Happy Navratri - Ude Ga Ambe Ude !!

To all readers a very 'Happy Navratri' - festival of triumph of good over evil.

First Nine days of Ashwin month (Seventh month of Hindu Calendar) is celebrated as Navratri-in honour of Maa Durga. First three days are for worshiping Mahakali Maata, next three days Maa Laxmi and last three days Maa Saraswati.

Tenth day is celebrated as Dasara/Dussehra/Vijaydashmi one of the 3 and 1/2 auspicious days in Hindu Calender. This day also marked as victory of Lord Rama over Raavan. People visit each other and worship Apata Tree and exchange its leaves called 'Sone - Gold'. In Maharashtra, people also ritually cross the border of their village / town. This ceremony is known as 'seemollangha'. Everyone worship their books,notebooks,pens. Various cultural programs are organised in temple like Jaagar,Kirtan,Bhajans and DandiyaRaas/Garba.

My mother and my mother-in-law they both do upawas/fast for nine days. We prepare various sweets for naivedya everyday.

I was talking with my mother to get some ideas about preparing sweets;she told me some awesome dishes that I never tried on my own;there is no harm in telling you I was a guest visitor or should say guest cooker (He he he :))in the kitchen before my marriage.

Then my thought process started;I wanted to try something new and one led to another thing and Ta da !!!

I created a whole new dish.I never saw or ate it before and it tasted good( tried and tested on my husband).

So here I proudly represent - BlueBerry Coconut Delight

[Will tell you story behind blueberries some other day]

Ingredients-

• 2 cups Freshly grated Coconut/Frozen Coconut
• 1 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• Cashews/blanched almonds for garnish
• 1 teaspoon ghee/butter

Method-

1. Put coconut and sugar in a heavy bottom pan on low flame.
2. Add blueberries and stir the mixture frequently.
3. Once the sugar gets dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble add lemon juice.
4. Now stir the mixture till it gets thick.
5. Take off from stove and add cardamom powder and mix well.
6. Apply ghee/butter to a dish and pour the mixture into the dish.
7. Level it with spoon and put some cashews/blanched almonds for garnish.
8. Let it dry for sometime and then cut into pieces.

Tip- The color is so amazing and tempting that you can't wait for long so for quick drying keep it in freezer for sometime and then cut.