Chaitra Navratri 2023: The special time is here. The nine-day festival worships the nine forms of Maa Durga. Chaitra Navratri kickstarted for this year on March 22 and will go on till March 30. This is the time of the year when devotees seek blessings of Maa Durga for themselves and their loved ones. They also keep fast and offer their prayers and bhog to the goddess. The nine forms of Maa Durga that are worshipped during this time are Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri. The rituals followed during Shardiya Navratri – celebrated in September or October – are also followd during Chaitra Navratri.
ALSO READ: Happy Chaitra Navratri 2023: Best wishes, images, messages
While we bask in the festivities, we need to keep in mind to consume only vrat-friendly food items during this time. We have curated a few recipes of vrat-friendly tikki:
Farali Bhajiya:
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
¼ cup amaranth flour (rajgira)
¼ cup barnyard millet (samo) flour
2-3 tbsps roasted unsalted peanuts powder
1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
½ tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1-2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsps chopped fresh coriander leaves
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
Oil for deep frying
Method:
In a large bowl, mix potatoes, peanuts powder, white sesame seeds, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder, green chillies, coriander leaves, rock salt, amaranth flour, and barnyard millet flour together. Then, heat oil in a pan and add small portions of the mixture, and fry them till they are golden brown. Serve hot.
(Recipe: Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef)
Vrat ki Aloo Tikki
Ingredients:
For Sweet Curd
Curd – 1cup
Sugar – 2tbsp
Sendha Namak – to taste
Green Chutney (vrat ki chutney)
Coriander leaves – 2cups
Mint Leaves – 1cup
Anardana – 2tbsp
Sendha namak
Roasted Cumin – 2tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Ice cubes – few
Water – ½ cup
For Khatti Meethi Chutney (vrat ki chutney)
Water – 3cups
Anardana powder – ½ cup
Ginger grated – 1tsp
Roasted cumin pounded – 1tbsp
Sendha Namak – to taste
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Gur grated – ½ cup
For Aloo tikki
Potato (boiled & Mashed) – 2cups
Kuttu Atta (bhuna) – ¾ cup
Green chilli chopped – 1 tsp
Ginger chopped – 1tsp
Coriander chopped – handful
Sendha namak – to taste
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Oil/Ghee – for frying
For garnishing
Melon seeds
Banana sliced
Grapes sliced
Pomegranate
Coriander sprigs
Roasted cumin
Method:
To make the sweet curd, mix curd, sugar and salt and whisk together. Then, for making the green chutney, mix everything and grind them to a paste, and keep aside. For making the khatti meethi chutney, mix all the ingredients and bring to a bowl, then strain it and put it in a blender. For making the aloo tikki, mix all the ingredients and fry small portions in oil till they are golden brown. Place the aloo tikki on a plate with chilled curd, green chutney, khatti meethi chutney, some grapes, sliced bananas, pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves and roasted cumin.
(Recipe: Kunal Kapur, Chef)
