Indian festivities are the best excuse to make lavish meals and snacks throughout the festive season. Young married women today want something healthy too. This Karva Chauth, go for these recipes to break your fast on this auspicious day. They are not only super tasty and easy to make but also are very much healthy!

Feni ki Kheer

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups milk
• 5-6 nos. saffron strands
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup paneer, mashed
• ½ cup mixture of almonds and pistachios, powdered
• 2 tsp raisins
• ¼ tsp cardamom, powdered

METHOD

1. Heat 4 cups milk in the pan. Keep a little milk aside.
2. Add saffron flakes and mix it. Boil for 5 minutes to boil over a low flame.
3. Add sugar and roasted paneer to the milk and let it cook until it thickens.
4. Add raisins, almond and pistachio powder and cardamom powder to the mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes. 
5. Serve hot or cold as desired. If the consistency of the kheer is too thick, you can add (and mix well) the remaining 1 cup of milk to it. 

Also read: 3 Indian Dessert Recipes You Must Try

Aaloo Gobi

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of cauliflower, cut in big pieces
• 1 cup of potato, cut in big pieces
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¼ cup of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. In a pan, heat some oil and sauté cauliflower and potato pieces lightly. Put them in a dish or a bowl; keep aside.
2. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, and fry onion and ginger-garlic paste until golden brown.
3. Add tomato purée, garam masala powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt, and fry it.
4. Add the sautéd cauliflower and potato pieces to the pan and cook it all on a low flame until the vegetables become soft.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Gud ke Gul Gule

INGREDIENTS

• 150 gm jaggery
• Water
• 1½ cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 500 ml oil
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. In a saucepan, melt the jaggery in a ½ cup of water. Pour it into a large bowl and let it cool down.
2. Add wheat flour, little fennel, jaggery water to bowl and make a thick batter of the mixture. If needed, mix a little more water. Make sure you do not leave any lumps of flour in it.
3. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.
4. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed vessel. On a low flame, deep-fry the batter by gently dropping medium-sized portions (approximately of 1 tbsp each) until it becomes golden brown.

If desired, add mashed bananas to the batter before you deep-fry it.  They can also be presented as a ritual food-offerings during Karva Chauth.

Also read: Popular Rajasthani Sweet: Churma Ladoo Recipe

Aate ka Halwa

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp green ghee
• 1 cup wheat flour
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cashew nuts, almonds, and raisins, finely chopped
• 1 tsp homemade ghee

METHOD

1. In a pan, heat 2 tbsp green ghee. Add 1 cup wheat flour to it and fry them on a low flame until both blend well together.
2. Then add ½ cup milk and ½ cup water continuously, little by little, so that the flour does not clump.
3. After 1-2 minutes, mix sugar and keep stirring continuously.
4. Add finely chopped cashew nuts, almonds, raisins and some homemade ghee to the mixture.
5. Remove it off heat when it starts leaving ghee.

Amritsari Dal

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup whole urad dal
• Water, as required
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garlic-ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp asafoetida
• ½ cup onions, chopped
• ½ cup tomatoes, chopped
• 2-3 nos. green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder, if required
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped

METHOD

1. In a cooker, Put whole urad dal, water (as required), ½ tsp turmeric powder and finely chopped garlic-ginger, and cook until 1 whistle. 
2. Then, in a deep thick-bottomed vessel, cook the dal until soft on a low flame. Let it cool down and then mash it.
3. In a pan, heat oil and simmer cumin seeds and asafoetida.
4. Add chopped onions, green chillies and garlic-ginger paste and cook them until golden brown.
5. Add tomatoes, salt, and all powder spices and fry.
6. Add the cooked dal to the pan. Let it cook for 5 minutes until it thickens. Remove the pan off the heat.
7. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves and butter. Serve hot.

Also read: Traditional Flavour: Gujarati Khatta Moong Recipe