Buzz 46: 10 Quick & Delicious Vrat Recipes To Make Your Navratri Special

Navratri is one of the major festivals that is celebrated with great fervour across India. The nine nights long celebration includes various unique customs and festivities and one of those is fasting for 9 days. Observing fast on Navratri helps you connect to your spiritual side, and it also aids in detoxing the body, tuning in the digestive system and increasing positivity. Whether you plan to observe a fast for all 9 days or not, we’re sure you are looking forward to enjoying some delicious special vrat recipes. 

10 Tasty Vrat Recipes That Are Perfect For This Navratri

Here are some easy to make Navratri recipes for 9 days of fasting. 

1. Sabudana Khichdi With Vegetables

Sabudana khichdi is one of the most popular fasting recipes that is made during festivals like Navratri and Janmashtami. Although it is extremely easy to cook, it may take some practice before you can master that perfect non-sticky texture. Here is how you can prepare sabudana khichdi for fast. 

Preparing Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of tapioca pearls (sabudana)
• 2 cloves (laung), pounded
• 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• Seeds of 2 cardamoms (elaichi), pounded
• 3-4 cashew nuts, roasted
• 2 tablespoons boiled, peeled and sliced almonds
• 1 carrot, finely chopped 
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped 
• ¼ cup of finely chopped green beans
• ¼ cup of green peas
• Rock salt (to taste)
• Ghee

Method: 

1. Soak the sabudana in water for about 5 hours. Drain the water and keep aside. 
2. Heat some oil In a heavy bottom pan or kadai. Add in clove and cardamom and fry for some time. 
3. Add in the vegetables and saute for a few minutes. Once you think the vegetables are done, add in the spice powders and stir. 
4. At this point, add the sabudana to the kadai and stir. 
5. Cover the kadai and let it cook for about 10 minutes. You will know that it’s done when the sabudana cooks and separates.

Your sabudana khichdi is ready! Enjoy it with cucumber raita and green chilli chutney. 

2. Singhara Atta Cheela Recipe

One of the easiest vrat recipes that are thoroughly enjoyed during the fasting season. The fact that singhara atta offers an array of health benefits, makes this spicy treat a must-have during fasting. Here is how you can make singhara atta cheela. 

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup of water chestnut flour (singhara atta)
• 2 teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder), coarsely crushed
• 2 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi powder)
• Rock salt (to taste) 
• ½ tablespoon coriander leaves, finely chopped 
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• Ghee or oil

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl 
2. Add water and the ingredients well. 
3. Keep adding water until you get a pouring consistency. 
4. Heat a flat, non-stick pan. 
5. Now drop a ladle of batter on the pan and spread. Make sure you do not spread it too thin so that the cheela doesn’t stick to the pan. 
6. Add one teaspoon of ghee or oil. 
7. Also, sprinkle a few sesame seeds on the cheela. 
8. Cook on both sides till it’s done. 

Serve the cheela hot along with coconut peanut chutney. 

3. Rajgira Kadhi

No list of easy fasting recipes is complete without mentioning this simple kadhi recipe. It can be enjoyed as a side dish with kuttu ki khichdi, kuttu ki roti sama rice or rajgira paratha. This recipe is perfect for fasting days since it is easy to digest. 

Preparation Time: 3 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh curd (dahi) (full fat, at room temperature)
• 3 tablespoons rajgira atta
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• ½ teaspoon sugar (or add as required) 
• Rock salt (to taste)
• 11/2 teaspoons ginger-green chilli paste. 
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• ½ cup of water
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped

Preparing The Curd Mix:

1. Put the curd in a mixing bowl and whisk it until it is smooth. 
2. Add in the rajgira flour. 
3. Mix the ingredients well. 
4. Add in the water and whisk the mixture. Make sure there are no lumps. 

Method:

1. Heat ghee (or peanut oil) in a pan. Add cumin seeds and saute till the seeds till their colour changes. 
2. Add ginger-chilli paste and saute. Do this until the aroma of raw ginger goes away. 
3. Lower the flame and add in the curd mixture.  
4. Season the kadhi with rock salt. 
5. Add the sugar and stir. 
6. Now let the kadhi simmer. Don’t forget to stir occasionally. Do this till the kadhi thickens. 
7. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Enjoy your rajgira ki kadhi while it’s hot! 

4. Palak Makhana

Your search for filling and healthy Navratri recipes ends here. Roasted makhana and creamy spinach gravy is a delicious and healthy combination that you can enjoy during the fasting season. Here is how you can make palak makhana.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 300 grams of spinach leaves (palak)
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup lotus seeds (phool makhana) 
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi powder)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) 
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon allspice powder (garam masala)
• 1 cinnamon stick (dalchini)
• Rock salt (to taste)
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon ghee

Method:

1. Wash and drain the spinach leaves. Put them in a pressure cooker along with turmeric, green chillies and cumin seeds. 
2. Turn off the flame after 2 whistles. 
3. Let the cooked spinach cool. Blend the spinach into a paste. Keep it aside. 
4. Use a flat bottomed non-stick pan to heat some ghee and roast the makhanas. Remove the makhana from the pan. 
5. Use the same pan, heat some oil and put in the cumin seeds. 
6. Then add in the tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes lose their liquid. 
7. Add garam masala. 
8. Add water and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. 
9. At this point, add the spinach mixture and milk. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. 
10. Now add the makhana and bring the gravy to a boil. 

