Divine delights

TNIE explores the flavours of Navaratri and the food that makes the festival extra special.
Divine delights
Updated on
5 min read

KOCHI: After the scrumptious Onam Sadhya, Navaratri has swooped in with its lights, prayers, and yes, another tempting array of dishes to pull us right back to the table! But this time, it’s not just about one day or one big meal - it’s a nine-day celebration, each day featuring different dishes for various communities across Kerala.

It tells a unique story through their food. From the Sundal of the Brahmin Tamil community to the Sabudana Khichdi of the Gujarati community, each has its own way of making Navaratri a culinary experience.

As the festival began on October 3, marking the victory of good over evil, in Kerala, every day, families prepare a variety of sweets - payasam, pongal, and semolina desserts - as offerings to the deities.

Fasting plays a significant role during Navaratri, with many opting for a simple satvik diet, avoiding non-vegetarian dishes and heavy spices. For some communities in the southern parts of India, rice dishes like lemon, coconut, tamarind, and tomato rice take centre stage.

Basonti Polao or Bengali Style Yellow Sweet Pulao

(@foodofjoyflavoursofbengal on Instagram)

By Joyadrita Ragavendran Chatterjee

Ingredients

  • Gobindobhog rice: 1 kg

  • Sugar: 100 to 150 g

  • Raisins: 100 g

  • Cashew nuts (halved or broken): 100 g

  • Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp

  • Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

  • Cumin powder: 2 tsp

  • Ginger paste: 2 tsp

  • Hot water for cooking

  • Whole garam masala (clove, green cardamom, cinnamon) for tempering

  • Salt as per taste

  • Ghee for cooking

Method

Marinate the rice with salt, sugar, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, ginger paste and 1/4 cup ghee. Keep it aside for 30-45 mins. Heat a deep bottom pan, add the remaining ghee, fry the raisins and cashews. Drain and keep aside. Add the whole garam masala. Once fragrant, add the rice and the fried dry fruits. Keep frying this on medium heat until the rice grains become opaque. Add water and let it cook on a slow flame for 15-20 mins. Once finished, give it a standing time of another 10 mins. Open the lid and fluff up the rice. Garnish it with some slit green chillies. Serve it with Kosha Mangsho or Bengali mutton curry.

Sabudana Khichdi

By Apoorva Nambiar

Ingredients

  • Sabudana (sago pearls): 1 cup

  • Green chilies: 2-3

  • Curry leaves: 1 sprig

  • Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

  • Groundnuts (peanuts), roasted: 1/4 cup

  • Potato: 1 medium

  • Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

  • Salt to taste

  • Sugar (optional): 1/2 tsp

  • Ghee

  • Coriander leaves

  • Fruits (like pomegranate seeds) for garnish (optional)

Method

Soak the sabudana in water for 3 minutes. Drain the water, leaving a little moisture behind, and set aside for 2 hours until pearls are soft and fluffy. Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds, green chillies, and curry leaves. Sauté until the seeds crackle. Add the soaked sabudana to the pan, along with roasted groundnuts and fried potato pieces. Stir gently on low heat. Add salt, lemon juice, and sugar (if using). Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sabudana turns translucent. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and fruits. Serve hot.

Chickpea Sundal Recipe

By Gayathri Subramanian

Ingredients

  • Chickpeas: 400g

  • Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp

  • Pinch of asafoetida

  • Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

  • Urad dal: 1 tsp

  • Dried Kashmiri red chili: 1

  • Curry leaves

  • Green chili: 1

  • Grated coconut: 2 tbsp

  • Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

  • Salt to taste

Method

Drain the canned chickpeas in a strain, rinse them well, and cook in a small saucepan with plenty of water for 15-20 mins. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a wok or kadhai over medium heat. Add asafoetida and mustard seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add urad dal and halved red chilli. Stir. Add the curry leaves and green chilli, allowing them to infuse the oil. Add the cooked chickpeas to the pan, followed by the grated coconut. Mix everything and fry for 2-3 mins. Turn off the heat, then add lemon juice and salt to taste.

Rava Kesari

Recipe by: Kartheek Maloth

Ingredients

  • Dry fruits (cashews, pistachios, raisins, etc.): 1/4 cup

  • Cloves: 3-4

  • Hot water: 4 cups

  • Bombay Rava (semolina, approx. 100g): 1 cup

  • Sugar: 1 1/2 cups

  • Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp

  • Ghee (as required)

  • A pinch of saffron (optional)

  • Food colour (optional)

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan. Add the dry fruits and fry them until golden brown. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and the Bombay Rava. Roast the rava on low flame for 2-3 minutes, stirring gently. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of ghee, continue to stir until the rava turns golden-brown. In a separate pan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add a pinch of saffron (optional) to it. Slowly pour the hot saffron water into the roasted rava, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Let it cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Once the rava absorbs the water, add sugar and stir for another 2 minutes on low flame. Add the cardamom powder and fried dry fruits. Mix well. If using food colour, dissolve it in a little water and add to the mixture (optional). Cover with a lid and let it cook on low flame for 2 more minutes. Rava Kesari is ready to be served!

Potato halwa ( traditional sweet dish)

Recipe by Shuchi Goyal

Ingredients

  • Boiled peeled potatoes: 4 medium-size

  • Ghee: 2 tbsp

  • Sugar: 2tbsp

  • Cardamon powder: 1/4tsp

  • Chopped pistachio and almonds for garnishing

Method

Heat ghee in a wok on a sim flame. Add some mashed potatoes and stir continuously until it becomes golden. After this, add sugar and mix thoroughly. Add cardamon powder and garnish with chopped dry fruits as per your choice. Serve hot.

Vegan Gajar Motichoor Laddu

Ingredients

  • Winter carrots (Gajar): 2, big

  • Jaggery powder/Brown sugar: 1 cup

  • Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

  • Dry ginger powder: 1/4 tsp

  • Nuts/seeds: 3 tsp, finely chopped

Method

  • Peel the carrots and mince them to fine consistency in a vegetable shredder. Carrot size should look like motichoor.

  • Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add the minced carrots to the pan and roast them while tossing periodically on medium heat.

  • After about five-six minutes when the carrots are soft, add the jaggery powder/ brown sugar, mix well and allow it to cook for sometime.

  • Sprinkle cardamom powder, nuts, and ginger powder.

  • On medium heat, cook till the carrots get to binding consistency.

  • Try making a small laddu to check if it’s ready to bind. If not, cook for a few more minutes.

  • Allow this mixture to cool for a minute before making the laddus.

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