Chaitra Navratri 2023 Day 4 bhog: Prasad recipes for Maa Kushmanda

Chaitra Navratri 2023 Day 4 bhog: The special time of the year is here. Every year, Chaitra Navratri is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all across the country. Chaitra Navratri follows the same rituals that are followed during Shardiya Navratri – which is celebrated in September or October. Chaitra Navratri celebrates the nine avatars of Maa Durga. The forms are Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri. On each day of the nine-day festival, each of the nine forms of Maa Durga are worshipped. This year, Chaitra Navratri started on March 22 and will go on till March 30.

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On the fourth day of Chaitra Navratri, Maa Kushmanda is worshipped, it is believed that Maa Kushmanda created the entire universe – also known as Brahmanda. It is believed that offering puja to Maa Kushmanda relieves the pain and illness of her devotees. Malpua is offered as a bhog to Maa Kushmanda. As we gear up to celebrate the fourth day of the festival, here are a few recipes of malpua that we can offer to Maa Kushmanda.

Malpua:

Ingredients:

¼ cup reduced milk

300 grams sugar

30 grams refined flour

Milk, as required

500 gms ghee to fry

Crushed pistachios for garnish

Sugar syrup:

300 gms sugar

1 cup water

A few strands of saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp milk

Method:

In a bowl, take reduced milk, add refined flour, sugar and milk and whick to a smooth batter and keep aside. Then make the sugar syrup by mixing water and sugar in a pan and letting the sugar melt. Add saffron to it and keep aside. In a pan, heat ghee and add small amounts of batter to it and make pancakes. Fry both sides and then immerse in sugar syrup. Garnish with crushed pistachios and serve hot.

Gulab Jamun Malpua

Ingredients:

4 large gulab jamuns

1½ cups refined flour

4 tbsps castor sugar

½ tsp green cardamom powder

8-10 saffron strands, soaked

A pinch of salt

1½ cups milk

A pinch of baking powder

Oil for deep frying

Gulab jamuns syrup for drizzling

8-10 pistachios, blanched and slivered

Method:

In a bowl, crush the gulab jamuns with a fork and then add refined flour, sugar, green cardamom powder, soaked saffron, salt, milk, a pinch of baking powder and whisk everything together. Fry the batter in small amounts in a pan and drain it on a plate. Drizzle sugar syrup and sprinkle pistachios and serve.

(Recipe: Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef)