Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day festival celebrated in India with great enthusiasm and devotion. On this auspicious occasion, devotees refrain from eating certain foods as a way of offering their devotion to Goddess Durga. Fasting on Navratri is believed to purify the body and soul and lead to good health and prosperity. However, fasting can be challenging, especially for those who are accustomed to eating regularly. To make fasting easier and more enjoyable, it is important to plan and prepare healthy and nutritious meals that provide the body with the energy and nutrients it needs.
Check out some delicious and easy-to-prepare Chaitra Navratri fasting recipes that are not only tasty but also healthy and nutritious. With these recipes, fasting during Navratri can be a delightful experience that nourishes the body and soul. (Also read: Chaitra Navratri 2023: 7 fasting-friendly breakfast items to keep energy levels up )
Delicious fasting recipes
- Farali Sum Ward
(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients:
1 cup barnyard millet (samo) flour
1 tsp ghee
Rock salt (rock salt) to taste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1½ teaspoons white sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp roasted unsalted almond powder
2-3 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 large potato, boiled, peeled, and grated
Oil for deep frying
Yogurt to serve
Method:
1. Pour 1 cup of water in a deep pan, add ghee, salt and cumin seeds and mix. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the barnyard millet flour and mix until well combined. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of water, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Add white sesame seeds, ground almonds, green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger and potatoes and mix well. Take a small portion of the mixture and shape each portion into a ball. Flatten it a little to shape it like a vada.
3. Heat enough oil in a pan. Slowly slide in a few vadas at a time and deep fry until golden brown and crisp. Drain on an absorbent paper.
4. Arrange the vada on a serving plate. Serve with hot yogurt.
2. Farali Dosa
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
Half a cup of Sanwa millet (sama)
Half a cup of amaranth flour
½ cup sour buttermilk
1 tsp ginger green chili paste
Rock salt (rock salt) to taste
Oil for cooking
for service
Method:
1. Clean, wash and soak Sanwa millet in enough water in a deep bowl for at least 2 hours.
2. Drain and blend in a mixer to a smooth mixture using 2 tablespoons of water.
3. Transfer the mixture to a deep bowl, add amaranth flour, fish, ginger-green chili paste and rock salt and mix well. Cover with a lid and set aside to ferment overnight.
4. Heat a non-stick griddle, pour the batter into the griddle and spread it in a circular motion to make a 125 mm. (5”) diameter thin dosa.
5. Apply a little oil on the sides, cook the dosa until both sides turn golden brown and fold to form a semi-circle.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to make 7 more dosas.
3. Farali Dhokla
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups buckwheat (kuttu or kutti no daro)
1/2 cup sour curd (sour curd)
1 tsp green chili paste
1/4 tsp ginger (adrak) paste
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Clean and wash the grain in enough water only once. Washing it too much will release the starch.
2. Drain excess water using a strainer.
3. In a deep bowl, combine the cereal, curd and half a cup of water and mix well. Cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for at least 4 to 5 hours.
4. Add green chilli paste, ginger paste and salt and mix well.
5. Pour half the batter into a greased 175 mm. (7”) diameter plate and spread evenly by rotating the plate clockwise.
6. Steam in a steamer for 10 to 12 minutes or until the dhoklas are done.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to make 1 more thali.
8. Cool slightly, cut into pieces and serve immediately.
Sweet fasting recipes
1. Sinhada Shera
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
1 cup water chestnut (shingoda) flour
4 tablespoons of ghee
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (cardamom) powder
For the garnish
1 tablespoon almond slivers
1 tablespoon pistachio slivers
Method:
1. To make Singada Sheera, heat ghee in a wide non-stick pan, add water chestnut flour and cook on low flame for 4 minutes or until light brown in color, stirring constantly.
2. Add 2 cups of warm water, mix well and cook on low flame for another 4 minutes or until all the water is absorbed, stirring constantly.
3. Add sugar, mix well and cook on low flame for another 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Switch off the flame, add cardamom powder and mix well.
5. Garnish Singhada Sheera with almonds and pistachios and serve hot.
2. Sago Kheer
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sago (sago)
4 cups full-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
A pinch of saffron (saffron) string
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (cardamom) powder
1 tsp ghee
2 tablespoons chopped cashews (cashews)
1 tablespoon chopped raisins (raisins)
Method:
1. To make sago kheer mix sago and ¾ cup water in a deep bowl and leave for 1 hour.
2. Heat milk in a deep non-stick pan and boil on medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add soaked sago, mix well and cook on medium flame for 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Add sugar, saffron and cardamom powder, mix well and cook on medium flame for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Switch off the flame and keep aside.
5. Heat ghee in a small non-stick pan, add cashew nuts and raisins and cook on medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Add this to the prepared sago kheer and mix well.
7. Serve the sago kheer hot or cold.
3. Potato pudding
(Recipe by Chef Harpal Singh)
Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes 2-3 (medium size)
Ghee 2-3 tbsp + 1 tsp
Raisins 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
Mix the nuts with 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp saffron + for garnish
Sugar 4 tbsp
Milk ¼ cup
Eat half a cup
Method:
1. Heat ghee in a pan and first roast the raisins when it starts to get fluffy then remove it from the pan and keep aside.
2. Put the boiled potatoes in the same pan and cook for 10-12 minutes on medium flame.
3. Now take whole cardamom and crush them in a mortar and pestle, and add them to the potatoes.
4. Cook for some time and then add mixed nuts and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Now crush the saffron in the same mortar and pestle and keep aside.
6. Now add sugar and milk to the halwa and mix well.
7. Cook until it thickens in texture.
8. Now add khawa and roasted raisins to the pan and mix it well.
9. Now add ground saffron and ghee to it and cook it well.
10. Potato halwa is ready, sprinkle some saffron on it and it’s ready to serve!