As devotees of Lord Shiva are gearing to celebrate Maha Shivratri, a must prep that binds this festival is the food that partakes in the process of fasting. The day is observed by chanting hymns, prayers, meditation, visiting Lord Shiva temples. While this heavy duty devotion can ring in those hunger pangs, there are some who follow the nirahar vrat (fast sans food).
On this day, those fasting have to abstain from food made with rice, wheat, dal or pulses. This leaves limited ingredients for consumption in case one requires to gorge on vrat specific food. Of course, besides fruits and dry fruits. From Rajgira Puri to Sweet Potato Chips, here are a few delicacies and their recipes to make on Maha Shivratri.
Vrat Tikki
Vrat Tikki | Photo by Archana's Kitchen
Ingredients: Sama/samvat popularly called as vrat ke chawal, boiled potatoes, green chilli, red chilli powder, water, salt and oil.
Method:
Steam Sama rice in a pressure cooker.
Assemble rice, boiled potatoes, red chilli powder, salt and green chilli and knead soft dough.
Make small tikki and deep fry the tikkis.
You can use the same ingredients and method and make medu vada by making a hole in the centre of the tikki. Serve it with chutney.
Rajgira puri
Rajgira puri | Photo by Archana's Kitchen
Ingredients: Rajgira (Amaranth) flour, boiled potatoes, Ajwain (Carrom seeds), red chilli powder, salt, oil and water.
Method:
Assemble Rajgira flour, boiled potatoes, ajwain, red chilli powder and salt in a bowl.
Add water as required and knead soft dough. Cover the dough for 20 minutes.
Make small balls and using fingers and palm press down to make it small puris.
Deep fry the puris and serve it with tea, potato sabji or chutney.
Sweet Potato Chips
Sweet Potato Chips | Photo by Bigger Bolder Baker
Ingredients: Potatoes, sugar, ghee and cardamom powder
Method:
Peel off potatoes’ skin and cut it in round slices.
Deep fry the slices in ghee and dip in sugar syrup. Sprinkle cardamom powder on it.
Serve the sweet chips once it is crispy.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamins and also help to balance the sugar level during fast.
Sabudana Kheer
Sabudana Kheer | Photo by The Statesman
Ingredients: Sabudana (Sago), milk, sugar, cardamom powder and water.
Method:
Wash and soak Sago granules for 2-3 hours.
Add the soaked granules in boiling water and stir.
When cooked properly add milk, sugar and cardamom powder as required.
Serve the kheer hot and garnish it with dry fruits.
The kheer has a lot of starch and carbohydrates and is a great source to restore the energy during fasts.
Thandai
Thandai | Photo by Pixabay
Ingredients: Milk, sugar, water, dry fruits, cardamom powder, rose petals, khuskhus.
Method:
Soak sugar for 1 hour in water and make consistent sugar syrup.
Grind rose petals, dry fruits, cardamom powder and khuskhus in a fine paste and strain it into a vessel.
Add sugar syrup and milk in the paste.
Chill the mixture and garnish it with dry fruits before serving.
The drink keeps you hydrated throughout the day.
