This navratri, don the chef’s hat

It’s time for Navratri, one of the most-cherished Hindu festivals — a time for worship, celebration, fasting, and spiritual development

It’s time for Navratri, one of the most-cherished Hindu festivals — a time for worship, celebration, fasting, and spiritual development. So, we bring you some quick and easy recipes to try out while fasting:

These recipes can be tried out while fasting (Photos: HT/Instagram)

Sabudana Chivda

INGREDIENTS

½ cup sabudana pearls, ¼ cup peanuts, ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup cashews, 1 green chili (chopped), ½ tsp powdered sugar, rock salt (as required), oil (for deep frying)

METHOD

- Heat oil for deep frying. Place a metal frying strainer with 2 to 3 tbsp sabudana pearls in the oil till they puff up.

- Fry raw peanuts till they change colour and become crunchy. Fry cashews and raisins as well. Drain them on paper napkins.

- Add rock salt, powdered sugar and chopped chili and mix well.

By Naveen Pethkar, food blogger

Sabudana chivda

Apple Halwa

1 kg apple (chopped), 5 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp ghee, 2 tbsp water, 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 10 almonds and cashews each (chopped)

METHOD

- Heat a heavy pan on medium-low. Add ghee. Add the chopped apples.

- Mix it with the ghee and saute the apples on medium-low flame for 5-6 minutes. Add 2 tbsp water. Mix again.

- Cover the pan and cook for 12-15 minutes till all the apples become mushy. Stir at intervals.

- Mash the cooked apples and keep stirring. Add sugar and mix well.

- Cook for 9-10 minutes on medium-low heat. Add cinnamon powder, vanilla extract, chopped nuts. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

By Sukriti Kak, food content curator

Apple halwa

Arbi Kofta

INGREDIENTS

500gm arbi, 8 tbsp kuttu ka atta, 1 tsp jeera,

3 green chilies (chopped), ½ inch ginger (chopped), sendha namak (to taste), oil (to shallow fry)

METHOD

- Boil the arbi till soft. Peel and mash them.

- Combine the mashed arbi with jeera, green chilies, ginger, and sendha namak. Add kuttu ka atta and mix well.

- Form cylindrical discs out of the mixture. Shallow fry on pan from both sides.

By Niloufer S, food blogger

Arbi kofta

Makhane Ki Kheer

INGREDIENTS

1 cup phool makhana, 2 cup whole milk, 3-4 green cardamom (powdered), 10-12 each cashews and almonds (blanched and sliced), 1 tbsp golden raisins, 3.5 to 4 tbsp sugar, 1 pinch saffron, 2-3 tsp ghee

METHOD

- Heat ghee in a pan. Add the phool makhana and nuts.

- Roast them till the makhanas become crunchy and nuts golden. Stir often while roasting.

- Remove in a plate and keep aside.

- Heat milk in a pan on medium-low heat. Stir at intervals so that the milk does not scorch from the bottom.

- Reserve ⅓ cup roasted makhana and add the remaining in a blender. Add cardamom and saffron strands. Blend to a fine powder.

- When the milk comes to a boil, add sugar, ground makhana, and reserved makhana. Mix well.

- Simmer for 9-10 minutes on medium heat.

- Add golden nuts and raisins. Stir and simmer the kheer for a minute.

By chef Amit Goyal, Babaji Da Kitchen

Makhane ki kheer