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Seek Blessings from Durga Maa with These Popular Prasad Recipes

Source Vegetariansdelight.com l Prasad

Navratri is the time of the year when Hindus all across the world adopt a calm and meditative lifestyle by virtue of refraining from worldly habits including certain types of food. Navratri is celebrated throughout a duration of nine days marked with ritualistic fasting and poojas. Goddess Durga is worshipped in all fervour and offered prasad or naivedyas on different days. Here is a simple guide for you to follow if you are short on ideas to prepare Navratri prasad.

Significance of Prasad for Navratri

Source liveindia.live l Prasad for Navratri

The Hindu festival of Navratri literally translates to nine nights. On each of these nine nights, people worship goddess Durga in nine different manifestations or avatars. It is mandatory to offer prasad to Durga Maa on all these nine days. Navratri prasad can be either sweet or savoury. Every household gives due importance to the act of offering the prasad or bhog to the Goddess. The prasad is prepared and served with utmost cleanliness and dedication. There are certain norms or basic guidelines that people usually follow while preparing the prasad. Keep reading as we will be discussing these towards the end of the article.

Our Pick of the Most Popular Navratri Prasad Recipes in India

Source Pinterest.com l Most Popular Navratri Prasad

Navratri prasad offered to Goddess Durga Maa is said to bring in good luck, prosperity and good health to the devotees. This is a common notion in all states across India and people all over the country tend to follow the same tradition of preparing and offering prasad. Here are some of the most popular North Indian and south Indian Navratri recipes.

Popular North Indian Navratri Prasad Recipes

Source YouTube.com l North Indian Navratri Prasad

North Indian Navratri prasad recipes are usually sweet, yet there are plenty of savoury prasad recipe ideas too. The prasad or bhog is strictly prepared with no ingredients like onion and garlic. The main four prasad offered to Durga Maa during Navratri are:
• Sooji Ka Halwa
• Malpua
• Black chana
• Halwa puri

Sooji Ka Halwa

This is one of the oldest and commonly prepared of Navratri prasad recipes. Sooji Ka Halwa is a sweet dish that is prepared primarily from semolina (sooji), ghee and sugar. This recipe is an all time favorite for Navratri poojas.

Ingredients:-

  • Water – 1 ½ cups
  • Sugar – 1 cup
  • Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
  • Ghee- 1 cup
  • Sooji (semolina)- 1 cup
  • Cashew nuts- 8 to 10 numbers
  • Almonds- 8 to 10 numbers
  • Raisins- 1 tbsp
  • Saffron milk- 2 tbsp

Instructions:-

  • Heat a pot with water. Add the sugar to it and let it boil. Stir the mixture till the sugar completely dissolves and combines well with the water. Let it simmer on low heat while you work on the rest of the process.
  • In another heated pan, pour in the ghee and add the sooji (semolina) to it. Now, stir continuously on medium heat. This should avoid the formation of any lumps in the sooji. Fry till the sooji is cooked and forms a thick mixture.
  • Add in the chopped dry nuts (cashew and almonds), raisins and keep stirring. To this, you can now add the prepared sugar mixture.
  • Tip: Always be careful while adding the sugar syrup, as the mixture spurts out while pouring.

  • Cover the pan. Cook for two minutes. Once cooked, add the saffron milk to the halwa. Stir and cook for another two minutes. Garnish with raisins and nuts.

Malpua

Malpua is a sweet pancake dessert that is very popular in North India as Navratri prasad. Malpua is traditionally prepared with khoya or Mawa (thick evaporated milk). However, to keep things easy and instant, we have included this super easy recipe to prepare malpua with milk powder!

Ingredients:-

  • Plain flour (Maida)- 1 cup
  • Milk powder- ½ cup
  • Sooji (semolina)- 2 tbsp
  • Fennel seeds (powdered)- ½ tsp
  • Milk- 3/4 cup
  • Sugar – 1 cup
  • Water- ½ cup
  • Cardamom powder- ¼ tsp
  • Oil- for frying
  • Dried nuts (chopped)- for garnishing

Instructions:-

  • In a bowl, add Maida, milk powder, sooji and the fennel seeds powder. Combine them well.
  • Pour in the milk and whisk well till a smooth batter is formed. You can add milk in small batches to reach the desired constituency of the batter. Always make sure that no lumps are formed while preparing the batter.
  • Let the thick flowing batter rest for 20 minutes. Keep this aside.
  • In another heated pan, add the sugar and water and combine well till the sugar dissolves.
  • Boil for five minutes till the syrup is slightly thickened. Now, add the cardamom powder and mix well. Cover and keep aside.
  • In a pan, heat oil for frying. Take a ladle full of the batter and pour into the hot oil.
  • Flip on both the sides. Cook till golden brown.
  • Once cooked completely place them in the prepared sugar syrup. Let them soak well for five minutes.
  • Remove the malpuas from the sugar syrup and garnish with chopped dried nuts before serving.

