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Ram Navami 2022: Chaitra Navratri fasting is all set to conclude. People perform the paran ritual or end their fasts on either Ashtami (April 9) or Navami (April 10,11). Chaitra Navratri started on April 2 this year; it will conclude on April 11 with Ram Navami celebrations, marking the birth of Lord Rama. (Also read: Chaitra Navratri 2022 Day 7: Maa Kalaratri puja vidhi, significance, mantra)
One of the significant rituals before the paran is Kanya Pujan or Kumari Pujan. It is also called Kanjak Pujan. According to Drikpanchang, in religious texts Kumari Puja is suggested on all nine days of Navratri and one girl representing an avatar of Maa Durga should be worshipped on each day, many people prefer to perform Kanya Pujan on a single day either on Ashtami Puja day or Navami Puja day
As part of Kanya Puja ritual, nine young girls representing nine forms of the goddess are worshipped and offered food, clothes and gifts. The little girls are served the prasad of Kale chane (black bengal gram), suji (semolina) ka halwa and poori after the ritual of feet washing followed by applying tilak on their forehead.
If you are looking for the perfect recipe for the Kanya Puja prasad, we have curated one for you, by YouTube Chef Nisha Madhulika.
Ingredients for kale chane and puri
1 cup soaked chana (black bengal gram)
2 cups wheat flour
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
1 ginger
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp mango powder
Coriander leaves
How to make it
* Add it in pressure cooker to boil.
* Add 1/2 cup of water to it.
* Add a teaspoon of salt to it. Mix it well
* Switch on the flame and cook the chanas until the first whistle blows
* In the meantime, we will knead the dough for pooris
* Add 1/2 tsp of salt to the wheat flour and a teaspoon of oil to it and give it a nice mix
* Keep adding little water to the flour in order to knead a stiff dough for pooris. Keep the dough aside for 20 minutes
* After the first whistle, reduce the flame and let the chanas get cooked for 3-4 minutes.
* Add 1-2 tbsp oil or ghee in a pan. Add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds to the oil and let them crackle
* Add 2 finely and vertically chopped green chillies to it. Add grated ginger to the oil. Sauté the spices well on low flame and add coriander powder, turmeric powder and mix.
* Add boiled chana along with the water to the pan and mix it well with the spices. Add chilli powder and garam masala, mango powder.
* Turn the flame high and mix all the ingredients well.
* Keep stirring and let the water evaporate. Add some coriander leaves, mix well and switch off the flame and take it out in a bowl.
* For making pooris, apply some clarified butter on your palms and apply it on the dough's outer surface.
* Heat the oil in a deep pan for frying pooris.
* Divide the dough into small sized balls in the shape of a peda.
* Take a dough ball, grease the board and rolling pin with ghee and press the ball a bit before flattening it in a circle.
* Once the oil is heated, add a poori to the pan. After it's cooked from one side, press it a bit and flip it. Fry until golden on both sides. Repeat with other dough balls.
Ingredients for Halwa
* Ghee
* 1/2 cup semolina
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tbsp chopped cashews
* 1 tbsp almond flakes
* 1 tbsp raisins
* 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
* 1.5 cups water
How to make it
* Preheat a pan and 3-4 tbsp of ghee and let it melt
* Add suji to it and continuously stir it while roasting it on medium flame until the colour changes to slight brown. Roast it on medium flame.
* Once the suji turns brown, add chopped cashews and almond flakes to it and roast it along with suji.
* Roast the semolina further for a while for around 3-4 minutes. Add raisins to it.
* Once the semolina is properly roasted, add 1.5 cups of water to it.
* Add 1/2 cup sugar and cook on low flame for few minutes without stirring.
* Stir it on low flame for a few more minutes till you get the desired consistency.
* Add 1/2 tsp cardamom powder and mix well. Take the halwa out in a bowl.
* Serve a bowl of halwa, 2-3 spoons of kale chane and 2 pooris for a plate of ashtami or navami prasad.
