Navratri-Special Namkeen And Snacks You Can Make At Home

Whether you fast or feast during Navratri, it is the beginning of the festive season. Even if you are abstaining from eating grains, your taste buds should not miss out on the burst of flavours that snacks and namkeen are known for. The only solution for this is to prepare your favourite delights at home.

You can ensure hygiene, no adulteration, clean oil, moderate spices according to your taste, and use no garlic or onion in the process of making. These snacks will not only be lip-smacking but also healthy and can stay on your shelf for weeks without spoilage. Here are some ideas to keep you busy while fasting during Navratri.

Kuttu Atta Chakli

You don’t need a repeat telecast of how much nutritious buckwheat flour or kuttu atta is. While the popular choice for preparing chakli is often moong dal or rice flour, during Navratri, you can experiment with kuttu ka atta. You can add ginger, ajwain, curry leaves, and a few fresh herbs to infuse the snack with flavours. Shape the dough in concentric circles and deep-fry in ghee or olive oil.

Farali Chevdo

Farali chevdo is a potato-based namkeen that you can serve with tea or coffee. It is healthy and can be consumed even while you are fast, especially if you replace table salt with rock salt. Make a thick paste of boiled and mashed potatoes. Add rock salt and black pepper before making sticks and deep-frying them. Toss the crunchy potato sticks with coconut slivers, peanuts, and red chilli powder. Adjust the salt later.

Also Read: Enjoy Navratri Special Thalis At Top Delhi-NCR Restaurants

Aloo Chips

The mixture that you prepare for farali chevdo can also be used to prepare chips that you can dry and store for a year. Use a machine to flatten the mixture and spread it on an oil-lined plastic sheet. Let the chips or papad dry in the air and store them in an airtight container. You can later deep-fry them in the desired quantity. You can also peel potatoes and thinly slice them. Leave them to dry in the air and store them for months. During Navratri, you can deep-fry them and sprinkle them with rock salt, black pepper, and red chilli powder. 

Rajgira Chakli

Much like buckwheat flour, you can also use rajgira or amaranth to make chakli. You can also combine the two flours to prepare a unique mixture. To add depth of flavour, add boiled and mashed potatoes, rock salt, black pepper, and red chilli powder. Add the mixture to the funnel and give it the shape of chakli. Deep-fry the round chakli until crispy and store in an airtight jar.

Sabudana Chivda

Chivda is usually a homemade namkeen prepared using puffed rice. However, when you are fasting, rice is advised to be avoided. Hence, you can opt for sabudana. Soak large tapioca pearls in water and deep-fry them. Add roasted peanuts to a bowl and toss them with fried sabudana, rock salt, black pepper, and red chilli powder. You can keep it for months and enjoy this delicious and healthy snack.

Makhana Namkeen

Makhana or fox nuts are superfoods and perfect for consumption while you are fasting. Roast them in ghee using a heavy-bottom kadhai. Sprinkle rock salt and black pepper on the top before storing in an airtight jar. Apart from feasting on them while fasting, these are great midnight munching snacks which don’t have excessive calories or trans fat. 

Peanut Masala

Masala peanut is more than a snack that is served with drinks. When roasted and tossed with lemon juice, rock salt, and black pepper, it is an amazing superfood you can eat while fasting. The namkeen will energise your body and load it with protein. You can combine it with papad, chips, and chivda before serving.