Mumbai: When the road shimmers with lights, the idol of Goddess Durga makes it presence in every nook and corner of the cities, the aroma of pure ghee delicacies fills the air and the faint scent of flowers gives you a refreshing feel along with the non-stop beats of garba, then you just know it’s time for Navaratri festival.
We wake up to jingles of the bells accompanied by morning prayer, that mark the start of the festive day.
Navaratri is one of the holiest Hindu festivals and is celebrated in every part of India with different cultural beliefs.
Each day of Navaratri represents a unique symbolism, where different avatars of goddess Durga are worshiped for nine days. According to the Hindu mythology, Durga has nine different incarnations and each of it represents a distinct female power.
Navaratri is usually celebrated twice a year, which marks the beginning of spring and autumn. These nine auspicious days are celebrated in a diverse manner in India.
Usually, people in the north, west and central India fast for nine days, they believe that fasting is a way to pay respect to the goddess.
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Photo: AP
In Bengal, Durga Puja celebrations begin with Mahalaya, which marks the advent of Goddess Durga. Mahalaya is observed seven days before Bijoya. The other days of celebrations are Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Nabami and Vijayadashami (Dussehra or Subho Bijoya).
Food is an integral part of this celebration, so as this holy month begins, Deccan Chronicle plans to bring you legendary stories about Durga’s different avatar and a wide range of recipes from around India to treat your taste buds for the next nine days.
Celebrate this festive season with our mouth-water recipes.
Today, we bring you the most exquisite sweet from Bengal that you might have never heard of. Treat your family and friends with a melt-in-the-mouth dessert. Make this auspicious day extra special with our tasty recipes.
Recipe of the day: Khejur aamsotto chutney
Photo: Representative image
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp Vegetable or Canola oil
• 1 tsp PanchForon
• 5-6 Ripe tomatoes, chopped
• A pinch of Salt
• 1/3 tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ cup Granulated sugar
• 10-12 pieces dates, roughly chopped
• ½ cup Mango leather Or Aamsotto, roughly chopped
• ½ cup Golden Raisins or Sultana
• 2 tbsp BhajaMoshla or Dry roasted Cumin, Fennel
• 1 Whole Red Chili and ground
Instructions
• Take a non-stick pan and heat 2 tbsp of oil in it.
• When the oil is hot enough, add the "PanchForon" and fry till a nice aroma comes from the "PanchForon".
• Add chopped Tomatoes to the pan, some salt & turmeric powder and cover the pan to cook the tomatoes.
• Cook the tomatoes till they become pulpy and totally mashed. It will take about 5 minutes to cook them.
• Open the lid and add the sugar to the pan. Now increase the flame from low to medium to evaporate all the water comes from the tomato.
• When the tomatoes will be thick enough then add the chopped dates and stir for 5 minutes to mix the dates with the pulp.
• Add chopped Aamsotto and Raisins and mix with the pulpy tomatoes and cook the Chutney for another 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes turn off the heat and sprinkle "BhajaMoshla" on the chutney and refrigerate the chutney.
Tip from the chef Sougata Sengupta: Remove the chutney just before serving.
This recipe is shared by Sougata Sengupta, who is the chef and owner of restaurant feeast@east, Mumbai. This place is quite popular for serving Bengali cuisine.
Enjoy this sweet delicacy from Bengal, tomorrow we promise to bring you something new from another part of India. “Happy Navaratri readers.”
