Five mouth-watering desserts you can make using cashew nuts for this Navratri
It's that time of year once again. The festival of Navratri is celebrated by devotees across the nation and is marked by extravagant pujas, worship, and bhog offerings.
During these nine days, a lot of people also fast. Here are some interesting mouth-watering desserts recipes that you can make using cashew nuts for this Navratri.
CASHEW NUT PAYASAM
Payasam is a very popular sweet dish in Indian kitchens especially for Navratris.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups toned milk you could use whole milk too
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cashew nuts
Few strands saffron
1 tbsp raisins
INSTRUCTIONS:
To make cashew nut payasam, start by preparing cashew paste. Soak the cashews in water overnight / for few hours. Drain and grind with 1/2 cup of milk into a very fine paste.
Boil the milk on the side in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Once it has come to a boil, add sugar and raisins and let it simmer on a low flame for 8-10 minutes. Add the cashew paste and half the saffron strands. Make sure you keep stirring so that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
The cashew paste will thicken the milk such that it will lightly coat the back of the ladle. It's time to remove it from the flame.
Garnish with 2-3 strands of saffron and you can either chill it or serve it warm.
SWEET POTATO LADOOS
Here is another great dessert recipe to give you that boost of energy during your Navratri fasting.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup lotus seed
7 cashews
2 tablespoon raisins
2 teaspoon rose water
2 tablespoon ghee
4 tablespoon sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Take sweet potatoes and boil them in a deep bottomed pan. Peel and mash well, once cool enough to handle.
In a pan, heat 2 teaspoon ghee and roast makhanas (lotus seeds) on medium flame until they turn crispy or slightly brown in colour. Take out the makhanas and set them aside. Grind them into fine powdery form once they cool down
Pour in the remaining ghee into the pan and cook cashews until they start changing colour. Now add the raisins to it. Fry on a low flame until the cashews turn golden brown, the raisins turn fluffy.
Now add mashed sweet potato to the remaining ghee. After cooking for 2 minutes or so add rose water and sugar, mix well. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens and all moisture evaporates. Take out the mixture in a flat dish and allow it to cool. Add the prepared dry fruits and mix well.
Now grease your palms and shape the mixture into small even balls or ladoos. Once done. Roll these up in the makhana powder to coat them with it. Your sweet potato ladoos are done.
CASHEW PEANUT PEDA
INGREDIENTS
Roasted Peanuts – 1 cup
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Cashew powder – 1/2 cup
Sugar Powder – 1/2 cup
INSTRUCTIONS:
To make Vrat special, Peda first takes 1 cup of peanuts.
Now, place a pan on flame and add peanuts to it, and roast well.
After peanuts are roasted well, turn off the flame and transfer it to a plate.
Remove the peel of peanuts and sieve it with the help of a strainer. Take a grinding jar and add roasted peanuts, 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder to it, grind on the pulse, and make a fine powder. Transfer peanuts powder into a bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of cashew powder, 1/2 cup of sugar powder. Mix everything well with your hands.
Now pinch a small size ball and prepare a small Peda with it. Prepare all Peda from the remaining mix. Garnish them with Saffron Milk and pistachio.
Your Delicious Vrat Special Peda is completely ready, and you can enjoy it.
KAJU KATLI
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cashews/kaju
½ cup sugar or as required
5 tbsp water
1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil (optional)
1 tsp chopped rose petals (optional) or rose water
A pinch of Saffron
INSTRUCTIONS:
Soak cashews in hot water. Then after, grind them into a rough paste, adding 1 tbsp milk in between.
Mix cashew paste with sugar and 2 tsp ghee in a pan. Stir and cook after adding the remaining ghee.
Mix saffron with 1 tbsp milk and stir in the mixture.
Cook the ingredients until you get a layered consistency.
Grease a plate and pour on the mixture. Allow it to cool down and then cut into small squares.
KAJU LAUKI KI KHEER
As part of Navratri Recipes Special, we bring to you “Lauki ki kheer”, one of the popular fasting recipes or Navratri Vrat recipes.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups grated lauki
3 tbsp Ghee
1 bowl cashews
1.5 L milk
3/4 Cups Sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a pan heat ghee and fry the cashews till they are brown
Strain Cashews out and add grated lauki
Cook till done while stirring occasionally
Take off the flame
Boil milk, when it thickens and becomes 1-1.25 liters add cooked lauki
Let it cook for sometime till it further thickens
Add Cardamom powder and garnish with cashews.
Serve warm or cold.
This Navratri, do not hold yourself back and experiment with all the amazing items that you can explore.
Do let us know if you have enjoyed cooking these Navratri special desserts recipes and how it turned out to be?
Here's wishing you all a very Happy Navratri 2022!