Gear up for Navarathri with delicacies from across country

Chennai

Water chestnut halwa (North Indian)

Ingredients 

Ghee: 1/3 cup

Water chestnut flour: ½ cup

Water: 1 cup

Sugar: 1/3 cup

Cardamom powder: 1/8 tsp

Chopped dry fruits: For garnish

Method

• Head the ghee in a pan and add the water chestnut flour. Mix well. 
• Roast the flour by stirring continuously. It could take about five minutes for the flour to get a light brown colour. 
• In another pan, allow a cup of water to boil. Add the hot water to the flour mixture and stir to avoid lumps. 
• Once the water is absorbed, add in sugar. Mix well. 
• Turn off the stove once the ghee separates from the mixture. 
• Add cardamom powder and mix. Serve with a garnish of chopped nuts.

Sweet potato and raw banana barfi (Awadhi)

Ingredients 

Sweet potato: ½ cup boiled and mashed

Raw banana: 1 boiled and mashed

Jaggery: 2 tbsp

Ghee: 2 tbsp

Milk: 3 cups

Cardamom powder: 1/8 tsp

Chopped nuts: For garnish

Method: 

• Mix together the boiled and mashed sweet potato and raw banana. 
• Add boiled milk to the mix and whisk well to eliminate any lumps. 
• Cook on low flame until the milk is evaporated and then add in the ghee. 
• Spread the thick mixture on a flat plate and let it cool down. 
• Cut into pieces and garnish with chopped nuts to serve.

Pumpkin Kheer (Andhra Pradesh) 

Ingredients: 

Grated pumpkin: 2 cups

Milk: 2 cups

Jaggery: 1 cup

Ghee: 4 tbsp

Chopped almonds: ½ cup

Method: 

• In a wide pan, heat some ghee and add the grated pumpkin. Fry the pumpkin until it turns light brown.
• Add two cups of milk and mix well. Cook the mixture until milk evaporates. 
• Add the jaggery and allow it to melt on low heat. Mix well till the mixture comes together. Sprinkle little cardamom powder for flavour.
• Garnish with almonds and serve hot or chilled.

Mixed millet kozhukattai (Tamil Nadu)

Ingredients: 

Red rice flour: 1 ½ cup

Mixed millet flour: 1 ½ cup

Jaggery: 2 cups

Grated coconut: 4 tbsp

Cardamom powder: ½ tsp

Method 

• Add jaggery and water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Set it aside. 
• In another pan, bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Keep it aside. 
• In a bowl, add red rice flour, mixed millet flour, grated coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well. 
• Add in the jaggery water and mix well. Now add the hot water little by little, and create a soft mixture. 
• Make kozhukattai using hands or a greased mould. Steam for 15 minutes and serve.

Thambittu (Karnataka)

Ingredients: 

Roasted gram flour: ½ cup 

Peanuts: ½ cup 

Sesame seeds: 2 tbsp 

Rice flour: 1 cup 

Dry coconut: ¼ cup grated 

Cardamom powder: ¼ tsp 

Jaggery: 1 cup 

Ghee: 2 tbsp

Method: 

• Dry roast the rice flour and add the roasted gram flour, crushed peanut powder to it. 
• Add in the roasted sesame seeds, dry coconut and cardamom powder. 
• Add ghee and mix until the flour mixture turns moist. 
• Grease your hands and prepare the mix into laddus. 
• Thambittu can be stored and enjoyed for up to two weeks.

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