Navratras - is the holy 9 day holy period for hindus which involves 7-8 days of fasting fasting and culminates with the worshipping of the goddess Durga and her 9 forms.
Generally I am not a very fasting type of person , bengalis are always passionate about food and its various artistic challenges, fasting which involves staying away from food is a real challenge for a bengali.
I also have a motto if I am thinking about food / or the abstention from it I am not actually fasting so this time around I felt very motivated to fast and wanted to churn out the best of dishes for the goddess during fasting.
Challenges with a vrat menu is that the restricts on the use of ingredients.
1. One cannot use red Chili powder
2. Dhania Leaves
3. Restriction on use of aromatic spices
4. Rice , pulses and wheat are not allowed
5. Only seasoning allowed is black salt
One of the days of fasting had the following menu for the Goddess :-
1. Kuttu Puris
2. Potato Curry
3. Shinghara Custard
4. Spiced Curd - Raita
Kuttu Puris
Buckwheat as its called in english, it is one of the main ingredients for food prepared during fasting season
Ingredients
Kuttu Atta (Buckwheat flour) - 100 gms. (1/2 cup)
Potato - 100 gms. (2 medium sized)
Salt (saindha) - 3/4 tea spoon.
Black Pepper - 1/4 tea spoon - 1 table spoon.
Boil potato in a cooker and mash them. In a separate pan sieve the flour and add mashed potatoes, salt (saindha) , 1/2 tea spoon black pepper, 1 table spoon coriander leaves into it. Mix them well and knead it to make dough.
You do not require water to knead the flour. Potato is used to knead the flour, instead of water.
Leave the dough for 15-20 minutes to set.
Make small balls from the dough, an dust it with the dry flour. Keep the ball on a roller board and press it with your fingers to make 2 1/2 or 3 inch disc. Repeat the steps with other balls as well.
Now take a pan and heat oil in it. Put the puris into the pan and keep on turning the sides into the oil until brown. Place a napkin on a plate and put the puris on it.
Potato Curry
Ingredients
1/2 Inch Ginger
10-15 Baby Potatoes boiled peeled and halved
Black salt to taste
10 Pepper corns freshly ground
4 Green Chillies finely chopped
2 tea spoons of jeera
1 table spoon of refined oil
In a heavy bottom pan heat the oil. Add jeera (1/2 tea spoon) and heat till it gives off a wonderful aroma and splutters.
Now add the ginger grated finely. Stir it for a while ,now add the chopped chillies. Stir fry till all the spices leave a heavenly aroma of chili, ginger and jeera. Add the boiled and halved potatoes. Add the salt. Stir for 3-4 minutes. As the potatoes start browning up a bit, add 3-4 cups of water and keep boiling on a slow heat for 10-15 minutes. Check the consistency of the gravy, it should be like that of a porridge. Remove from fire. Now add grated / ground chilli and ginger , cover it with a lid , and let it sit for 3-4 minutes before serving. Dry roast rest of jeera and black pepper, till they splutter and give out a nice aroma. Grind and sprinkle over the piping hot curry.
Shinghara Custard
Shinghara or the good old water-chestnut is a very good ingredient which can be used to make pudding or custard.
It can be used fresh - as grated or ground or can also be used in the preserved form as Kuttu atta.
I used the preserved dried form (just like custard powder)
Ingredients
Milk - 4-5 Cups (Preferably whole milk)
3-4 tea spoon of Shinghara floor
Freshly ground cardamon - 4-5
Cinnamon Sticks
Assortments of Chopped nuts
10-20 Cashew nuts
10-20 Almonds
10-20 Pistachios
Chirongi 20-30 roasted
20-30 Raisins
1 tbl spoon of ghree / refined oil
1-2 spoon of honey
3-4 tiny spoons of sugar-free
In a deep pan put the oil and lightly brown the nuts. Remove the oil. Put 3-4 cups of milk and bring it to boil. Add the cinnamon and 3 ground cardomon , boil for 3-4 minutes.
Now take a small bowl and mix some milk (1 cup) + chestnut floor (Shinghara atta) , honey and 1 cardamon powder. Mix well such that no lumps remain.
Now add this mixture to the boiling milk . Heat for 2-3 minutes .Add 3-4 spoons of sugar free or 4-5 spoons of normal sugar. Add the raisins and nuts boil for another 2-3 mins. Sprinkle the 1 cardamon powder on the top.
Switch off the flame. Cool / refrigerate before serving.
Spiced Curd- Raita
4 Cups of Curd
2-3 Tea Spoon Jeera
1-2 Tea Spoon Black Salt
5-10 Black Pepper Corns
Whip the curd till you get a smooth consistency. Add salt, roasted and ground jeera powder and freshly ground pepper corns.
All the constituents of vrat thali are ready. Assemble and serve it to the goddess ...
