Recipes for Janmashtami
On the auspicious occasion of Krishna Janmashtami (Gokulashtami), it is customary to prepare a few traditional sweets and savories. As Lord Krishna was very fond of milk and milk products, devotees make various dishes of milk to please the Lord. Given below are some recipes – murukus, chaklis, chikkis, different varieties of laddus, burfis, pedas, etc.
Offer to Lord Krishna, these mouthwatering recipes on His Birthday.
Besan laddu
Ingredients: 225 gms pure ghee, 225 gms besan flour, 350 gms castor sugar, 1 tsp cashew nuts chopped, 1 tsp almonds chopped, 1 tsp pistachio.
Method: Roast besan in pure ghee on low flame. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid lumps. Remove and set aside to cool. Add sugar and cashew nuts to the besan mixture and mix well. Shape it into laddus.
Groundnut chikki
Ingredients: Groundnuts one and a half cup, sugar one cup, ghee 2 tbsp.
Method: Roast the groundnuts in a kadai over moderate heat. When cool brush off the skin. Melt sugar on a low flame in a thick pan without adding water, stirring continuously. When it has melted and turns light brown in colour remove pan from fire and add the nuts stirring briskly. Quickly pour on a greased plate and cut it to required shapes.
Shankarpali
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar, half cup oil for deep frying, 2 cups maida, a pinch of salt.
Method: Mix sugar, oil and one cup water in a vessel and bring to a boil. Set aside to cool. When cooled, add a little salt. Add maida little by little and knead to soft dough. Mould into big balls. Flatten each ball into round shapes with a rolling pin. Using a knife, make diamond shaped pieces. Carefully lift and deep fry in oil till golden brown in colour.
Chithundai (Sweet balls)
Ingredients: For the filling, coconut gratings 2 cups, jaggery powder 1 cup, cardamom powder 1/4 tsp, a few cashew bits and raisins, oil for deep-frying. For the covering: Urad dal half cup, rice flour half cup, butter 1 tbsp, salt a pinch.
Method: Soak urad dal for 2-3 hours, drain and grind to a smooth paste until fluffy. Mix salt to butter and rub till fluffy, add rice flour and mix well. Add this to the ground paste and mix thoroughly to make a batter of very thick coating consistency.
Cook coconut gratings with jaggery till well blended and dry. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well. Make into lemon sized balls.
Heat oil, dip each ball into the batter and deep fry till brown and crisp. Drain and store when cool.
Pedhas
Ingredients: 500 gms crushed khova, 300 gms powdered sugar, 8 to 10 pistachios sliced, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder.
Method: Mix khova with sugar in a pan. Heat on low flame, stirring continuously. Cook till mixture thickens. Allow it to cool. Add cardamom powder. Mix well. Take a small handful of mixture and press into flat round shape. Turn out carefully. Press 2-3 slices of pistachio in the center.
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