Chaitra Navratri: 5 Easy Recipes You Should Definitely Try

The auspicious days of Navratri are around the corner and the preparations are going on. The nine-day festival of Chaitra Navratri is celebrated across the country with utmost devotion when nine avatars of Goddess Durga are worshiped each day. This year, Chaitra Navratri will begin on March 22 and end on March 30 with Rama Navami.

According to popular beliefs, Maa Durga arrives on earth during the days of Navratri to shower blessings on her devotees. The Chaitra Navratri celebration includes fasting, reciting prayers, worshipping the goddess Durga, and much more. 

Fasting is the main attraction of this festival and people love to consume fasting-special foods during these nine days.

Also Read: Chaitra Navratri Coming Soon! Know The Significance, Dates, Muhurat & Timings

5 Easy Food Recipes For Navratri

Millet Uttapam

It is a vegan and protein-rich food recipe that you can make quickly at home and can consume during Navratri. 

Ingredients: Millet flour, semolina, curd, green chili, red chili, ginger, coriander, salt (sendha namak), and oil.

Recipe: Take a bowl and add powdered barnyard millet in it along with cumin powder and sendha namak. Sift well and add water in it to prepare the uttapam batter. 

Now, put a non-stick pan over medium flame and grease it with a little ghee. When the ghee is smoked, pour a small amount of batter using the ladle and spread it in circular motions.

Then, add a little ghee to the sides and over the uttapam. You can also cover the pan with a glass lid to cook it from the inside. After a few minutes, flip it and cook until it turns brown. This will take 2-3 minutes to cook from both sides.

Once the uttapam is cooked, serve hot with coconut or tomato chutney as you like.

Sabudana Khichdi

It is one of the most popular dishes amongst Indians.

Ingredients: Sabudana, potato, ghee, grated coconut, green chilies, roasted peanuts, and coriander. 

Recipe: Rinse the sabudana well underwater until you get rid of the excess starch, thereupon drain all the water.

Heat oil in a Kadhai. Once it’s hot, add cumin (jeera) seeds and let them splutter.

Next, add diced potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are tender and nicely cooked.

Add chopped green chilies, ginger (optional), and curry leaves, and cook for another minute.

Add the drained sabudana, roasted crushed peanuts, salt, sugar, and mix until well combined. Cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes till the pearls look translucent. Stir in between. Don’t overcook sabudana. Otherwise, it would turn mushy.

Next, turn off the gas stove. Serve the Sabudana khichdi piping hot on a serving plate with yogurt.

Low Fat Makhna Kheer

Desserts make people happy, so here is a recipe for low-fat kheer made with makhana and nuts.

Ingredients: Rice, makhana, nuts, dry fruits, sugar, coconut.

Recipe: Roasted makhana in ghee.

Next, pour low-fat milk 

Add some nuts and dry fruits to it

Add sugar or artificial sweeteners

Mix it well 

Switch off the gas and serve the kheer.

Kuttu Cheela

A super easy, healthy, and vrat friendly cheela recipe to eat during Navratri.

Ingredients: Paneer, kuttu flour, coconut, black pepper, sendha namak, ginger.

Recipe: Firstly, peel and grate the potatoes.

Take a big bowl and add grated potatoes, kuttu flour, black pepper, sendha namak, and ginger paste

Add water and mix well to make a lump-free batter.

Take a pan, grease it with oil then pour the batter.

Cook the cheela from both sides until it gets golden brown

Samvat pulao

Vrat ke chawal ka pulao or samvat pulao is a simple and easy pulao made for fasting days. 

Ingredients: Rice, vegetables, nuts.

Recipe: Thoroughly rinse sama rice under tap water before cooking. Set it aside to drain.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add cashews and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until they are light brown. Remove and set them aside.

 To the same pan, add diced potatoes and cook until tender and little crispy.

Add peanuts and cook for another 2-3 minutes until potatoes are slightly brown.

Add rinsed millets (sama rice) to the pan along with water/buttermilk.

Turn off the gas stove Serve the pulao with yogurt