Chaitra Navratri Day 5 bhog: Prasad recipe for Maa Skandamata

Chaitra Navratri: The special time of the year is here. Every year, Chaitra Navratri is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all over the country. Observed by the Hindu community, during these ten days, devotees keep fast. Navratri literally translates to nine nights. On each day of Navratri, a form of Maa Durga is worshipped. The nine forms of Maa Durga are – Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kalaratri, Maa Mahagauri and Maa Siddhidatri. On the fifth day of the festival, Maa Skandamata is worshipped. This year, Chaitra Navratri started on April 9 and will go on till April 17.
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Maa Skandamata is the war form of Goddess Durga. Skanda is the alternate name of war god Karthikeya, and mata means mother. Maa Shankamata is usually offered bananas as bhog. As we gear up for the preparation of the fifth day of Chaitra Navratri, here is an easy way of making Raw Banana Chops as bhog for Maa Skandamata.
300 grams raw bananas, peeled
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Spice paste
2 tbsps tamarind pulp
8-10 curry leaves, shredded
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
3½ tsps rice flour
2 tsps oil and for shallow frying
Chaat masala to sprinkle
Start with making halves of the raw bananas and then slice them lengthwise. Boil water in a pan and add turmeric powder and salt and add the raw banana slices to it and cook for five minutes. In a bowl, add tamarind pulp, add curry leaves, red chilli powder, coriander powder, rice flour and oil and make a spice paste. Coat the bananas with the spice paste. In a pan heat oil and shallow fry the banana slices on both sides. Sprinkle chaat masala on top and serve.
(Recipe: Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef)