By Shireen Jamoojii
October 20, 2023
On the last few days of Navratri, for the Ashtami day, many homes make a special dish of halwa, sukhe chana and poori for the young girls in the family. Here's a recipe to make it yourself.
For Chana: 1 cup Kala Chana or Chickpeas 2 tbsps Oil 1 tbsp chilli powder 1 tbsp Coriander powder ¼ tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Garam masala powder ½ Amchur or Chat Masala 1 tbsp Cilantro or Coriander leaves 1 tsp Salt
For Halwa: 1/2 cup Ghee 1 tablespoon Cashews 1 tablespoon Almonds 1 tablespoon Raisins 1 cup Semolina (Sooji or Suji) 1 cup Sugar (you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons extra for a little extra sweetness) 6 strands Saffron (kesar) 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder
Soak and cook the chickpeas till soft and save the water. Then In a pan, add oil mix all the spices and then add 1/2 cup of the chickpea water and stir well..
Add the cooked chickpeas, another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of reserved chickpea water, and salt to taste. Boil until the water is absorbed then garnish with coriander leaves.
In one pan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. In another pan, add 1/2 cup of ghee, cashews, and almonds.
When they turn light golden in colour, add raisins and semolina, and sauté for one or two minutes on medium flame until aromatic.
Slowly add the boiling water to the semolina while continuously whisking. You can add saffron at this stage.
Once the semolina has absorbed all the water, add sugar and continue mixing and cooking until the ghee leaves the sides of the pan, add cardamom powder and serve with pooris.