Chaitra Navratri 2023: 5 healthy amaranth snacks to eat during fasting
Here are some delicious amaranth snacks that are easy to make and perfect for satiating hunger pangs during fasting periods.
Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival that is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion across India. The word "Navratri" means "nine nights" in Sanskrit, and the festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her various incarnations. During this auspicious time, many people observe fasts as a way of cleansing the body and soul. While fasting, it is important to eat healthy and nutritious food that will provide the necessary energy to the body. Amaranth, also known as rajgira, is a nutritious and gluten-free grain that is commonly consumed during fasting periods in India.
If you're looking for healthy and tasty snack options to eat during fasting, amaranth can be a great choice. Here are some delicious amaranth snacks that are easy to make and perfect for satiating hunger pangs during fasting periods. These snacks are not only nutritious but also flavorful, making them a hit among both adults and children. So, let's dive in and discover some delicious amaranth snack recipes to enjoy during your next fasting period. (Also read: Chaitra Navratri fasting recipes 2023: 6 sweet and savoury satvik dishes to try )
Healthy amaranth snacks recipes:
- Amaranth and taro salad
(Recipe by Chef Vanshika Bhatia, OMO Cafe )
Ingredients:
50 gm puffed amaranth
20 gm toasted makhana
1 boiled taro (arbi), cut into cubes
10 gm blanched green peas
Salt- to taste
Red chilli powder- to taste
Amchur powder- to taste
Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves-chopped, to garnish
Method:
- Mix together all the fresh ingredients, and then add lemon juice. Season to taste.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.
2. Amaranth and Peas Vada, White pea salad
(Recipe by Chef Tarun Sibal)
Ingredients:
1 cup Amaranth seeds
2 cups water
1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 large potato, boiled *
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup coriander leaves
2 green chillies, or as per preference of heat
2 tbsp ghee, or any oil that has high smoking point
1 Cup boiled white peas
1 tbsp melted butter
½ cup kachumber ( onions , tomatoes, chillies, with chat masala and lemon)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and add the amaranth and peas. Salt the stock if it is not already seasoned. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
2. In a food processor, roughly pulse the coriander leaves, walnuts and green chillies. You don't want to make a paste. Just hand chop them if you so choose. Mix it with the amaranth, peas and potatoes.
3. Add salt, pepper and cumin seeds. Roll into equal size balls and slightly flatten them.
4. Heat the ghee until it's very hot and add the fritter to the pan. Let it sizzle and crisp up on one side and then flip them over. They take about a minute on each side.
5. Mix the warm white peas with kachumber, add the butter. Serve together.
3. Amaranth Chivda
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
4 cups puffed amaranth (rajgira) seeds
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1 cup sliced dry coconut (kopra)
12 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
1 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
Method:
1. To make rajgira chivda, heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan, add the raw peanuts and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
2. Add the coconut slices and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
3. Add the curry leaves and green chilies and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
4. Add the chilli powder and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
5. Add the puffed rajgira, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
6. Cool down and store the rajgira chivda in an air tight container or use as require.
4. Amaranth Thalipeeth
(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients:
1½ cups rajgira flour
3 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
¼ cup roasted and crushed peanuts
3 teaspoons ginger-green chilli paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
Rock salt to taste
Ghee for shallow-frying
Method:
1. Take potatoes in a bowl. Add peanuts, ginger-green chilli paste, chopped coriander and rock salt and mix well.
2. Add rajgira flour, little by little, mix and knead into a soft dough.
3. Pour little ghee in the centre of a non-stick tawa.
4. Dampen your palms, divide the dough into equal portions and place on the tawa. Spread the portions into medium size discs, switch on the heat and make small holes on the surface.
5. Drizzle some ghee on the edges, in the centre and shallow-fry till evenly golden and crisp from both sides.
6. Serve hot.
5. Farali Dosa
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sanwa millet (sama)
1/2 cup rajgira (amaranth) flour
1/2 cup sour buttermilk
1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
oil for cooking
Method:
1. To make farali dosa, clean, wash and soak the sanwa millet in enough water in a deep bowl for atleast 2 hours.
2. Drain and blend in a mixer to a smooth mixture using 2 tbsp of water.
3. Transfer the mixture into a deep bowl, add the rajgira flour, buttermilk, ginger-green chilli paste and rock salt and mix well. Cover with a lid and keep aside to ferment overnight.
4. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle), pour a ladleful of the batter on the tava (griddle) and spread it in a circular motion to make a 125 mm. (5") diameter thin dosa.
5. Smear a little oil along the sides, cook till both the sides of the dosa turns golden brown in colour and fold over to make a semi-circle.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to make 7 more farali dosas.
7. Serve the farali dosa immediately with peanut curd chutney.
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