Jolly Homemade Recipes: Navaratri Special

Showing posts with label Navaratri Special. Show all posts

(old post, photos updated on 23 sep'20)

How to make Sooji Halwa (Ashtami Prasad) - It is a traditional Indian slow cooked semolina pudding that made with few ingredients which is easily available in our kitchen or Indian stores.

Sooji halwa is often made for an auspicious occasion or a pooja, it could also be a festive occasion like Navratre, Ganesha chaturthi or a religious ceremony conducted in your home or you just want to have something sweet.

Perfect Sooji Halwa in 5 minutes

Me and my family are a big fan of sweets hehehe 😍😍 Sometimes I made this often for my big sweet tooth...it is easy and quick halwa recipe, which I don't want any excuses or occasion to make it.😜

What is Sooji Halwa?

Sooji halwa is very popular dessert throughout India. It is called by different names across India – Sooji Halwa in North, Rava kesari in South India and Rava Sheera in West India.. Although the names are different, but the cooking technique is quite similar.

Sooji or Rava is the main ingredient in this halwa, there are many variations also like we used water to make halwa & people also used milk instead of water.

Can I make vegan sooji halwa/semolina pudding?

Truly, you can. Instead of ghee, you can use any oil eg coconut oil or vegetable oil.

This is one of my family's favorite sweet dish. This is my Mom's recipe and nobody makes this yummy Sooji ka halwa like my mom. It is very easy to make.

I usually make it on thursday also as a bhog for Sai Ram, Me and my family are big devotess of Sai Ram. In earleir day, we visit temple on every or alternate thursday but due to covid time, we didn't go outside and celebrate all festivals alone without friends and family😐 hope this tough time will over soon. hoping 🙏🙏

This sweet is a traditional dessert made from sooji (rawa / semolina), cooked in a ghee with sugar syrup and other dry fruits. This is perfect combination with Pooris and Parathas.

I made sooji halwa in both ways with cardamom flavor or without cardamom flavor. But for this recipe I used cardamom for flavor but my mom didn't used cardamom in halwa, so there are many things are differ but making of halwa is almost same.

About Navratri - This is important festival of Hindus, celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and excitement all across the country. It's a "Nine Days Festival" and it is dedicated to nine forms of Goddess Shakti.

During the festival of Navratri, Goddess Durga is worshiped in nine avatars. Each goddess has a different form and a special significance. Nava Durga, if worshiped with religious fervor during Navaratri, it is believed, lift the divine spirit in us and fill us with renewed happiness.

After 7 days we do Ashtami Pooja on 8th day which is called Kanjak Pooja. It means young girls below the age of 10 and ceremonially worshiped. Some people celebrated this pooja either on Ashtami (the 8th day) or on Navami (the 9th day) of Navratri. We do Ashtami Pooja.

On Ashtami, we prepare a prasad and offer to small girls. Ashtami prasad consist of Sooji halwa, dried kala chana and poori or some people offer coconut slices too. It's totally depend on the family traditions.

What we do in this Kanjak Pujan!

* We welcome young girls in our house and wash their little feet.
* Apply kumkum on their forehead and tie a roli on their right hands.
* All girls are made to sit in a row and
* Later we served kala chana, halwa and poori – Ashtami Prasad
* We give gifts in form of money or toys or bangles.
* Lastly touch their feet and seek their blessings.

Let's see how to make sooji ka halwa - ashtami prasad recipe with step by step photos

Course : Dessert/Sweets

Cuisine : Indian

Prep time : 5 minutes

Cook Time : 25 minutes

Total Time : 30 minutes

Servings : 4 persons

Author : Jolly Makkar

[US measurement - 1 cup =240 ml]

Ingredients :

Sooji / Rava / Semolina - 1 cup (thin one/chiroti)
Sugar - 1 to 1.5 cups(totally depend on your taste)
Desi Ghee / Clarified butter - 1/2 cup
Water - 4 cups
Cardamom powder/ Cardamom pods - 1/4 tbsp / 2 pods (optional)

Dry Fruits (washed and and soaked in water)

Raisin - 1 tbsp

Almonds- 2 tbsp

Note* : You can adjust the dry fruits or sugar as per as your taste.

Equipment Used :

Pan/Wok/Kadai

Spatula

rose petals for garnishing(optional)

Preparation Method :

1. Take a deep kadai or heavy based pan and put on a low flame, add the ghee and once the ghee becomes hot, add the semolina....

2. Cook sooji until it is light brown in color, stirring continuously. It take nearly 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Combine sugar and water in a pan. Bring it to a boil and Keep stirring until sugar is fully dissolved in water. Set it aside.

4. Now add the fresh cardamom with seeds. After a seconds discard the cardamom pod.(it's optional those who don't like cardamom flavor, no need to add & skip this step)

5. Add the sugar syrup in a roasted sooji & constantly stirring slowly by using your another hand...make sure that no lumps are formed.

6. Add the soaked raisins and chopped almonds...keep stirring for a minutes in a medium flame till the whole mixture starts thickening and starts to leave the edge of the kadai or pan. Always maintain the heat at at medium low and keep stirring.

7. Switch off the flame. Your Sooji Halwa is ready to serve.

8. Garnish with chopped nuts, I used chopped badam /almonds and soaked raisins , Serve it with Poori or Paratha also or plain after meal.

If you are looking for more easy festivals recipes, then do check

kesari rice kheer

saffron sweet rice

rava kesari halwa
kesar aam ras
motichoor ladoo
kesar phirni
zarda pulao

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Happy Cooking and Enjoy 💜💜

Dry Kala Chana - Ashtami Prasad :- Hi friends, today I am sharing my mom's recipe of kala chana with which she used to make it for Ashtami prasad. It is so easy to make and yet so tasty. Best going with sooji halwa and deep fried indian bread(poori) to make a lip smacking full meal.

About Navratri - This is important festival of Hindus, celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and excitement all across the country. It's a "Nine Days Festival" and it is dedicated to nine forms of Goddess Shakti.

During the festival of Navratri, Goddess Durga is worshiped in nine avatars. Each goddess has a different form and a special significance.

Nava Durga, if worshiped with religious fervor during Navaratri, it is believed, lift the divine spirit in us and fill us with renewed happiness.

After 7 days we do Ashtami Pooja on 8th day which is called Kanjak Puja. It means young girls below the age of 10 and ceremonially worshiped. Some people celebrated this pooja either on Ashtami (the 8th day) or on Navami (the 9th day) of Navratri. We do Ashtami Pooja.

On Ashtami, we prepare a prasad and offer to small girls. Ashtami prasad consist of Sooji halwa, dried kala chana and poori or some people offer coconut slices too. It's totally depend on the family traditions.

What we do in this Kanjak Puja!

* We welcome young girls in our house and wash their little feet.
* Apply kumkum on their forehead and tie a roli on their right hands.
* All girls are made to sit in a row and

* Later we served kala chana, halwa and poori – Ashtami Prasad
* We give gifts in form of money or toys or bangles.
* We make diya from wheat flour dough and use this diya in a aarti of all girls.
* Lastly touch their feet and seek their blessings.

You can find end number of chole recipes here..
kala chana curry
punjabi white chole masala
kabuli chana cholle
amritsari style chole

Now let's go to the recipe of kala chana with poori recipe with step by step photos..

Ingredients:

Black chana/chole - 1 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder / lal mirch powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder/ Dhaniya powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoon

Preparation Method :

1. Clean, wash and soak chana overnight.

2. On next day, chana comes double in size.

3. In a pressure cooker add chana (use the same water which you soak it, if it is clean drinking water otherwise strain it, I have used clean water..so I am using the same one with along more water. Add salt, mix and close the lid.

4. Pressure cook for 8 to 9 whistles on full flame. Once the steam is out, open the cooker and check if chana is cooked. Strain the boiled chana.

5. For that spoon out some chana and press them between your fingers. If they mash up easily without pressing too hard - they are cooked. Set them aside.

6. In a pan heat oil, add cumin seeds and

when jeera starts crackle add all the spices one by one.

7. Add boiled chana, if water is their let it be is evaporate it.

8. Your dried kala chana is ready.

9. Serve hot with Poori or suji halwa or paratha..I can eat alone or mix with sooji halwa, yumm !!

Recipe of Poori/Puri

Poori or puri is a very popular indian fried bread......made from whole wheat flour and are usually served with a side potato dish, dry or curry.

Ingredients :

Whole wheat flour dough
Whole wheat flour for rolling
Oil for deep fry

Process of making soft, crispy pooris

1) Make into medium sized or slightly small balls and roll out into small circles.

2) Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadai.

3) When the oil is sufficiently hot then add one poori at a time and fry gently pressing down with the frying spoon or slotted spoon in a circular motion.

4) Turn over when puffed up and fry the poori till golden brown

and serve hot hot puri with pickle or kala chana or sooji halwa or potato curry or sukhe aloo !!

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Happy Cooking & Enjoy !!

Sabudana Khichdi is a dish specially made during fasts. This posts is specially dedicated to "Navaratri Special". It is an easy snack and very yummy recipe also. First time i tasted this khichdi in Pune, as a street food, i liked it very much an there taste is still in my buds. I When you make the sabudana khichdi, you have to adjust the soaking time as per the type of tapioca pearls.Today, I am posting a simple and humble Sabudana Khichdi Recipe with easy steps :-

Ingredients :

Sabudana - 1 cup
Medium size potatoes/aloo - 2 small
Roasted peanuts/moongphali - ½ cup
Curry leaves/kadi patta - 8-10 nos
Chopped Green chili/hari mirch - 1 nos
Cumin seeds /jeera - 1 tbsp
Sugar or as required- ½ to 1 tsp
Lemon juice or as required (optional) - ½ to 1 tsp s
Oil - 2 tbsp
Table Salt / Rock salt (Sendha namak) as required

Preparation Method :

1. Soak sabudana overnight or for 4-5 hours,next day drain the sabudana very well and keep aside in a bowl. Boil the potatoes and when warm peel and chop them.

2. In a pan dry roast the peanuts till browned and when cooled make a coarse powder in a mixer grinder.

3. Mix the coarsely powdered peanuts, salt and sugar with the drained sabudana.

4. Now heat oil in a pan or kadai, add the cumin seeds first till they crackle and get browned, now add the curry leaves and chopped green chilies. Now add chopped boiled potato and saute for 1-2 minutes.

5. Now add the sabudana, keep on stirring the mixture. When the sabudana looses their opaqueness and starts becoming translucent they are cooked.

NOTE : don't over cook as they might become lumpy and hard.

6. Serving garnish sabudana khichdi with coriander leaves and drizzle with some lemon juice (optional). Serve sabudana khichdi hot with cucumber raita.

Important few tips for making good sabudana khichdi:

1. Wash the sabudana pearls in a colander under running water until you feel that all starch is rinsed and washed off.

2. Transfer the washed and drained sabudana to a casserole and sprinkle with little water, just enough to ensure that they are damp.

3. Cover the casserole tight and leave them overnight.

4. In the morning while you prepare for seasoning etc., check on the soaked sabudana and if required you can sprinkle little more water and leave for 30 mins more.

5. Have the peanuts roasted and ground to granules well before. Just before you start cooking, mix the peanut granules and salt with sabudana and rub the pearls well with the mixture.

6. Leave it for about 5 mins. and then add it to the seasoning you have prepared.