Janmashtami is a festival celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and joy. It creates a euphoric atmosphere all around. Since Lord Krishna was very fond of milk and milk products, so devotees make various dishes of milk to please the Lord.

Devotees observe to mark the day and break it at midnight after the birth of Lord Krishna. Certain people observe the day with waterless fast while others have fruits and milk.

The traditional dishes prepared on Janmashtami are Singhare ki Poori, Shrikhand, Gopalkala, Kheer etc. Recipes of these mouth watering and easy to cook dishes are given below:

Janmashtami Special Recipes

• Kheer
• Murukku
• Gopalkala

In contemporary times, Janmashtami is popularly marked with family fasting. Children keep fasts along with their mothers during the day. There are special dishes cooked by many to mark the occasion. Dishes are cooked with Sendha namak (special salt meant for fasting) in quite a few households for the convenience of little ones. Rice kheer is a popular dish made during the festival. Other special recipes are given below

Kheer

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
1 cup condensed milk
1 tablespoon custard powder,dissolved in warm milk
3-4 cups of whole milk, diluted with 1-2 cups of water 1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp cashewnuts, dry roasted.
1 tsp powdered cardamom

Method of preparation:
Pour milk in a pan and add rice to it. Boil rice and milk in the pan on medium flame until completely cooked (appx. 25-30 minutes). Add custard powder to milk and stir continuously. Add condensed milk, sugar and stir till sugar gets completely dissolved and the mixture thickens.
Add nuts and raisin. Sprinkle it with powdered cardamom for extra flavor.
Can be served both hot as well as cold.

Murukku (Rice Chakli)

Preparation time:20-25 minutes

Ingredients :
Rice flour 340 gms.
Gram flour 120 gms.
Til seeds 1 tbsp.
Chilli powder 3 tsp.
Asafoetida ½ tsp.
Butter 2 tbsps.
Oil as required
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation :
Mix both rice and gram flour, add chilli powder, asafoetida, butter and salt. Wash the til seeds and add to the flour mixture. Add water and knead into a soft dough. Put small quantities of dough in a murukku mould, hold it over a kadhai with hot oil and press murukkus into the oil. Remove murukku from kadhai when brown and crisp.

Gopalkala

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients :
250 grams Beaten rice
1 Coconut (fresh and grated)
100 gms Cucumber
60 grams Curd
2 Green chillies
1 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Jeera (Cumin seeds)
1/2 inch Ginger
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation :
Soak Beaten Rice for 10 -15 minutes. Roughly chop the cucumber and finely chop the green chillies and ginger. Melt ghee in a small pan, add jeera, green chillies and ginger. Pour over the Beaten Rice and add in the remaining ingredients. Mix well.