Fasting delicacies

Navratri is round the corner and this is the time when many go on a fast. Make this festive season extra special with these traditional Sattvik recipes

Panagam
This is a digestive drink to be had along with food
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20mins

Ingredients

• 200gm jaggery shavings 
• 3 glasses drinking water        
• 2tbsp dry ginger powder (saunth)
• A pinch of salt (optional)

Method
● Dissolve jaggery in water
● Strain it to remove impurities
● Stir in ginger powder and salt
● Garnish with a mint leaf
● Serve chilled

Sundal

• 2 cups of your choice of lentil (chick peas, green moong dal, rajma,  black chana)
• ½ cup finely chopped tomato, capsicum  
• Grated coconut and coriander leaves for garnish
• Salt

Method
Pressure cook/boil the lentils with salt
Drain the water
Temper and garnish with mustard seeds

Pidi Kozhakattai 
These are rice-coconut steamed dumplings
Serves 4
Prep time: Boiled rice to be washed and soaked overnight or for 8 hours. The process takes 45 mins then after

Ingredients

• 2 cups boiled rice  
• 1 ½ cup grated coconut  
• 4tbsp oil for tempering 
• 4 whole red chilies  
• Urad dal, chana dal and mustard seeds for tempering
• 6tbsp cooking oil   
• Salt to taste | Curry leaves

Method
● Grind the boiled rice coarsely
● Add freshly grated coconut for the last spin
● Add salt and 3 cups of water to dilute the batter
● Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan
Temper with dals, mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves
● Pour in the diluted batter and on medium flame, keep stirring till it leaves the sides of the pan
● Let it cool a little and make large lemon-sized balls

Steam them for 20 mins or till done

Serve hot with coconut chutney

Arbi Mashiyal 
Ingredients

• 4 cups tamarind water 
• 10 arbi boiled, skinned and mashed  
• 1tsp Sambar powder
• Turmeric powder
• Salt

For tempering: Mustard seeds and chopped green chilies

Method
● First do the tempering in a kadai
● Add in the mashed arbi, tamarind water, salt and the powders. Keep stirring
● Let it cook for 5 mins 

(— Chef Kailash Gundupalli, Director Culinary, Novotel Hyderabad Convention)