The creamy palak makhana is ready to be served. Enjoy it with ajwain puris or pulao! 

5. Sama Ke Chawal Ki Idli

The next dish on the list of delicious Navratri recipes for 9 days is sama ke chawal ki idli. Sama chawal idli makes for a good healthy and light meal for days when you are fasting. Now, you may have to start preparing to make these a day before you need to let the batter ferment overnight. But this recipe is definitely worth the wait and effort. Here’s how you can make these delicious idlis. 

Preparation Time: 9 hours

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 10 units

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of barnyard millet (sama ke chawal)
• ½ cup of tapioca pearls (sabudana)
• Rock salt (to taste)
• 2 pinches baking soda
• Water 

Method:

1. Rinse the sabudana and sama ka chawal well and soak in water for about 3 hours. 
2. Drain out the water and grind to make a batter. 
3. Leave the batter in a bowl for about 9 hours to let it ferment. 
4. Add salt and baking soda to the batter. Mix well. 
5. Heat some water in a steamer. Grease the idli moulds and pour in the batter.
6. Place the moulds in the steamer and let the idlis steam for about 10 minutes (or more if required). 

Sama ki idli can be served with coconut chutney! 

6. Raw Banana Kofta

There are dozens of unique Navratri dishes that you can try out this festival season. One such dish is raw banana koftas. Craving for a tasty and healthy snack or brunch while you fast? These moderately spicy raw banana koftas are just what you need. Here is how you can prepare this dish. 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 3 units

Ingredients:

• 3 medium/large raw bananas
• 10 cashews, chopped (or 13-15 coarsely crushed peanuts)
• ½ inch ginger, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (kali mirch), freshly crushed
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
• Rock salt (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
• 11/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons ghee or peanut oil (for frying)

Method:

1. Put the bananas in a pressure cooker along with water. Let the bananas cook for 3 pressure cooker whistles or till they are soft. 
2. Peel the bananas once they have cooled down a bit ( but are still warm). Put them in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the other ingredients and mix. 
4. Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape the pieces into patties. 

Frying The Banana Kofta:

1. Heat the oil or ghee in a flat pan. Place the koftas on the pan when the oil becomes hot. 
2. Keep flipping and pan-frying the koftas till they are crisp and golden. 
3. Take the koftas out of the pan and drain them on paper towels. 

Your crisp banana koftas are ready. Enjoy this delicacy with mint or coriander chutney. 

7. Farali Pattice

This Gujarati recipe of farali pattice is pretty popular and is consumed widely during the fasting season. The best part is, this crispy delight with a mild sweet taste is not really that difficult to make. Here is how you can make farali pattice. 

Preparation Time:30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 5 units

Ingredients:

For The Outer Cover Of Farali Pattice:

• 3 potatoes (large)
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot flour
• Rock salt (to taste)

For The Pattice Stuffing:

• ¼ cup of grated coconut
• 3 tablespoons cashew, roasted and coarsely crushed
• 3 tablespoons peanuts, roasted and crushed
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon raisins, chopped
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ teaspoon green chilli paste
• Rock salt (to taste)
• 2 tablespoon ghee (for frying) 

Method:

Preparing The Potato Cover:

1. Boil the potatoes till they are tender. While they are slightly warm, Peel and chop them.
2. Put the potato pieces in a mixing bowl and mash them well. Let the mashed potatoes cool. 
3. When the potatoes are at room temperature, add the arrowroot flour and salt. 
4. Mix the ingredients well and knead the mixture slightly. 
5. Cover the dough and keep it aside. 

Preparing The Stuffing:

1. Take the grated coconut in a mixing bowl. Add in the peanuts and cashews.
2. Now add in the raisins, sugar, lime juice, green chilli paste and chopped coriander leaves. You may also add about ½ piece of crushed ginger.
3. Mix the ingredients well. 

Assembling The Pattice:

1. Use the dough to make medium-sized balls.
2. Take a ball and flatten it.
3. Drop a tablespoon or two of the stuffing on the flattened ball.
4. Bring the edges to the centre and seal them gently. Make sure the pattice is sealed properly. 
5. Apply some oil on your palms and use them to Slightly flatten the filled and sealed pattice.
6. Repeat till you have covered all the dough balls. 

Frying The Pattice:

1. Heat the ghee in a griddle. 
2. Use arrowroot flour to coat the pattice and make sure you dust off the extra flour. 
3. Shallow fry or deep fry the pattice in medium hot ghee. 
4. Flip over the frying pattice when one side is done. Flip again. Fry till the pattice is golden.
5. Drain the pattice on paper towels.

