India is a country where you will find loads of festivals as the country boasts rich and vibrant culture and history. Every festival is celebrated with enthusiasm, festival-special foods, and traditions! In India, no festival is complete without delicious foods and drinks. As we are approaching the summer, the nation is gearing up for Mahashivratri, a huge Hindu festival.
Mahashivratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honor of the God of destruction, Lord Shiva. People confuse it with Shivratri. However, both are different as Shivratri is celebrated every month of the lunisolar calendar according to the Hindu calendar. But once a year, Mahashivratri is celebrated to commemorate the oncoming summer.
This year, we will be celebrating Mahashivratri on the 1st of March. This festival is celebrated by worshiping Lord Shiva, pouring milk and bilva patra over shivling, and by observing a fast on that day.
Delicious and Vrat-special Maha Shivratri Recipes!
People all over the country celebrate Mahashivratri in accordance with Puranas and customs dictated in the region. Some people celebrate it in the morning, while others organize pujas and jagratas to worship Lord Shiva!
In this festival, fasting is an integral part. For that, people make unique vrat recipes to feast on that day. Flours like rajgira, kattu, samo, and singhara are used to make various fast-special Shivratri recipes on this day.
So, if you are also planning to observe a fast during this year’s mahashivratri, then you can try these delectable and effortless recipes!
- Bhang
- Farali Potato Patties
- Farali Green Chutney
- Vrat ke Aloo Palak
- Rajgira Poori
- Makhane ki Kheer
Bhang Recipe
Shivratri’s celebration is incomplete without a glass of bhang! Lord Shiva drank bhang to cool down the effect of poison he drank during the Samudra Manthan. This is the reason why bhang is offered to Lord Shiva as Prashad. As the winter is fading and summer is coming fast, this drink will act as a coolant in your body. So, make this one of the cooling Shivratri recipes and begin your celebration amazingly!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- 1 liter Milk, full fat
- 1 Saffron strand, few
- ¾ cup Sugar
For the Bhang Masala
- Two tablespoons of Poppy seeds
- One tablespoon of Fennel seeds (Saunf)
- ¼ cup Whole Almonds (Badam)
- One teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- 3 Cardamom (Elaichi) Seeds, powdered
- 1 tablespoon Bhang paste
Method to Prepare
- To make the bhang, gather all the ingredients. Blanch the almonds and peel the skin. Keep them aside.
- Now, add all the ingredients listed under bhang masala into a mixer jar and grind them to create a smooth powder or paste. Keep it aside.
- Now, take a saucepan and pour milk. Add strands of saffron and bring it to a brisk boil.
- Add the prepared bhang masala and sugar once the milk comes to a boil. Use an electric hand blender to whisk it well.
- Turn off the flame and let it cool.
- Once cool, slide the bhang into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- Take it out and enjoy!
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Farali Potato Patties
Made with potatoes and stuffed with a sweet filling of coconut, nuts, and raisins – farali potato patties are one of the best dishes to eat during fasting. This special one of the simplest Shivratri recipes will not only provide some flavor to your tongue but will also keep your tummy full for a long time. No wonder it is considered one of the best recipes to enjoy during fasting or vrat!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- For the covering
- Oil for shallow frying
- 5 Potatoes (Aloo), boiled
- Five tablespoon Arrowroot flour
- For the stuffing
- 1 cup Fresh coconut, grated
- 1 cup Roasted Peanuts (Moongphali), grounded
- 1 Lemon
- 2 Green Chillies
- 1 inch Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- One teaspoon of Red Chili powder
- Salt, to taste
Method to Prepare
- To begin, pressure-cook the potatoes up to 4 whistles. After that, let the potatoes cool down.
- Once they are cool, peel and mash them properly.
- Now, add two tablespoons of arrowroot flour and salt to the mashed potatoes. Make 15 to 20 medium-sized balls and keep them aside.
- Take a medium bowl and mix grated coconut and grounded peanut powder. Combine well.
- Make a paste by grinding green chilies, ginger, and lemon juice using a grinder and add it to a small bowl.
- Now, combine all ingredients and add sugar, salt, and chili powder.
- Flatten the potato balls and fill them with a spoonful of the prepared mixture.
- Cover them from all sides and ensure that there are no cracks. Give them a patty or oval shape. Rub some arrowroot flour if the patty sticks to your palm.
- Repeat the same process for all the potato balls. Add some arrowroot flour to a dish and roll, and coat your patties in it.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Once the oil is hot enough, fry the patties until golden brown.
- Place them over paper napkins to remove the excess oil from the patties.
- Serve them with farali green chutney, and enjoy!
Farali Green Chutney
Farali green chutney is one of the best sides for farali snacks, potato patties, sabudana tikki, and samak tikki. This is one of the easiest Shivratri recipes that you can make to make your unique recipes more delicious.
Quick Stats
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups coriander leaves one small bunch
- Three green chilies
- Four tablespoons of freshly grated coconut
- 1 ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- Rock salt (Sendha namak) to taste
Method to Prepare
- First, wash coriander leaves thoroughly and rough chop them.
- Add all the ingredients into a blender jar with very little water.
