Navratri Fast Recipes: Make these easy recipes at home to celebrate Navratri. (Source: Gita Hari/chef Dayashankar Sharma; designed by Gargi Singh)Navratri Fast Recipes: The nine-nights festival of Navratri dedicated to nine forms of goddess Shakti is here. Fasting during the auspicious occasion is a popular ritual observed in many parts of the country. The Shardiya Navratri this year starts from October 17 and will end on October 25 followed by Dussehra on October 26. Amid the pandemic, while the restrictions will be in place with minimal celebrations, make sure you don’t miss out on some mouth-watering dishes that make for a lovely Navratri platter. Here are a mix of dishes that you can make for a fasting platter as well as an offering during pujas.

Recipes shared by culinary expert and wellness food curator Gita Hari

Sweet Potato Fries
Navratri Fast Recipes: Make the tasty potato chips with this easy recipe. (Source: Gita Hari)
Sweet potato is a rich source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals. The fibre and antioxidants present in them are beneficial for gut health.

Total time: 30 mins
Preparation time: 10 mins
3 servings

Ingredients
1/2kg – Sweet potatoes
2tbsp – Raisins
2tbsp – Cashew nuts
2tbsp – Clarified butter/ghee
1/4tsp – Salt
Oil for frying

Method

*Skin and wash the sweet potatoes. Grate and spread them on a muslin cloth for 10 minutes to let it absorb the moisture.
*Heat ghee in a pan and lightly fry raisins and cashew nuts. Set aside.
*Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. Fry the grated sweet potatoes till done and crisp but should retain its colour and not turn brown.
*Transfer the fries to a tissue napkin to drain off excess oil. Then put them in a bowl, add salt, fried raisins and nuts. Give it a good mix and the sweet-n-salty fries are ready to be relished with a hot cup of masala chai.

Elai Adai
Navratri Fast Recipes: Make Elai Adai with this easy recipe. (Source: Gita Hari)
Banana is full of potassium and pectin, and jaggery is loaded with immunity-boosting minerals and antioxidants along with the goodness of coconut.

Pro tips

8 square-cut banana leaves are required for steaming.
It’s suggested to prepare the batter and stuffing in advance to save time.

Total time: 45 mins
Preparation time: 45 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup – Raw rice
1 cup – Parboiled rice
Salt

Method

*Soak both the rice together for six-seven hours.
*Grind it into a fine paste with a little salt. Set aside.

For stuffing

1 cup – Grated coconut
2 no – Mashed bananas
1/2 cup – Jaggery, grated
1/4tsp – Cardamom powder
1tbsp – Ghee

Method

*Heat jaggery with half a glass of water, in a heavy-bottomed pan.
*When the jaggery foams, introduce mashed bananas and coconut. On low-medium heat, mix them well, add ghee and keep stirring till they leave the sides of the pan.
*Sprinkle cardamom powder and set aside the mixture to cool.

How to make Elai Adai

*Wash and then pass each leaf lightly over the gas flame on both sides.
*Pour a large tablespoonful of rice batter over each leaf and spread them in a small dosa-like pattern.
*Spread a tablespoon of stuffing on one half of the batter. Cover it with the other half. Fold the sides and place them on the steamer.
*Let it steam for 20 minutes. Remove them from the steamer and let them cool just a bit.
*Slowly and carefully open out the banana leaf parcel. You will see a translucent sheet holding the deliciousness of coconut and banana with the whiff of cardamom. Enjoy this divine dessert!

Recipes by Michelin Plate Winner chef Dayashankar Sharma

Lauki aur kele ki malaidar kheer
Navratri Fast Recipes: How about this dessert? (Source: Chef Dayashankar Sharma)
Ingredients

800g – Full fat milk
400g – Bottle gourd, grated
2 no – Banana, grated
30g – Khoya
20g – Almonds, sliced
10g – Chironji
10g – Cashews, crushed
90g – Brown sugar
1tsp – Cardamom powder
25g – Ghee
8-10 strands – Saffron

Method

*Heat ghee in a pan.
*Fry cashews and almonds.
*Keep some aside to garnish.
*When brown, add grated bottle gourd and cook it for eight-ten minutes on slow heat.
*Add milk when it starts boiling and simmer the heat and let it cook on slow fire for 25 minutes.
*Keep stirring in between
*Now add sugar and khoya and cook it for another two-three minutes, then add cardamom powder and saffron.
*Let the kheer cool down at room temperature, and then add grated banana and mix.
*Garnish with almonds and cashews.

Raw Banana, Coconut and Sago Kebab
Navratri Fast Recipes: Enjoy this easy preparation. (Source: Chef Dayashankar Sharma)
Ingredients 

600g – Raw bananas, washed and boiled
250g – Fresh coconut, grated
300g – Sago pearls, washed and soaked for two hours
40g – Almonds, crushed
1tbsp – Peppercorns, crushed
Rock salt to taste
5 no – Green chillies, finely chopped
20g – Ghee

Method

*Heat ghee in a pan when hot add grated coconut and cook till golden brown in colour.
*In a mixer grinder, grind half of the roasted coconut.
*Keep half of the roasted coconut aside.
*Mash half of sago.
*Keep the other half of the sago for coating kebabs from both sides
*Assemble above all ingredients including green chillies in a bowl and mix well.
*Divide above mixture in small balls.
*Make round and flatten kebabs.
*Spread soaked sago pearls on a plate. Place flatten kebabs on sago and firmly press so that the sago can coat the kebab. Do this for both sides.
*Heat ghee in a non-stick pan.
*Once heated, place kebabs and cook them from both sides till golden brown in colour.
*Serve hot.

Which one would you like to try?

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