped Coriander Leaves
To Taste - Sendha Namak/Rock Salt
To Cook - Oil or Ghee
1 Cup or as needed - Water

Method

* Finely chop green chili, coriander leaves and add in a bowl along kuttu atta (Buckwheat Flour), Sendha Namak (rock salt) and mix well.

* Add water in small quantity to make thin pouring consistency batter.

* Heat a tawa or pan and pour one laddle of batter pour from out side to inside. We can't spread this like we do for normal dosa, so pour in circular motion like we are spread, if not, rotate the tawa to spread the batter.

* Drizzle oil or ghee over edges, drizzel few drops in center of cheela too and cook in slow to medium flame until edges becomes brown, flip and cook another side for 1 minute or until cheela gets cooked and brown. Repeat for rest.

# Makhana Kheer

Ingredients

1/2 tin (200 gm) Condensed Milk
1/2 tsp Pure Ghee
3 cups (30 gm) Makhana
1/2 cup (30 gm) Coconut grated
1/2 tsp Elaichi (Cardamom) Powder
5 Badam (Almonds) chopped
6 cups Milk
8-10 Kishmish (Raisins)

Method

* Fry makhana in ½ tsp of ghee and crush coarsely. In a pan mix crushed makhana and milk and simmer on slow fire for 5-10 mins. Add grated coconut and continue to cook for another few minutes with frequent stirring, till creamy and little thick.

* Add Sweetened Condensed Milk and cook for another 5 mins , till the desired consistency.

* Add green cardamom powder, remove from fire. Serve hot or cold garnished with shredded almonds and raisins.

# Arbi Kofta with Mint Yoghurt Dip

Ingredient

250 gm arbi/colocasia roots
3-4 Tbsp water chestnut flour, kuttu ka aata
1 green chili
1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp carom seeds
Rock salt, as required
2 or 3 tsp oil, for frying

For the dip

Few sprigs of mint
100 gm curd
50 gm cucumber, finely chopped
Pomegranate, for garnishing

Method

* Boil the arbi in a pressure cooker or in a pan till it becomes soft.
Peel them all and add the rest of the ingredients.

* Mash well and mix everything uniformly.

* While shaping the kofta, you can apply some oil on your palms as the mixture is sticky.

* Shape into cylinders and pan fry them with some oil till golden brown.

* Serve Arbi Kofta hot with mint yoghurt dip

Mint Yoghurt Dip

* Hang yoghurt to drain excess water.

* Mix chopped mint and cucumber to the yoghurt.

* Add rock salt.

# Vratwale Chawal Ka Dhokla

Ingredient

3/4 cup samwat ke chawal
1 cup sour yogurt
1 tsp ginger paste
Green chillies paste to taste
1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
2 tsp oil/ghee
2 whole dry red peppers
6-7 curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
Grated coconut and fresh coriander for garnish

Method

* Roast the rice in a pan very lightly and do not let it brown.

* Prepare the batter by mixing rice, rock salt, chilli paste, ginger paste and yoghurt. Leave the mixture to ferment overnight. Should become a bit spongy.

* Grease a tin with little ghee and transfer the batter into it.

* Place the tin into the steamer and let cook for 20 minutes.

* Test if it is done and then let it cool.