Easy Durga Puja Dishes To Try This Festive Season

Durga Puja – An auspicious day in the Hindu culture to honour Goddess Durga with all the love and amazing food as a gift. There are a lot of different delicacies prepared across India on this day. Hence, we have picked out the best & most common dishes prepared on this auspicious occasion of Durga Puja. If you are stuck with your menu for this day, keep on reading to prepare these absolutely delicious delicacies at the comfort of your home.

1. Homemade Sandesh

Ingredients:

• 1-litre milk
• 1 to 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
• 2 tablespoon palm jaggery
• 3 tablespoon sugar or as required
• 4 to 5 pistachios, almonds, sliced or 10-12 golden raisins

Instructions:

1. Keep the milk to boil and line a deep bowl or pan with a muslin or thin cotton napkin
2. When the milk begins boiling, lower the flame and add the lemon juice and stir
3. When all the milk curdles, switch off the stove and pour the entire content in the lined muslin
4. Now, take the four corners of the muslin in your hands and join together
5. The chenna or paneer would be in the muslin. So gather all the curdled paneer together in the muslin and squeeze the whey
6. Rinse the chenna with the muslin in running water very lightly. This is to remove the sourness of the lemon juice or vinegar from the paneer
7. Place a weight like a stone bowl or a stone pestle on the muslin for 25-30 mins

Making Sandesh Recipe

1. Take the paneer in a plate or a tray. Knead with the knuckles of your palms
2. Gather the whole mixture at intervals and then again continue to knead until the mixture becomes smooth and less granular
3. Add jaggery and sugar and knead for 2 to 3 minutes again
4. The jaggery and sugar both will melt and release moisture in the mixture.
   
   

2. Lamb Korma

Ingredients:

• 8 whole cloves (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves)
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns (or 4 teaspoons ground pepper)
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds (1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin)
• 5 tablespoons of light sesame oil or canola oil
• 3 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 heaping tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 heaping teaspoon paprika
• 1 stick of cinnamon, ground, or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/3 cups full-fat plain yoghurt (can use Greek-style)
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the cloves until fine. Add the peppercorns and grind them roughly. Add the cardamom pods and crush them with the cloves and peppercorns
2. Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large, thick-bottomed pot with a lid. Add the chopped onions and cook, often stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes
3. Add the turmeric to the onions, and stir to coat. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika and cinnamon. Stir in the ground cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns. Add the crushed garlic and the grated ginger. Cook for 2 minutes
4. Now, add in the tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 4 minutes
5. Add the lamb pieces to the pot, stir to coat with the spices, onions and tomatoes, and let cook for 4 minutes
6. Stir in the water and yoghurt and mix well and add salt to taste
7. Now, cover the pot, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cook very gently for 2 hours or more, stirring every 15 minutes or so
8. The stew should cook at a bare simmer until the lamb is very tender
9. Enjoy this with naan or roti!

You can check out more festive recipes at Nature’s Basket.com.