Your farali pattice is ready. Serve them hot with coriander chutney or tamarind and dates chutney.

8. Rajgira Puri

This is among the easiest Navratri fast recipes. The texture of rajgira puris is softer and grainer than normal wheat flour puris. These are quite popular (during the fasting season) in the northern parts of the country. Use this recipe to make delicious rajgira puris.  

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of rajgira flour (amaranth flour)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder)
• Rock salt (to taste)
• 1 potato, boiled and mashed
• Oil (preferably sunflower oil) to fry 

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Knead it into a dough. Make sure it’s moist and not very sticky. 
2. Make small balls out of the kneaded dough. 
3. Dust the rolling lin with rajgira flour and use it to shape the puris. 
4. Heat some oil in a kadai. When the oil is heated, gently put in the flattened puri. 
5. While the puri is frying, gently press it with a slotted spoon or a frying spoon and move it around in a circular motion. 
6. The puri should puff and rise. 
7. Turn it to the other side. Fry till it is golden brown. 
8. Make sure you do not keep the puri in the heated oil for more than two minutes. 

Rajgira puris taste absolutely delicious with lauki paneer kofta curry or tamatar ki sabzi.

9. Kuttu Ka Dosa

Another tasty Navratri fast food that you can enjoy during this season is kuttu ka dosa. This dosa is a healthy alternative to oily, deep-fried Navratri food recipes. Here is how you can make this dish. 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For Potato Filling:

• 3 potatoes, boiled
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon ginger, chopped
• Rock salt (to taste)
• Ghee (for frying) 

For Dosa:

• 5 tablespoon buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta)
• ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) 
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped green chillies
• 2 tablespoon boiled colocasia (arbi) 
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• Rock salt ( to taste)
• Ghee

Method: 

Preparing The Potato Filling:

1. Heat some ghee in a pan. 
2. Now add in mashed potatoes and stir. 
3. Also, add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. 
4. Fry the mixture till it becomes light brown in colour. 
5. Remove it from the pan and keep aside.  

Preparing The Dosa:

1. In a mixing bowl, mash the arbi. Now add in flour and salt and mix. 
2. Add water and mix the ingredients well. 
3. Now add red chilli powder, ajwain, green chillies and ginger. Mix again. 
4. Keep adding water and stirring the mixture till you get a smooth and flowing consistency. 
5. Heat a little bit of ghee in a flat pan. 
6. Pour in a ladle of dosa batter and spread.  
7. Continue cooking the dosa for a few minutes. Make it crisper by spreading more ghee around its edges. 
8. Take an adequate amount of potato filling, and put it on top of the dosa. Now fold the dosa over the filling. 

The dosa will taste the best when served with coconut and mint chutney.

10. Singhare Ke Atte Ka Samosa

That’s right! Your favourite tea time snack recipe can be easily tweaked to include fasting ingredients. This spicy treat is made of water chestnut flour, chironji and sendha namak. Here is how you can make this Navratri fast food. 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Servings: 10 units

Ingredients:

For The Dough:

• 120 grams of water chestnut flour (singhare ka atta)
• 1 teaspoon rock salt
• ¼ cup of arrowroot
• 2 ½ cups of water
• Ghee

For The Filling:

• 125 grams soaked chironji 
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• ¾ teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 teaspoon rock salt
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
• 30 grams ghee

Method: 

Preparing The Filling:

1. Soak the chironji in water for about 2 hours. Remove the husk and grind it. 
2. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. 
3. Add in the cumin seeds. 
4. When it begins to splutter, add in the ground chironji along with the other ingredients. 
5. Saute the mixture over low heat. Stop when it seems well fried. 
6. Keep aside the filling to cool. 

Preparing The Samosa Dough:

1. In a pan, take water, salt and ghee and heat
2. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, add in the arrowroot and atta and mix. Heat the ingredients over a low flame until it collects in the centre of the pan. 
3. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool. 
4. Now roll the dough into ⅛ inch thick rounds that are around 3 inches in diameter. Cut the rounds into halves. 
5. Take a half and put some water on its edges. Now fold it in a cone shape. 
6. Fill the cone with an adequate amount of filling. Press the edges so that the samosa is sealed. 
7. Repeat till you are done with all the pieces. 
8. Now heat ghee in a deep pan. Make sure the flame is on high. 
9. Add in a few samosas. Lower the flame to medium. Fry till the samosas are golden brown. 

Your hot and spicy samosas are ready to be served.

Eating healthy doesn’t always have to mean that you need to compromise on taste. Enjoy the festival season with these Navratri recipes that are the perfect combination of taste and health. Read here 10 quirky navratri decoration ideas for home you can try this season.

Enjoy the festival season with these Navratri fasting recipes that are the perfect combination of taste and health.

The nine nights long navratri celebration includes various unique customs and festivities and one of those is fasting for 9 days.