Try these easy Shivratri special dishes

Shivratri is the time when people observe fasts or follow special diet to please Lord Siva or as an offering. Here are four special dishes that are usually cooked for Shivratri. These dishes are extremely healthy and light as they are prepared using incredibly nutritious ingredients.

Muthira puzhukku
Ingredients
250 gms finger millet
Salt as required
Turmeric powder as required
4 green chillies
12 shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
5 tsp coconut oil
Some curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
150 gms grated coconut
½ tsp pepper powder
Preparation
Soak the finger millets for at least 10 hours or over night
Cook the soaked millets with salt and turmeric powder
Crush the green chilies, shallots and garlic cloves on a traditional grinder
Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds
Add the crushed green chilies, shallots and garlic
Sauté well
Now add the cooked millet
Mix well
Into it add the grated coconut, pepper powder and curry leaves
Stir and cook well

Madhuracherupayar kanji
Ingredients
250 gms green grams (dry roasted )
200 gms jaggery
150 gms grated coconut
A pinch of salt
Preparation
Pressure cook the roasted green gram
Into it add the jaggery and salt
Allow it to boil for 10 more minutes
Add grated coconut just before serving the dish

Astram
Ingredients
100 gms yam
100 gms kaachil or greater yam
100 gms colocasia
100 gms Chinese potato
100 gms nanakizhangu or lesser yam
100 gms plantain
1 coconut
½ tsp cumin
8 green chilies
2 tbsp tamarind water
10 ml coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
Some curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
100 ml yoghurt
Preparation
Peel the yam, greater yam, colocasia, Chinese potato, lesser yam and the plantains as well
Cut these into large chunks
Cook the vegetables in water enough to immerse them
When the vegetable pieces begin to boil add salt, tamarind water and turmeric powder
Grind the grated coconut, cumin and green chilies
Add the coconut paste into the cooked vegetables
Allow it to boil for few more minutes
Take it off the flame
Prepare a simple mustard tempering and add it into the yoghurt
Now add this tempered yoghurt into the astram
Mix well

Puzhukku
Ingredients
200 gms Bengal gram
200 gms greater yam
150 gms plantains
150 gms cheeva kizhangu
200 gms colocasia
½ tsp turmeric powder
200 gms grated coconut
5 tsp coconut oil
2 bunches curry leaves
Salt as required
6 green chilies
½ tsp cumin
Preparation
Soak the Bengal gram for at least 10 hours or over night
Peel the greater yam, plantains, cheeva kizhangu and colocasia
Cook it with salt and turmeric powder
Crush the grated coconut, green chilies and cumin
Add this paste into the cooked vegetables
Now add curry leaves
Mix everything well together
Sprinkle the fresh coconut oil over the dish and take it off the flame