Navaratri Recipes | Navratri Fasting Recipes

Navratri is a 9-day Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Durga, celebrated with fasting, prayers, and feasts. Here I have posted all Navratri Recipes which includes a collection of sundal recipes, breakfast ideas, snacks for fasting, kheer etc. All recipes are posted with step by step instructions for easy learning. Hope you find it useful.

Jump to:

• About Navaratri 
• Ingredients Used
• Navaratri Recipes Collection
• Breakfast / Dinner
• Sweets
• Kheer
• Snacks
• Expert Tips for Navratri Cooking
• FAQS

About Navaratri 

Navratri also called as Navaratri or Navarathri means nine nights in Sanskrit, 'nava' means nine and 'ratri' means nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra".

Navratri is a Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her nine forms. Each of the nine nights is associated with one form of the Goddess, symbolizing her different powers such as strength, knowledge, prosperity, courage, and protection.

Each and every state has its own method of celebrating this festival. In South India we have the tradition of having Golu or Kolu  at home which is a toy festival celebrated during the festival of Navratri. This is an exhibition of various dolls and figurines in odd (usually 7, 9, or 11) numbered tiers (padis).

When people come to a  to see Kolu, usually they are given prasad including sundal or pongal etc(the offering given to God that day), kumkum and a small bag of return gifts. These are only given to girls and married women.

Ingredients Used

• Flours - Amaranath flour, Buckwheat flour, Atta, Sabudana flour is most commonly used.
• Grains - Millets like foxtail millet, small millet, sabudana are used.
• Lentils & Legumes - mainly used to make sundal recipes.
• Vegetables - Potato, sweet potato, arbi, raw banana, pumpkin, bottle gourd are used.
• Spices & Condiments - Rock salt also known as sendha namak, green chilies, ginger, black pepper, jeera.
• Sweeteners - Jaggery or sugar is widely used.
• Dairy - Curd, milk, paneer, and ghee are widely used.

Navaratri Recipes Collection

More Navratri Recipes

Breakfast / Dinner

More Breakfast Recipes

Sweets

More Easy Sweets

Kheer

More Kheer

Snacks

More Snacks

Expert Tips for Navratri Cooking

• Planning - Plan your menu for the nine days so that it will be easy for prior soaking and cooking.
• Cooking methods - Chose steaming, boiling, roasting and mild sauteing and occasional deep frying.
• Choosing Ingredients - Choose ingredients that are wholesome and easily digestible.
• Fruits, Nuts, Dry fruits - Try to include nuts, dry fruits and fresh fruits in your menu for more nutrition and energy.
• Balance - Have a balance of nutrition in your menu like including vegetables, fruits, dry fruits and nuts, dairy etc.

FAQS

1. What kind of food should be eaten during Navratri?

During Navratri it is best to choose vrat food like millet, sabudana, sama rice, kuttu flour and vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, arbi, pumpkin and dairy produts like milk, paneer, curd and dry fruits and nuts.

2. Which salt is used in Navratri recipes?

Try to use only sendha namak (rock salt) during navratri, as regular iodized salt should be avoided.

3. Is onion and garlic allowed in Navratri food?

No, mostly onion and garlic are not used but in some parts they include it.

4.What are easy fasting snacks?

Sabudana khichdi, Sabudana Thalipeeth, Makhana, Aloo Tikki, Fruit Salads, Paratha etc.

5.Oil or ghee is used in Navratri cooking?

Ghee is mostly preferred but peanut oil or sunflower oil can also be used.