Navratri Prasad for Nine Days: A Lowdown on the Sweets Offered

Navratri means warm desserts and sweets filling up your house with the aroma of ghee, sugar, and cardamom. It is the festival where people worship Goddess Durga, celebrating the victory of good over evil. Food always occupies an important place during this festival, and several vegetarian dishes are prepared as Navratri Prasad for nine days of the puja. The following recipes are some traditional sweets and Navratri food recipes that you can make during the festival.

Mohanthal

Ingredients:

• 201 gm gram flour
• 102 gm ghee
• 203 gm sugar
• 54 ml milk
• 2 tsp cardamom

Method:

1. You first have to take a pan and in it, add ghee and let it heat on the stove.
2. Once it has started to form some bubbles, you can add gram flour and roast it for about 10 minutes until it releases a nutty aroma.
3. Then, you have to take a separate bowl, and in it, add milk and sugar, and boil it until the concoction turns syrupy.
4. To the milky concoction, you then need to add the gram flour while mixing everything very well.
5. For the next 15 to 20 minutes, you need to keep stirring for the combination to thicken without forming any lumps.
6. After about 20 minutes, you can take the pan off the heat, and add a dash of cardamom.
7. After it is adequately cooled, you can use a knife to cut it into squares and prop them into the refrigerator.
8. Before serving, you can garnish with rose petals or chopped roasted almonds.

Doodh Peda

This is a sweet dish that requires a few ingredients to turn something simple into a delicious fudgy sweet treat.

Ingredients:

• 501 ml milk
• 202 gm sugar
• 53 gm ghee
• 2 tsp cardamom

Method:

1. For the first step of the recipe, you need to pour milk into a pan and let it boil over medium heat until bubbles start to form.
2. After heating the milk on high heat for some time, you must take care to reduce the flame and keep stirring it in between until it starts to become creamy.
3. Once the texture of the milk has become thick, you need to add ghee, sugar and cardamom powder, and mix everything well.
4. You have to continue cooking this concoction for about 15 to 17 minutes. During this time, the pudding will continue to thicken into a beautifully smooth texture.
5. After about 20 minutes, you can remove the pudding from heat, and let it cool to room temperature.
6. Once adequately cooled, you can take some quantity of this pudding and shape it in the form of a cylinder with the help of a spoon or your fingers.
7. Before serving this delicious dessert, you must allow the pedas to refrigerate for at least 2 hours so that they are firm and cool to touch, and smooth and soft to taste.

Atta Laddu (Whole Wheat Balls)

One of the more popular dishes for Navratri fast, Atta Laddu, much like Besan Laddu, were historically consumed to keep energized while observing the Navratri fast.

Ingredients:

• 200 gm whole wheat flour
• 95 gm ghee
• 200 gm sugar
• 55 ml milk
• 2 tsp cardamom

Method:

1. This easy recipe will require you to first add ghee in a pan, and let it heat for a while.
2. Then, you can add whole wheat flour to the ghee, and stir it for about 7 minutes.
3. Next, you need to take a separate pan and in it, add milk and sugar, and bring them to a boil.
4. Once the liquid has started to thicken, you need to carefully add the flour mixture while whisking everything well with a hand whisk.
5. For the next 20 minutes or so, you need to stir the concoction at intervals while it turns into a thick consistency.
6. After that, take it off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
7. Once cooled, add a dash of cardamom powder, and shape them into balls or laddoos.
8. Before serving, you must not forget to refrigerate them for at least 3 hours so that their firm texture is maintained.

Rajgira Ladoo (Amaranth Flour Balls)

Ingredients:

• 200 gm rajgira flour
• 95 gm ghee
• 200 gm sugar
• 55 ml milk
• 2 tsp cardamom

Method:

1. This gluten-free dessert will require you to first heat ghee in a deep pan.
2. To the ghee, you can add rajgira flour.
3. Then, take a separate bowl, and in it, mix together milk and sugar.
4. Next, you are going to put the milk on low heat and wait till it starts to boil.
5. To the boiling mixture of sugar and milk, you have to add the roasted flour while mixing everything very well.
6. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes of you stirring the mixture in between for the concoction to start to thicken.
7. Once it is of your preferred consistency, you can take it off the heat, and add a dash of cardamom powder.
8. After it has cooled down a bit, you need to shape it into balls or laddoos, and you can either serve them as they are, or let them refrigerate before serving.

For all of these Navratri food recipes, you can even add dry fruits and nuts to make them nutrient-dense. If you are in the mood to experiment, you can add coconut milk instead of regular milk. You may also sprinkle a dash of orange zest or rose water for a flavorful twist to the traditional desserts.