3 Exotic Recipes for Navratri Fast

FARAALI PAHADI TIKKA
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

For the Tikka
2 cups paneer (cottage cheese) cut into 25 mm (1") cubes
1 cup boiled and peeled baby potatoes, cut into halves
1 cup shakarkand (sweet potato) peeled, cut into 25 mm (1") slices and parboiled
1 cup kand (purple yam), peeled and cut into 25 mm (1") cubes and parboiled
1 tbsp oil

For a smooth green marinade
½ cup chakka dahi (fresh hung curds)
1½ cups chopped phudina (mint leaves)
1 cup chopped dhania (coriander)
2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
2 tbsp chopped green chillies
2 tsp lemon juice
Rock salt to taste

Method
Thread one piece each of the paneer, purple yam, sweet potato and baby potato halves onto a toothpick. For more tikkis, repeat with the remaining ingredients to make more tikkas. Apply the green marinade evenly on the paneer and the vegetables and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle) and cook the tikkas on a medium flame, using oil, till the paneer and vegetables are light brown in colour from all sides. Serve immediately. The minty marinade gives it an elegant touch that will remain fresh in your memory for long.

FARAALI IDLI AND SAMBAR

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

For the Idli
1 cup sanwa millet (sama)
½ cup sago (sabudana)
1 cup fresh curds (dahi)
4 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 cup boiled and peeled potato cubes
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup roasted peanut powder (optional)
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
Soaking time: 8 hours

For the Sambhar
5 tsp coriander (dhania) seeds
4 round red chillies (boriya mirch)
2 tbsp roasted peanuts
1 tbsp grated dry coconut (kopra)
25 mm (1”) stick cinnamon (dalchini)
1½ cups bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki) cubes
1½ cups peeled and chopped yam (suran)
1 cup peeled and chopped potatoes
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp lemon juice
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste

Method to make Idli
Clean and wash the sanwa millet and sago. Drain, add the curds, 2 tsp of ginger-green chilli paste, rock salt and mix well. Keep aside to soak for at least 6 to 8 hours. Grind the mixture in a blender to a smooth batter without adding any water. Keep aside.

For the stuffing, heat the oil in a non-stick kadhai and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the remaining 2 tsp of ginger-green chilli paste and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. Add the potatoes, sugar, lemon juice and rock salt, mix well and cook on a slow flame for 5 minutes.

Cool and divide the stuffing into 16 equal portions. Put 1 tbsp of the idli batter into greased idli moulds, spread a portion of the potato stuffing over it. Sprinkle a little peanut powder over it and top it up with another tbsp of the idli batter. Steam in an idli steamer for 10 minutes or till done.

Method for making the Sambhar
Combine the coriander seeds, two round red-chillies, peanuts, dry coconut and cinnamon and blend in a mixer to a fine powder. Keep it aside. Boil a vesselful of water, add 1 cup of bottle gourd, 1 cup of yam and potatoes and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or till the vegetables are completely cooked. Drain, cool and blend in a mixer to a smooth purée. Transfer it to a deep non-stick pan, add 4 cups of water, mix well and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes, while stirring once in between. Then add the remaining ½ cup of bottle gourd and yam, ground powder and rock salt, mix well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

For the tempering, heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the remaining 2 round red chillies and sauté for a few seconds. Pour the tempering over the boiling sambhar, mix well and simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Serve hot faraal idlis with sambhar.

JALEBIS

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Makes 15 jalebis

For the batter
½ cup plain flour (maida)
½ tsp dry yeast

For the sugar syrup
1 cup sugar
1 tsp saffron (kesar) strands
2 pinches saffron colour

For the garnish
½ tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
1 tsp almond (badam) slivers
1 tsp pistachio slivers

For the batter
Combine the yeast with 2 tbsp of warm water in a bowl and keep aside for 5 to 7 minutes.
Combine this yeast mixture with the plain flour in a bowl and mix well.
Add 2 tbsp of water if required to make a thick batter and cover and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

For the sugar syrup
Combine the sugar and 1 cup of water in a broad non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a high flame for 5 to 7 minutes or till the sugar syrup is of 1 thread consistency.
Combine the saffron strands, saffron colour and 2 tsp of sugar syrup in a bowl and add to the sugar syrup and mix well. Keep aside.

Other ingredients
Ghee for deep-frying

Method
Select a plastic bottle with a small hole in the lid and fill with the batter. Heat the ghee in a broad non-stick pan and press the bottle to form a coil shaped jalebi, starting from the inside to the outside. Deep-fry till the jalebis turn golden brown in colour from both the sides. Place the fried jalebis into the warm syrup. Leave for 2 minutes or till they soak the sugar syrup well and then remove from the sugar syrup. Serve immediately garnished with cardamom powder, almond slivers and pistachio slivers.

Coordinated by Rama Sreekant