Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of the Hindu deity Krishna, who's considered to be the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Janmashtami is celebrated on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapad according to the Hindu calendar.

The way this festival is celebrated differs from region to region. Dramatic portrayal of the life of Krishna, happen in the regions of Mathura and Vrindavan. While the Rasa lila depicts the flirtatious aspects of Krishna; Dahi Handi depicts his playful and mischievous side and is followed in the regions around Maharashtra. In India, people clean, organise and decorate their house to welcome the little Krishna and draws little feet with rangoli or paint, to mark Lord Krishna's footsteps into home.

As always, we at Archana's Kitchen have something special to mark the occasion. Here's an elaborate Sattvic three course North Indian thali for you to indulge in after the day long fast. You can choose from this menu. We hope you like the menu as much as we enjoyed creating it. Wishing you Happy Janmashtami, again.

1. Appetizers

What better to break the fast with than a Ginger Lemonade. Sweet and sour with a dash of ginger, it's said to have digestive benefits too. For appetizers, we have some crunchy Moong Dal Mini Samosas that's crisp on the outside and has a soft, subtly flavoured moong dal filling. We also have for you Crispy Palak Pakora and Bhaji Vada  which is again a North Indian specialty.

2. Main Course

For main course, we have a tasteful, Saunf Wali Hari Gobi Sabzi  which has cauliflower florets nicely coated with a fennel seed mixture. We also have for you Broccoli Malai Kofta which is a healthier twist to its cousin, Malai Kofta and Dal Banjara which is again a healthier interpretation of the 'langar wali dal'. Also, to help you polish the above spread is Puri, nutty, smoked Jeera Rice and some refreshing Lauki Raita.

3. Desserts

For desserts, there again a variety for you to choose from. There's Shrikhand, which is an essential in most Maharashtrian households, Homemade Doodh Peda which is  typical to the region around Mathura and Vrindavan and a healthy, low calorie version of Moong Dal Halwa.