Navratri Ashtami Prasad - Poori, Channa and Halwa
There are 4 Navratris (9 nights of celebration and fasting) held in a year and the Autumn/Sharada Navratri is one of the most important seasonal junctions of the year.
Sharada Navratri that marks the beginning of Autumn after Equinox are nine days of sacred fasting where we cleanse our body-minds and celebrate the arriving/reemergence of the divine living feminine Goddess creatrix energy that is life.
After the masculine dominant Summer months of doing, this seasonal change of shorter, darker, and cooler days invites us/life to step into a more feminine way of being/doing.
Each night of the Navratri, one form of Devi is honored and celebrated. At the tail end of Navratri on the 8th/9th day of Ashtami/Navami, Devi is offered a particular prasad (consecrated food)- especially in North India - that is Poori (Deep fried unleavened Bread), Channa (Spiced Saatvik Black Chickpeas), and Halwa ( A Semolina based sweet dessert with Saffron, Cardamom, Ghee, and Nuts)
A delight to the palate after fasting, this meal signifies the wholesome abundance of what we have received and what has been harvested.
What is that dish in the middle between the Channa and Halwa you ask?
Vegetable Saagu. Also called mildly flavored South Indian style Vegetable Kurma. I don’t deep fry much at home but when I do, this side dish is always requested. When you try it you’ll know why! It’s a delicious melange of vegetables in a creamy coconut-cashew gravy that is mildly flavored with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. I have tweaked the original recipe (learned from an old priest who used to make this in my town for weddings) so this version is Saatvik. ie: No tamasic ingredients such as onion or garlic.
This goes very well when served with Ghee Rice as well.
As we step into Early Fall, all these ingredients are wonderful for our system (provided our doshas are fairly balanced of course!) Ghee, Nuts, Coconut etc are healthy oils that coat and lubricate our system, especially joints and skin from the cold drying winds. Before a full-blown winter begins, this is also an opportunity to eat the goodness of these protein-rich Black Channa and veggies in the Saagu.Kurma.
Follow step by step and you’ll be surprised how easy these traditional recipes are to make.
So wanna try making it? Recipes below.
SPICED BLACK CHANNA
Cicer arietinum popularly known as Chickpeas, Bengal gram, and Garbanzo, this high in protein Channa is one of the oldest legumes or pulses known to man.
If you don’t prefer too much spice, add a little bit and give this a try.
Take 1 Cup - Black Channa. I love to sprout my legumes. Sprouting is a wonderful practice to enrich dried legumes. While I love to sprout my legumes and enjoy them as live plant foods, according to Ayurvedic practices, sprouts and legumes in general can be difficult to digest. Especially if you have a weak digestive system. So sprouts are great but don’t make them more than once or twice a week max! Sprouted seeds are more easily digestible than sprouted legumes.
This video from Easy Ayurveda explains this beautifully.
I have fond memories of sprouting at home because I recall my grandma sharing the story of how hard it was to get fresh food during partition time or times when they could not afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and yet there was never a reason to panic. A handful of legumes when sprouted and made into Saar (A thin soup like dish eaten with Rice) could easily keep a family of 4-6 satiated. No matter what if you had these in your pantry, they never really go bad and you always have something to make, even when you your fridge may be empty and guests drop in in the last minute!
METHOD
Soak 1 Cup Channa in water and some salt for a few hours or overnight.
Drain water and boil Channa in 2 Cups of fresh water till soft. Pressure cooking is always faster.
Aside in a small bowl mix in all the dry powders - 1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder, 1/4 tsp Turmeric, 3/4 tsp Coriander powder, 1/2 tsp Channa Masala (buy at the store) or 1/4 tsp Garam Masala.
There are no hard and fast rules here. You can add Black Pepper powder and some Cumin powder here too if you like. Depending on the kind of Chilli powder nd spices you buy, the spice level changes so play with this to find what works for you.Add 2-4 Tbsps of water to the above dry mix to make a medium thinnish paste. Add Rock/Black Salt (Sendha Namak) to taste. I use this instead of regular Salt. Keep aside for a few minutes,
In a heavy bottom wide pan, heat 2-3 tbsps of Ghee (or any other fat medium you prefer)
Add lightly crushed Cumin/Jeera and a large pinch of Heeng/Asafoetida
As it splutters add the paste. Medium flame. Keep stirring so it cooks evenly. Secret ingredient! At this point add 1/2 tbsp of Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves - found in the spice section at the store. I LOVE the depth of flavor it adds to dishes. )
Continue stirring. Keep and eye making sure you don’t burn the spices. Once you see a glossiness (less than 3 mins at most)Add the boiled Black Channa with the water. Mix well.
Keep cooking till the mixture starts to thicken.
At this point add fine julienned Ginger (3/4 inch piece) and a slit Green Chilli (optional), Salt to taste.
Let it all come together.
Do a taste check. In case you find the spices too less then you can always heat Ghee on the side, add spices for half a minute and pour it into the dish.
Don’t dry the dish out fully. Switch gas off. Serve hot garnished with some lime and coriander leaves!
