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Iftar Recipes for Ramadan

A holy month for the Muslims, Ramzan is a time for prayer, reflection and self-control. During the 30 days of this month, the Muslims observe a fast from dawn to dusk. This fast is considered as one of the five pillars of Islamic faith, because it helps people overcome temptation and impulse, helps them understand the problems of the less fortunate, and takes them closer to God. In the month of Ramzan, Muslims have a pre-dawn meal called Sehri. This is sometime around 4:00 a.m. in the morning, but the time differs from region to region depending on sunrise and sunset timings. Iftar is the meal that completes the fast after the sun sets.

Some people like to have heavy meals during Ramzan, while others like to keep it light throughout the month. If you are at a loss of what to cook for Iftar, this section will provide you with lots of choices. These vegetarian options will be a welcome change from the traditional non-veg recipes that are usually cooked. While prayers strengthen your soul, these soulful dishes will reinforce your body.

From desserts and snacks to drinks, we have them all. Try the recipe of Malpuas if you feel like having something sweet or go for a yummy Veg Seekh Kebab if you want to have something savoury. If you are a chaat lover, we have irresistible recipes like the Ragda and Chana Chaat for you. Explore the many recipes in this section to surprise your family with a delightful Iftar.



Navratri Vrat Recipes, Best Fasting Foods for Navratri

Navratri, the nine days when India and Indian souls across the world are charged with spiritual fervour is a time for worship, festivities, fasting and spiritual enhancement. There are two Navratris. One occurs in March-April, and the other in September-October. The first is called as Vasantha Navratri while the other is called Sharadha Navratri in the South and Dusshera in the North. In South India, the festival celebrates the victory of Shakthi over the demon Mahishasura, while North India celebrates the victory of Rama over Ravana. In either case, it is clearly the victory of good over evil.

South Indian Navratri is a total gala celebration spanning nine days, the first three days glorifying Durga, then Lakshmi and finally Saraswati, the three key forms of the Goddess. The tenth day denotes the unification of the three forms into one primordial force that vanquishes evil. Many families have a practice of keeping a doll display at home, while others focus on pujas alone. In either case, South Indians generally invite other women to their homes and honour them by giving them haldi and kumkum. The guests are served sundal (a dish of boiled pulses tempered traditionally and garnished with coconut) and some sweets too. Elaborate pujas are held every day, in the mornings and evenings, at homes, and in temples and other community centres. In North India, people perform pujas and observe fasts during the initial days of Navratri, while the last few days are celebrated as a community event culminating in the burning of Ravana’s effigy on the last day. Durga Puja of Bengal requires no introduction as it is a grand event that has gained international fame. People come from across the world to witness the grandeur with which Maa Durga is worshipped there.

All over India, Navratri is a busy time. Women, especially, have multiple dimensions to handle, from the pujas and religious activities to social gatherings and of course, fasting too! Like feasting, fasting is an art too. While fasting properly is a great way to cleanse your body and tone your soul, doing it wrong can make you tired and irritable. Nothing can be worse than doing it wrong for nine days at a stretch!

So, we dedicate this article to fasting recipes, which will ensure that you stick to all the religious guidelines while still supplying your body the required energy and nutrition to go about its activities robustly. Once you know which ingredients are to be avoided, you can comfortably replace them with permitted ingredients and prepare tasty foods, ranging from snacks and sweets to one-pot meals. Generally, grains like rice and wheat, and sea-salt are avoided. Instead, flours like singhada atta, milk products, potatoes and fruits are consumed. Several interesting dishes can also be prepared with these ingredients. This article provides an appropriate selection of khichdi (one-pot meal), thalipeeth, pancakes and kadhi recipes for you to fast healthily. Try Sabudana Khichdi, Sabudana Vada, Rajgira Puri, Sabudana Vada Stuffed with Coconut Chutney. Try them out, to make fasting more enjoyable this Navratri.

Try our other festival recipes.
1. 87 Ekadasi Recipes
2. 210 Holi Recipe
3. 22 Janmashtami Recipes
4. 89 Maha Shivaratri Recipe
5. 16 Paryushan Recipes
6. 268 Diwali Recipe
7. 91 Dassera Recipe
8. 183 Ganesh Chaturthi Recipe
Happy Cooking!


