Navratri is a very meaningful festival for Hindus that marks change of seasons as per the Hindu calendar. Navratri means “nine nights,” and in these nights, devotees worship nine different forms of Goddess Durga. Though Navratri comes four times in a year, one for each season, but people celebrate ones that fall around April and October on a broader scale. Many devotees fast during this time and perform various rituals to mark the festivities. Since fasting is a very prominent aspect of its celebration, I want to dedicate today’s post to fasting-special recipe, malai kofta. To know more about Navratri and beliefs behind its celebration, read this article here.
It is a notion that with every change of season, the body also undergoes the transitional phase to prepare for seasonal changes. That is why it is a tradition to fast during Navratri since Navratri coincides with the change of seasons. Our ancestors designed the customs and rituals very mindfully. Holy scriptures like Vedas are a huge guiding force in healthy living. With modern and urban life, many of us tend to overlook these guiding forces of the past. But we should remember, strong foundations lead to a stronger future.
And that is why we still celebrate festivals that even preceding generations celebrated hundreds of years ago. These festivals are not only the reflection of our unique cultures but also a practice of beautiful and simplistic living. A simple idea that celebrating small or big occasions with near ones matters a lot. With Navratras coming towards end, people start preparing for notable festivities that lie ahead. Diwali is one such festival that many Hindus eagerly look forward to celebrating with lots and lots of fun. You will love many of my Diwali exclusive recipes. See my Mango Motichoor Laddoo recipe and Rajasthani Mawa Kachori for fun festive ideas.
Making fasting special dish-malai kofta
Let’s talk about Navratri fasting now. Malai Kofta is a famous and beloved Indian main course dish. Due to a more significant vegetarian population in India, many like to savor this delicacy with Indian-style breads. But the recipe is made with onion, garlic, and a few other ingredients that people avoid during the fasting period. However, it is so delicious that I wanted to relish it even during this time. All I did, was cook this recipe with ingredients that one can consume while fasting. After going through the recipe instructions, you will find how easy it is to twist famous recipes, such as Malai Kofta, as per your fasting needs.
You can also make Sweet Potato Kheer for Navratri fasting or any regular day fasting. It is delicious and very easy to make.
Happy Fasting, everyone! JAI MATA DI
Ingredients
- 2 Boiled and Mashed Potatoes
- 350 gm Mashed Paneer
- 10-12 Chopped almonds
- 10-12 Raisins
- 3/4 cup Cashew nuts
- 1/2 cup Magaz (muskmelon seeds)
- 1-2 tsp Ghee/coconut oil
- Rock salt or fasting salt, as per taste
- Black pepper, as per taste
- Coconut Sugar or Honey, as per taste
- Coriander leaves, a bunch full
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix mashed potatoes and paneer. Add a pinch of rock salt or fasting salt, a pinch of black pepper and freshly chopped coriander leaves to it. Mix everything.
- Make small sized balls or koftas out of the mashed potato and paneer mixture — stuff in chopped almonds and raisins. Then place the koftas on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. You can also brush ghee or coconut oil over koftas to make them extra crispier on the outside.
- Bake the koftas in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes or until the surface of koftas becomes golden brown. Alternately, you can deep fry the koftas if you want. However, the dish will become too heavy to digest since the gravy is cashew nut-based.
- While koftas bake, prepare gravy for the koftas. In a blending jar, blend pre-soaked cashews, magaz or muskmelon seeds, and coriander leaves until smooth. Note: Before making the dish, soak the cashew nuts and musk melon seeds or magaz in hot water for 3-4 hours. It will help soften the nuts and seeds, and then they will blend better.
- In a hot pan, add 1-2 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil. When it becomes warm enough, pour in blended mixture and keep stirring. Add rock salt, black pepper, and coconut sugar or honey for seasonings. Also, pour in water as per desirable consistency. Keep stirring the mixture until everything well combined. Add a few drops of lime juice to balance all the flavors in the last. The gravy should be smooth and creamy. Note: You can also add a little coconut cream or regular table cream for extra creamy taste and texture.
- When ready to eat, pour the cashew nut and magaz gravy in the serving bowl and dip the koftas in the very end. Top with some more freshly chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle few nigella seeds over. Drizzle a spoonful of cream for final presentation. Note: It is a good idea to dip koftas in gravy at the time of serving. The koftas can become soggy if left in gravy for too long, and due to that, koftas won't taste that good.
