As George Bernard Shaw quoted “There is no love sincerer than the love of food”, it’s the time we pay heed to what is on our plate. And what kind of diet can be more sincere than a Sattvik diet?
Navaratri is a time of strong climatic changes which impacts one’s health and body. Endorsed by Ayurveda itself, a Sattvik diet is known to boost one’s immunity while helping one to cope with the seasonal changes.
Endorsed by Ayurveda itself, a Sattvik diet is known to boost one’s immunity while helping one to cope with the seasonal changes. Well-known writer, culinary expert and curator, Gita Hari along with culinary team of Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre curate a host of delicacies; each with a myriad of nutritional benefits.
Starters
Mini Adai — this is boiled rice and lentil-based dosas. They are thick, medium crisp and usually served with white butter and jaggery
Ingredients:
Boiled rice 2 cups
Chana dal 1 cup
Tuvar dal ½ cup
Whole black urad dal ½ cup
Red chillies 3
Green chillies 2
Hing powder 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves a sprig
Til oil for making adais
Methods:
Soak the rice and dals separately for at least six to eight hours. Grind the boiled rice to a fine consistency. Grind the dals coarsely along with chillies, mix in hing powder and salt into the batter and add curry leaves. Heat a dosa-making griddle and grease it. When heated, pour in 1 ladle of the batter and spread it. Drizzle oil, let it cook and flip to cook the other side till crisp. Serve adai hot with sweet-n-sour chutney or white butter and jaggery.
Pidi Kozhakattai — rice-coconut steamed dumplings
Ingredients:
Boiled rice 2 cups
Grated coconut 1½ cup
Oil for tempering 4 tbsp
Whole red chillies 4
Urad dal, chana dal and mustard seeds for tempering
Cooking oil 6 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Methods:
Grind the boiled rice coarsely, add freshly grated coconut for the last spin, add salt and 3 cups of water to dilute the batter. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan, temper with dals, mustard seeds, whole red chillies and curry leaves. Pour in the diluted batter and on medium flame, keep stirring till it leaves the sides of the pan. Let it cool a little and make large lemon-sized balls. Steam them for 20 mins or till done. Serve hot with coconut chutney.
Paruppu Vadai — scrumptious dal vadas
Ingredients:
Chana dal 1 cup
Urud dal ¼ cup
Tuvar dal ¼ cup
Red and green chillies 3 each
Hing powder ¼ tsp
Curry leaves a sprig
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Methods:
Wash and Soak the dals for 2 to 3 hours. Coarsely grind dals, chillies and hing with very little water. Mix in onion slices, salt and curry leaves. Heat oil in a deep pan, take a lemon-sized portion of the dal mixture on the palm, flatten it lightly and gently introduce it in the oil. You can fry, four to five vadas at a time, till golden brown. Serve with chutney or sauce.
Lemon Rassam
Ingredients:
Tomatoes 3
Well-cooked and mashed tuvar dal ½ cup
Rasam powder 1 ½ tsp
Hing powder ½ tsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Lemon juice 2tsp
Curry leaves a few
Coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
Tempering:
Pure ghee for tempering Mustard seeds, cumin seeds and 2 red chillies to be tempered
Methods:
Boil diced tomatoes in 3 cups of water along with all the powders and curry leaves. Boil till it is reduced to 1/3rd its volume and mix in the mashed dal. Now add 4 cups of water and let it simmer but not boil over. It should have a frothy appearance when the heat is removed. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Temper and Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
