By Suprita Mitter
October 8, 2024
During Navratri, those who fast, often avoid ingredients like onion and garlic while focusing on nutritious, and sattvic meals. These dishes are made with simple, wholesome ingredients that nourish the body and provide energy without taxing the digestive system.
Sabudana khichdi is a staple fasting dish. It is made using sabudana (soaked sago pearls) sabudana and cooked with peanuts, green chillies, cumin seeds, and mild spices.
Kuttu (buckwheat flour) is a common ingredient during fasts. Kuttu ki puri is a deep-fried bread made from this flour, typically combined with boiled potatoes for binding.
Aloo ki sabzi is a simple and comforting potato curry, made with minimal spices that are allowed during fasting, such as cumin seeds, black pepper, and rock salt (sendha namak).
Samak rice, also known as barnyard millet or vrat ke chawal, is a type of pseudo-grain that’s commonly eaten during fasts. It’s cooked like regular rice but has a lighter, fluffier texture.
Singhara (water chestnut) flour is a popular ingredient used during fasting, and Singhare ka Halwa is a delicious dessert made from it. The halwa is prepared by cooking the flour in ghee and sweetening it with sugar or jaggery.
Dahi aloo, or potatoes cooked in a yogurt-based gravy, is a cooling and mildly spiced dish perfect for fasting. The potatoes are simmered in a thick yoghurt sauce flavoured with cumin seeds, rock salt, and green chillies.
Rajgira (amaranth) flour is another common grain used during fasting. Rajgira paratha is a flatbread made using this gluten-free flour, often combined with mashed potatoes to help bind the dough.