Traditional Recipes For Shivaratri

Collection of traditional and delicious Shivaratri Recipes ! Since many people observe fast on Mahashivratri, general recipes have been avoided here. In case you too have a Traditional Recipes For  Shivratri do share it with us and help us enhance this site.

Thandai

Ingredients (makes 8 glasses):
1 cup: Milk
1½ cups: Sugar
1/4 cup: Dried or fresh Rose petals (gulkand variety)
1½ litres: Water
1 tbsp: Almonds
1 tbsp: Kharbooj/Tarbooj seeds skinned (commercially available)
(these are skinned dried seeds of watermelon and cantaloupes)
1 tsp: Peppercorns (whole)
½ tbsp: Khuskhus (poppy seeds)
½ tbsp: Saunf (aniseed)
½ tsp: Cardamom powder or 15 whole pods
½ tsp: Rose Water (optional)

Method

1. Soak sugar in ½ litre of the water used. Keep aside.
2. Wash clean all other dry ingredients, except cardamom if using powder.
3. Soak in 2 cups of remaining water. Keep aside.
4. Allow each soaked item to stand for at least 2 hours.
5. Grind all soaked ingredient (not sugar) to a very fine paste.
6. Use a stone grinder (manual or electric) if possible.
7. When the paste is very fine, mix remaining water.
8. Place a strong muslin strainer over a large deep vessel. Or tie a strong muslin cloth over rim of vessel and use to strain.
9. Press through muslin with back of palms, extracting the liquid into vessel.
10. Add remaining water, a little at a time to extract more.
11. Pour – back some of the extract and press, repress.
12. Repeat this process till the residue becomes dry and husk-like.
13. Add milk, sugar and rosewater to the extracted liquid.
14. If using cardamom powder mix it in with the milk.
15. Mix well. Chill for an hour or two before serving.

Saboodana Kheer

Ingredients

4 cups: Milk
1 tbsp: Sago granules
3/4 cup: Sugar
1/4 tsp: Cardamom powder
1 cup: Water

Method:

1. Wash and drain sago, keep aside for 10 minutes.
2. When moisture is absorbed, loosen grains.
3. Heat water. Add sago, bring to a boil while stirring.
4. Reduce heat, simmer for 5-6 minutes, and add a tbsp. more water if required.
5. Add milk; bring back to a boil.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add sugar, cardamom.
7. Stir occasionally, simmer till sago granule is cooked, but not mushy.
8. Check by pressing it between thumb and finger. It should flatten on pressing.
9. Serve hot, with nuts if desired.

Shivratri Raita

1 cup: Fresh thick curd
1 no: Sweet potato, boiled, chopped
1 no: Potato, boiled, chopped
1 no: Cucumber, chopped
4-5 no: Waterchestnuts (singhara), boiled, peeled & chopped
1 tbsp: Coriander finely chopped
1 no: small Green Chili, finely chopped
1 tbsp: Roasted peanuts, whole
1/2 tsp: Cumin seed, powder
1/2 tsp: Cumin seeds, whole
1 tsp: Oil
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Beat curd in a deep salad bowl.
2. Add cumin powder, salt, sugar, chili and mix well.
3. Add all prepared vegetables, peanuts and mix to blend well.
4. Chill well till required.

Before Serving:

1. Heat oil in a small crucible, or tempering spoon.
2. Add cumin seeds; allow spluttering.
3. Pour sizzling tempering over raitha.
4. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Note: To save time in chilling raitas, chilled prepared ingredients well ahead of time.

Lauki ka halwa

Ingredients:
1/2 lit.-milk(fatty)
1/2 peeled -lauki
3/4cup-sugar
100 gms.-khoya
1 tsp.-elaichi powder
1 tbsp.-dry fruits(almonds,raisins,cahwes)

Method:

1. Peel lauki & grate it with a grater.
2. Boil lauki in a pan in a very small quantity of water(1/2 cup), when it gets boiled drain whole water so that only soft boiled lauki is left.
3. Put milk in a large pan and boil for about 20 min.on medium flame, stir, then put the boiled lauki in the pan, mix well and let becomes semi solid(almost 20 min.), meanwhile grate khoya & mix in the pan.
4. Add sugar, mix till it dissolves.
5. Add dry fruits & elaichi powder.
6. It is ready to serve, it can be taken chilled as well as hot.