Check out these Navratra special recipes from The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa

Team L&M

Life & More brings you Navratra special recipes by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Head Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa.

NAVRATRA JEERA COOKIES

Ingredients                                                    Quantit
Butter (unsalted)                                             425 gms
Sugar                                                                 230 gms
Kuttu Atta                                                         550 gms
Salt (sendha)                                                    5 gms
Cumin seeds                                                     5 gms

Method
Mix cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Sieve Kuttu flour and mix salt. Lightly roast cumin seeds and add salt to the flour and mix. Fold flour mix into creamed butter gradually. Let it stand between 1-4 degree C for 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 180 degree centigrade. Roll cookie mix and cut into desired shape. Bake at 180 degree centigrade for 15-20 mins. Enjoy them during your navratras!

NAVRATRA PINEAPPLE COOKIES

Ingredients                                             Quantity
Butter (unsalted)                                          425 gms
Sugar                                                               230 gms
Kuttu Atta                                                       550 gms
Candied pineapple (chopped)                    100 gms

Method
Mix cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Sieve Kuttu flour. Fold flour into creamed butter gradually, add chopped pineapple. Let it stand at 1-4 degree centigrade for 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 180 degree centigrade. Roll cookie mix and cut into desired shape. Bake at 180 degree centigrade for 15-20 mins. Enjoy!

KIWI KI BARFI

Ingredients                                                                    Quantity
For Kiwi Sauce:
Ripened Kiwis peeled, crushed/finely chopped           5nos
Sugar                                                                                    1/3 cup

For Barfi
Chenna                                                                                 1 cup
Full cream milk                                                                1½ cup
Milk Powder                                                                     1½ cup
Cardamom Powder                                                         1 tsp
Sugar                                                                                  1 cup
Slivered almonds, pistachios & saffron strand to garnish

Method
In a heavy bottom pan, combine kiwi and sugar. Cook till it reaches the thick sauce consistency. Take it off the stove and keep it aside. In another pan, combine full cream milk, milk powder, saffron and chenna and cook till it starts thickening, stir intermittently to avoid burning. Add cooked kiwi, cardamom powder and sugar. Cook till thickens and leaves the pan to form soft dough. Take it off the heat. Spread it on a greased thali, tray or cake tin. Allow it to cool completely till set. Refrigerate. Cut in desired shape & garnish!

LAUKI KA HALWA

Ingredients                                                   Quantit
Lauki (Bottle gourd)                                     500gm
Desi Ghee                                                        200gm.
Sugar                                                                150gm.
Khoya danedar(Reduced milk)                  200gm
Green Cardamoms (powder)                      10gm.
Almond chopped                                            15gm.
Cashewnut chopped                                      15gm.

Method
Rinse, peel and grate the lauki and remove the center portion. Heat ghee in a heavy pan on medium flame. Add the grated lauki in ghee and mix well. Cook lauki on medium flame. Continue stirring until the moisture evaporates. Add sugar and sauté till  lauki halwa turns thick. Add khoya and keep stirring to avoid burning .Check consistency of the halwa as per your taste and switch off the flame. Add nuts and cardamom powder, mix well and serve hot or cold.

MELON n MINT COLD SOUP 

Ingredients                       Quantity
Sugar Melon                          1
Mint                                      few leaves
Lemon juice                         tbsp
Sendha Salt                         to taste

Method
Wash and peel melons and remove the seeds and pulp. Cut dices and put in a blender and add mint leaves and blend to a puree. Strain through a coarse strainer and add lemon juice and adjust the seasoning by adding salt. Refrigerate and serve chilled in shot glass and enjoy Navratra special cold soup.