7 Healthy Recipes for you this Navratri 2022
Navratri is a special Hindu festival that marks the transition between seasons. This festival also symbolises the victory of Goddess Durga over an evil demon. The famed battle lasted for nine nights, and hence the celebrations span across nine nights (Navratri).
There are a lot of rituals associated with this festival, including Garba (a traditional dance form) and fasting. (1) Navratri vrat food isn’t just healthy and nutritious but super delicious as well. The food for Navratri fast can be consumed in any preferred fast-keeping variation. In fact, other members of the family, including children, can also enjoy these sumptuous Navratri delicacies and celebrate the onset of the next season.
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Navratri Food Recipes, along with Ingredients & methods of preparation
There are so many Navratri food recipes you can try to tingle your taste buds. You can try out some or all of the following dishes while deciding the Navratri recipes for 9 days.
1. Foxtail millet pulao recipe
Foxtail millet pulao is a savoury dish that is specifically prepared during Navratri. It is a wholesome and healthy dish that can be consumed with curd and chutney.
Ingredients :
- Foxtail millet
- Desi ghee
- Jeera
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Cardamom / Elaichi
- Black Pepper
- Ginger
- Green Chilli
- Potatoes
- Carrot
- Coriander/Hara Dhania
- Water
- Himalayan pink salt (to taste)
- Fox nuts /makhana
- Dry coconut
Method
Start by soaking foxtail millets in warm water for approximately 50-60 minutes. Take a kadhai and put one or two tablespoons of pure desi ghee in it. After that, add cumin seeds and cardamom to the Kadhai and sauté gently. Too that off with black pepper. Add soaked foxtail millets to the Kadhai and put two cups of water in it. Let the conviction simmer for 15 -20 minutes after you add Himalayan pink salt and some black pepper to it.
In a separate pan, take some ghee and sauté dried coconut, cashews, almonds and fox nuts. Garnish your foxtail millet pulao with these roasted nuts, and your delicious pulao is ready to be served.
2. Potato recipes for Navratri fast
Potatoes are a very versatile ingredient, and they can be cooked in a number of ways to prepare your favourite Navratri recipes.
Ingredients:
To prepare simple Roasted potatoes, you will need the following ingredients
- Boiled potatoes
- Green chilli
- Desi ghee
- Himalayan pink salt
- Coriander leaves
Method :
Take a pan and add some ghee to it. After that, take some green chillies and cut out their stems. Alice them from in between and add them to the pan. Sauté the chillies for a few seconds and then add sliced (boiled) potatoes to the pan. Top that off with Himalayan pink salt and continue to shallow fry the potatoes till they turn golden brown. Sprinkle a dash of lemon juice and coriander leaves on the dish, and you are good to go.
3. Vrat wali paneer ki sabzi
Falahari foods are a special part of the Navratri diet because these recipes are prepared with the help of milk and milk products.
Ingredients:
You can prepare vrat wali paneer ki sabzi with the following ingredients :
- Cottage cheese (cut into square pieces)
- Tomatoes
- Homemade cream (malai)
- Himalayan pink salt
- Desi ghee
- Coriander leaves (Hara dhaniya)
- Ginger
- Red chilli powder
- Cumin seeds
- Green chillies
Method :
In a pan, dry roast the seeds and keep aside. Blend the tomatoes, green chillies and ginger to form a thick paste. Take a pan and add some ghee to it. Put red chilli powder in the ghee and then add the tomato purée that you prepared. Sauté the purée and add the dry masala mix to it. Subsequently add some warm water to the pan and allow the mixture to simmer. Finally, add the cut cottage cheese cubes to the pan and cook for some time. Don’t overcook the paneer, or it will become too chewy.
Top the dish off with freshly cut coriander leaves.
4. Sabudana khichdi Navratri recipe
Sabudana Khichdi can be safely regarded as comfort food because of its delicious flavour, lightweight texture and outstanding health benefits. It is one of the most popular Navratri dishes.
Ingredients:
- Sabudana (tapioca pearls)
- Himalayan pink salt
- Potatoes
- Cumin seeds
- Peanuts
- Green chillies
- Curry leaves / Kadi Patta
- Desi ghee
Method :
Soak the sabudana in water overnight in a 1:1 ratio. After, take desi ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. After that, add sliced potatoes to a pan and cook them for a few minutes. After that, add potatoes, salt and green chilli, and curry leaves to the pan and cook it all for a minute or two. Subsequently, add drained sabudana pearls to the pan and mix everything. Don’t overbook it; otherwise, your sabudana khichadi will become clumpy.
5. Navratri paneer tikka recipe
This easy and tasty paneer tikka recipe can be prepared within a short span of time. This Navratri delicacy is perfect for saturating your taste buds in a healthy and appetising way.
Ingredients :
- Cottage cheese (cut into small square pieces)
- Curd
- Green chillies
- Himalayan pink salt
- Kuttu ka atta or Buckwheat flour
- Grated ginger
Method :
Take a big bowl and curd Himalayan pink salt, chopped green chillies and grated ginger to it. Put the square cottage cheese pieces in the bowl and make sure that the cheese is covered in the mixture. Refrigerate it for an hour or more. After that, you can bake or grill the paneer pieces as per your liking.
6. Kuttu ka Dosa
Kuttu ka dosa or Buckwheat pancake doesn’t require much time to ferment and can be prepared with the simplest of ingredients. If you are a dosa fan, then this one's for you. In fact, kuttu ka atta is the most preferred vrat ka atta while preparing Navratri fasting recipes.
Ingredients
- Kuttu ka atta
- Curd
- Potatoes
- Water
- Desi ghee
- Green chillies
- Himalayan pink salt
Method
In a bowl, mix together Kuttu ka atta, curd, salt, green chillies and some water to prepare the dosa batter. Set it aside for a few minutes. After that, take boiled and mashed potatoes and sauté them with green chillies and salt to prepare the filling. Keep the filling aside. Take a pan and sprinkle some desi ghee on it. Prepare the Kuttu dosa and then stuff the potato batter in it. Your dish is ready to be served along with some curd and mint chutney.
7. Sabudana kheer
This dessert is not just easy to make but it tastes like a dream as well. If you have little children at home, then they are absolutely going to love it!
Ingredients
- Sabudana (tapioca pearls)
- Milk
- Jaggery Powder / Khandsari
- Cardamom powder
- Almonds
- Saffron / Kesar
Method :
Soak sabudana in water for a few hours. Take milk and jaggery powder/khandsari in a pot and bring it to boil. After that, add soaked and drained sabudana to it and keep stirring. When the consistency becomes thick and the tapioca pearls become transparent, reduce the heat. Subsequently add almonds and cardamom powder to your kheer. Your sabudana kheer is ready to be relished either warm or chilled.
FAQs
Q1: Is Navratri special food gluten free?
Yes, you can prepare a number of Navratri recipes that involve the use of vegan ingredients such as Sabudana khichadi, roasted makhana, fruit chaat etc.
Q2: Can you consume fruits as a part of Navratri vrat food?
Yes, you can consume fruits and nuts as a part of Navratri Vrat ka Khana.
Q3: Can you consume packaged foods during Navratri vrat?
It is advisable to avoid packaged and preservative rich food if you plan to fast during Navratri.
Q4: For how many days should you fast during Navratri?
There are a lot of ways in which you can observe a fast during Navratri. You can either fast on all days or you can fast for the first two or last two days. Fasting during Navratri is a great way to seek Goddess Durga’s blessings. (2)