New Delhi:
Chaitra Navratri celebrations began on Saturday across the country. This is one of the most important festivals among people who are worshippers of the Hindu faith. Not just Goddess Durga but this Navratri will also celebrate Lord Ram’s birth. The markets are decorated with bright, colourful red ‘chunnis’, garlands and Goddess Durga’s beautiful posters. Out of the four Navratris, the Chaitra and the Sharadiya are the most popular. Day-long fasts are observed for nine days.
People eat vrat food for breaking the fast in the evening. We bring to you one such recipe which is easy to make and will make your Navratri more enjoyable.
VRAT DHOKLA
Ingredients:
For dhokla - Samvat rice, buttermilk, salt
For tempering - Green chilies slit lengthwise, curry leaves, peanut oil, sugar, lime juice, water, heeng, rai seeds
Method:
1. Take one cup of samvat rice along with 3 cups of buttermilk and salt as per taste and soak it overnight.
2. Blend the soaked rice mixture to make a batter the next morning. Mix the batter well and pour it on a steaming vessel.
3. Steam it till it is set and cooked which might take approximately 10 minutes.
4. Let it cool completely before cutting it into square shapes.
For tempering:
5. Take some oil in a pan along with a little asafoetida (hing) and rai seeds and let them crackle.
6. Add 3-4 green chilies slit lengthwise along with 3-4 curry leave and stir them while cooking in order to release the aroma.
7. Pour a one-and-a-half cup of water along with one tbsp of sugar and boil it.
8. Now turn off the flame and add one tbsp of lime juice.
9. Pour it over steamed dhoklas and wait for 5 minutes to let the dhoklas soak in the sweet-sour water mixture.
10. Make sure to remove a few dhoklas from the plate as post adding the mixture, dhoklas will swell up.
Vrat Dhokla is ready to be served.
