Recipes to turn a fast into a feast

It is that time of the year when Goddess Durga is worshipped by all, people play garba and the  aroma of pure butter or desi ghee delicacies fill up the air. Navratri is one of the biggest Hindu festival, which is celebrated with much fervour. And how can any festival be complete with out scrumptious delicacies. Here are a few recipes that you can try this festive season.

Samak Upma

Ingredients:

• Samak / Sama chawal / bhagar - 1 cup soaked 20 min
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Peanuts raw - 2 tbsp
• Potato- 1
• Kaju - 1 tsp
• Nariyal - as per taste
• Green chillies - 2
• Curry Leaves (Kari patta) - 2
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Anardana - 1 tsp
• Cumin (jeera) 1 tsp
• Fresh green coriander- 2 tbsp
• Rock salt- 1 tsp (taste according)
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Black pepper - ½ tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Water - as required

Samak Upma

Procedure:

• Take a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of samak rice in it. Add about two cups of water and soak it for 20 minutes.
• Boil a litre of water, and add soaked millets and boil for 4-5 mins, stirring frequently. Cook 90 per cent, strain and keep aside.

For tadka

• Heat ghee, fry peanuts, raw aloo together until golden.
• Once half cooked, add 1 tbsp kaju and sliced coconut.
• Cook until golden, then add green chilli, curry leaf, ginger, anardana, cumin seeds, coriander leafs and stir.
• Add rock salt, boiled samak (kind of rice), sugar, lemon juice, pepper and stir, use water for upma like consistency. Cover and steam for 5 mins. For extra texture, dry roast makhana/foxnuts for 3-4 mins, crush and use to arnish and serve hot!

Tadka Aloo & Dosa for Vrat

Dosa

• Makhana - ¾ cup/1 cup
• Sama/millet: ¾ cup /1 cup
• Water: for soaking  
• Green chillies - 3
• Coriander: ¼ cup
• Curry leaves
• Rock salt: As per taste
• Black pepper: ½ tsp
• Ghee: 1 tsp

Tadka Aloo

• Ghee: 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Peanuts: 2 tbsp raw
• Curry leaves
• Green chilli: 1
• Fresh coriander: 1 tbsp
• Aloo: 2 boiled
• Tomato: 1
• Sendha namak: to taste
• Kalimirchi: ½tsp
• Amchoor powder: ½tsp
• Pani: 2-3 tbsp

Peanuts Dhaniya Vrat ki Chutney

• Dried  coconut - 1 tbsp
• Roasted Peanuts - 1 tbsp
• Tomato: 1 large
• Fresh coriander: 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves: 12-14 leaves
• 2 Green chillies
• Ginger: ½ inch
• Rock salt: 1tsp

Procedure:

Soak makhana and samak rice together for 20 minutes. Drain that, grind with chillies, coriander, curry leaf and sendha namak, pepper powder and 1 tsp ghee. Grind to smooth using minimal water.

For Tadka Aloo

• Heat 1 tbsp ghee, temper with cumin seeds, roast peanuts in low heat and add curry leaves, green chillies and coriander leaves.
• Stir fry 2 boiled potatoes, and one tomato together for 2 minutes. Then add rock salt, pepper powder, mango powder and roast spices, add water to adjust consistency

For Dosa

• Heat tawa, season with oil, then cool with water. Spread batter, and cook until crisp and golden. Can be made without oil!
• Roll dosa and serve hot with vrat peanut chutney.

For Chutney
Grind coconut, roasted peanuts, tomato, fresh coriander, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, rock salt to a fine chutney.

By Yaman Agarwal of Cooking Shooking

Methi Paratha with aloo Panchphoran

Ingredient
For the Methi paratha

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of chickpea flour ( Besan)
• 1 cups of chopped fresh methi
• 2 tsp of Kasuri methi
• 2 tsp of chilli powder
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp saunf ( anise ) roughly pounded
• Pinch asafoetida
• 1 tbsp oil ( for the dough )
• 1-2 tbsp oil for grilling
• Salt to taste
• Water to make the dough

Method

Mix together all ingredients (except oil for grilling ) and make a medium hard dough with the help of some water. Cover and keep aside for 15 mins before making the parathas. To make the parathas, divide  dough into 9- 10 pieces and roll out each with the help of some dry flour. Cook on a hot girdle with the help of some oil and serve .

For Aloo Panchphoran curry

• 600 gms potato
• 2 tbs oil (preferably mustard)
• 2 tsp Panchphoran
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp dry mango  powder
• 1 dry chilli (broken)
• ½ to 1 tbsp green chilli finely chopped
• 2 tsp ginger finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Method

Peel and chop the potatoes into 1 inch cubes. In a khadai heat the oil till medium hot and put in the Panchphoran. After the seeds crackle add the potatoes and salt and sauté . When the potatoes are almost done ( keep on stirring from time to time so they don’t stick )add the chilli,turmeric and the coriander powders. Keep on stirring till the spices are roasted. Add a sprinkle of water and stir. Add the green chilli , ginger and the dry mango powder. Toss well. Serve hot

For the Panchphoran mix

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp Nigella seeds
• 1½tsp fenugreek seeds

Method:
Mix together and store

Masala chickpea bake

Ingredients

• 12 pieces sandwich bread
• 5 cups boiled chickpeas
• 1 potato boiled and finely chopped
• 1 tomato chopped  
• 1 -2 tsp green chillies chopped
• 2 inch piece ginger chopped
• ¼ cup coriander chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Chana Masala
• 1 cup tomato purée
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp chilli sauce
• 2 cups cheese grated
• 3 tbsp butter  
• ½ cup of the chickpea
• Salt to taste

Method

• Roughly mash 1 cup of the chickpea. In a bowl mix the mashed chickpeas with the rest of the chickpeas, potatoes, tomato, onion, green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves, lemon juice, tomato purée, chana masala, the sauces, salt and the reserved chickpea cooking water. Mix well.
• Butter the bread pieces on both sides and cut off the crusts.
• In a baking dish spread 1/3 of the chickpea mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Next layer 4 pieces of bread. Again spread 1/3 of the chickpea mixture on top and sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese. Layer with another 4 pieces of bread and then the last of the chickpea mix. Sprinkle on 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Layer the final 4 pieces of bread and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for 20 mins. Serve hot

By Smita Dugar, Masterchef