Devotees eagerly await Navratri, a nine-day festival during the Sharad Ritu according to the Hindu calendar. It's a time for dedicated fasting and seeking blessings from Goddess Durga. From October 15 to October 24, devotees abstain from grains, lentils, and non-vegetarian food as an act of penance and devotion. Despite these restrictions, there are numerous exciting and healthy food options available for those observing the fast.
Take a look at the recipes of Sama Rice Pulao, Kuttu Dosa & Rajgira Paratha that you can easily prepare at home and relish during Navratri fasting.
Sama Rice Pulao
Ingredients
40 gm sama rice, 20 gm sweet potato, 20 gm carrot, 10 gm pea, 20 gm cashew nuts and 1 tablespoon of ghee.
Method
Rinse the sama rice in water a few times and soak it in water for 20-30 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pressure cooker or a heavy-bottomed pot.
Add the cumin seeds. Add the diced sweet potato, carrot, and green peas. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the soaked and drained sama rice to the pot. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and rock salt to taste. Stir gently.
Close the lid of the pressure cooker or the pot and cook on medium heat until you hear two whistles in the pressure cooker or until the water comes to a boil and the rice is cooked through in the pot.Turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker or pot sit for 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a small pan. Add the cashew nuts and fry until golden brown.
Open the lid of the pressure cooker or pot and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Garnish with fried cashew nuts.
Tasty and healthy sama rice pulao with sweet potato, carrot, peas, and cashew nuts is ready to serve. Enjoy it hot with yoghurt or raita.
Kuttu Dosa
Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour or kuttu ata, 1/2 tsp rock salt, 2 green chillies, curry leaves, 1 tbsp peanuts, 2 tbsp coriander leaves, 1 cup grated coconut, 2 tbsp curd, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin seeds and chopped cashew nuts.
Method
Take buckwheat flour or kuttu ata in a bowl, add rock salt, water and stir it. Keep this batter aside.
Take a grinder. Put chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves, peanuts, curd, coconut and water and grind it to make a chutney.
Add a gheee tadka using cumin seeds and curry leaves into the chutney.
Srprinkle ghee on a dosa tawa, spread the batter, pour oil, add chopped cashwenuts and green chilies and make crispy delicious Kuttu dosas.
This dosa is equally nutritious as well and is a perfect recipe to make while Navratri, Shivratri or Janmashtami fastings.
Rajgira Paratha
Ingredients
1 cup rajgira (amaranth) flour, 1/4 cup boiled , peeled and mashed potatoes, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander, 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Rajgira (amaranth) flour for rolling and oil for cooking.
For serving with rajgira paratha, you can prepare green chutney and fresh curd.
Method
To make rajgira paratha, combine the rajgira flour, potatoes, pepper powder and salt in a bowl and knead into semi-soft dough using enough water.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll out a portion into a circle of 150 mm (6”) diameter, using a little rajgira flour for rolling.
Heat a non-stick tava (griddle) and cook the paratha, using a little oil, till it turns golden brown in colour from both sides.
Serve the yummy hot rajgira paratha with green chutney and fresh curd. These recipes are easy, delicious and nutritious and they will make your fasting period enjoyable.
