Navratri Special: Chef Rubal Pupneja Shares Snack Recipes

Navratri, which literally translates to “nine night,” is a Hindu festival celebrated to pray to Goddess Durga. The celebrations include spiritual reflection, fasting, and detoxifying the body. Since a lot of devotees fast for nine long days, relying on fruits and salads might not be the best option for proper energy levels. That being said, reaching for potato chips that are safe to consume while fasting is not a healthy option either.

So, if you are juggling between the decision of choosing fried crisps and eating a fruit bowl for nine consecutive days, this article can help sort your evening snacking. The essence of fasting doesn’t mean compromising on flavours and taste, all you need to do is explore the alternative ingredients. To help you with vrat-friendly snack options, Chef Rubal Pupneja, Chef – The Ashok has shared simple yet delicious recipes to try at home.

Also Read: Navratri 2024: Types Of Flours You Can Include In Your Diet During Fasting

Sabudana Poha With Beetroot And Coconut Salad 

Ingredients:

• 50 grams sabudana
• 1/2 tsp chopped green chilli
• 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
• 1/2 tsp chopped coriander
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp curry leaves
• 20 grams chopped tomatoes
• Salt (senda namak/varat namak) as per taste
• 1/2 tsp haldi : 
• 30 grams cashewnuts 
• 30 grams raisins
• 50 ml oil
• 100 grams beetroot cubes
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 20 grams grated fresh coconut 

Instructions:

1. Soak down the sabudana in water and keep it aside for half an hour approximately after that drain off the excess water. 
2. In the meantime, in a kadai heat some oil and add mustard seed once starts crackling, add curry leaves, chopped ginger, and chopped green chillies and sauté them for a minute.
3. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes after that add the drained soaked sabudana to it.
4. Now add nuts and raisins, grated coconut, senda namak, and haldi to the above sabudana mix.
5. Mix them well and cook over low flame until sabudana is done.
6. Garnish with cashew nuts raisins, and slit green chilli.
7. Ready to serve and best goes with coconut chutney.
8. For the beetroot coconut salad mix the above-mentioned ingredients together and topped with grated coconut. 

Mirchi Vada

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces Bhaji /Achari Mirch 
• 1/2 tsp chopped green chilli
• 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
• 1/2 tsp chopped coriander
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel  seeds
• 150 grams boiled mashed potatoes
• Salt ( senda namak /vrat namak)  : as per taste
• 1/2 tsp haldi
• 30 grams cashewnuts 
• 30 grams raisins
• 1 tsp Kasoori  methi
• 50 ml oil
• 200 grams kuttu flour
• Water as required
• Refined oil for deep frying

Instructions:

1. Slit down the chillies and remove the seed from inside and keep it aside.
2. Now to prepare the stuffing in a pan take oil heat it then add cumin seeds, and fennel seeds once start crackling add chopped green chilli, ginger, raisins, and cashew nuts and sauté them.
3. Now add boiled mashed potatoes to the above and cook for  5 minutes. Finally, add salt, haldi and kasoori methi and mix them well. Finally, remove it from the flame and keep it aside to cool down.
4. Now we make a semi-thick consistency batter from kuttu flour and water.
5. Stuff the potato mix in the slit green chillies/achari mirch, dipped them into the batter and deep fry them to perfection. 
6. Best served with imli gud ki chutney (saunth) and mint chutney (made with mint, coriander, green chilli, lemon, senda namak).