Navratri - preparations

Always making a list will ease your work stopping the last minute running around or anything getting missed out.

Rangoli / Kolam :-  This is the first thing that catches the attention of the guests. So plan & keep a chart of rangoli / kolam that you may like to draw. If you wish you can even make it in a plate in advance & display it.

You can check the dot, spiral, geometrical padi kolams in the kolam section of my hobby lounge. You can see it under the 'Kolam /Rangoli' label on the right hand column display.

Refreshment to offer first to the guests :-   Once your guest arrive, you offer them Chandan, kum kum. Then comes light beverage for refreshment.

1. Panagam 
2. Lemon Juice
3. Buttermilk / sambharam
4. Lemon + mint juice
5. Diluted milk with crushed banana pieces & elachi powder
6. Iced tea (available ready in bottled form)
7. Watermelon juice
8. Any other juices of your choice

(tip : when you offer sweet juice, very lightly moist the mouth of the glass, in a plate put some black salt and dip the mouth of the glass in it so that the salt get coated around the mouth. This will give a nice taste to the juice when sipped)

Offerings  - neivedhyam & Prashad

Things you should keep in mind :-

1. Make one sweet item after every 2nd day of the 9 days of navatri celebration

2. Make one sweet on Friday

3. Don't use onion on for the festive preparations

1. Black Chana (karupu kondai kadalai / blak chick pea) - [Video recipe available here]
2. Kabuli channa (Kondai kadalai chundal) - salt  - [Video recipe available here]
3. Green Gram (sweet - using Jaggery) - [Video recipe available here]
4. Green Gram (Salt)
5. Pattaani (vatana / dried yellow pea) - [Video recipe available here ]
6. Moong dal (sweet or salt) - pasi paruppu
7. Sweet Rice Puttu - [Video recipe available here]
8. Curd Rice
9. Cow peas (karamani / Lobiya) -  sweet chundal [Video recipe available here]
10. Cow peas (Karamani / Lobiya) - Salt chundal
11. Kadalai paruppu (channa dal) - [Video recipe available here]
12. Green peas (fresh or dried) - salted
13. Rajma (salted or sweet)
14. Groundnut (avoid onion)
15. Ghee Appam (nei appam)
16. Nei Payasam / Ghee payasam
17. Milk Kheer (paal payasam)
18. Atta ka halwa (Kada Prasad) - [Video reecipe available here]

PS : You can even make a mix match of sundal & variety rices (curd rice, lemon rice, tamarind rice, coconut rice) 

Tempering for the salted sundals / salads  will be

1. oil + hing powder + mustard seeds
2. Oil + mustard seeds + urad + hing powder
3. Oil + mustard seeds + hing powder + Red Chilli Flakes

Masalas :- (Grind it coarsely without water)

1. grated coconut + green chilli + ginger
2. Grated coconut + Red Chilli (fried in oil
3. Grated coconut + Green Chilli
4. Red chilli + Dhania seeds + grated coconut  (fry dhania, red chilli in little oil before grinding)

So alter the tempering items & masals to give a different taste each day

For Sweet items :-

1. Dissolve jaggery in water, filter to remove impurities, add cardamom powder.
2. Use ghee which will enhance the taste of the sweet item

• You can offer the neivedhyams to God early & pack them in compact paper packs by placing it on cling film & wrap using a paper / disposable paper containers (avoid plastics for go green measure) so that you can offer it to your guests while they leave

• Take help of your kids or friends to pack the prashad, to arrange the tamboolam (betel leaves, haldi, kumkum, banana, betel nut, flowers) so that you will get sufficient time attending your guest.

A little planning & preparation will help you make a good host.


You may check out my earlier posts  :-

1. Golu Ideas

2. Park - suggestions 

3. Gift Ideas

Happy Navratri

Jai Mata Di