Recipes for Indian festivals - Navaratri
 

Sundal | Sweet Boondi | Keerai Vadai | Rawa Kesari | Kadubu | Kachhe Kele ki Sabzi | Kootu Rajgiri Parathas | Pumpkin Chutney | Potato Pumpkin Pancakes | Arbi Yam Oondhiya | Navaratri Raita | Navaratri Salad | Batata Vada

Ingredients:

• Brown Chana (kadalai) - 2 cup

• Oil - 2 tbsp

• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

• Red chilies - 2, broken into pieces

• Curry leaves - few

• Asafoetida - ¼ tsp

• Green chilies - 2, slit

• Grated coconut - ½ cup

• Salt - to taste

Steps:

Variations : This sundal may be prepared with Kabuli chana (chick peas), dried yellow peas or dried green peas. 3-4 tbsp of finely chopped raw mango pieces may be added after removing the sundal from fire.

Ingredients:

• Besan (chick peas flour) - 2 cups

• Orange food color - little, optional

• Ghee or oil - to deep fry

• Raisins - 2 tbsp

• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp

• Sugar - 1 ½ cup

• Water - ¾ cup

• Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Steps:

Khara Boondi : Prepare boondis as explained above, but add salt to the batter and fry the boondis till crisp and light brown. Fry cashew nuts and add to the boondis. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil, season with mustard, curry leaves, ½ tsp each of chili and turmeric powders . Add to the boondi and mix well.

Ingredients:

• Black gram (urad) dal - 1 cup

• Rice flour - ½ cup

• Green chilies - 2-3, chopped

• Finely chopped keerai  (use spinach or radish leaves) - 4 tbsp

• Salt - to taste

• Oil - to deep fry

Steps:

1. Soak black gram dal in water for 2 hours. Drain well

2. Reserve 2 tbsp of the soaked dal and grind the rest with salt, to a smooth, stiff paste. (use as little water as possible)

3. Add the reserved dal and rest of the ingredients except the oil. Mix well.

4. Take a lime size balls of the mixture and flatten to1/8" thick discs on a piece of greased plastic sheet.

5. Drop about 4-5 discs in moderately hot oil, fry till crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

6. Use all the batter thus. Serve hot with chutney.

Ingredients:

• Ghee - 1/3 cup

• Raisins - 2 tbsp

• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp

• Semolina (rawa) - 1 cup

• Water - 2 ½ cup

• Sugar - 1 to 1 ½ cup as per taste

• Orange food color - little

• Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Steps:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee, fry raisins and cashew nuts, drain and reserve.

2. Add semolina to the remaining ghee and roast till pale brown. Transfer to a plate.

3. Boil water in the same kadai. Lower the flame and add semolina little at a time stirring well so that no lumps are formed. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, add the remaining ghee, little at a time and cook stirring till the mixture forms a thick lump.

5. Add color, mix well and transfer to a serving dish.

6. Garnish with fried raisins and cashew nuts.

Ingredients:

For Dough

• Maida - 1 cup

• Rice flour - 3 tbsp

• Ghee - 1 tbsp

• Salt - a pinch

• Milk - to mix

For Filling

• Desiccated coconut - 1 cup

• Powdered sugar - ½ cup

• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp, chopped fine

• Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp, roasted

• Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

• Milk - little

• Oil or ghee to deep fry

Steps:

For Dough

1. Combine all the dry ingredients together. Add enough milk and make a stiff but pliable dough. Keep covered.

For Filling

1. Combine all the dry ingredients together.

2. Sprinkle some milk to bind them.

3. Divide the dough into small balls. Divide the filling into same number of portions.

1. Roll out a ball of dough into a thin poori. Place a portion of filling on one half of the poori, fold the other half to cover the filling. Press the edges together to seal well. Use all the dough and filling thus.

2. Deep fry 4-5 kadabus at a time in moderately hot oil or ghee till crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Cool and store in air tight container. (keeps well for 3-4 days)

Ingredients:

• 2 raw bananas

• 1 stalk curry leaves

• 1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped

• 1 green chili slit

• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder

• 1 tbsp. curds

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• salt to taste

• 1 tbsp. oil

Steps:

1. Put plenty of water in a bowl.

2. Add a tsp. of salt

3. Peel and immediately chop bananas to pieces.

4. Let pieces fall into salted water, or they will discolor.

5. Put some water to boil drain and add banana to boiling water.

6. Add a pinch of turmeric, allow to boil till pieces are tender but not mushy.

7. Drain and keep aside to cool a little.

8. Sprinkle curds, turmeric, salt, over banana, mix gently.

9. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add cumin and curry leaves, allow to splutter.