- If you want an easier grinding process with less water, add water and then all the ingredients.
- Now, grind until you get a smooth paste.
- Remove it to a bowl and enjoy it with your fast-special recipes!
Also Read: Indian Dessert Recipes: Dishes To Enjoy On Special Occasions!
Vrat ke Aloo Palak
Aloo Palak is one of the traditional Shivratri recipes you can relish on this auspicious day. Many people don’t eat onion and garlic during fast, so we have created this recipe deliciously without using these ingredients. This aloo palak can be perfect for your fast as it will be easily made instantly and keep your tummy full.
Quick Stats
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- Two medium bunch palak – rinsed and chopped
- Two large potatoes – peeled and cubed
- Four medium to large tomatoes – finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ajwain
- 2 pinch red chili powder
- Two green chili – finely chopped
- 1-inch ginger – finely chopped or grated
- 3 cup water
- Two tablespoons of oil or ghee
- Rock salt, as required
Method to Prepare
- Take a pan and heat oil in it. Add carom seeds to it.
- Once the seeds crackle, add ginger and green chilis.
- Fry them on low heat until the raw aroma of ginger vanishes.
- Then, add tomatoes and saute them for at least 4 minutes on low heat.
- Now, add potatoes and saute them for 3 minutes.
- Finally, add the palak/spinach and give it a good stir.
- Pour water and add rock salt/sendha namak as per your taste.
- Give it a good stir to mix everything well, and cover the pan with a lid.
- Simmer the curry on low-medium heat for about 20 minutes, till potatoes are cooked.
- Check after a few minutes; if the veggie mixture looks dry, add ½ cup of water and keep simmering it.
- Remove it from the heat once the potatoes are cooked, and the curry is semi-dry.
- Serve it hot with rajgira poori, and enjoy!
Rajgira Poori
To enjoy the aloo palak, you can make this easy and special rajgira poori. It is a unique puffed bread that is famous all over the country during Navratri and Shivratri fasts. These two festivals are not complete without making this delicious and effortless rajgira poori!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- 250 gm Amaranth powder
- water as required
- 1 ½ cup refined oil
- Two potato
- sendha namak as required
Method to Prepare
- Pressure-cook potatoes on high heat for 1 or 2 whistles. Once done, drain the extra water and let them cool.
- Once the potatoes cool enough, peel them and add them to a bowl. Mash them well.
- Then, add rajgira atta/amaranth flour and sendha namak/rock salt to mashed potatoes.
- Combine them well and add enough water to knead a dough.
- Again, add more water to ensure that your dough is not dry. However, also ensure that the dough doesn’t become sticky either.
- If your dough is sticky, then dust it with a little more rajgira flour and knead a little more.
- Cover the dough and keep it aside for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, roll out medium-sized pooris on a dusted kitchen surface.
- Ensure that poori dough balls are not too thin or thick.
- Meanwhile, add oil to a kadhai and heat it on medium flame.
- Drop the poori carefully into the hot oil, one at a time, and fry them until golden.
- Remove the pooris from the pan once done. Place the fried rajgira pooris on paper napkins to absorb the excess oil.
- Serve these pooris with the aloo palak and enjoy!
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Makhane ki Kheer
Made with makhana (fox nuts), milk, ghee, sugar, and dry fruits – this Makhana kheer is a sweet dessert pudding that you can enjoy while observing the Mahashivratri fast. Satisfy your sweet cravings during vrat with this toothsome fast-special recipe, and enjoy fasting most deliciously!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- 2 cup makhana (fox nuts or Phool makhana)
- 4 cups whole milk
- 6-8 green cardamom – husked and powdered in a mortar-pestle
- 20-24 cashews or 10-12 almonds – blanched and sliced
- Two tablespoon golden raisins
- 7 to 8 tablespoons sugar or as required
- Two pinch saffron
- 4 to 6 teaspoons of ghee (clarified butter)
Method to Prepare
- Take a pan and heat ghee. Now, roast the makhana and cashew on low heat. Roast them until makhanas become crunchy, and cashews are golden brown.
- Remove them to a plate and keep them aside.
- Take a saucepan and heat milk on medium-low heat.
- Keep stirring at intervals to prevent scorching of milk from the bottom. Bring the milk to a boil.
- Meanwhile, reserve ⅓ cup of makhana and add the remaining makhana to a blender jar.
- Add cardamom seeds and a pinch of saffron strands to it. Grind everything to get a fine powder.
- When the milk comes to a boil, add sugar and the grounded powdered makhana.
- Then, add the reserved ⅓ cup of makhana and mix everything well.
- Simmer till the makhanas are soft and milk thickens a little on low-medium flame for about 10 minutes.
- Scrape the evaporated milk solids from the sides of the pan and add them to your kheer.
- Now, add roasted cashews and raisins to your kheer.
- Simmer and stir the kheer for one more minute.
- Serve it hot to enjoy!
Final Words
This Mahashivratri, cook these delicious and effortless dishes. These Shivratri recipes will give you something tummy-filling and toothsome to relish during fasting. So, try these Shivratri Recipes and celebrate Shivratri deliciously!
