In India, the festive season officially begins with Navratri. Everyone is looking forward to getting ready for the nine-day tradition as well as spending time with their loved ones while fasting together. But what makes the occasion even more special is the indigenous food prepared specifically for those who are fasting in order to invoke the spirit of the mother goddess and purify their bodies and minds. While the lavish spreads may be replaced with light and healthy dishes, it does not mean that it cannot be an extravagant affair!
Keeping the spirit high this year, Chef Sahil Arora, Executive Chef at Hyatt Regency Dehradun - the heart of the hills brings a plethora of recipes to relish Navratri.
Indulge-in these sumptuous, easy-to-cook recipes, straight from the kitchens of Hyatt Regency Dehradun, to stay energized while you fast.
Shakarkand ki Tikki
Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes (shakarkand) , boiled, peeled and mashed 2 cups
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons
Rock salt to taste
Ginger green chili paste 1 teaspoon
Roasted peanut powder 1/4 cup
Boiled potato for coating
Ghee for shallow frying
Fresh coriander sprigs for garnishing
Green chutney to serve
Method
Step 1
Take sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl, add coriander leaves, rock salt, ginger-green chilli paste, peanut powder, and arrowroot powder and mix well
Step 2
Spread some arrowroot powder on a plate
Step 3
Grease your palms with a little ghee, divide the mixture into equal portions, shape them into round tikkis . Keep these tikkis on a plate
Step 4
Heat some ghee in a non-stick pan, place the tikkis in it and shallow-fry, turning sides, till they are evenly golden brown and crisp on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper
Step 5
Arrange them on a serving platter, garnish with coriander sprigs and serve hot with sweet yogurt and green chutney.
Sabudana Khichdi
Ingredients
o Sago 1 1/2 cups
o Peanuts 1/4 cup
o Green chilies 4-5
o Potato 1 medium
o Ghee 3 tablespoons
o Curry leaves 1-2 sprigs
o Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
o Salt to taste
o Lemon juice 1 teaspoon
o Fresh coconut scraped 2 tablespoons
o Fresh coriander leaves a few sprigs
Method
Step 1
Wash sabudana two to three times and then soak in one-cup water for three to four hours. Sabudana grains should be separate and moist. Roast peanuts on a hot griddle, peel off the skin and then grind coarsely.
Step 2
Wash green chillies, remove stems and then chop finely. Peel and wash the potato and cut into half cm. cubes. Wash and chop coriander leaves.
Step 3
Heat ghee in a pan, add curry leaves, cumin seeds and chopped green chilies. When cumin seeds crackle add the potato cubes.
Step 4
Cook till the potatoes are done. Add sabudana, scraped coconut and ground peanuts, sauté for four to five minutes, stirring well.
Step 5
Sprinkle a little water, add salt and lime juice. Mix well. Remove from heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.
Step 6
Serve hot.
Sabudana Vada
Ingredients
o Sago (sabudana), soaked 1 1/2 cups
o Chutney
o Scraped coconut 1/2 cup
o Coriander leaves 1/2 cup
o Green chili 1
o Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
o Roasted peanuts 2 tablespoons
o Salt to taste
o Sweetened Yogurt
o Yogurt, chilled 1/2 cup
o Powdered sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons
o Salt a pinch
o Vada
o Potatoes,, boiled, peeled and mashed 3 medium
o Ginger-green chili paste 2 teaspoons
o Salt to taste
o Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
o Roasted and crushed peanuts 3/4 cup
o Lemon 1/2
o Oil to deep fry
Method
Step 1
To make the chutney - Put coconut in a mixer jar, add coriander leaves, green chili, cumin seeds, roasted peanuts, salt and ¼ cup water and grind to a fine paste.
Step 2
To make sweetened yogurt - Take yogurt in a bowl. Add powdered sugar and salt and mix well.
Step 3
To make the vada mixture - Take soaked sago in a large plate. Add potatoes, ginger-green chili paste, salt, cumin seeds, peanuts and squeeze the juice of lemon and mix till well combined.
Step 4
Grease your palms with oil, take a portion of the vada mixture, shape it into a ball and slightly flatten it to shape like a vada
Step 5
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai
Kuttu Ka Dosa
Ingredients
o Milk 1 Liter
o Makhana (puffed lotus seeds) 1/4 cup
o Sugar 2 tbsp.
o Pistachios, chopped 2 tsp
o Almonds, chopped 2 tsp
o Green cardamom powder (optional) 1 tsp
Method
Step 1
In a deep vessel, pour in the milk, break the makhanas into smaller pieces, add them to the milk and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours without covering, till the milk boils down and the seeds are soft.
Step 2
Add the sugar and stir for a few minutes.
Step 3
Add the pistachios, almonds and cardamom powder, stir well again.
Step 4
Serve hot or cold, as you like.
Aloo Ki Kadhi
Ingredients
Method
Step 1
Mix the potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, chili powder and singhare ka atta into a thick batter.
Step 2
Put aside 1/4 of the mixture and the rest will be made into pakoris.
Step 3
Heat oil until a drop of batter dropped in comes up at once.
Step 4
Drop spoonfuls into oil, lower the flame and fry to a golden color.
Step 5
Drain on an absorbent paper and keep aside.
Step 6
Add the yogurt to the remaining mixture, make a smooth paste and mix in water
Step 7
In a heavy-based pan, reheat 2 tbsp. of the same oil, add curry leaves, cumin seeds and whole red chilies.
Step 8
When slightly darkened, add ginger and sauté a little.
Step 9
Add the yogurt mixture, salt and coriander powder and bring to a boil and then simmer over low flame till it thickens a bit; stirring frequently to avoid scorching.
Step 10
Add the pakoris, simmer a couple of minutes more and serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.
