The autumn festivities begin with the nine days of Navratri, around end September or beginning October. this changes with Shukla Paksha (Hindu calendar) calendar. During this Hindus worship Goddess Durga. On the 8th day is Ashtami. That is my favorite :-) bringing loving memories of childhood, when my parents used to worship us as little Devi and wash our feet and then we got us gifts. The food that followed was hot pooris with kale chane and sooji halwa. This combination of poori, chane and halwa is absolutely divine.
I have shared the steps of these recipes so that you too can enjoy this joy with your family and friends. Food is not only flavor but also it builds connections that connects the heart and builds memories to last forever.
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| Pooris, Sooji halwa, Kale channe |
Kala Chana
Kala chana, is a type of chick peas that are dark brown in color, it has a nutty flavor and is very nutritious, high in minerals and fiber.
We soak them in water, overnight, and boil them the next day to prepare this dish. I like to pressure cook them to get them evenly cooked.
Since I will be preparing them for festival and pooja, there is no onions or garlic in this recipe, but this doesn't hamper the taste :)
Ingredients:
2 cups kala chane
1 piece fresh ginger
2 to 3 thai chilies (green)
Salt to taste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 medium tomatoes pureed
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Oil for cooking
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| Add cumin seeds, bay leaves and red chili powder to oil |
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| Add little water to make a paste |
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| Add spice paste to the oil |
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| Add tomato puree |
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| Kale channe |
Method:
1. First, wash the chana and using a medium bowl soak them overnight. Strain the soaked chana, next day.
2. Using an instant pot or pressure cooker, add the soaked chana. Add 1 cup water, salt, ginger,
chili's, and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles, or for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. In a separate kadai, heat 2 tsp oil. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, add tomato puree.
Stir on medium heat for few minutes. Next, season with salt, turmeric, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala.
As it sizzles, add in the pressure cooked chana and continue to stir few minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup water and allow the chana to cook with the masala for another few minutes, till kala chana appear medium consistency.
5. Close burner, add freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with pooris or rice of your choice.
This dish can easily be prepared with onions and garlic too. The recipe is same, simply puree one medium sized onion and add 1 tbsp garlic paste, to the cumin seeds in the beginning. Allow the onions to turn light golden in colour before adding in the pureed tomatoes and other spices.
Poori
These round fried and puffed Indian bread is a favorite and easily liked by all. Especially fussy kids will easily start liking this and it will give them the much needed calories and iron.
The dough is prepared using wheat flour and ghee (clarified butter) and little water as we required the dough to be firm and not too soft. It is then rolled into round disc, and deep fried in oil.
Ingredients
1 cup wheat flour
1 tsp ghee
1/2 cup water to knead the dough
1 tbsp sooji (optional, for extra crispiness)
1/2 tsp salt
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| Fried poori |
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| Poori with kale channe and sooji |
Method:
1. Using wheat flour, add ghee and slowly pour little luke warm water and knead a dough, that is not too soft. It should be firm to touch. Allow dough to rest covered for 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Using vegetable oil, heat a medium size kadai that is deep to hold the oil. Heat till it reaches temp of boiling point. Be careful and keep children away while frying food.
3. Divide the kneaded dough into small 7 to 8 portion round balls. Use a rolling pin, flat surface clean area, and a round portion of the dough that looks like a golf ball size. Start rolling to make a round disc shape, The thickness should be medium and then deep fried in hot oil, for few seconds on both sides to get that beautiful golden crisp color. The oil should not be smoking hot, but hot enough to fry the pooris.
4. Use the same strainer and remove each fried poori from the oil. Keep on a plate.
5. These pooris are so versatile, when we add spices, like turmeric, red chili powder, salt, ajwain seeds and knead the dough. We get masala poori.
6. If we add chopped cleaned spinach or fenugreek leaves, finely chopped while preparing the dough, along with spices and salt, we get spinach or fenugreek pooris that will be green in color.
For now, these are plain pooris and will be enjoyed with chana and sooji ka halwa.
Sooji halwa
Halwa is the traditional sweet we prepare during pooja or anytime one feels like having something sweet.
It pairs very well with savory Kala chana and poori. Here we have used sooji and besan to prepare the halwa or pudding.
Ingredients
1 cup sooji ( semolina flour) I like to use the thin variety
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup ghee
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp small cardamom powder
1/4 tsp saffron
1 tbsp besan flour (chickpeas flour) You can get it easily online or in Indian grocery stores.
8 to 10 soaked almonds deskinned and cut small
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| 1 cup warm water |
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| 1 cup sugar |
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| Heat a pan, add ghee, add sooji |
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| Cardamom powder |
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| Add cardamom powder and continue stirring |
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| Add sugar |
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| Add few saffron strands to the warm water and keep aside |
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| Add saffron water (Kesar water) to the cooked sooji and stir for few minutes, Be careful it can be very hot. As the sooji comes together. Next, close burner |
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| Sooji ka halwa |
Method
1. Heat a medium kadai, add ghee. Now add sooji and stir on low to medium heat.
Next, add besan and continue stirring making sure not to let it burn but making sure the colour of sooji is now light brown. Add cardamom powder.
2. Carefully add in sugar and continue to stir for few more minutes till the sooji comes together and the
ghee is seen on the side. Now add in water and continue stirring.
3. Lower the gas burner and add sliced almonds and saffron strands.
4. Close burner and enjoy freshly prepared sooji halwa.
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