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Navratri is here, and while fasting is a very traditional and customary ritual, there is no denying that if you do it in the right way, it can be quite therapeutic for the body. It can act as a form of detox and keep you healthy as well.

These nine days of fasting is also a very healthy process and is actually helpful in boosting your immunity, which is extremely important, given that we are all under quarantine and this is flu season.

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Fasting gives us a break from gluten and that’s good as this eases our digestion and lets the body function more efficiently. Make sure you eat light and stay away from fried foods as that undermines the whole point of a fast.

Break your fast with gut health enriching, low GI foods like coconut water, milk or fruit juices, coconut milk, almond milk, sabudana, buckwheat, veggies, yoghurt, cottage cheese and fruits. All these foods boost your immunity, which is anyway low around this time of changing season.

Now, vrat menus are great but if you’re looking to expand your horizons and want some very innovative vrat-friendly and healthy dishes, why don't you check out some of our recipe recommendations?

Here are some innovative Navratri food recipes you can try out this year. 

Navratri Recipes

1. Coconut Hot Chocolate

Coconut milk is a vrat approved drink and since you’re supposed to stay away from refined sugar, a coconut hot chocolate is going to be a delightful guilt-free drink that’s super healthy for you and your gut. The natural sweetness of coconut milk is enhanced by the flavourful and sweet cinnamon powder and you have a winner!

Ingredients:

1. Coconut milk: 1/2 cup
2. Cocoa powder (unsweetened): 2 tsp
3. Cinnamon powder: 1/2 tsp
4. Water: 1/2 cup

‍Method:

1. Boil cinnamon powder in water.
2. Switch off the flame, then add cocoa powder.
3. Now add coconut milk.
4. Mix well.
5. Serve hot

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This Navratri recipe is perfect in the morning with your breakfast or at night in place of regular hot chocolate. 

2. Amla Rice

Really? Amla in rice? No, we’re not kidding. Since you’re not allowed to have a lot of salt especially the refined variety and cannot put a lot of spices, amla’s zest will make for a delightful vrat rice! And hey, we’ve used samai rice which is wholesome, gut friendly, metabolism boosting vrat- friendly rice, so you can dig in without worry. 

Ingredients:

1. Samai rice (cooked): 1 cup
2. Ghee: 2 tsp
3. Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
4. Curry Leaves (chopped): 4
5. Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
6. Peanuts (roasted): 1/4 cup
7. Amla (Chopped): 1 tbsp
8. Sendha namak: According to taste
9. Red chilli powder: According to taste
10. Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
11. Tulsi leaves (chopped): 2

Method:

1. Add ghee in a pan then add mustard seeds and stir until they crackle.
2. Add white urad dal and roast until brown.
3. Then, add curry leaves, turmeric powder, peanuts and red chilli powder. Stir for 2 minutes.
4. Add amla, salt and black pepper mix well then add cooked samai rice.
5. Mix all the ingredients properly.
6. Serve hot

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This Navratri recipe can be had for lunch or dinner and travels well, so it can even be packed for your dabba at work or school. 

3. Beetroot Buttermilk

Do we really need to tell you why buttermilk is your vrat savior? We’ve added a special twist to this Navratri recipe to make it a treat for the eyes and the soul. Beetroot not only adds a beautiful magenta hue, it also gives this drink a nice antioxidant and fiber boost. 

Ingredients:

1. ‍Buttermilk: 1 glass
2. Black pepper (crushed): A pinch
3. Jeera (crushed): A pinch
4. Beetroot (steamed and grated): 1 tsp
5. Star anise (powder): A pinch

Method:

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and serve cold.

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4. Turmeric Ginger Latte

Turmeric and ginger, two vrat-friendly foods that are also super anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting. The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, which has all the health benefits, is only absorbed properly when combined with black pepper and some form of fat, which in this case, is milk. You can also use coconut milk to make this Navratri recipe if you are lactose intolerant or dairy-free. This drink can jazz up your chilly Navratri evenings!

‍Ingredients

1. ‍Raw turmeric: 1 inch
2. Ginger: 1 inch
3. Black pepper: 2 peppercorns
4. Milk: 1 cup

‍Method

1. Boil raw turmeric and ginger in a cup of milk.
2. Strain it in a cup.
3. Add freshly and roughly crushed black pepper in the latte and stir well.
4. Serve hot.

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5. Kala Chana

If you search for “Navratri recipe South Indian,” you’ll probably find a version of this chana dish with grated coconut. Our Navratri chana recipe doesn’t veer too far from the traditional ones, but we’ve added sendha namak or Himalayan salt instead of regular table salt for its added health benefits. This is a popular Navratri prasad recipe, but can be eaten all year round. 

Ingredients

1. 1.5 cups kala chana, rinsed and soaked for 6-8 hours
2. 3/4tsp sendha salt
3. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
4. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5. 1 tsp cumin seeds
6. 3 tbsp ghee

Method

1. Drain the water from the kala chana and rinse. 
2. Transfer the kala chana to a pressure cooker, add enough water to cover. Add the black salt and turmeric powder and cook till tender. 
3. Drain the chana.
4. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to get brown. Add the red chilli powder. 
5. Add the cooked chickpeas to this pan and saute for a few minutes more on medium heat. Add more sendha namak if required. 

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Eating wholesome, healthy Indian food doesn’t have to happen only around Navratri - we recommend these Navratri recipes all year round! They are cleansing and detoxifying in nature, designed to rest your body, reset your eating habits and restore your digestive system. These simple foods can have a great impact on your health, even rejuvenating the skin and liver. 

At Nutrition By Lovneet, we believe in food as medicine and look to our roots to provide you with the nutrition you need to overcome your problems and meet your goals. Rather than relying on imported superiors and supplements, we prescribe nutrient-dense local, seasonal and FRESH food. We advise all our patients to consume food and drinks that are prepared using native fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs - nothing comes out of a bottle, nothing is packaged or processed.

If you are looking to get on the path of healthy eating for good, you can visit our blog or check out more recipes.

FAQs

What can we cook in Navratri fast?

Fasting during Navratri is an ideal way to detox the body, boost digestion and increase positivity. While the benefits Navratri fasting are many, most people don’t fats correctly, which leads to further imbalances in our body. Navratri fast recipes include foods which are cooked with minimal spices and sendha namak instead of table salt. Generally regular aata is replaced with buckwheat or kuttu aata, water chestnut or singhade ka aata, lauki, kaddu, papaya, pear, pineapple, sweet potatoes, arbi, ghee, buttermilk etc. Grains are not to be eaten in the first few days and onion and garlic is not allowed. It’s also best to avoid heavy and fried foods as they slow down digestion. 

Which sweets we can eat in Navratri fast?

You can eat sweets made with khoya and mawa like mawa barfi, mawa petha, mawa peda, ghiya barfi, kesar barfi, kalakand, gulabsakri, khopra barfi. Shakarkandi or sweet potato kheer is also a sweet which can be consumed. 

What are the ingredients of Navratri?

Navratri recipe and fasting rules vary from community to community; but the basic premise is that we keep the body away from heavy and indulgent foods and focus on healthy and light foods. Preferred ingredients include kuttu atta, singhara atta, fresh vegetables, milk, yogurt and makhanas. Rock salt or sendha namak is used instead of regular salt since it is unprocessed. 

Can we eat tomato in Navratri fast?

Navratri fasting is centred around eating a lot of fruits and vegetables that are light on the system. Tomato is technically a fruit, so yes it can be consumed. However, instead of cooking it into a creamy or thick gravy, it is better to have it as juice or in salad.