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The Navratri (nine nights) festival which marks the onset of autumn is celebrated in different ways all over the country. It is a festival of worship, dance and music and is celebrated from the first to ninth date of Ashwin Shukla Paksha of the Hindu Calendar for the worship of Goddess Durga. North Indians celebrate the 9 days of Navratri watching the annual Ramlila performances under the post-monsoon skies full of twinkling stars. For 9 days, women wear their best saris and beautiful jewellery, and attend late night cultural programmes of music and dance. Coconut laddoos, payash, bundi sweets are typical Navratra food preparations.
KHUSKHUS ALOO RECIPE
Ingredients:
6 potatoes, peeled, cubed
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Cut coriander leaves
3 dry red chillies
2 tbsp khuskhus roasted
3 tblsp oil
1/2 cup water
How to make khuskhus aloo :
Grind the roasted khuskhsu along with the green chillies and a few tblsp of water to a very fine paste.
Keep aside.
Heat up half of the oil in a pot for 2 minute till very hot.
Shallow fry the potatoes in batches on medium heat up till they are lightly browned.
Heat up the remaining oil in the same pan.
Mix in the whole dry red chillies and turmeric powder.
Fry briefly.
Now mix in the khuskhus paste and fry again on low heat up for 5 minutes till the oil has left the sides of the pan.
Mix in the fried potatoes and mix well.
Mix in water and salt.
Stir, cover and keep on low heat up for 15 minutes till the potatoes are soft.
Decorate with cut fresh coriander.
Serve hot.
Ingredients:
1 big size potato diced in small pieces
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup samwat rice
2 tbsp ghee
2 cloves
2 tsp rock salt (kala namak)
2 green cardamom
a tiny piece of cinnamon
green coriander to garnish
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3 cup water
Heat up ghee in a pot.
Mix in cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
When they give off fragrance, mix in potato and rice.
Stir-fry to a light brown color.
Mix in rock salt, chilli powder and water and boil.
Cover the pot and let it simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) on low flame for about 15 minutes.
Decorate with green coriander.
Serve hot.
BANANA CHIPS RECIPE
oil for deep frying
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt according to taste
5-6 raw bananas
How to make banana chips :
Take off and put bananas in plenty of salted iced water.
Slice bananas with a chip slicer into water, mix in in turmeric.
Keep for 10 minutes, remove out water fully.
Spread out on a kitchen cloth to take off moisture.
Heat up oil in a wok till smoky.
Fry banana slices in one-layer batches for a minute or two or until crisp.
Lift chips out with slotted spoon and remove on paper towels.
Sprinkle with salt before serving.
ARBI FRIED RECIPE
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp ajwain
chilli powder to taste
rock salt to taste
2-3 green chillies
a pinch of mango powder
1/2 kg arbi
1/4 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp ginger
How to make arbi fried :
Boil the arbi.
Cool, take off and slice each into two.
Heat up the oil and fry the cut arbi till slightly browned.
Mix in 1 tbsp oil and heat up in a wok.
Meanwhile make a paste of ginger and green chillies.
Mix in the paste to the heated oil and stir fry for a few minutes.
Mix in the fried arbi and stir fry on a slow fire.
Simultaneously mix in salt, coriander powder, mango powder, ajwain and mix well.
ALOO MEWAWALE RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 tblsp ginger-garlic paste
salt to taste
12 medium potatoes, peeled
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup coriander leaves, cut
4 tbsps. cream
1 tblsp chilli powder
1 tblsp sugar
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup mixed almonds and pistachios, coarsely ground
3 tomatoes pureed
4 onions, chopped, ground
1 tsp turmeric powder
How to make aloo mewawale :
Bore a hole into each potato.
Stuff with nuts mixed with salt and a few coriander leaves.
Close with potato pieces.
Heat up oil and fry 2 or 3 potatoes at a time till browned.
Remove and reserve.
In the same oil, put in cumin seeds.
When they pop, mix in onion paste and fry till brown.
Then mix in powdered spices, tomato and ginger-garlic paste.
Fry till oil separates from the paste, mix in potatoes and one and a half cup of hot water.
Simmer, adding cream, salt and sugar till potatoes are cooked and the gravy is well blended.
MALAIWALE KOFTE RECIPE
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mixed nuts, coarsely ground
5 green chillies, cut finely
oil as needed
1/2 cup grated coconut
5 potatoes, boiled, peeled, mashed
salt and sugar
1/2 cup coriander leaves, cut
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
For the gravy:
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 cup cream
3 tomatoes pureed
Salt to taste
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp sugar
3 cup curd
1 tsp turmeric powder
How to make malaiwale kofte :
Make lemon-sized balls out of the mashed potatoes.
If the potato mash is soft, mix in bread slices dipped in water (squeeze out all water) to the mash and knead well. Prepare stuffing by mixing coconut, dry nuts, chillies, coriander leaves, salt and sugar to taste.