10. Add banana pieces, stirring gently.

11. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

12. Sprinkle arrowroot powder, lemon juice stir to blend.

13. Garnish with coriander, serve hot with kootu chapathi.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups kootu flour

• 1 tbsp. oil salt to taste

• 1 cup rajgiri toasted

• 1 potato boiled and mashed

• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped

• 2 green chilies finely chopped

• 1 tsp. ginger grated

• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

• 1 tsp. lemon juice extracted

• salt to taste

• Oil to shallow fry

Steps:

For dough

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin, peeled, chopped, diced

• 1 small apple, peeled, chopped, diced

• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, finely chopped

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

• 1 tsp. red chili powder

• 1 tbsp. sugar

• salt to taste

Steps:

1. Place pumpkin and apple pieces in a pan.

2. Add enough water, to barely cover contents.

3. Add turmeric powder and lemon juice.

4. Heat and bring to a boil.

5. Cook till both are soft.

6. Take off fire, small very lightly, with a potato masher.

7. Do not make pasty, allow small pieces to remain.

8. Add sugar, return to fire, cook till sugar dissolves.

9. Once excess moisture evaporates, add chili, salt.

10. Mix well take off fire.

11. Cool, mix in chopped coriander with a spoon.

12. Serve as a relish for pancakes, parathas, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 large potato

• 1 big chunk pumpkin

• 2 green chilies

• 1" piece ginger

• 1/2 cup coriander finely chopped

• 1 cup kootu flour

• 1/2 cup singhara flour

• 1/4 cup curds

• salt to taste

• oil to shallow fry

Steps:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup arbi, peeled & chopped in chunks

• 1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped in chunks

• 1 potato, scrubbed, unpeeled, chopped in chunks

• 1 raw banana, unpeeled, chopped in chunks

• 1/2 cup pumpkin, peeled, chopped in chunks

• 3-4 water chestnuts, peeled and halved

• 2 slices raw papaya, grated

• 1 lemon juice extracted

• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

• 1 tbsp. kootu or singhara powder

• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds

• salt to taste

• 3-4 tbsp. oil

• 1 cup coconut grated

• 3-4 green chilies

• 1/2 cup coriander leaves

• 1/4 cup curry leaves

• 1" piece ginger

• 4 black peppercorns

• 2 small cardamoms  

Steps:

1. Peel And grate papaya with coarse grater.

2. Sprinkle salt and lemon juice over it.

3. Keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.

5. Add cumin seeds, allow to splutter.

6. Add ground paste, bring to a boil.

7. Add all chopped chunky veggies, except papaya.

8. Add salt, kootu powder, stir and resume boiling.

9. Cover cooker with lid, allow for one whistle.

10. Once all steam is given out, open cooker.

11. Check to see that veggies are cooked but not at all mushy.

12. Further simmer for 2-3 minutes, or till gravy is thickened.

13. Pour into serving dish, garnish with fresh coriander.

14. Serve hot with kootu rotis, or boiled varai.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato, boiled, chopped

• 1 potato, boiled, chopped

• 1 cucumber, chopped

• 4-5 water chestnuts (singhara), boiled, peeled & chopped

• 1 cup fresh thick curds

• 1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped

• 1 small green chili finely chopped

• 1 tbsp. whole roasted peanuts

• 1/2 tsp. cumin seed powder

• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds whole

• salt to taste

• sugar to taste

• 1 tsp. oil

Steps:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanuts shelled, boiled

• 1/2 cup tender water chestnuts, boiled, peeled, halved

• 1/2 cup cucumber chopped

• 1/2 cup pineapple chopped

• 1/2 cup apple chopped

• 1/2 cup paneer (cottage cheese) chopped

• 1 tbsp. paneer grated

• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped

• 1 green chili crushed
  1/2" piece ginger crushed finely

• 2 tbsp. peeled watermelon seeds

• 10-12 puffed, roasted lotus seeds (makhanas)

• 1 1/2 lemon juice extracted

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder

• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder

• salt to taste

• 1 tsp. oil

Steps:

1. Steam pineapple pieces for 2-3 minutes, keep aside to cool.

2. Sprinkle apple pieces with ½ tsp. lemon juice, keep aside.

3. Lightly roast makhanas till aroma exudes. Keep aside.

4. Mix in a small bowl: oil, remaining lemon juice, salt, sugar, 1 tbsp. water.

5. Add ginger, chili, half coriander, pepper powder, mix thoroughly.

6. In a large salad bowl, mix drained pineapple, apple, paneer pieces, Cucumber, water chestnuts, peanuts.

7. Chill in refrigerator till required.

8. 10 minutes before serving, add lotus seeds, watermelon seeds, mix well.

9. Drizzle prepared dressing, toss very well with wooden fork till blended.

10. Garnish with grated paneer and remaining coriander.

11. Serve chilled.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kootu flour

• 1 tbsp singhara flour

• 1 tsp. arrowroot flour

• 1 tbsp. hot oil

• 3-4 pinches turmeric powder

• salt to taste

• water

For Filling

• 3 potatoes, boiled & mashed

• 3 green chilies finely chopped

• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped

• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

• 1 tbsp curry leaves finely chopped

• Juice from 1 lemon

• salt to taste

• 1 tbsp. oil

Other ingredients

• Oil to deep fry

Steps: