A Vrat Thali basically includes food items for the devotees who keep fast. As during the fast it is compulsory to eat only Satvik food, there are limited options available for the fast-observers. However, nowadays cookery experts have come up with extremely scrumptious recipes out of these limited options. Here executive chef Rakesh Prasad from The Surya hotel presents few Navrati special recipes.

Mashed potato stuffed kuttu parantha

Taste: Salty

Kuttu Paratha is usually prepared on the auspicious occasion of Navratri. It is quiet filling and tasty as well. Many people call it is ‘vrat ka aata’. Mashed potato stuffed kuttu parantha is a recipe which can be eaten during fasts which is quick to make but do requires little practice.

Ingredients:

2 cups of buckwheat (kuttu)

I tablespoon of sendha namak( rock salt)

2 boiled and mashed potatoes

½ teaspoons of ginger

Pure ghee to fry

Method:

Step 1: Mix boiled potatoes, finely chopped ginger, raisins (kismiss) and cumin powder in whole wheat flour. Then add chopped coriander and green chillies.

Step 2: Add water to make soft dough. Keep this dough for half an hour.  Now roll out small balls out of the dough. Flatten to the size of normal parantha.

Step 3: Place the partha on preheated griddle.

Step 4: Sprinkle little ghee surrounding the paratha. After some time reverse the side of paratha. Do it when the lower side of the paratha seems to be cooked well.

Step 5: Sprinkle little ghee and again cook well.

Step 6: Cook till it is well done.

Step 7: Hot Paratha is ready. Served it with Kofta in pumpkin curry.

Samak ke pulao

Taste: Salty

If you are keen to bring renovation in Navratri food, try this recipe. Samak ka pulao is an easy cooking recipe and it doesn’t require much of time and energy.

Ingredients:

30 gm ghee

3 cups of water

2 small cardamoms

2 teaspoons of sendha salt

50 gm dry fruits (almonds, cashew and raisin)

1 teaspoon of (cumin) jeera

Slices of a big potato

3 bay leaves

1 small piece of cinnamon

Finely chopped green coriander leaves for garnishing

125 gm samak rice

Method:

Step 1: Put oil in a deep frying pan and heat well.

Step 2: Add cinnamon, cumin, bay leaves and cardamoms, fry well.

Step 3: Mix dry fruits with it until it turns light brown. Then add potato and rice.

Step 4: Stir well. After 4-5 minutes, add salt, green chilli and water. Cook it for sometimes.

Step 5: Cover the lid. Cook it on low flame for 15 minutes till the water is reduced and rice is fully boiled.

Step 6: Garnish it with green coriander leaves and serve it with peanut raita.

Peanut raita:

It is a super quick and delicious dish. This chilling Raita recipe is perfect to beat the heat in sultry summer.

Ingredients:

100 gm roasted and fried peanuts

Beaten curd

Broiled cumin powder

Chopped coriander

Sandha salt

Method:

Step 1: Mix all these aforesaid ingredients except coriander leaves in a bowl. Then garnish the mixture with chopped coriander leaves. Peanut raita is ready to be served.

Mewe, mawe and makhane ki kheer

Taste: Sweet

Makhanas are puffed lotus seeds, just like pop corns are puffed corn kernels. Mewe, mawe and makhane ki kheer is a sweet dish recipe cooked in sweetened or flavoured milk. Devour this creamy and unique kheer recipe as a delicious dessert in this festive season.

Ingredients:

1 liter full cream milk

2 table spoons of pure ghee

50 gm makhana(fox nuts)

½ cup sugar

4 small cardamoms

50 gm finely chopped almonds

30 gm mewe((raisins and cashew nuts),

50 gm khoya (Dried whole milk)

4-5 persons

Method:

Step 1: Heat ghee in a pan. Add makhana and sauté them well on low flame.

Step 2: Let it be cool. Then press them between your palms to crush.

Step 3: Place a deep pan on heat. Pour milk and crushed makhana in it.

Step 4: When the mixture to a boil and rises lower the flame. Stir the mixture and cook it on low flame till the milk is thickened.

Step 5: Add sugar, khoya, crushed cardamom, and dry fruits. Simmer the mixture until the sugar melts.

Step 6: Cook it for 10-15 minutes. Then take it off from flame. Cool it. Then decorate it with almond and serve.

Tandoori tulsi malai paneer

Type: Veg

Taste: Mild spicy

If you are keen to bring renovation in Navratri food try this recipe. Tandoori tulsi malai paneer
Is a healthy and easy to cook dish. Devour this yummy recipe in this festive sason.

Ingredients:

500 gm paneer

Sendha salt (Rock salt) according to taste

½ teaspoon of green chilli paste

1and half spoon of ginger paste

½ teaspoon of crushed basil leaves

1 teaspoon of cumin powder (jeera)

1 lemon

¼ teaspoon of sugar

60 ml fresh cream

1 tablespoon of coriander leaves

Pure ghee

Method:

Step 1: Slice paneer in big cubes. Make a paste by crushing all other ingredients.