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Top Recipes

homemade pav bhaji | how to make pav bhaji at home | mumbai pav bhaji made at home | with 25 amazing images. There is nothing healthier than making your homemade pav bhaji versus opting for pav bhaji from the street. While i do love mumbai roadside pav bhaji, i still think you should make your pav bhaji at home. In this homemade pav bhaji recipe, we have first pressure cooked the vegetables (cauliflower, green peas and carrots), that go into the pav bhaji. Then in a separate deep non stick pan cooked the chilli garlic paste, sauted the onions, capsicum and tomatoes. Added the kashmiri red chillies, pav bhaji masala and cooked with some water. Finally we add the potatoes and pressure cooked vegetables and cooked the mumbai pav bhaji made at home. Why make mumbai pav bhaji made at home? 1. Street vendors tend to use inferior quality vegetables which are not even cleaned properly. At home, we have the option to use the best quality of everything. 2. Water used to clean vegetables is not filtered by street vendors. 3. Everything is cooked in the open which leads to all kinds of infestation of the food despite it being hot. 4. The butter used is believed to be half margarine and half butter to cut costs and will lead to heart issues. We make homemade pav bhaji as a one meal dinner. Traditionally pav bhaji is served with yummy ladi pav which is made of plain flour. We suggest you try and use homemade multigrain bread to have with your homemade pav bhaji. homemade pav bhaji is truly an innovation that arose out of the necessity of providing a nice hot meal in a hurry and one that tickles the taste buds. When I am lazy to cook on an entire meal for my family, pav bhaji in one of the first few dishes which comes to mind. It is easy to cook and also filling. Aside from pav bhaji, we have other variations like jain pav bhaji, khada pav bhaji, pressure cooker pav bhaji and pav bhaji made with doodhi. Enjoy homemade pav bhaji | how to make pav bhaji at home | mumbai pav bhaji made at home with detailed step by step photos below.
vegetarian sponge cake | eggless sponge cake | Indian vanilla sponge cake no eggs | with 22 amazing images. This vegetarian sponge cake is just what it should be – perfectly spongy! With the right level of sweetness, a pleasing flavour and melt-in-the-mouth softness, this versatile Indian vanilla sponge cake is the ultimate go-to dessert for vegetarians. The proper mix of baking soda and baking powder gives this eggless sponge cake a nice sponginess and rise despite not using eggs. Fondly called the vegetarian sponge cake, this eggless sponge cake can be enjoyed plain or with decorative icings like Mocha Glaze Icing or Orange Butter Icing. The same recipe also lends itself to making other cakes like Pineapple Cake. Note that for this vegetarian sponge cake we do not have to add any extra sugar because we are using condensed milk, which gives a rich flavour and texture. A few tips and points to make the perfect eggless vegetarian sponge cake. 1. Flouring the tin is necessary because it prevents the butter from melting and getting mixed into the cake batter. 2. If you don't preheat the oven before you put the cake tin inside the oven, it will be difficult for you to estimate the baking time. Also the cake will not rise well. 3. Sieving these dry ingredients, baking powder and baking soda together will make the flour lighter and will also remove lumps or impurities from the flour if present. 4. If you bake your eggless vegetarian sponge cake at a very high temperature, it might rise well initially but will deflate eventually. You can store this yummy vegetarian sponge cake in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, or in the fridge for 4-5 days. However, it is best enjoyed fresh and warm when the aroma is at the peak. Enjoy how to make vegetarian sponge cake | eggless sponge cake | Indian vanilla sponge cake no eggs | with detailed step by step photos below.
vegetable manchurian recipe | Chinese vegetable manchurian | Indo Chinese veg manchurian | with 29 amazing images. vegetable manchurian recipe is an Indo Chinese veg manchurian dish that has become so famous that it is available everywhere these days, from roadside eateries and local restaurants to Indian wedding menus and specialty diners too! The succulent vegetable manchurian features deep-fried vegetable balls in a thick gravy that is flavoured with typical Chinese ingredients like ginger, garlic and soy sauce. This desi interpretation of the Chinese dish has no MSG or Ajinomoto in vegetable Manchurian. Chinese vegetable manchurian is quite easy to make but you just need to take care of one thing – the vegetable balls should be of the right consistency, if the mix is too loose it will break while frying. Notes on vegetable Manchurian recipe. 1. When you start mixing a little bit more, the vegetables will start releasing water and the wet mixture will start coming together. It will look like this. Do not squeeze the mixture too much as it might become very loose. 2. Deep fry a few vegetable balls at a time, on a medium flame, until golden brown from all sides. It is very important to have the oil at the right temperature while deep frying. If the oil is too hot, the balls will burn from outside and remain undercooked and doughy from insde. We have fried the vegetable balls in batches of 5, each batch taking 4-5 minutes to cook. 3. Now add the cornflour-water mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes, while stirring occasionally. As cornflour does not dissolve in water, always stir the mixture well before adding it to any sauce or gravy. The reason for adding this is for the gravy to get thicker as it cooks. If the gravy is too thin after 3 to 4 minutes, you can add more of the cornflour-water mixture. But if the gravy is too thick, you can add more water or stock to it to adjust the consistency Serve the Chinese vegetable manchurian piping hot with Burnt Garlic Rice or Hakka Noodles. For more options, do check out our section of Recipes for Chinese Vegetables. Learn how to make vegetable manchurian recipe | Chinese vegetable manchurian | Indo Chinese veg manchurian | with detailed step by step photos and video below.
