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Food to keep your faith

Five-star hotels and restaurants are offering special thalis for the devout

These are indeed exciting days for hotels and restaurants in town. Every hotel worth its name is wooing the citizens with World Cup specials, live screenings, extended hours and what not. But, in the midst of all this hullabaloo about cricket, they are also offering `shudh satvik bhojan' preparations for this Navratra, the nine-day auspicious event that began this past Monday. During these nine days the devout worship the powerful Goddess Durga and keep strict fast or take only spartan food, bereft of flesh and even onions and garlic. And most eateries, keeping in mind the sanctity and faith of the devout, take care to say the Navratra food is prepared separately and exclusively - away from free flowing liquor and all those non-vegetarian dishes like kababs, steaks and tikkas that are offered with Cricket specials.

Navratra food is simplicity in itself, comprising poories, shakarkand chaat, sabudana sabji, aloo, paneer bhujia, etc. Serving a special Navratra thali is New Delhi's Crowne Plaza. The thali includes shakarkand chaat, sabudana papad, samak ke chawal, kuttu poori, jeera aloo and sitaphal curry, etc. All this for Rs.550 plus taxes. Similarly, Radisson Hotel at National Highway 8 is featuring Navratra special till March 27 offering its guests specialities such as sabudane ki kheer, kuttu ki poori, shakarkandi ki chaat, til ke ladoo, katche kele ke pakore., and more. The dishes will be served in silver thalis from noon till midnight. A thali is priced at Rs.450 plus taxes.

Pakwan, the North West Front restaurant at Le Meridien offers a special menu for this Navratra. The menu includes an array of traditional Navratra specialities. Besides a special thali for the lunch, the other dishes available for the occasion include sabudana kabab, shakarkandhi chaat, tandoor bharwan aloo, kuttu poories and more to suit your palette. Jaypee Vasant Continental at its Pan Indian restaurant Paatra offers special Navratra fare where the chefs have introduced the "Vrat ka Khana", a shudh satvik bhojan, from the restaurant's exclusive vegetarian kitchen. Besides the thali, which is priced at Rs.600, diners can also choose from a select a la carte menu, which includes an array of traditional Navratra specialities prepared without onions or garlic like paneer makhani, palak aloo, sitaphal ki sabzi, etc.

Restaurants too

Gulati Restaurant at the Pandara Road market also has a special Navratra festival offer for its customers. It has Khaas Navratri thali offering different delicacies. Nirula's outlets are offering special Satvik Navratra thali at their restaurants as well as through delivery. The thalis are free of onion, garlic and use sendha namak and/or Lahori namak. Guests can look forward to favourites like paneer makhana, aloo dahi curry, arbi curry, etc.

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