Not just sundal evenings!

The festival of Navaratri is celebrated with a lot of vigour and passion. And when it comes to namma oooru, the one thing that is unavoidable is golu hopping during the evenings and munching on various varieties of sundals! 
However, sundal being standard fare which most families have already perfected (we hope so) — we put together some other interesting Navaratri food recipes that you can try at home. Those who love to gorge on delectable food should definitely try making these dishes shared by two prominent bloggers.

Palak Makhana

Ingredients: 
Spinach leaves (palak) — 300 grams 
2 tomatoes — diced
Lotus seeds — 1 cup
Cumin seeds — 1 tsp 
Garam masala powder — 1        tsp 
Red chilli powder — 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric powder — 1/2  tsp
Cinnamon stick — 1 
Milk — 2 tbsp 
Ghee — 1 tbsp
Salt — to taste 

Method:
Wash the spinach thoroughly under running water. Drain the water and cook the spinach in a pressure cooker with little bit of turmeric powder, cumin seeds and green chillies for two 
whistles.
Once the whistle is done let it cool down till the pressure comes out naturally. Blend it into a paste and keep it aside.
Roast the makhana (lotus seeds) with ghee on a flat bottomed non-stick pan. Remove the makhana and in the same pan add little bit of oil and temper cumin seeds and add the tomatoes. Cook until they loose all the fluids and add all the spice powders.
Add little water and simmer it for two minutes. Add the blended spinach 
mixture along with milk and simmer it for three minutes again.
Finally, add the makhana and bring it to a boil.
You can serve your creamy Palak Makhana with ajwain puri or jeera pulao to make a complete wholesome meal.

Sabudana Pulao

Ingredients: 
Sabudana (tapioca pearls) — 1 cup 
Finely chopped carrot — 1
Finely chopped green beans — 1/4 cup 
Green peas — 1/4 cup
Finely chopped green chilli — 1
Cloves, pounded — 2
Cardamom pods or seeds, pounded — 2
Bay leaves — 1
Boiled, peeled and sliced almonds — 2 tbsp
Toasted cashew nuts — 4-5
Salt to taste (rock salt)
Ghee required for cooking.

Method:
Soak the sabudana in water for about 4 to 6 hours. Then drain the water and keep it aside.
In the mean time, keep all the vegetables prepped and ready. Heat a heavy bottomed kadai with little bit of oil and add cardamom and clove and fry till the aroma is released.
Add all the vegetables and saute them for about 10 minutes till it is done. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the spice powders and saute it.
Now add the soaked sabudana and give it a stir. Half cover the kadai with the lid and cook it for 10 more minutes till the sabudana cooks and separates.
Serve your sabudana pulao with cucumber- green chilli raita.

Vella Puttu

Ingredients: 
Rice Flour — 1/2 cup
Jaggery — 1/3 cup
Coconut — 2 tbsp 
Cashews — 5 broken 
Cardamom powder — 1/4 tsp
Edible camphor — a tiny pinch
Ghee —2 tsp
Water — 1/4 cup(for jaggery syrup)

Method:
Dry roast rice flour till it changes colour to light brown. Cool down, then sprinkle water little by little and make the entire flour wet and keep mixing.
The mixture should hold together when you press it with your palms and should crumble and fall when you leave it (pidicha pidikkanam vitta uthuranum!). Now, collect the mixture in a clean muslin cloth and tie the ends to make a bag. Steam the mixture for atleast 8-10 mins.
Cool down and then crumble it with your hands to break the lumps formed. Set it aside. Now, start preparing the jaggery syrup, add water to crushed jaggery till it immerses.
Strain the syrup to remove impurities. Then heat up the syrup in a pan. Keep water in a plate to check the consistency. Keep boiling until you reach a consistency —it should form a soft ball. Fry the cashews in a tsp of ghee and keep it ready.
Keep the flame in sim and immediately add the cooked rice mixture. Now add ghee, cardamom powder and edible camphor. Keep mixing till it becomes dry and all the jaggery syrup is absorbed. Add coconut, ghee fried cashews, mix well and switch off.

Atta Halwa

Ingredients: 
Wheat flour — 1/4 cup
Sugar — 1/2 cup
l Water — 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup
Ghee — 1/8 cup + 2 tsp
Cardamom powder — a tiny pinch
Sliced almonds — 4 

Method:
Measure ghee and transfer it to a pan and heat it up for a few seconds then add wheat flour and start roasting.
Keep roasting for atleast 20 minutes (its better to keep an eye at the timing).Then add water (1/2 cup + 1/8 cup).
Be quick, use a whisk and mix it well. It will get cooked very quickly and gathers into a mass.
Once everything gathers together without sticking, add sugar. The sugar will start to melt and the whole mixture will turn slightly gooey. Keep stirring until it becomes shiny and leave the sides of the pan.
Add remaining 2 tsp ghee, cardamom powder and give a quick mix. Finally add chopped almonds and serve.

Makhana Moongphali Ki Kadhi

Ingredients: 
Lotus seeds roasted in ghee — 1/2 cup
Steamed raw peanuts — 2 tbsp
Yogurt — 1 cup
Rajgira flour (Amaranth flour) — 1 tbsp 
Green chilli — 1
Sugar — 1/2 tsp 
Finely chopped coriander leaves — 2 sprigs
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Seasoning
Ghee — 1 tsp
Cumin seeds — 1/2 tsp 
Cinnamon stick — 1 inch

Method:
In a saucepan, combine the yogurt, rajgira flour, salt and sugar along with two cups of water. Whisk well.
Take a pan and heat ghee then toast the makhana (lotus seeds) and keep it aside.
To the same pan add little more ghee and crackle the cumin seeds, green chilli and cinnamon. Keep aside.
Heat the yogurt mixture, salt and sugar and cook well on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir continuously for no lumps. Add the makhana and the steamed peanuts along with the seasoning to the kadhi and garnish.
Serve the dish with sama khichdi or palak khichdi.