As you skip food made with onion, garlic, ginger, lemon and tomato during these days of Navratri, satvik food is actually filled with several perfect gastronomical recipes to leave you drooling and one of them is singhare ki poori and spinach makhana. If Popeye kept a fast this Navratri, his favourite vrat-friendly dish would undoubtedly be singhare ki poori and spinach makhana.
The festival of Navratri, celebrated by the Hindu community in India, symbolises the victory of Durga over demon Mahishasura, signifying the victory of good over evil. In the northern and western parts of India, Ram Leela (retelling of the Ramayan mythology) is held and the festivities end with Dusshera where effigies of Ravana are set on fire to signify Ram’s victory over Ravana.
All through these nine days, devotees worship nine avatars of Durga and a fast is also kept by the devotees, either on all the nine days or in joda, the first two or the last two days of the Navratri, to please and seek blessings of Durga. On that note, here’s a mouthwatering recipe of singhare ki poori and spinach makhana to pack some taste with nutrition as you fast the remaining days of this festive week.
Ingredients for Spinach Makhana:
300 grams spinach leaves
50 gms makhana (phool makhana)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 green chili – chopped
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon ghee
½ tsp rock salt
Method for Spinach Makhana:
Wash the Spinach leaves, chopped them well. Heat a pan, add little oil and phool makhana. On a low flame, stir and roast the makhana till they become crunchy. Once done keep it aside.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add chopped chili, cumin powder, and rock salt. Add the chopped spinach. On a medium flame, sauté the spinach till they start becoming bit semi dry. Don’t add any water, let it cook on its own water.
Switch off the flame. Add the roasted makhana. Add chopped mint leaves
Ingredients for Singhare ki poori:
350 gms singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour)
1-2 mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon cumin powder or coarsely crushed cumin
2 teaspoon oil
Rock salt (sendha namak)
200 ml warm water to bind the dough
Oil to deep fry pooris as required
Method for Singhare ki poori:
In a bowl, mix cumin powder, edible rock salt (sendha namak), and mashed potato, add singhare flour (water chestnut flour) and a cup of warm water to the flour and make a soft dough.
Finely apply some oil on the dough, cover it with wet cloth so the dough does not get dry. Sprinkle little water and knead again. Make small or medium-sized round balls from the dough.
Dust some water chestnut flour on the rolling board and place the dough ball. Roll the balls into small or medium sized poori. Don’t make thin or thick pooris (medium thickness).
Heat oil in a kadhai for frying the poori. When the oil is medium hot, place the poori gently in the oil. The poori will gradually puff up in the oil. These poori don’t puff up like the whole wheat poori as mashed potatoes are added to the dough.
When one side puffs up then turn over gently on the other side. Take it out once the light brown colour come on both the side. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Similarly fry the rest of pooris. Serve the singhare ki poori hot or warm with spinach makhana.
Benefits:
Apart from being cheap and easy to prepare if not served raw, spinach is known to contain 28.1 milligrams of vitamin C in a 100-gram serving as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Since it is high in fiber and water, it promotes a healthy digestive tract by preventing constipation.
The leaves of spinach are also rich in protein, iron, vitamins and minerals. The vitamin A in it moisturises the skin and hair while the vitamin C in it provides structure to skin and hair and the iron content keeps hair loss at bay.
It not only helps in managing diabetes and preventing cancer but also helps prevent asthma and lowers blood pressure. It could reduce the risk of oxidative stress while the vitamin K in spinach is very good for bone health and the vegetable in general is “a glowing skin tonic” for everyone.
Water chestnuts, on the other hand, are a great source of fibre. It contains a good amount of antioxidants ferulic acid and is an amazing flour for people who prefer gluten-free food items.
Potatoes are the most commonly consumed vegetable in India and are full of antioxidants that aid in preventing diseases. Packed with vitamins and minerals that help the body to function properly, they are a good source of fiber which keep one full for long, help to lose weight, provide energy-delivering complex carbohydrates.
The vegetable has also been linked by studies in improving blood sugar control, reducing heart disease risk and helping in higher immunity. Potatoes help regulate blood pressure as they are a great source of potassium.