Navigating Navratri: Understanding Food Restrictions and Substitutes
D
uring Navratri, certain food restrictions must be followed, including allowing some ingredients while disallowing others, using only rock salt for seasoning and avoiding wheat flour, and utilizing substitutes like Kuttu atta to prepare delicious meals that comply with Navratri's food restrictions.
So, here are some delicacies selected by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel iamp; Spa, to make your fasting delicious.
KUTTE MUDDE
Ingredients
Kuttu flour
Desi Ghee
Sendha namak
Water
Method
Heat water in a pan. Add salt and ghee and bring the water to a boil.
Add Kuttu flour and cover the pan with a lid. Do not stir at this point. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and mix well to make a smooth mixture. Again, put the pan back on the
heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Take out the mixture in a bowl and let it cool slightly.
Wet your palms and make small rounds from the mixture.
Deep fry the mixture balls till golden brown. Serve hot with curry of your liking.
KUTTU PARATHA
Ingredients
Kuttu flour
Desi Ghee
Ajwain (carom seeds)
Small green chilli chopped
Sendha namak
Method
In a bowl put Kuttu flour. Add green chilli, red chilli powder, Sendha salt and ajwain and knead properly.
Add water gradually while kneading so that the dough is not very runny.
For kneading tight dough try using the palm. Once it's almost done, add desi ghee. Let it rest for at least 10 mins.
Take ball size dough and roll it on the rolling pin. Dust it with some flour while doing this, and gently remove it to place it on hot tawa. Make as you make paratha, once done serve hot, with curd.
SAMAK RICE PORRIDGE
Ingredients
Samak rice
Milk
Jaggery
Method
Heat a pan with water over a medium flame and add jaggery powder to it. Bring them to a boil until the jaggery melts completely.
Once done, add Samak rice to the pan and keep stirring. Make sure no lumps are formed.
Add milk as required and cook until the porridge achieves a thick consistency.
Turn off the flame and remove the pan from the flame. Allow the porridge to cool down and serve with some nuts on top.
PISTA LAUJ
Ingredients
Pistachios
Sugar
Cardamom powder
Green food colour (optional)
Method
Soak pistachios in warm water for 30 mins.
Drain all water, peel the pistachio and blend it in a mixture for a fine paste.
Take a broad non-stick pan, and cook sugar and 1/2 cup water on medium flame till the syrup is string consistency, stir continuously to avoid burning.
Add Pista paste to it and continuously mix for 5-7 mins on low flame till the mixture leaves on the sides of the pan. Add 2-3 drops of green edible food colour as per your liking.
Transfer the mixture to a plate. Grease it properly to avoid sticking. Spread the mixture evenly using a spoon. Keep for an hour to set.
Cut in equal square pieces.
Serve or store at room temperature in an air-tight container.
Amaranth and Peas Vada, White pea salad
On this auspicious occasion of Navratri, we are going to make a fasting dish. We will make a delicious dish on the plate with little ghee the dish is called Amaranth and Peas Vada, A White pea salad by Chef Tarun Sibal.
Ingredients
1 cup Amaranth seeds
2 cups water
1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 large potato, boiled *
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup coriander leaves
2 green chillies, or as per the preference of heat
2 tbsp ghee, or any oil that has a high smoking point
1 Cup boiled white peas
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup kachumber (onions, tomatoes, chillies, with chat masala and lemon)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and add the amaranth and peas. Salt the stock if it is not already seasoned. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
In a food processor, roughly pulse the coriander leaves, walnuts and green chillies. You don't want to make a paste. Just hand-chop them if you so choose. Mix it with the amaranth, peas and potatoes.
Add salt, pepper and cumin seeds. Roll into equal size balls and slightly flatten them.
Heat the ghee until it's very hot and add the fritter to the pan. Let it sizzle and crisp up on one side and then flip them over. They take about a minute on each side.
Mix the warm white peas with kachumber, and add the butter.
Serve together.
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✔️ Navigating Navratri: Understanding Food Restrictions and Substitutes
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