This Navratri Try Your Hand At These Flavour-Packed Recipes

The period of Navratri is symbolic of good over evil and is celebrated in all glory in different parts across India. The festival is welcomed with day-long fasts followed with long hours of traditional dancing. This festive season, when you plan your meals for this Navratri, make sure to add a healthy twist with nutritious foods that add a crunchy texture along with great flavour!

We have just the recipes for you to try.

Honey Jeera Badam
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3

Ingredients
1 cup almonds
1 tbsp sugar
1½ tbsp honey
½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
¼ tsp ground jeera
Salt, to taste

Method
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the almonds in a medium-sized nonstick pan and roast over medium heat for three to four minutes until they are lightly toasted.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small glass bowl and microwave at high for 30 seconds.
4. Remove from the microwave and add the honey mixture to the pan with the toasted almonds and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Arrange the almonds on prepared baking sheet in a single layer; let stand 10 minutes.
6. Break apart any clusters.
7. Enjoy!

Almond & Rose Kheer
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients
2 litres full fat milk
120 gm gobindo bhog rice (or any other rice available)
40 gm grain sugar
3-4 drops rose water
100 gm almonds, chopped
10 gm dried rose petals, for garnishing
25 gm toasted almond slivers, for garnishing

Method
1. Wash and soak the rice in water for about 20 minutes.
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottom pan. After the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the milk is reduced to half the original volume. Stir occasionally.
3. Once the milk is reduced, add the soaked rice to it, after draining the water. Cook on low heat until the rice is cooked well and is soft and mushy. The mix should thicken.
4. Add the chopped almonds and cook for further 15 minutes on low heat till the kheer is thick and creamy.
5. Then add the sugar at the end and cook for two minutes, until it dissolves.
6. Set the mixture aside to cool. Once it is cool, add the rose water and mix. Refrigerate until you need to serve.
7. Garnish with the toasted almond slivers and dried rose petals before serving.

Almond & Goji Berry Boondi Laddoos
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Makes: 8 laddoos

Ingredients
For The Ladoo Batter
1½ cup besan
1 cup water
½ tsp cardamom powder
¼ cup toasted almond slivers
3 tbsp goji berries
1 tbsp ghee
Sunflower oil for deep frying

For The Sugar Syrup
1½ cup sugar
¾ cup water
A pinch of saffron strands

Method
1. Take the sugar, saffron strands and water in a pan place it on the stove over a low flame. Cook the syrup until a single string consistency is achieved. Keep the sugar syrup hot.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan.
3. Mix the besan and cardamom powder together and add water to it to form a loose batter.
4. To check the consistency of the boondi batter drop a few droplets of the batter in hot oil, if it becomes flat, the batter is thin and if it has peaks, the batter is thick. Adjust accordingly. To make it thicker add some more besan, and to make it thinner add some water.
5. To make the boondis, hold a perforated ladle over hot oil, and using a spoon spread the boondi batter over the perforated spoon; make sure that the perforated spoon and the pan don’t have much height between them or else the boondis will not be round.
6. Fry quickly in hot oil, ensuring you do not over fry the boondis. Do not crisp them. Remove them from the oil once the oil stops to sizzle and put them in the sugar syrup for a few minutes.
7. After a few minutes, strain the boondis from the syrup and mix them with the almond slivers and goji berries. Add the ghee for binding.
8. Shape the mix into laddoos and enjoy! Grease your palms with ghee so the mixture does not stick.

Also Read: Easy Bread Karanjis For The Festive Season