Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival celebrated to worship Goddess Durga. Many people fast during this time to show their devotion to the goddess. You can choose to fast for one or two days, or for all nine days. During Navratri, people eat special foods that are considered pure and healthy. It's important to use trusted brands for the ingredients to ensure the purity of your fast. Here are some quick and easy Navratri fast recipes that you can make at home using natural ingredients.
Coconut Laddu Recipe
Ingredients
- Grated fresh coconut – 7 to 8 cups
- Jaggery – 4 cups
- Desi ghee – 8 to 10 tablespoons
- Chopped almonds – 1 cup
- Chopped cashews – 1 cup
- Chopped walnuts – ½ cup
- Raisins – 3 to 4 tablespoons
- Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan. Add the chopped almonds, cashews, walnuts, and raisins. Fry on low heat until golden brown. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add 2 more teaspoons of ghee and fry 4 cups of grated coconut on low flame until fragrant.
- Add 2 cups of jaggery and stir well until it melts and blends with the coconut.
- Mix in the fried dry fruits and cardamom powder. Combine everything well.
- Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. Once cooled, grease your hands with a little ghee and shape the mixture into laddus.
- Roll the laddus in the remaining grated coconut and serve.
Singhara Atta Puri Recipe
Ingredients
- Water chestnut flour – 1 cup
- Small boiled potato – mashed
- Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
- Green chillies – finely chopped
- Rock salt – as per taste
- Desi ghee – for frying
- Water – as needed
Instructions
- Boil and peel the potatoes, then mash them.
- In a plate, combine the water chestnut flour with rock salt, cumin powder, and chopped green chillies.
- Add the mashed potatoes to the flour and knead into a dough. Add water only if necessary, in small quantities.
- The dough should be soft but firm. Divide it into small balls and flatten them to make puris.
- Heat desi ghee in a pan and fry the puris on low heat until they turn golden brown and crisp.
- Serve hot with your favorite side dish.
Sabudana Pakora Recipe
Ingredients
- Sabudana (tapioca pearls)
- Boiled potatoes
- Black pepper powder
- Rock salt
- Green chillies – finely chopped
- Green coriander – finely chopped
- Cumin seeds (optional)
- Desi ghee – for frying
- Peanuts
Instructions
- Dry roast the sabudana in a pan until it turns golden brown. Let it cool, then grind it into a fine powder.
- In a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes.
- In a separate pan, dry roast black pepper, cumin seeds, green chillies, and peanuts. Grind this mixture coarsely and add it to the mashed potatoes.
- Mix the ground sabudana powder and chopped coriander into the potato mixture.
- Heat desi ghee in a pan. Shape the mixture into small pakoras and fry them in the ghee until golden brown.
- Serve hot with green chutney or peanut chutney.
Paneer Makhana Gulgule
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw makhanas (fox nuts)
- 1 cup paneer, crumbled
- 2 boiled potatoes, mashed
- 2 tablespoons singhara (water chestnut) flour
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Desi ghee for frying
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Dry-roast the raw makhanas on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until they are light brown and crispy.
- Let the makhanas cool, then pulse them in a food processor until finely powdered.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered makhanas, crumbled paneer, mashed potatoes, singhara flour, cumin powder, black pepper powder, green chilies, cilantro, and salt.
- Mix the ingredients well and shape the mixture into evenly sized balls using greased hands.
- Heat desi ghee in a pan and deep-fry the gulgulle until they are crispy and golden.
- Serve hot with vrat ki chutney and enjoy!
Sugar-Free Singhara Halwa
Ingredients:
- 1 cup singhara (water chestnut) flour
- 4 tablespoons desi ghee
- 1 cup hot water
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- Almond slivers for garnish
Instructions:
- Heat desi ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add the singhara flour and stir continuously until it turns light brown and releases a roasted aroma (about 6-7 minutes).
- Meanwhile, heat 1 cup of water separately on the stove or in the microwave.
- Slowly add the hot water to the roasted flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- Once the water is absorbed, add honey and mix well.
- Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the ghee starts to separate from the halwa.
- Turn off the heat, mix in the cardamom powder, and garnish with almond slivers.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
