Chef Upender Kumar Shares Recipes For The Festive Spread

While Ashtami celebrations are in full swing, Shardiya Navratri 2024 is culminating. Both Druga Ashtami and Maha Navami call for preparing a feast, feeding people, and enjoying the food. While halwa, puri, and chana are a part of traditional bhog, other dishes are also prepared when you have several guests coming over for the celebration.

Chef Upender Kumar, Sous Chef at The Orchid Hotel, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, shared a few recipes that you can try and impress your friends and family. From using every kaddu creatively to preparing Himachali kachoris, these recipes make your festive spread unique and mouth-watering.

Kaddu Ka Meetha

Ingredients

  • 3 cloves
  • 300 grams pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp almond flakes
  • 3 cardamom
  • 1-pinch saffron
  • 300 grams sugar
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 4 whole black peppercorn
  • 2 pinches saunf powder

Method

  • Heat ghee in a pan and saute whole spices in it.
  • Add diced pumpkin to the pan and roast it.
  • Add two cups of water and sugar to the mix and let the ingredients simmer for half an hour.
  • Garnish the sweet dish with almond flakes and saffron.

Babru (Himachali Kachori)

Ingredients

  • 300 grams of wheat flour 
  • A pinch of baking powder 
  • 100 grams chana dal (soaked) 
  • 5 grams of ginger paste 
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • 2 green chillies 
  • Fresh coriander leaves 
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder 
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder 
  • 2 pinches of turmeric powder 
  • Salt to taste 
  • Refined oil for frying 

Method

  • Knead the wheat flour with baking powder and warm water into a soft dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes. 
  • Grind the soaked chana dal, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, and salt into a coarse paste. 
  • Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and flatten each ball slightly. 
  • Stuff each dough ball with the prepared mixture, and then flatten it with a rolling pin to form small discs. 
  • Heat refined oil in a pan and deep fry the stuffed dough until golden brown. 
  • Serve the babru hot with chutney and tea. 

Patrode

Ingredient

  • 6 colocasia leaves
  • 2 cups gram flour
  • 8-10 basil leaves
  • 4 green chillies
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • 3 dried red chillies
  • 1 tsp coriander powder

Method

  • Grind all the above spices to make a smooth paste and mix with gram flour to make a thick but smooth batter.
  • Clean the colocasia leaves and pat dry.
  • Place the leaves on a surface and apply the batter paste on the backside of the leaf. Layer it with another leaf and repeat the same with the rest of the leaves.
  • Now gently start folding the leaves together from one end and make a roll.
  • Place the roll into a steamer and steam for half an hour until cooked.
  • Refrigerate the roll for 1 or 2 hours till it becomes firm.
  • Now cut even-sized rolled pieces of your choice and shallow fry them in mustard oil till they turn crispy.