Mahashivratri 2024: Sabudana wood apple to makhana kheer, special recipes to prepare on this day

Mahashivratri - a Hindu festival celebrated to honour lord Shiva. To celebrate the festival, Indians wake up early, take a dip in the holy Ganga river, observe a strict fast and worship the deity in temples to seek his blessings. This year Mahashivratri falls on March 8, 2024.

If you plan on celebrating the festival - either through fasting or by simply enjoying meals prepared from lord Shiva's favourite food, we bring you Mahashivratri special recipes.

Makhana Kheer

Ingredients:
Foxnuts (makhana) - 1 cup
Whole milk - 4 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Saffron - a few strands
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios) - 3 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a pan and roast the foxnuts (makhana) until they are crispy. Take out the crispy makhana from the pan and let it cool. Once cooled, crush them into smaller pieces.
2. In the same pan, pour the milk and bring it to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Lower the heat and let the milk simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly.
4. Add the crushed foxnuts (makhana) to the milk and continue to simmer for another five-10 minutes until they become soft and the kheer thickens further.
5. Add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron strands to the kheer. Stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.
6. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool for a few minutes.
7. Garnish with chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios) and serve chilled or warm.

Recipe by Chef Ishijyot Surri, executive chef, SJI Hospitality and Foods Pvt. Ltd

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Ragi Halwa

Ingredients:
Ragi flour - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Cardamom powder - 2 tsp
Chopped nuts (such as almonds, cashews, and pistachios) - 4 tbsp

Method:
1. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan or kadai on medium heat.
2. Add the ragi flour to the hot ghee and roast it, stirring constantly, until it becomes aromatic and turns light brown. This should take around eight-10 minutes.
3. Bring two cups of water to a boil in a separate saucepan. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves completely.
4. Once the ragi flour is roasted, carefully pour the boiling water into the pan while continuously stirring to prevent any lumps from forming.
5. Add the cardamom powder and continue to stir until everything is well-mixed.
6. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a halwa-like consistency and starts to leave the sides of the pan.
7. Add the chopped nuts and mix well.
8. Turn off the heat and let the ragi halwa rest for a few minutes.
9. Serve warm and enjoy.

Recipe by Chef Ishijyot Surri, executive chef, SJI Hospitality and Foods Pvt. Ltd

Palada Payasam

Ingredients:
Rice ada - 1/2 cup
Milk (full cream) - 1 ltr
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Condensed milk - 1/4 cup
Ghee or clarified butter - 1 tsp

Method:
1. Take a vessel and add two cups of water. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Once the water boils, turn off the heat. Add 1/2 cup rice ada, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. In a cooker, add a litre of full cream milk. Also, add half a cup of sugar and a teaspoon of ghee, then mix well.
4. Pressure cook on high flame until you get the first whistle.
5. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for 20 minutes.
6. Strain the ada and wash it until it is no longer sticky.
7. Take a clean pan and add the ada and the cooked milk mixture. Stir continuously and cook until it thickens, for about 15 minutes.
8. Add 1/4 cup of condensed milk and mix well until it comes to a boil.
9. Serve hot in a bowl.

Recipe by Gautam Mehrishi, corporate executive chef, Club Mahindra

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Sabudana Wood Apple Kheer

Ingredients:
Sabudana or tapioca pearls - 1/2 cup
Milk - 4 cups
Wood apple puree - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom pods - 4
Saffron strands - 1 pinch
Chopped nuts (almond, cashew, pistachios) - a handful
Ghee or clarified butter - 2 tbsp

Method:
1. Rinse and soak the sabudana in water for four to five hours until they swell up and become soft. Drain excess water and set aside.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add soaked sabudana and saute for five minutes on low heat until it becomes translucent.
3. Add milk to the pan and bring it to a low. Let the kheer simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Add wood apple puree, and sugar and stir occasionally until the sabudana is fully dissolved and the kheer thickness to your desired consistency.
5. Remove the pan from heat and let the kheer cool down to room temperature. It will thicken further as it cools.
6. Garnish with additional chopped nuts and saffron strands before serving. Serve chill or room temperature.

Recipe by Chef Jaiparkash Bhatt, executive chef, The Resort

Classic Sheera

Ingredients:
Semolina (rawa or suji) - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee or clarified butter - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1-2 tsp
Few saffron strands
Handful of raisinsSlivered almonds

Method:
1. Take a deep thick bottom pan over high heat and add ghee into the pan. Once the ghee is hot and melted, add semolina to it.
2. Turn heat to medium-low and roast semolina while stirring continuously.
3. Keep heat on low and stir it continuously. Do not allow it to burn.
4. When semolina is roasted properly, it will slightly change the colour and turn aromatic.
5. Meanwhile, mix water and milk in a separate saucepan. Boil this mixture on high heat.
6. Keep dry fruits ready. Add saffron strands into hot milk. By doing so we can get the maximum flavour of saffron.
7. Once semolina is almost ready, add chopped almonds and raisins into it. Roast raisins and almonds along with semolina.
8. Once everything is roasted thoroughly, add the hot boiling mixture of milk and water into the pan. (Be careful while doing this as the milk mixture is boiling. You might want to turn off the heat, just for a few seconds.)
9. When the milk mixture is added, turn the heat to low. Gently mix everything.
Semolina will absorb the milk mixture and start thickening.
10. Simmer it on low heat for another four to five minutes. Add saffron milk to the pan.
Semolina will absorb milk and start releasing it from the sides of the pan.
11. Cover with a lid and simmer it for another three to four minutes. Now, add cardamom powder and sugar to the pan. As sugar starts melting, it will soften the semolina.
12. Mix everything, cover with a lid and simmer for five minutes. Sheera is ready to serve with some silvered almonds over the top.

Recipe by Dheeraj Mathur, cluster executive chef, Radisson Blu Hotel Kaushambi

Sabudana Kheer

Ingredients:
Sabudana or tapioca pearls - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch
Ghee or clarified butter - 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 10
Raisins - 10

Method:
1. Grate the jaggery and add it to a pan with four tablespoons of water. Heat it until the jaggery dissolves. Strain the jaggery syrup through a strainer.
2. Boil the syrup again until it becomes slightly thick and keep aside for cooling.
3. Wash sabudana in a pan with running water. Take a pan and boil one and a half cups of water. Add sabudana to it and cook until they are soft and transparent.
4. Add milk and cook until it thickens. Add cardamom powder and cooled jaggery syrup to the cooked kheer.
5. Heat ghee in a small pan and fry cashews until they turn light brown and then follow the same for raisins. Mix them to the kheer and serve the dish at a cool temperature.

Recipe by Dheeraj Mathur, cluster executive chef, Radisson Blu Hotel Kaushambi

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