Navratri Essentials

India celebrates every Hindu festival with a lot of rituals and observations. Navratri being one of the major auspicious periods according to Hindu calendar has a series of essentials associated. Starting from recipes, bhajan, vrat katha, mantras, wishes and much more will be featured in the article.

The sweet and unique delicacies straight from the best cooks. Go through these awesome recipes and celebrate Navratri.

Kuttu Ka Dosa: Recipe by Chef Niru Gupta

A crisp Kuttu Dosa Recipe. Potato filled dosa, the batter of which is made of buckwheat flour and colocasia.

Ingredients:

For the Potato Filling:

3 potatoes – boiled
Ghee – for frying
Salt – to taste (use sendhanamak if fasting)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp chopped ginger

For the Dosa:

5 Tbsp buckwheat flour (kuttu)
2 Tbsp boiled arbi (colocasia)
Salt – to taste
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped green chillies
Ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp chopped green chillies
Ajwain

Method:

For the Potato Filling:

Heat ghee in a pan, crush the potatoes into it and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Toss the potato mixture around for a few minutes till it becomes light brown in colour.
Take it out and keep aside.

For the Dosa:

In a bowl, mash the arbi and mix it with the flour and salt.
Add some water and mix well.
Add the ajwain, red chilli powder, ginger and green chillies and mix again.
Keep adding water and stirring in one direction till the batter turns into a smooth flowing consistency.
Heat a flat pan, dab a bit of ghee on it, pour a ladle of the batter and spread it.
Cook for a few minutes and spread more ghee around the edges to make it crisp.
Then flip it over and cook the other side.
Now put some filling on top and fold the dosa over it.
Serve hot with mint and coconut chutney.

Vratwala Chawal Dhokla: Recipe by Chef Niru Gupta

Who doesn’t love a spongey, tangy dhokla served with fresh chutney? If you fancy a Gujarati snack, it doesn’t beat this dhokla tempered with whole red chillies, cumin, ghee and curry leaves. What’s so special about this recipe, you ask? This fermented version is in fact made with samwat chaawal, a rice used only during Navratri.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup samwatkechawal
1 cup sour yogurt
1 tsp ginger paste
Green chillies paste to taste
1 tsp sendhanamak (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.

Sabudana Vadas

Ingredients:

1 cup of sago seeds. Wash, drain and let them soak in little water over night
1 medium size potato
A handful of peanuts, roasted and crushed
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1tsp red chillies
Half tsp amchoor 

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