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Spinach Pakoda
Spinach is a healthy green leaf vegetable. It is low in fat and even lower in cholesterol. It is high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. Abundant flavonoids in spinach act as antioxidants to keep cholesterol from oxidizing and protect your body from free radicals, particularly in the colon. Try spinach pakoda this navaratri.
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup chopped spinach leaves
1 green chili or ¼ tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp peanuts
rock salt
water as required
Preparation:
Roast the peanuts in a small pan till they become crisp. when they cool, coarsely crush them in a mortar-pestle.
Wash the spinach leaves and dry them on a paper towel.
In a bowl, mix everything including the coarsely powdered peanuts. Add very little water and make a thick batter.
Heat oil for shallow or deep frying in pan. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the hot oil and fry till crisp and golden on both sides.
Serve the vrat palak pakora with coriander chutney or coconut chutney.
One sweet that people offer to Goddess is payasam or kheer. Rice kheer is a prefered naivedyam for Goddess. If not rice kheer one can prepare other types of kheer too. Banana kheer recipe is here- which is simple and easy to prepare. Banana is rich in potassium and contains dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium etc. This recipe calls for jaggery which makes it more delicious.
Ingredients:
Ripe Plantains- 2
Milk 2-3 cups (OR Coconut milk)
Jaggery ½ cup
Cashew and Raisins ¼ cup
Ghee 4-5 tsp
Cardamom powder ¼ tsp
Preparation:
Remove the outer skin and cut the banana and pressure cook. Remove the inner line with black seeds. Mash it.
Arbi is the common leafy and root vegetable plant available throughout the year in many parts of tropical countries. It is very popular in India and Malaysia. Roots, stems and leaves of this plant are highly nutritious and fibrous. Plant is rich in good fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc and vitamin K. Roots of these plants are known as taro roots that are rich in carbohydrates. Arbi roots can be used like potato to prepare cutlets. This is filling and keeps stomach filled for longtime.
Ingredients:
10-12- arbi or colocasia roots
1 tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp -roasted cumin powder
½ tsp- dry mango powder (optional)
1 or 2 -tsp chaat masala
½ or 1 tsp- lemon juice
rock salt
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Preparation:
Wash and rinse the arbi well to get rid of the soil and mud.
Boil the arbi in a pressure cooker with some salt & water till they are completely cooked.
When warm or cool, peel the arbi.
Now take each piece and flatten it in between your palms. Heat a tava or frying pan. Drizzle some oil on the pan.
Pan-fry the arbi till golden brown and crisp on both sides.
In a small bowl, take all the dry spice powders and mix them.
Now toss the pan fried crisp arbi in the dry spice powders mixture.
Add some lemon juice from top.
Garnish arbi cutlet with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve arbi cutlet hot or warm with coriander chutney or sweet chutney
Lemon rice is one of the famous dish from South India. It is easy to prepare and very delicious. Use medium grain size rice to prepare lemon rice instead of Basmati type aromatic of rice. Medium grain size will give good taste and lemon flavor which will not be masked by any other aroma.
Wash and cook the rice in pressure cooker. Keep aside.After 15 minutes spread the rice on a plate.
Make thin slices of onion. Slit the green chillies, keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, chana dal, urad dal one by one. Saute them. When they become light brown add groundnut and again saute for few minutes.
Add green chillies and curry leaves. Fry them.
Add sliced onion and little salt, fry them till transparent. Add turmeric powder, mix well. Switch off the stove.
Now add cooked rice, salt and lemon juice. Mix well.
Another sabudana or sago recipe. This one does not contain onion. It will supply peanuts that supplies protein and cumin seeds that reduces any stomach ailments.
Wash and rinse the sago atleast twice and soak in water for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, drain the water from sago using a strainer and allow it to dry for couple of minutes. Mix all the ingredients with sago and make it small balls.
Flatten the sabudana balls between palms.
Heat sufficient oil in container and deep fry vadas in hot oil till golden brown.
Many amaranths are considered as weed. However, the cultivated or weed these plant leaves are delicious and seeds can be used to sprout to eat. Ancient cultures depended on amaranth as a major staple of their diet, due to its high concentration of protein, folate, minerals, and vitamins.
Boil potato and allow it to cool completely. Once it cools, peel and mash
Mix amaranth flour and salt. Add little amount of water and begin to knead the dough. If needed add little more water and make a non sticky dough.
Keep aside the dough covered for 15 minutes.
On a dusted work surface, make medium sized pooris, neither thin nor thick and fry them in hot oil. Drain the puri on paper napkins to remove excess oil.
Serve puris hot with daal, vegetable curry prepared without onion and garlic.
Sabudana is made from raw tapioca roots. It is extracted from the stems of sago palm trees, then processed into small, circular pellets, which are sometimes referred to as pearls. For infants and sick persons or during fasts sabudana is considered an acceptable form of nutrition. It contains good amount of carbohydrates, protein and is low in fat. Sabudana is light on the system and tasty too.
Next day drain the sabudana very well and keep aside in a bowl.
Boil the potatoes and when warm peel and chop them.
In a pan dry roast the peanuts till browned and when cooled make a coarse powder in a mortar-pestle or in a dry grinder. Mix the coarsely powdered peanuts and salt with the drained sabudana.
Heat the oil. Fry the cumin first till they crackle and get browned. Add the curry leaves and green chilies. Fry for half a minute and then add the grated ginger.
Stir till the raw smell of the ginger goes away. now add potato and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add the sabudana. keep on stirring the mixture. When the sabudana looses their opaqueness and starts becoming translucent they are cooked.
Add grated coconut, mix well and remove from heat source.
Before serving garnish with coriander leaves and serve sabudana khichdi.
From October 1st, 2016 whole India will be celebrating Navratri festival. During these nine (Nav in Sanakrit) nights nine forms of Shakti/Devi/Goddess are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or “Dussehra.” Traditionally, everyday people prepare and offer various types of foods to Goddess. Many people also follow a ritual known as “vritam” and fast. According to Hindu philosophy, food means gratification of the senses and to starve the senses is to elevate senses to contemplation. Fasting during Navaratri helps to balance body and mind while focusing on the positive energy. The food that is offered to Goddess is called Naivedya and later will be distributed for lunch or dinner to end the vritam.
There are specific requirements one has to follow during 9 days of fasting. People who fast do eat. The food they consume will be healthy and will serve balanced nutrients. This keeps them going for whole nine days without losing energy and interest. Instead of preparing unhealthy food, one can prepare healthy food and offer to Goddess and end the fasting. Another requirement of these foods is the ingredients should not contain garlic or onion. Some of the simple and nutritious navratri foods are for you in next few slides….