Black Chana

Kala chana or sookha kala chana is a popular spicy Navratri prasad. It is easy to prepare and a favorite among spicy prasad lovers.

Ingredients:-

  • Bengal gram (kala chana)- ½ cup. These are soaked overnight in water.
  • Ghee- 2 tbsp
  • Green chilli (chopped)- 2
  • Ginger (chopped)- 2-inch piece
  • Coriander powder -1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder- 1/3 tsp
  • Cumin powder- ½ tsp
  • Rock salt- as per taste

Instructions:-

  • In a pressure cooker, add the kala chana and the water. To this you can add a pinch of rock salt for it to get cooked fast.
  • Close the lid and cook on medium heat till 4-5 whistles.
  • In a heated pan, melt the ghee and add the chopped ginger and green chilli. Fry for five minutes.
  • Reduce the flame and add all the spices. Combine them well and stir continuously till done.
  • To this, add the cooked kala chana. Add salt as per taste.
  • Cover and cook for around 10 minutes.

Halwa Puri

Source nishamadhulika.com l Halwa Puri

Halwa puri is a famous combination that is a very popular prasad or bhog recipe for Navratri.

Ingredients:-

For the puri

  • Wheat flour- 2 cups
  • Salt- ½ tsp
  • Water- as required
  • For halwa :-

  • Semolina (sooji)- ½ cup
  • Ghee- ¼ cup
  • Sugar- ½ cup
  • Cardamom powder- ½ tsp
  • Cashew (chopped)- 1 tbsp
  • Raisins- 1 tbsp
  • Almond flakes- 1 tbsp

Instructions:-

For the puri

  • Combine the wheat flour and water and combine well. Knead into a smooth dough.
  • make small balls with the dough and flatten it as circles using a rolling pin.
  • Fry in oil till both sides of the puri turns golden brown

For the halwa:-

  • Preheat a pan, and add the ghee to it.
  • Add the semolina to the melted butter and stir continuously over medium heat.
  • Once the sooji turns brown, add the chopped nuts and raisins.
  • Add sugar and water and combine well.
  • Cover and cook for few minutes.
  • Add cardamom powder and stir till cooked well.

Popular South Indian Navratri Prasad Recipes

Source recipes.timesofindia.com l South Indian Navratri Prasad

South Indian Navratri recipes are quite similar to their north Indian counterparts, but with slight differences. The most popular ones are:
• Whole Green Moong Sundal
• Sweet Pongal
• Fruit kesari
• Coconut burfi

Whole Green Moong Sundal

This Navratri prasad recipe is usually prepared on the first day of Navratri in South India.

Ingredients:-

  • Whole green moong dal- 1 cup
  • Grated coconut- 1 cup
  • Asafetida- a pinch
  • Curry leaves- a few
  • Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
  • Urad dal-1 tsp
  • Dry red chilies- 1 or 2
  • Salt- as required
  • Oil- as required

Instructions:-

  • Wash and soak the green moong overnight.
  • Add required water and salt. Cook in the pressure cooker.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, Urad dal, dry chilli, few curry leaves and asafetida.
  • Add in the boiled moong and grated coconut. Stir well till combined well.

Sweet Pongal

Source Indianhealthyrecipes.com l Sweet Pongal

Sweet Pongal, known as chakkara ponkali in Telugu and sakkarai Pongal in Tamil is a famous Navratri prasad recipe. It is traditionally prepared on all religious festivals in south India.

Ingredients:-

  • Rice- ½ cup
  • Moong dal- ½ cup
  • Cardamom powder- 1/8 tsp
  • Ghee- 2- 3 tbsp
  • Raisins- 1 tbsp
  • Cashew nuts- 12
  • Cloves- 2 (optional)
  • Sliced or chopped Coconut pieces- 2 tbsp
  • Powdered or grated Jaggery- ½ cup
  • Water- 2 ¼ cups

Instructions:-

  • In a heavy bottom pan or pressure cooker, roast the cooked dal on medium heat till the dal turns fragrant.
  • To this add the rice and combine with the dal.
  • Wash the mix of both and drain well.
  • Add this to a pressure cooker and cook well till done for 3 whistles.
  • To make the syrup, add powdered or grated jaggery to a saucepan.
  • Pour in the water and cook on low flame till the jaggery melts and turns thick and sticky.
  • Filter this syrup and add to the cooked rice and dal along with the cardamom powder.
  • Cook for a few minutes.
  • In a pan, add ghee and fry the coconut pieces, cashew nuts and raisins.
  • Add this to the prepared Pongal.