P.S: You can also serve this as a fresh appetizer snack. In India, we call this “Chaat”. Cool the dish. Add finely diced raw Onions (this is not Saatvik now!) half diced Tomato, 1 chopped Boiled Potato, and Cilantro leaves. Lots of lime. Add a slice of avocado on top? Hmmm. Serve with warmed Pita, Tortilla, Crackers or even a Baguette. Maybe add crushed Tortilla chips into it and serve.
Ideas galore! Play.
So yum! Perfect to try with leftovers!
GOODNESS
Unlike the popular garbanzo beans, this humble-looking black Channa is non-mucous forming. It is excellent at moving “Ama” digestive toxicity that dulls the jataragni (digestive fire) and therefore a good dish to eat at this time. High in protein, digestible fiber, iron, and minerals.
The Dhanvantri Nighantu (dated around 700 BCE author unknown and said to be of celestial origin), is one of the oldest treasured sources of information on Ayurvedic herbs and shares much about this legume. Boiled and eaten, this legume builds physical strength, immunity and pacifies Pitta and Kapha. When deep-fried or fried in Ghee as in this it balances Vata and Kapha and stimulates the taste buds. These can also be eaten raw/sprouted in Summer months if your digestion is good and strong.
If you are a high Vata person, Channa generally can be gas forming so don’t over-indulge in this regularly. The Black Channa Saar dish I mention above is better for high Vata systems. I hope to share that easy recipe soon.
SEMOLINA HALWA - SHEERA
Halwa for North Indians is what is Sheera for the South Indians. A classic favorite it is no surprise that this divine dessert is deemed worthy to be served as Prasad/consecrated food. Follow the steps clearly and you will be amazed at how good this turns out even the first time.
METHOD
RATIO - Semolina (Sooji) : Ghee : Water : Sugar = 1 Cup : 1 Cup : 3 Cups : 1 Cup
1 Cup - Semolina (Get the medium one. Not the fine version)
Roast in a heavy bottom pan on medium flame for few minutes till its lightly toasted. Do not brown or burn it. This helps get all the moisture out the Semolina and now they pump up as soft grains full of Ghee goodness when done! Keep aside to cool.
Now in the pan heat 3/4 C- 1 cup Ghee.
To the above add a small handful of nuts - Cashews and Almonds. Remove nuts and keep aside.
To the same Ghee add a small handful of Black Raisins. Careful not to burn! Remove and keep aside with the nuts.
To the same Ghee now add the cooled roasted Semolina and fry till Semolina is lightly golden brown on medium flame. You’ll smell a lovely light aroma. Don’t rush this.
While the above is frying in a small bowl mix a good few pinches of pure Saffron and 1/2 cup Milk. Keep aside.
Boil 3 Cups of water and add to the perfectly fried golden Semolina from above, Let the Semolina fluff up.
As it is almost dry add 1 Cup Sugar (You may use Brown Sugar). You’ll notice the mix thins now. Which is perfect. Let it thicken a wee bit.
Now to this also add the Milk with Saffron. Mix well and let it thicken a bit.
Don’t allow this to get too dry as it will dry up quite a bit after it cools.
Add in 3-4 fine crushed Cardamom pods and few pinches of Nutmeg. Mix well.
Switch the gas off. Roughly chop the fried Nuts and mix in with the Raisins.
Serve warm and allow the Goddess within you enjoy every melt in your mouth fingerlicking morsel!
Cardamom and Saffron!
POORI - Unleavened Deep Fried Puffed Bread
You can also make these with vegan and non-gluten flour options like Buckwheat (Kuttu) flour, Arrowroot/Tapioca flour, Chestnut (Singhara) flour, Barnyard Millet (Sama Chawal flour) flour or Amaranth (Rajgira) flour. These are generally made during fasting days. Here we are making the typical common Wheatflour Pooris.
This time I tried a trick that works very well to keep the Pooris fluffed up for longer. Read below.
METHOD
In a bowl, mix 1 Cup Wheat flour with some Salt to taste (optional)
Mix in 2 tbsps fine Semolina, 1 tsp Sugar, 2 tbsps Milk, 1 tsp oil. These ingredients and step is optional but help in making tastier Pooris that stay fluffed up for longer.
Add water and make a firm dough. Knead the dough at least for 5-0 minutes. This helps the gluten to form well.
Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside for 20-30 mins.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan.
Make small smooth dough balls and roll them out in small circles.
Deep fry them in hot oil on both sides as they puff up.
P.S: Masala Poori option. My mom makes the best Masala Pooris that don’t even need an accompaniment. In the same dough before you add water mix in “masalas/spices” as you prefer. My mom adds Carom seeds and Red Chilli powder. You may also replace this with Cumin, Turmeric, Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek leaves) etc. You can also add a few Tbsps of Besan/Chickpea flour to the Wheatflour for a different flavor. Make dough as usual and deep fry.
SOUTH INDIAN VEGETABLE KURMA SAAGU RECIPE IS HERE
If you try any of the recipes do LMK below in the comments how it turned out. I’d love to hear from you! To a wonderful Autumn and Winter ahead.