Step 2: Apply the mixture on paneer and marinate them for half an hour.

Step 3: Heat ghee on a griddle and slightly fry the paneer cubes from both sides.

Step 4: Serve hot with pudina chutney.

Pudina chutney:

Ingredients:

100 gm pudina

50 gm chopped coriander

20 gm ginger

15 gm sendha namak

Blend 10 gm sugar and 1 lemon together. You can have this chutney with Sendha til aloo also.

 

Sendha til aloo filled with khoya and dried fruits

Taste: sweet and salty

It is the authentic saatvik cuisines from North India. It is easy to cook and it’s good for health during fasts.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon Dried whole milk

2 teaspoon cashew

2 teaspoon almonds

2 teaspoon raisins

4 big oval shaped potatoes

2 teaspoon cumin powder

50 gms sesame seeds

30 gms cottage cheese

½ teaspoon green chili

½ teaspoon rock salt

Pure ghee for frying

2 tablespoon water chestnut flour

Method: 

Step 1: Peel the potatoes and cut it in half.

Step 2: Take a potato pulp and keep it aside.

Step 3: Now pour potatoes shell in the boiled water for some times, now take it and keep it aside.

Step 4: Heat ghee in one pan, now sauté potatoes shell and pulp till its turn golden brown.

Step 5: Now take another pan and heat the ghee with roasting Cumin powder, cashew and almonds pieces in it.

Step 6: Roast it before adding cottage cheese, dried whole milk, and fried potatoes scoops. Stir well before adding salt, green chili and raisins in it, now take off it on the flame.

Step 7: Now filled this stuffing’s in fried potatoes scoops.

Step 8: Make a liquid solution of water chestnut flour and add salt in it.

Step 9: Now dip stuffed potatoes in this and wrap it in sesame seeds, now you can fry it till its turn golden brown.

Step 10: Now you can serve it hot with date chutney.

Note: If you do not like sweet in taste then you can exclude dried whole milk from its stuffing.

 

ChhuharaKI Chutney

Taste: sweet and tangy

This is a delightful recipe for the traditional Indian side dish. It is usually served with dishes which specially made during Navratra but its sweet, spicy and exotic flavors make it a wonderful spread.

Ingredients:

100 gms dry dates soaked in water

50 gms chopped tomatoes

15 gms jaggery 10 gm sugar

5 gms cumin seeds

2 whole red chili

 10 gms chopped ginger and 10 gm rock salt

Method:

Step 1: Take a pan and heat ghee in this.

Step 2: Put cumin and red chili in hot pan.

Step 3: Now cook it for 10-15 minutes after adding soaked dried dates, ginger and tomatoes.

Step 4: Lastly just stir after adding sugar, jaggery and salt in it.

Step 5: Now take off the pan from the flame and keep it for cooling. Now you can serve it.

Note: Try it with cream cheese and crackers for a special snack!

Kaaju, Makahana and Paneer

Taste:

Kaaju, makhana and paneer is specially made during Navratra fasts and it is healthy for those who always keep fasting.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon foxnut

50 gms cashew paste (Boiled and smashed)

2 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon ginger chopped in long and thin pieces

2 teaspoon chopped coriander

Red chili powder 1 teaspoon or according to your taste

50 gm chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon black pepper powder

½ cup fresh cream

Rock salt according to your taste

Pure ghee

Method:

Step 1: Take a pan and heat pure ghee in it.

Step 2: Cook it for few minute after adding tomato, salt, ginger pest, red chili and black pepper powder.

Step 3: Cook it again for 5 minute after adding cashew paste and one cup water.

Step 4: fried foxnut and soaked it into the water now cook it after mixing it in gravy.

Step 5: Now you can serve this after sprinkling the fresh cream and green coriander.

Banana Kofta in Pumpkin Curry 

Taste: Salty

Banana kofta and pumpkin curry is the best dish during fasting. It is easy to cook also.

Ingredients:

4 raw bananas

1 potato (boiled, peeled and smashed)

½ teaspoon chopped green chili

½ teaspoon chopped green coriander

10 gms roasted and grated cumin seeds

1tablespoon raisin

½ teaspoon ginger

Rock salt according to your taste

Pure Ghee

For curry:

3 tablespoon pure ghee

1 tablespoon sugar according to your taste

Rock salt

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¾ kg boiled and mashed sugar apple

½ teaspoon black pepper powder

3 chopped red chilies

Method:

Step 1: Peeled banana after boiling it. Mashed boiled banana and mix well after adding ginger, green chilies, cumin and salt in this.

Step 2: Make a small balls from this mixture. Fry it till its turn golden brown and keep it aside.

Step 3: Heat pure ghee in the pan. Stir well after adding cumin seeds and red chilies in this.

Step 4: Add sugar apple and cook it well. Lastly, add koftas pieces and keep it for cooking on low flame.

Step 5: Now you can serve it hot after garnishing Green coriander leaves on this.

Note: You can also add custard apple in this so that you can find new taste in your fasting period. 

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