Chaitra Navratri, the nine-day Hindu festival of prosperity, is just around the corner. There are four Navratri festivals throughout the year: Shardiya, Chaitra, Magha Gupt and Asadha Gupt. However, Shardiya and Chaitra Navratri are the two most widely observed of these four. In Sanskrit, Navratri literally means 'nine nights'. As the name suggests, Chaitra Navratri is observed over nine days, each of which is dedicated to one of the nine avatars of Goddess Durga. It is considered to be an auspicious period as Maa Durga is said to have descended from heaven to be with her devotees. This year, the festival is celebrated with much fanfare from April 9 to 17.
To obtain Goddess Durga's blessings during Navratri, devotees often cook traditional foods at home and sing bhajans. During the nine days of the festival, devotees fast, with some choosing to fast on the first and last day. It is said that those who fast during this time will have their wishes granted by Goddess Durga. However, if you're fasting, it's important to take care of your health and consume nutritious food that can keep you energised throughout the day. Therefore, if you are confused about what to eat during this time, don't worry, we are here to help with our special recipe guide featuring healthy and energising Vrat-friendly recipes. (Also read: Chaitra Navratri 2024 fashion: 9 trendy celeb-inspired saree outfits for each day of the festival )
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Healthy vrat-friendly recipes for Chaitra Navratri
1. Farali Paniyaram
(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients:
½ cup rajgira flour
¼ cup potato, peeled and grated
¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
¼ cup yogurt
¼ cup green chilli-ginger paste
¼ cup roasted and coarsely crushed peanuts
Rock salt to taste
1 tablespoon ghee + ¼ cup ghee
Method:
1. Add rajgira flour, potato, coriander, yogurt, green paste, rock salt and ghee in a bowl. Add water as required and form a lump-free batter.
2. Add 1 teaspoon ghee in each paniyaram mould and let it melt. Once the ghee has melted, pour in the batter. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Toss the paniyarams upside down in the moulds itself cover and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
4. Transfer to a serving plate, serve warm with coconut chutney.
2. Farali Dosa
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
½ cup sanwa millet (sama)
½ cup rajgira flour
½ cup sour buttermilk
1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
Oil for cooking
For serving
Peanut Curd Chutney
Method:
1. Clean, wash and soak the sanwa millet in enough water in a deep bowl for atleast 2 hours.
2. Drain and blend in a mixer to a smooth mixture using 2 tbsp of water.
3. Transfer the mixture into a deep bowl, add the rajgira flour, buttermilk, ginger-green chilli paste and rock salt and mix well. Cover with a lid and keep aside to ferment overnight.
4. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle), pour a ladleful of the batter on the tava (griddle) and spread it in a circular motion to make a 125 mm. (5") diameter thin dosa.
5. Smear a little oil along the sides, cook till both the sides of the dosa turns golden brown in colour and fold over to make a semi-circle.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to make 7 more dosas.
7. Serve immediately with peanut curd chutney.
3. Aloo Ka Halwa
(Recipe by Chef Kunal Kapur)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Desi ghee
2 tbsp chopped Almonds
2 tbsp chopped Pista
2 tbsp chopped Cashew nuts
2 tbsp chopped Walnuts
4 tbsp Desi ghee
750 gms Potato
500 ml Milk (2 cups)
3/4 tsp Cardamom powder
1/4 tsp Nutmeg Powder
1 cup (200 gms) grated Jaggery
Method:
1. Wash and clean the potatoes and place them in a pressure cooker with adequate water to cover them.
2. Place the lid and pressure cook them till they are soft. Once cooked, drain the water and remove them onto a plate.
3. While they are still warm, peel and mash them. You can mash them by passing them through a sieve to avoid any lumps. Keep the mashed potato aside.
4. Heat a pan and pour 2 tbsp of ghee and add the chopped nuts. Cook them on low heat till they just start to change colour. Remove the pan and strain the nuts to remove excess ghee.
5. In the same pan add 4 tbsp of ghee (you can use the leftover ghee from frying nuts as well) and once it heats up add the mashed potatoes. Spread the potato across the pan to cook it evenly.
6. Keep tossing the potatoes in between so they get an even brown colour. This could take some time but is an important step.
7. Once the potatoes turn a light shade of brown they will start oozing out the ghee at this stage, add milk and keep stirring till it gets a boil.
8. Mash with the back of a spoon if you find any lumps. While the milk boils add cardamom and nutmeg powder.
9. Once the milk had visibly dried up add grafted jaggery and mix it. Cook till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the dry fruits and toss them.
10. Remove and serve hot.
4. Rajgira Puri
(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients:
1 cup amaranth (rajgira) flour
3 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 tablespoon ginger-green chilli paste
Rock salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
Peanut oil for deep-frying
Ghee for greasing
Method:
1. Grate potatoes in a bowl. Add amaranth flour, ginger-green chilli paste, rock salt, coriander leaves and mix well.
2. Heat sufficient peanut oil in a kadai.
3. Divide the dough into equal portions.
4. Grease a plastic sheet with some ghee. Place a portion on it and spread into medium size thick discs or puris.
5. Deep-fry puris in hot oil till puffed up and golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
6. Serve hot with vratwale aloo sabzi.
5. Buckwheat Khichdi
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat (kutto or kutti no daro)
½ cup curds (dahi)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
½ cup raw potato cubes
1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
Rock salt (sendha namak) or table salt to taste
2 tbsp roasted and coarsely powdered peanuts
½ tsp lemon juice
For the garnish
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania) optional
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds (til)
For serving
Peanut kadhi
Method:
1. Clean, wash and soak the buckwheat in enough water for 2 hours. Drain and keep aside.
2. Combine 1½ cups of water and curds in a deep bowl and whisk well. Keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan and add cumin seeds.
4. When the seeds crackle, add the potatoes, mix well and cover and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes or till the potatoes are half cooked, while stirring occasionally.
5. Lower the flame, add the ginger-green chilli paste, buckwheat, curds-water mixture and rock salt, mix well and cover and cook on a slow flame for 5 to 6 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
6. Add the peanuts and lemon juice, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute.
7. Garnish with coriander and sesame seeds and serve immediately with peanut kadhi.
News / Lifestyle / Recipes / Chaitra Navratri 2024: 5 vrat-friendly recipes to stay healthy and energetic while fasting
