ASHTAMI POOJA/HALWA POORI AND CHOLE/HOW TO MAKE ASHTAMI PRASAD/KANJAK PRASAD

Navrati is a festival that's dedicated to the nine incarnations of Maa Durga: Sailaputri, Brahmacharini, Andraghanta, Kusamanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalarati, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. And Kanjak is celebrated on either ashtami or navami (the eighth or ninth day) of navratri. It's just another way of paying gratitude to the Supreme Goddess. Tradionaly the lady of the house welcomes 7 or 9 girls into the house by washing their feet and trying moli(sacred red thread) on their wrists. These girls are then seated in a line and are then given the prasad to eat, which consist of Poori, Chole(Black chana) and Halwa along with gifts for the girls.

One of the the very fond memory of my child hood is the kanzake---I still remember this day getting up early, getting dressed and running around in a little group of girls from one house to another where we were welcomed, made to sit, our feet washed, holy red thread(moli) tied on our right hands and then we were fed – with some lovely halwa (sweet), dry black chana (black gram) and puri (deep fried bread). We were also given some gifts or money and we use to be so happy.

So let's get started.....Yum Yum.....

BLACK CHANA

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cup black Chana (washed well and soaked overnight and boiled in morning)
• 1 ½ tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 3 tablespoons coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp Amchur
• 2-3 Green Chilli whole with slit

PROCEDURE

• Take a frying pan and add oil to it.
• Now add cumin seeds to it, let it splutter and add grated ginger to it
• When ginger raw smell is gone add the rest other spices and and now add the chana to it.
• Also add a little water of the chana to it.
• Now close the lid and let it simmer
• add the green chilli to it and mix well.
• Serve the Chana with Poori and halwa.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

A cup of kala chana contains approx 300 calories. It has 12 grams of total fat, with less than 1/2 gram of cholesterol-raising saturated fat. Beans are good plant-based sources of protein, and 1 cup of kala chana contains 15 grams of protein, or 30 percent of the daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

HEALTHY FACTS

• Each cup of kala chana provides 13 grams of dietary fiber. A high-fiber diet lowers your cholesterol levels and helps prevent constipation. Fiber helps regulate blood-sugar levels in individuals with diabetes.
• Sodium causes your body to retain water and increases your blood pressure, while potassium helps reduce the effects of sodium. A high-potassium, low-sodium diet helps prevent high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke and kidney disease.
• Iron is a component of hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying component of your red blood cells(RBC). Iron deficiency causes anemia. Each cup of boiled kala chana provides  approx 80 milligrams of calcium, or 8 percent of the daily value for this bone-strengthening mineral. Pregnant women need to have adequate stores of folate for preventing neural tube birth defects, and a cup of boiled kala chana supplies 282 micrograms of folate, or 71 percent of the daily value.

The other halwa and poori continues in next post....

STAY HEALTHY AND STAY HAPPY