DUSSEHRA RECIPES

Feasting is an important feature of Dussehra or Vijayadashami celebrations. Explore some of the tasty and easy Dussehra recipes here. Dussehra is celebrated as a community festival in North India with lip-smacking food. It is considered to be one of the most important festivals of India. It is celebrated throughout the country but each region has its own speciality.

Different varieties and special cuisine are made during Navratri celebration. Since in most of the communities, people observe fast during Navratri and eat only one meal a day at sunset, the Navratri meal has special courses and is strictly vegetarian. Even onion and garlic are not allowed. Chemicals like salt are not used in the preparation of the dishes. Special ingredients and vegetables are used for the dishes, which vary from region to region. Spices too are very restricted to only red chillies, turmeric and cumin seeds and only rock salt can be used. However, one can eat milk, curd, fruits and nuts. With a limited spices and vegetables too you can try some lovely dishes, which are easy to cook and tasty to eat. Here are some of the recipes that you can try during Navratri.

SABUDANA KHICHIDI

Ingredients

Sabudana(sago)

1 cup

Sugar

1/2 tbsp

Green chillies(finely chopped)

Groundnuts(coarsely crushed)

1/2 cup

Potato(boiled & peeled)

Oil

2 tbsp

Mustard seeds

1/4 tbsp

Hing(asafoetida)

1 pinch

Coconut(fresh & grated)

2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Corainder leaves

Curry leaves

Method

Wash and soak the sabudana (sago) in water for minimum 2 hrs so that it becomes light.
Cut the potatoes into small cubes and mix crushed groundnuts, sugar and salt to it.
Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When the mustard seed start crackling, add cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves to the oil.
Now add the potatoes to the pan stir the mixture and fry well.
Once the potatoes are fried, mix the sabudana mixture to it and fry gently.
Mix the grated coconut and garnish with coriander leaves.
Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice over it and serve hot

KUTTU KI PURI

Ingredients

Kuttu ka atta(buck wheat flour)

1 cup

Corainder leaves(chopped)

1/4 cup

Potato(boiled & mashed)

Green chillies(chopped)

Oil

1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water(for kneading)

Oil(for deep frying)

Method

Take kuttu, coriander leaves, potato, green chilies, 1tbsp oil and salt in a flat-bottomed vessel.
Add water and knead a little to make firm dough.
Make small round balls from the dough and roll out each ball to form a puri.
Simultaneously, heat oil in a frying pan and fry till the puri turns dark brown.
Serve with aloo ki sabzi or green chutney.

JALEBI

Ingredients

All purpose flour

2 cups

Rice flour

1-1/2 tbsp

Baking powder

1/4 tbsp

Curd

2 tbsp

Sugar

3 cups

Water

2 1/2 cups

Cardamom formed into powder

1/2 tbsp

Ghee/ vegetable oil (to fry)

Method

Also needed: A big bowl, a heavy bottomed pan/kadhai and a kitchen paper.
Pour all purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder and curd in the bowl. Mix well together.
Add some water and continue to whisk until the mixture turns smooth.
Keep the mixture aside to ferment for about 2-3 hours.
When it has fermented, whisk well before using again. Your batter is ready.
Add sugar to about 1 1/2 cup water and stir well to form a sweet syrup.
Add cardamom powder and stir again.Pour oil in a heavy bottomed pan/kadhai and heat.
Pour your batter in a plastic bag and make a small hole below.
Squeeze the bag to pour the batter into the kadhai and move your hand to form coil-shaped batter designs.
Make about 5 designs.Deep-fry the batter designs for 5-10 mins or until they are golden and crisp.
Take away from the pan, drain on kitchen paper and soak in the sugar syrup.
Prepare more shapes in a similar way.
Leave the batter shapes in the syrup until they absorb the sugar fully well.
Remove from the syrup. Your jalebis are ready.
Serve hot. Jalebi

PAPRI CHAT

Ingredients

Flour

2 cups

Maida

4 cups

Curd

6 cups

Potatoes boiled

Red chilli powder

4 tbsp

Turmeric powder

1 tbsp

Cumin seed powder

2 tbsp

Ajwain powder

2 tbsp

Corainder leaves

1 bunch

Coconut grated

1 cup

Tamrind

2 tbsp

Dates

5-6

Green chillies

2-3

Chat powder

1 tbsp

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Cooking oil

Method

Take a large bowl. Add in flour, maida, ajwain powder, cumin seeds powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Pour water on the contents of the bowl and whisk together to mix well.
Form a hard dough.Spread these on a floured surface and form puris from this dough.Pour oil in a pan and heat.
Place the doughs one by one and deep fry.Mix the curd well.Again heat oil in a cooking pan.
Toss in cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves into it and sputter for 2 minutes.
Pour in the curd and blend it nicely.Mix dates and tamarind.
Pour in water and boil until fully cooked.
Form a paste of the items by blending them in a mixer .
Add red chilli and salt.
Squash the potatoes. Mix chaat powder with these.
Crush the puris. Add 1 tbsp of mashed potatoes with the crumbled puris.
Add 4 tbsp of curd mix over the mixture, followed by 1 tsp of red chutney.
Sprinkle 1 tsp chaat powder(for taste) over the mixture. Serve.