“Govinda aala re aala, zara matki sambhaal brijbala...”
Krishna Janmashtami, also known as Krishnashtami, Gokulashtami, Srikrishna Jayanti, Ashtami Rohini or Janmashtami is an annual festival that marks the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna.
This year the festival falls on August 11.
According to the Hindu calendar, the festival falls on Ashtami of Krishna Paksha of the dark fortnight in the month of Shravan.
Dahi Handi is another important aspect of this festival that is observed on the second day of Janmashtami.
As a kid, Lord Krishna was named 'Makhanchor' or the one who steals butter.
As per the Drik Panchanga, devotees who observe fast on Janmashtami, should have only single meal, a day before the main occasion.
Devotees take sankalpa to observe a day-long fast and to break it on the next day when both Rohini Nakshatra and Ashtami Tithi are over.
Sabudana Kheer
Ingredients: Sabudana (Sago), milk, sugar, cardamom powder and water.
Method:
Wash and soak Sago granules for 2-3 hours.
Add the soaked granules in boiling water and stir.
When cooked properly add milk, sugar and cardamom powder as required.
Serve the kheer hot and garnish it with dry fruits.
The kheer has a lot of starch and carbohydrates and is a great source to restore the energy during fasts.
Nariyal Laddoo
Ingredients: Fresh coconut grated, sugar, cardamom powder, yellow khoya/mewa
Method
Mix all the ingredients and cook them on a low flame for 15 minutes.
Check the mixture by rolling a little in your hand in a ball shape to see if it is cooked.
Take the mixture off the heat and let it cool under room temperature for five to ten minutes.
Grease your hand with a little ghee and shape the laddoos into round balls softly but firmly.
Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients: Potatoes, sugar, ghee and cardamom powder
Method:
Peel off potatoes’ skin and cut it in round slices.
Deep fry the slices in ghee and dip in sugar syrup. Sprinkle cardamom powder on it.
Serve the sweet chips once it is crispy.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamins and also help to balance the sugar level during fast.
Rajgira puri
Ingredients: Rajgira (Amaranth) flour, boiled potatoes, Ajwain (Carrom seeds), red chilli powder, salt, oil and water.
Method:
Assemble Rajgira flour, boiled potatoes, ajwain, red chilli powder and salt in a bowl.
Add water as required and knead soft dough. Cover the dough for 20 minutes.
Make small balls and using fingers and palm press down to make it small puris.
Deep fry the puris and serve it with tea, potato sabji or chutney.
Vrat Tikki
Ingredients: Sama/samvat popularly called as vrat ke chawal, boiled potatoes, green chilli, red chilli powder, water, salt and oil.
Method:
Steam Sama rice in a pressure cooker.
Assemble rice, boiled potatoes, red chilli powder, salt and green chilli and knead soft dough.
Make small tikki and deep fry the tikkis.
You can use the same ingredients and method and make medu vada by making a hole in the centre of the tikki. Serve it with chutney.
