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The months of July-August every year don’t just bring rains and monsoon happiness in India, but also the month of Sawan. Sawan or Shravan is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar, and holds significant religious and cultural importance in India, particularly among devotees of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, during the month of Sawan, the Devas and Asuras churned the cosmic ocean to obtain the elixir of immortality known as Amrit. Lord Shiva, in his role as Neelkantha, consumed the poison that emerged from the ocean to save the universe.
This is why Sawan is considered an auspicious time for Lord Shiva's worship. Devotees of Lord Shiva observe fasting and offer prayers during this month. Sawan is seen as a spiritually charged month, and people often follow sattvic practices, which involve consuming vegetarian, light, and easily digestible food. Many people observe fasting on Mondays throughout Sawan as it is believed to be particularly auspicious for Lord Shiva.
For those who are health conscious, Sawan is a good time to indulge in sattvic foods to detox their body and improve their health status. However, monsoon is also the time when most people crave snacks, especially fried ones. Unfortunately, while they may taste great, most of these monsoon-special fried snacks are neither healthy nor sattvic. Want to change all that with healthier and yet monsoon-special snack choices that are perfect for Sawan? Here are 10 low-calories and sattvic snacks that will satiate your mind, body and soul during the month of Sawan.
Video Credit: YouTube/Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana
Sabudana Chaat
Made with sago or sabudana, peanuts, veggies and mild spices, this dish is a popular fasting snack during Sawan. It is light, easy to digest, and provides energy. All you need to do is soak sabudana for a few hours, then lightly stir fry it. Add potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, herbs and chaat masala and give it a good toss.
Jowar Poha
Just like flattened rice, flattened jowar flakes are easily available across India and can be used to make poha. All you need to do is lightly soak the poha for a few minutes, then make a jowar poha masala with capsicums, ginger, tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. You can also sprinkle coriander leaves, roasted peanuts and lemon juice on top.
Makhana Bhel
Roasted makhana is a light and crunchy snack in itself, and you need very little else to turn this goodie into a chaat. Just roast them with minimal oil and sprinkle some rock salt or spice mix for taste. Add chopped capsicums, peanuts, green chillies and anything else you want to make this an interesting chaat.
Lauki Kuttu Pakora
Most people have kuttu and lauki pakoras during vrats separately, but how about mixing the both together? Grated bottle gourd mixed with spices, buckwheat flour, gram flour, and shallow fried makes for a nutritious and low-calorie snack option during Sawan. Serve with mint chutney.
Samak Idli
Replace rice with samak or barnyard millet to make idlis, and you’ll be able to enjoy a nutritious snack indeed. Made with samak paste, mild spices, salt and water, these idlis are light, gluten-free, and perfect for a sattvik diet. Serve with coconut chutney or peanut chutney.
Moong Dal Dhokla
Made from split green moong dal, this dhokla variety is a steamed snack that is light and protein-rich. Soak the moong dal for a few hours, turn it into a fine paste, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, asafoetida and salt apart from baking soda. Steam this mix and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves for a flavorful touch.
Kuttu Cheela
Kuttu ka cheela or pancake is a popular fasting snack while also being light, low-calorie and nutritious too. Made with buckwheat flour, it is gluten-free and can be filled with grated vegetables like bottle gourd or spinach for added nutrition. You can also add green chillies and any spices you may like.
Thinai Paniyaram
Thinai is the Tamil name for foxtail millets and Thinai Paniyaram is an incredible, veggie-packed snack. To make this snack, you need to soak the thinai and grind it into a paste with some soaked lentils. Add veggies, chillies, mix well and cook the batter in a paniyaram pan.
Rajgira Chikki
Rajgira is a commonly consumed grain during fasting and you can mix it with jaggery and nuts to make a yummy chikki. Dry roast the amaranth grains until they start puffing up a little. Mix with roasted peanuts, cashews and sesame seeds and add jaggery syrup to make the chikki batter. Let it all set, then cut into pieces before serving.
Shakarkandi Chaat
Sweet potatoes are a nutritious and filling snack choice, and making a chaat with them is the easiest thing. Steam or boil them until soft and chop them up. Toss with capsicums, peanuts, green chillies and chaat masala and enjoy.