Fruit kesari

Source Indianhealthyrecipes.com l Fruit kesari

This special dish is a popular Navratri recipe in south India and closely resembles the sooji ka halwa prepared in the North.

Ingredients:-

  • Sooji (semolina)- 1 ½ cup
  • Finely Chopped fruits – 1 ½ cups (mango, pineapple, papaya)
  • Ghee- 2 tbsp
  • Water- 3 ½ cups
  • Sugar- ¾ cups
  • Cashews and raisins- as required
  • Cardamom powder- ¼ tsp
  • Saffron- a pinch

Instructions:-

  • Roast the semolina in the pan till it becomes fragrant. Keep this aside.
  • Fry the nuts and raisins in ghee. Set aside.
  • In ghee, you can fry the chopped fruits for around 3 minutes.
  • To this, add the sugar, water and saffron and wait till it boils.
  • Add cardamom powder and the roasted semolina. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
  • Cover and cook till semolina are done well.
  • Add the fried nuts and raisins.

Coconut Burfi

Source Chitrasfoodbook.com l Coconut burfi

Coconut burfi or thengai burfi is an easy to make dish that is very popular in the south as a Navratri prasad or naivedyam.

Ingredients:-

  • Grated coconut- ½ cup (heaped)
  • Sugar- ½ cup
  • Cardamom powder- ¼ tsp
  • Milk- 1 tbsp
  • Semolina or rava- ½ tsp optional)
  • Fried gram dal- 1 tbsp
  • Ghee- to grease the plate

Instructions:-

  • Grease a steel plate with a little amount of ghee and keep aside.
  • In a wide pan or kadai, roast the grated coconut till it gives an aromatic smell.
  • To this, add the sugar, milk and semolina.
  • On medium flame, combine the ingredients well and keep stirring.
  • When the sugar starts melting, reduce the flame and stir continuously till the mixture leave the sides of the pan.
  • Add cardamom powder and the fried gram dal and give a nice stir.
  • Transfer this mixture to the greased plate and level the mixture with the back of a spoon or a flat spatula.
  • As the mixture cools, the burfi hardens and can be cut into small pieces with a sharp knife.

Basic Guidelines to Follow While Preparing Prasad

Source blog.onlineprasas.com l Preparing prasad

Prasad literally means “a gracious gift”. This is usually the religious offering (mostly food) that devotees present before the deities. After pooja, the bhog or prasad are then consumed by the worshippers believing that the prasad has the blessings of the deity.

If you are preparing Navratri prasad for nine days as part of the ritual, then we suggest that you keep the following points in mind while doing so:

  • According to Hindu beliefs, only pure vegetarian offerings are considered to be acceptable as prasad to the deity.
  • Navratri prasad recipes are usually free from food ingredients like onion, garlic or mushrooms. These items are said to excite the passionate elements of the human psycho-physical constitution. However, there may be exceptions to this depending on particular recipes and their place of origin.
  • Preparation of the Navratri prasad is considered to be an act that is highly devotional and requires utmost dedication. Even tasting the prasad, before it is offered to the goddess is generally considered inauspicious.
  • It is highly mandatory that the Navratri prasad be prepared in the cleanliness surroundings. The kitchen utensils must be cleaned well before cooking. It is also a common practice for the person preparing the prasad to take a bath and keep themselves clean before the actual prasad preparation.
  • A conducive environment needs to be maintained in the kitchen. It is said that the atmosphere must be calm and peaceful while the preparer must also be in a contemplative frame of mind
  • A meditative consciousness of love and devotion for the God is a must while offering the prasad during the pooja.
Writer
Rubina Cheruvalath
Rubina is a free thinker and a dreamer. She believes that there is something to be learnt from everything. In spite of securing a technical education, Rubina chose to think beyond it and work in the management field. A proud mum of two boys, she aspires to explore the world with her family and create cherishable memories.

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Focus on Better Eating

The eating pattern is very simple during fasting. The modern days and restaurant-style eating has challenged the Navratri recipes and style of eating to evolve. It is more of “Charat” than “varat”. My only advice is Keep It Simple! Start with taking a bath, offering prayers and meditation. Then go for Fruits and Milk (Tea/Coffee) base breakfast. Lunch can be followed with some yogurt, potatoes or other vegetable and some fruits. Munch on some nuts and fruit for late noon snack. Dinner can be fasting flours base on flatbreads & vegetables and yogurt. Focus on better eating and not more eating. Believe me, Navratri fasting is not depriving you of food but is disciplining you for good eating.