Authentic Navaratri specialswith a Rajasthani twist

We all have grown up with our elders dishing out tasty recipes and homely food. I saw my grandparents cooking traditional food at home and was always interested in the spices and seasoning that were used in all of them. 

I was 20 years old when I started cooking. I wanted to keep making healthy options and always made sure whatever I cooked was out of millets and other home-grown crops like wheat, maize etc, while making them taste as authentic as possible. I would add my own touch to them too. 

The two recipes I am sharing here are of dishes which are traditionally connected to the festivals and the fasting period of Navaratri.

I first had a ‘Sabudana Khichdi’ and ‘Singhare Atta Ka Halwa’ when I was a teenager and always connect family, togetherness and spirituality to the food. 

The recipes shared here have pure ghee and dry fruits added to it, depicting authentic Rajasthani flavours. I hope you will enjoy the flavours.  

Vishakha Goenka Sanganeria, owner, Kesariya.

Recipe:

Kesariya Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients
- Sabudana - 30 gm
- Peanuts - 2 tbsp
- Boiled potatoes - 1 cup
- Green chillies chopped - 1 tsp
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
- Ghee - 3 tbsp.
- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method
- Soak sabudana in water for two hours.
- Chop a few potatoes and green chillies. Roast some peanuts.
- Add ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds. Add the potatoes, peanuts and the green chillies.
- After it has been cooked for few minutes, add the sabudana and mix well. Add salt as per your taste preference.
- Stir the khichdi for some time till the sabudana beads are cooked.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander on the khichdi.

Kesariya Singhare Atta Ka Halwa

Ingredients
- Ghee - 1/2 cup
- Singhare ka atta - 1 cup
- Sugar - 3/4 cup
- Hot water - 2 cup
- Almonds and pistachios for garnishing.

Method
- Add ghee in a pan, then put the ‘singhare ka atta’.
- Roast the atta in ghee till it’s slightly brown and cooked.
- Add sugar to the above mixture on the pan.
- Pour hot water into the halwa and stir till it is mixed well.
- Top it with ghee and garnish with cut almonds and pistas.