Navratri special: Try these easy-to-make recipes at home 

Navratri is a festival of music, folk dance and fasting. Make these festivities grand by savoring some special upvas (fasting) dishes at home. Maharaj Ganga Singh from Rasotsav, Mumbai shares some easy-to-make unique recipes.

Sabudana khichdi (Sago)

Soaking time:  Four hours
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

For Sabudana Khichdi

1 cup Sago (Sabudana )
1 tsp Cumin seed (Jeera )
1 tbsp Ginger –Green chilli paste
1/4 cup  Roasted crushed peanuts
 Rock salt  (sendha namak ) to taste

1cup Boiled cube potato
1 tsp  Lemon juice 
 2 tsp  Oil  
3 tbsp  Peanuts ,
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
  
For Garnish
2 tbsp Chopped coriander 

Method:
Clean, wash and soak the sago in an adequate amount of water for at least four hours. Drain, spread on a thali and keep aside to dry for one hour. Heat ghee in a deep non-stick pan and add cumin seeds. Add ginger-green chilli paste, potato and cook for 30 seconds. Add the crushed peanuts and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the sago and rock salt and cook on a slow flame for four to five minutes, while stirring continuously. Ensure that sago doesn't form any lump. Add the lemon juice, mix well and cook on a slow flame for another two minutes. Serve it hot with curd.  

Kutu Puri Bhaji

Ingredients: For Aloo ki sabzi

2 cup boiled cube Aloo
1 tbsp Ghee 
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds  (Jeera ) 
1 Bavleaf  (tej patta )
2  Cloves  (laung)
25 mm (1”) sticks Cinnamon (dalchini)
1 t Red chilli   Powder  powder , refer handy tip
1 tsp Coriander – cumin seed powder 
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander  (dhania)

For The Kutu  Puris:

1 cup  Kuttu atta   (flour )
2 tbsp  Arrowroot (paniphal ) flour
1 tbsp hot melted ghee
Rock salat to taste
Ghee for deep-frying

Method:
For the aloo sabzi

Heat the ghee in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds. Add the bayleaf, cloves and cinnamon and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. Add coriander-cumin seed powder, mix well and cook on medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring continuously. Add the cube potatoes, rock salt and, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 6 to 7 minutes. Top with coriander and keep aside.
 

For the kutu  puris:

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and knead into a semi-stiff dough using enough water. Divide the dough into 15 to 16 equal portions and roll each portion into a 75 mm. (3”) diameter circle. Heat the ghee in a kadhai and deep-fry the puris a few at a time till they turn golden brown in colour from both sides. Serve hot kutu puris with hot aloo subzi.

Kesri Shrikhand

Ingredient:

1kg hung curd

300 grams Sugar powder

1grms saffron (kesar) strands

1tbs hot milk

½ tbs Elaichi powder

Granish:

1tbsp Chops pista

1tbsp chops badam (almond)

Method:

Hang the curd in a muslin clothin a cool place for three hours. Saffron warm milk until it dissolves. Mix together the hung curd, sugar, saffron mixture and elaichi powder. Mix it well. Serve the kesar elaichi shrikhand and garnish it with pista and badam flaks.