Navratri ke Thali above & Food forKanjakas on Ashtami - traditional food for the vart in Navratra.
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Ashtami Kanjaka
After Nawratri comes Ashtami, the end of fast and the day of worshiping kanjakas-girls, children under the age of 10 years. These children are invited by friends and relatives and are worshiped by the ladies of the house.
Special dishes are prepared on that day and are offered to the children first before breaking the fast by the hostess.
The dishes of Ashtami are : Halwa, Poori, Potato Sabzi, Sooke Channa (Dry Black Gram Dal), Raita. Sooke Channa
Ashtami Kanjaka (food) for little girls on Asthami or Nauvi:
Halwa Puri (Usually prepared for Kanjakas on Ashtami with Dehi Bhalla)
Suji (Semolina) Halwa
Ingredients:
1C sugi
1C ghee
1C sugar
3-4C water
A big Pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1tbsp water and crushed
2 green cardamoms, crushed
Chopped nuts to decorate
Method:
1. In a pan make syrup with sugar and water. Add cardamom and saffron. Boil the syrup until the sugar completely dissolves in it. Keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a kadhari on medium heat. Add sugi and stir fry it to light brown and it gives out aroma.
3. Now pour the prepared syrup in the hot sugi mixture, slowly in a stream stirring all the time. Increase the heat and continue stirring until the liquid forms a thick paste. The water is completely absorbed and the ghee leaves the sides.
4. Transfer it to a serving dish and decorate with nuts.
Poori (Puffed fried bread)
Ingredients:
2C whole wheat flour
1tbsp level oil
¼tsp salt
Water to knead
Oil for deep frying
Method:
1. Sift flour, sprinkle salt over it. Add oil and mix well so as to form bread crumb like mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour water in it, little by little, simultaneously gathering the flour together and kneading with your hands to form soft stiff dough.
2. Knead the dough well and make golf ball size balls. Roll these balls into 3” diameter rounds.
3. In the meanwhile, put oil on high heat for frying. Lower heat to medium and drop the flattened rounds into the hot oil. Press gently the puris with the back of the spoon. The puris will immediately puff up like a ball. Allow the side to turn golden, then turn and quickly fry the other side.
The cooking should be done quickly. A rhythm of work can be established so that you are dipping and rolling out the next puri while the other is browning in the hot oil.
Puris are eaten with most of the dishes, especially with sugi halwa, masala Chickpeas-Channa, Sweet and Sour Pumpkin, and Puri aloo.
Sooke Channa:- Kala Sooke Channa
Ingredients:
½C black grams, soaked for 3-4 hours, drain
¾tsp salt
½tsp chili powder
½tsp amchur powder
½ tsp chat masala
¼tsp haldi
1tbsp mustard oil or any cooking oil
Method:
1. In a pan heat oil. Add the drained grams. Stir for one minute and add the salt, red pepper, and haldi with 2tbsp water.
2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the grams are soft.
3. Add amchur water, mix and continue to cook on low heat until the water dries and the masala is blended completely.
Serve hot.
Aloo Pooriwale
Ingredients
2 big potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut in chunks (2C)
1tsp saboot dhania, roughly crudhed
1 small tomato, chopped
1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
1”piece ginger, finely chopped or minced
½ to ¾tsp Haldi
½tsp red chili powder
½tsp Anardana powder
½tsp garam masala
1tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1tbsp beaten curds
1tbsp Ghee or oil
Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan add to it crushed dhania, ginger, and green chilies stir for 1mt. then add chopped tomatoes, cook until tomatoes are limp and soft.
2. Add salt, pepper, anardana and haldi. Mix and cook for a minute so as to form a sort of sauce.
3. Stir in curds little at a time, stirring all the time on medium heat, until it incorporates with the sauce.
4. Now add the potatoes, mix to c;over them with the sauce, add 1C or a little more water. Stir, cover and cook on medium high. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and continue to cook covered until the potatoes are cooked and form the required curry. The curry should not be very liquidy.
5. Check the seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Poori, Kachori o Bhatura.
Sweet & Sour Pumpkin (Khadu): (Mitha Khata Khadu)
Ingredients:
250gm Pumpkin (Phetha)
1-2 green chilies, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1tsp Haldi (Turmeric)
1tsp chopped fresh Ginger
1tsp salt
½ -1tsp Sugar
1 -1 ½ tbsp. Amchur powder (dry Mango powder)
½tsp red Chili powder
½tsp red Chili flakes
¼tsp Garam masala
2tbsp chopped fresh Coriander leaves
4tbsp cooking Oil
Method;
1. Wash and cut the pumpkin, discarding the inside seeds and threads, into ¾“pieces
Heat oil on medium heat, and add green chilies and ginger. Stir fry for 2-3 mts.
2. Put in chopped tomatoes, cook for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin stir for a minute then add salt, red chili and haldi. Mix well stir in ¼ C water, cover and cook on medium low heat for 10-12 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked and soft. The skin of the pumpkin should be quite soft.
3. There should be a little liquid in it, if it is dry add 2tbsp more water to make the sabzi some- what watery. Stir in sugar, cook for 1mt.
4. Then add amchur to the Khadu. Mix and cook stirring on high heat, uncovered for 1 minute. Lower heat and cook covered for 2-3 minutes more.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Puris or Parantha.
Ingredients
2 big potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut in chunks (2C)
1tsp saboot dhania, roughly crudhed
1 small tomato, chopped
1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
1”piece ginger, finely chopped or minced
½ to ¾tsp Haldi
½tsp red chili powder
½tsp Anardana powder
½tsp garam masala
1tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1tbsp beaten curds
1tbsp Ghee or oil
Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan add to it crushed dhania, ginger, and green chilies stir for 1mt. then add chopped tomatoes, cook until tomatoes are limp and soft.
2. Add salt, pepper, anardana and haldi. Mix and cook for a minute so as to form a sort of sauce.
3. Stir in curds little at a time, stirring all the time on medium heat, until it incorporates with the sauce.
4. Now add the potatoes, mix to c;over them with the sauce, add 1C or a little more water. Stir, cover and cook on medium high. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and continue to cook covered until the potatoes are cooked and form the required curry. The curry should not be very liquidy.
5. Check the seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Poori, Kachori o Bhatura.
Sweet & Sour Pumpkin (Khadu): (Mitha Khata Khadu)
Ingredients:
250gm Pumpkin (Phetha)
1-2 green chilies, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1tsp Haldi (Turmeric)
1tsp chopped fresh Ginger
1tsp salt
½ -1tsp Sugar
1 -1 ½ tbsp. Amchur powder (dry Mango powder)
½tsp red Chili powder
½tsp red Chili flakes
¼tsp Garam masala
2tbsp chopped fresh Coriander leaves
4tbsp cooking Oil
Method;
1. Wash and cut the pumpkin, discarding the inside seeds and threads, into ¾“pieces
Heat oil on medium heat, and add green chilies and ginger. Stir fry for 2-3 mts.
2. Put in chopped tomatoes, cook for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin stir for a minute then add salt, red chili and haldi. Mix well stir in ¼ C water, cover and cook on medium low heat for 10-12 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked and soft. The skin of the pumpkin should be quite soft.
3. There should be a little liquid in it, if it is dry add 2tbsp more water to make the sabzi some- what watery. Stir in sugar, cook for 1mt.
4. Then add amchur to the Khadu. Mix and cook stirring on high heat, uncovered for 1 minute. Lower heat and cook covered for 2-3 minutes more.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Puris or Parantha.
