Festive Fasting Made Easy: Two Mouth-Watering Recipes to Try This Navratri

Navratri, a major Hindu festival celebrated twice a year, is a time for devotion, reflection, and spiritual rejuvenation. Over the course of nine days, devotees worship the nine avatars of Goddess Durga, seeking her blessings for health, prosperity, and protection. During this period, many people observe fasts, abstaining from certain foods to cleanse both body and mind. The ingredients commonly avoided include grains, meat, alcohol, onion, garlic, and others, which are believed to attract negative energies, especially when the body’s immunity is lower due to seasonal changes.

However, fasting doesn’t mean you need to compromise on flavor or variety. To help you maintain your devotion while indulging in delightful food, Anand Rawat, the corporate executive chef at Noormahal Palace in Karnal, brings two specially crafted recipes that are both Navratri-compliant and delicious: Khajur Gud ke Rasgulle and Shakarkandi Galouti. These recipes will not only keep your taste buds satisfied but also align perfectly with the fasting guidelines.

Khajur Gud ke Rasgulle (Date Palm Jaggery Rasgullas)

Ingredients:

• 1 litre full-fat milk
• 3 tbsp vinegar or lime juice
• 1 tsp milk powder
• 1 cup grated date palm jaggery
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Making Chenna: Start by boiling the milk in a pan. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and add the vinegar (or lime juice) gradually. Stir until the milk curdles and the whey separates. Strain the curdled milk using a muslin cloth, rinse under cold water to remove any sourness, and squeeze out excess moisture. Place it under a heavy object for 5-10 minutes.
2. Forming Chenna Balls: Knead the chenna with milk powder until it forms a smooth dough. Roll the dough into small, crack-free balls.
3. Making Jaggery Syrup: In a wide-bottomed pan, boil water, jaggery, sugar, and cardamom powder until the jaggery dissolves. Add the chenna balls into the boiling syrup, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes on high heat. Afterward, cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Let the rasgullas soak in the syrup for 4-5 hours before serving.

Shakarkandi Galouti (Sweet Potato Galouti Kebab)

Ingredients:

• 100 grams boiled sweet potato (shakarkandi)
• 4 cups water
• ½ tsp sendha namak (rock salt)

Masala Paste:

• 10 whole fried cashews
• 1-2 finely chopped green chilies
• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 tsp coriander
• Pinch of saffron

Other Ingredients:

• ¼ tsp sendha namak
• ½ tsp rose water
• ½ tsp kewra water
• 1-2 tsp ghee
• ¼ cup water chestnut flour (singhade ka atta)
• Desi ghee for roasting

Method:

1. Preparing the Masala Paste: Soak cashews in warm water for 10 minutes, then blend with cardamom, chili, and saffron to create a smooth paste. Mix this paste with the boiled and mashed sweet potato.
2. Forming the Kebabs: Add rose water, kewra water, ghee, and water chestnut flour to the sweet potato mixture. Shape the mixture into small balls.
3. Cooking the Kebabs: Heat ghee in a pan and roast the kebabs on both sides until they turn golden and crispy.

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