Chaitra Navratri: The festive time of the year is here. Every year, Chaitra Navratri is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all over the country. Observed by the Hindu community, Chaitra Navratri is a festival of nine days dedicated to Goddess Durga. Navratri translates to nine night – each day is dedicated to one avatar of Maa Durga. The nine forms of Maa Durga are – Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kaalratri, Maa Mahagauri, and Maa Siddhidatri. This year, Chaitra Navratri will start on April 9 and will end on April 17.

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During Chaitra Navratri, devotees worship the forms of Maa Durga and keep fast for the entire day. The first day of Chaitra Navratri is dedicated to Maa Shailputri. Shail means mountains and putri means daughter – Maa Shailputri is considered one of the most divine forms of Goddess Durga. Maa Shailputri’s bhog is prepared with devotion and dedication by the devotees. Sabudana Khichdi is offered as bhog to Maa Shailputri.

We have curated an easy way of making Sabudana Khichdi bhog for Maa Shailputri on the first day of Chaitra Navratri.

Ingredients:

For Soaking

Sabudana (sago) – 1 cup

Water – 1 cup

Salt – a generous pinch

For Khichdi

Peanuts (skinless) – ½ cup

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Green chilli Chopped – 1no

Ginger chopped – 2tsp

Tomato chopped – ½ cup

Potatoes boiled, diced – 1cup

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Salt – to taste

Black Pepper powder – to taste

Lemon – ½ no

Coriander chopped – Handful

Method:

Wash the sabudana and soak in water with salt for about four to five hours. Then dry roast the peanuts and coarsely crush them in a blender. In a pan, heat ghee, add jeera, green chillies, ginger, tomatoes and diced potatoes and saute everything. Add curry leaves and the roasted crushed peanuts. Add soaked sabudana, pepper and salt and squeeze lemon juice and cook until the sabudana turns transparent. Add freshly chopped coriander leaves on top and serve hot.

(Recipe: Kunal Kapur, Chef)