Flatten each potato ball, put in a small quantity of this stuffing and fold around.
Roll each ball in breadcrumbs.
When all koftas are ready, deep fry them carefully in hot oil.
Remove and reserve.
Heat up 4 tbsps.
Oil in a fresh pan, mix in cumin seeds, powdered spices, then tomato puree and curd.
Fry till blended.
Mix in sugar, salt, cream and simmer.
Drop in the koftas and serve decorated with a little cream and coriander leaves.
VRAT KE CHAWAL RECIPE
Ingredients:
2 cloves
3 cup water
2 cardamoms
30 gm ghee
2 tsp kala namak
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
125 gms samwat ke chaawal
coriander leaves for garnishing
1 big size potato, diced
cinnamon stick, tiny piece
Heat up ghee, mix in cumin seeds, cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon.
When slightly coloured, mix in potato and rice.
Stir-fry till they look a bit fried.
Mix in salt, chilli powder and water, and bring to a boil.
Lower the flame and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or till cooked through and the water is absorbed.
Decorate with corinder leaves and serve hot.
SUKHI ARBI RECIPE
Ingredients:
5-6 boiled sweet potato
2-3 green chilies
1/2 tsp mango powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
kadi pata
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste
How to make sukhi arbi :
Put oil in a pan.
Heat up the oil and mix in kadi pata, green chillies and red chilly powder and mix it well.
Now mix in the boiled sweet potatoes cut in small cubes and fry the sweet potatoes in the pan.
When the sweet potatoes are half cooked mix in salt and mango powder.
Mix well.
When the sweet potatoes look little crispy and golden brown turn the gas off.
SUKHA ALOO RECIPE
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp mango powder
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste
kadi pata
5-6 boiled potatoes
2-3 green chilies
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
How to make sukha aloo :
Put oil in a pan.
Heat up the oil and mix in kadi pata, green chilies and red chilly powder and mix it well.
Now mix in the boiled potatoes cut in small cubes and fry the potatoes in the pan.
When the potatoes are half cooked mix in salt and mango powder.
Mix well.
When the potatoes look little crispy and golden brown turn the gas off.
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp mango powder
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste
kadi pata
5-6 boiled potatoes
2-3 green chilies
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
How to make sukha aloo :
Put oil in a pan.
Heat up the oil and mix in kadi pata, green chilies and red chilly powder and mix it well.
Now mix in the boiled potatoes cut in small cubes and fry the potatoes in the pan.
When the potatoes are half cooked mix in salt and mango powder.
Mix well.
When the potatoes look little crispy and golden brown turn the gas off.
SINGHARE KE PAKORE RECIPE
Ingredients:
mango powder
1/2 cup chestnut flour
10-12 small squares of pumpkin
oil for frying
2 potatoes, cut into thin round slices
11/2 tsp salt
How to make singhare ke pakore :
Mix the flour and salt.
Then slowly mix in water to make a smooth paste.
Dip the slices of potatoes and pumpkin in this paste, one by one.
Heat up oil in a deep frying pan.
Deep fry the potatoe and pumpkin slices in the oil.
Sprinkle with some chaat masala or amchur powder and serve immdediately.
SABUDANA PURI RECIPE
Ingredients:
1/4 kg Sabudana (Sago)
4-5 boiled potatoes
2 green chilies
1/4 tsp Red chilly powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
How to make rajgiri puri :
Soak the sabudana in about 1/2 glass of water for an hour. Boil 4-5 potatoes, peel it and mash it.
Now take the soaked sabudana and add the mashed potatoes, green chilies, salt to taste and little red chilly powder and mix this mixture well. Then take a drop of oil on your palms and make small round balls of this mixture and keep it aside.
Put 1/4 litre of oil in a kadai and heat the oil. When the oil becomes hot add the small balls prepared earlier in the oil and fry it till golden brown. Remove the balls from the frying pan once they are golden brown and place it on a tissue paper so that the extra oil is soaked by the tissue.
KOTU ALOO PAKORA RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 cup kotu ka atta (buckwheat up flour)
1/4 cup finely cut coriander leaves
1/2 tbsp black pepper powder
ghee or vegetable oil for frying
3 medium sized potatoes (boiled whole till half-cooked)
1/2 tsp sendha namak (rock salt) or to taste
How to make kotu aloo pakora :
Combine the flour, salt, pepper and coriander in round dish and mix well.
Mix in water and cream into a smooth batter.
Cream the batter until it is of cream consistency.
Cover and keep aside for about 20 minutes.
When the potatoes are cool enough, take off and slice each one into diagonal slices.
Heat up enough ghee or oil for deep-frying in a kadhai over moderate heat.
Put few slices of potato into the batter and cover them completely.
One at a time, lower each slice of batter-coated potato into the hot oil.
Fry as many slices as will float on the surface of the oil without touching.
Fry on both sides until reddish gray and crisp.
Serve hot as the fitters soften as they cool.