kadai paneer subzi recipe | restaurant style kadai paneer sabzi | homemade kadai paneer sabzi | with amazing images. Treat yourself to this fine sabzi, made in traditional restaurant style kadai paneer, spiced up with an assortment of spices and pastes. Kadai paneer is the most commonly ordered dish in every restaurant. It is a spicy and delicious sabzi. It is on the menu of almost every Indian restaurant. Making kadai paneer subzi is no rocket science you can easily make it by following our delicious recipe. To make kadai paneer subzi recipe, How to make Kadai Paneer Subzi. Combine coriander seeds and the red chillies in a mixer and blend to a coarse powder. Keep aside. Heat the ghee in a deep non-stick kadhai, add the ginger paste, garlic paste. Then rub the dry fenugreek leaves between your palm and add, sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. Add the capsicum and the coarse powder and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and ¼ cup of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Add the paneer and coriander, toss it lightly and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute. Serve kadai paneer subzi hot with naan, chapati or kulcha. The addition of dried fenugreek leaves gives the Kadai Paneer Subzi its characteristic taste, while capsicum and tomatoes complement the paneer well in texture, flavour and volume too. The tinges of ginger and garlic add a pungent dimension to this flavourful homemade kadai paneer sabzi, which goes very well with puris and rotis. For a complete meal combo serve homemade kadai paneer sabzi along with Dal Amritsari and Jeera Rice. Check out our collection of best paneer recipes to learn various other Paneer recipes. Enjoy kadai paneer subzi recipe | restaurant style kadai paneer sabzi | homemade kadai paneer sabzi | with detailed step by step photos and video below.
Extremely soft koftas that melt in your mouth, dipped in a creamy tomato-flavoured gravy that soothes and cradles your taste buds, that is what the Malai Kofta Curry is! The mouth-melting koftas are made of fresh coconut and potatoes rather than the more common paneer-based koftas, and the gravy too is a class apart as it is neither bland nor too spicy, combining cream and tomato in a well-balanced proportion. Malai Kofta Curry tastes best when served with Butter Garlic Naan or Tandoori Roti and Jeera Rice .
palak paneer recipe | Punjabi palak paneer | homemade palak paneer | spinach with cottage cheese | with 24 amazing images. palak paneer recipe is one of the many of the best loved vegetarian Punjabi dishes are the ones where paneer is combined with a vegetable. Paneer is widely used and very popular in Punjab due to the abundance of milk and milk products in the area. To make homemade palak paneer you need to make a spinach puree first. Then heat the oil in a kadhai , add the onions and sauté on a medium flame till they turn translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and turmeric powder and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato pulp and sauté till the mixture leaves oil, while stirring continuously. Add the spinach purée and 2 tbsp of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add the salt, garam masala and fresh cream and mix well. Add the paneer, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve spinach with cottage cheese hot. Some tips to make the perfect palak paneer recipe. 1. Blanch the spinach for 2 to 3 minutes. If you boil the spinach for long, the spinach will lose its colour and the Palak Paneer gravy will come out dark. 2. Run the strainer below cold water to refresh the spinach. This stops the cooking process of the spinach. It is a very important step in the Palak Paneer Recipe as you do not want to overcook the spinach. 3. We do not add the garam masala in the beginning because adding it earlier would make it bitter. This combination of spinach and paneer is not only highly nutritious, but is a splendid blend of taste, texture and flavour. The paneer in this homemade palak paneer recipe has been fried to add some extra flavour. You can however add the paneer pieces without frying if required. Serve homemade palak paneer with rotis or parathas. Enjoy palak paneer recipe | Punjabi palak paneer | homemade palak paneer | spinach with cottage cheesee | with detailed step by step photos below.
Who can resist the temptation of sinking their teeth into a soft, rich and gooey chocolate cake? An all-time favourite, the Chocolate Cake fits perfectly into any occasion , and is a must-add to everybody’s cooking folders. This intensely-flavoured eggless chocolate cake is surprisingly easy to make and hardly requires any complex preparations. Made with an ideal combination of flour, butter and condensed milk, this cake has a wonderfully rich texture – not to forget the memorable flavour derived from cocoa and vanilla. A recipe that is definitely worth trying! You can also try other delightful Cakes like Black Forest Cake or Cheesy Chocolate and Fruit Cake
dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | Indian dal curry soup | with amazing 26 images. dal fry recipe is a popular Punjabi dal fry. A mixture of moong and masoor dal cooked to perfection in dhaba style dal fry and perked up with an aromatic tempering along with fried onions and tomatoes. This dal fry has a very pleasing texture and irresistible flavour too. From roadside dhabhas to global Indian restaurants, almost all diners serve this all-time favourite dhaba style dal fry. A thoughtful combination of everyday ingredients come together in the form of a tadka to give this dal frydal fry a thoroughly enjoyable flavour that lingers on the palate for a long time. dal fry with masoor dal is made with the most basic ingredients yet the outcome is beautiful. Generally, authentic dal fry is made with made with toor dal and chana dal but here we have slightly twisted the recipe by making dal fry with masoor dal and toor dal. This is our version of it. The aroma tingles your nostrils, while the flavour teases your taste buds – so enticing is this dal frydal fry that it is hard to believe that it is simple, everyday fare made with the commonest ingredients! The addition of nigella seeds to the tempering is a special touch, which leaves a lingering flavour of dal fry on your taste buds even after you finish your meal. You can serve the dal fry with rotis, parathas, naans, plain steamed rice or jeera rice. It is simple and easy to cook, but gives irresistible results, so do give it a try! Learn to make dal fry | Punjabi dal fry | dhaba style dal fry | Indian dal curry soup | with detailed step by step recipe photos and video below.
pani puri recipe | golgappa | puchka | home made pani puri | with amazing 33 images. pani puris are known as "golgappas" in Northern India and as "poochkas" in West Bengal. pani puri is crisp semolina puris filled with sprouts and chilled mint flavoured water make a great snack for a hot summer afternoon. When my favourite “ pani puri wallah" is serving me these delightful little puris one after the other, I just go on eating till I can eat no more! Sprouts can be replaced by hot ragda to complement the chilled mint water. Making the puris takes some time to master and although they can be bought from a local store, the extra effort put in to make them at home is well worth the trouble. Do remember to store the puris in an air-tight container. You can always refresh them by baking them in a slow oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Finding excuses to invite people over, organize a chaat party and serve in disposable plates made from dry 'Sal' leaves to create an ambience. End on a sweet note with desserts like Baked Boondi Gulab Jamun Kesar Malai Kulfi and Malpuas. Pani Puri, have it spicy sweet or balanced – just the way you like it! It is a delight to watch the vendor skilfully punch a tiny hole in each puri thereafter adding the fillings and dipping it in the meetha chutney and teekha pani. Because of the hygiene and cleanliness issue, many people prefer making pani puri at home from scratch. The elements required for making home made golgappa are - crispy puri, a stuffing of your choice (soaked boondi, boiled potatoes, chickpeas and moong or ragda) and pani (teekha phudina pani and sweet imli pani). There are many other versions of pani too like lehsun ka pani, jaljeera, hing jeera pani. The recipe can be modified as per your preference. If you are making a mixed sprouts stuffing for pani puri then you would require some pre-preparation of 2 days. Make sure, you assemble pani puri only when you are eating it or else it will get soggy and the crispiness of the puri will be lost. Once you are done don’t forget to have a sip of teekha pani and a sukha puri to bring the delightful experience to a fitting end! Learn to make pani puri recipe | golgappa | puchka | home made pani puri | with detailed step by step recipe photos below.
vegetable biryani recipe | desi veg biryani recipe | 3 layers biryani | with 44 amazing images. vegetable biryani recipe is a desi veg biryani recipe which is a 3 layers biryani. vegetable biryani is a rice based one-pot meal dish, which is inherited from India, traces and origin of Biryani are from Hyderabad. This mixed vegetable biryani is popular throughout India now and is one of the most loved dish among Indians and popular street food. The word biryani is derived from a Persian word birian which means fried before cooking. There are a lot many varieties of biryani and the names differentiate according to the region. Ours is a vegetarian vegetable biryani recipe. Traditionally, biryani is used making the dum pukht method which is method of cooking in steam and not letting the steam to pass. The earthen clay pots with biryani assembled are sealed tight with whole wheat flour dough, which doesn't allow the steam to pass. All the ingredients are cooked in its own steam and juices. Our vegetable biryani is made as 3 layers biryani. First layer is to prepare flavoured rice. We have prepared and cooked rice with whole spices and put aside. Second layer is making the luscious gravy for desi veg biryani. The last and third step is assembling everything together and cooking it together on slow flame. Just before serving desi veg biryani, turn upside down on a serving plate, garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins and serve hot. vegetable biryani is a traditional Mughlai main course item loaded with chopped vegetables, spices, saffron and dry fruits. On normal days, you can make it as a one-dish meal . Even as ingredients like capsicum and coriander spread their aroma, whiffs of saffron and other spices rise above all and pamper your senses. Enjoy vegetable biryani recipe | desi veg biryani recipe | 3 layers biryani | with detailed step by step recipe photos and video below
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