Navratri, a nine-night festival celebrating the divine feminine, Goddess Durga in Hinduism, is marked by a plethora of rituals, traditions, and of course, delicious food. Growing up in a household where Navratri was observed with great reverence, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how our family’s fasting meals have evolved over the years.
During my school days, I very early picked on Navratri, thanks to the crispy kuttu roti my grandmother made followed by my mother’s Ashtami-special food – chane, halwa, and puris. Throughout Navratri, my grandmother and mother would observe a strict fast abstaining from foods made with wheat flour, rice, our family’s daily dose of chocolate, and whatnot. But since we would not eat our regulars, the family kitchen would turn into a hub of creativity as we explored the alternative ingredients.
Early Childhood And Kuttu Roti
Back when I was a child, the star of my family’s Navratri thali was kuttu ki roti. Unlike the usual wheat chapati, my grandmother used to prepare it more like a paratha. The secret of it being so crispy was she used to knead dough without adding water but using kuttu ka atta, boiled and mashed potatoes, sendha namak, and red chilli powder. Pairing it with aloo sabzi and raita, my family still looks forward to having that thali every year. During the rest of the day, my brother and I would casually munch on the vrat chips or the namkeen packets my father would get especially for the nine-day festivities.
Exploring Vrat-Friendly Ingredients
As the years went by, my mother, a passionate cook started experimenting with different ingredients. In early 2000s, I remember my mother having boiled potatoes with curd, but in the later years, she got us the recipe for crispy sabudana tikki. Pairing the tikkis with homemade imli chutney, the breakfast during Navratri was beyond ‘sorted.’
My brother being fond of South Indian cuisine used to miss dosas during the festivities. So, by making a batter using samak rice, my mum aced the upvas dosa with a lip-smacking filling of mashed potatoes, roasted peanuts, and mustard seeds. Be it for a healthy breakfast or for a light dinner, we relish the vrat dosa even after Navratri. On the Sunday during Navratri was a whole other festival in our homes. Replacing the rotis, we used to make stuffed puris made with kuttu ka atta and a gravy-based aloo bhaji to complete the thali.
Being a die-hard sweet tooth, I have always looked forward to eating desserts and traditional sweets. For Navratri my grandmother still makes kheer with samak rice and sabudana. Simmering with spices like cardamom and toping it with chopped nuts, the Navratri-special kheer is still my go-to dessert during the festive season.
Other than the traditional dessert, I remember my mother adding homemade fruit cream to our Navratri thalis. Another one of my mom’s speciality that takes everyone’s attention on the Navratri thali is coconut barfi. My mother makes two layers of the nariyal barfi, orange and yellow coloured, stacked on top of one another, making it the best part of Navratri.
Dining Out And Navratri Thalis
When I moved away from my home, be it for studying or working, thanks to the popularity of Navratri thalis offered at various restaurants and sweet shops, the festivities didn’t lose their essence. While I started to dine out savour the “vrat vala khana,” my family also explored the fast-friendly dishes and more than convenience, it has now become an extension of the celebration itself.