admin Navratri is just around the corner and we are so excited! Navratri is one of the biggest Hindu festivals when the idol of Goddess Durga is decked up with kumkum, bangles, red saree, flowers and jewelry, and worshipped for nine days across the country. During this festival, nine different avatars of Goddess Durga is worshiped for nine consecutive days. Devotees give up on non-veg food and fast during this time. Navratri vrat is not complete without cooking some of the vegetarian delicacies at home collectively known as “vrat ka khana” (fasting food) that include sabudana khichdi, kheer, kuttu puri, fruit chaat, halwa, sabudana vada, singhare ke atte ka samosa, kuttu dosa, aloo ki kadhi, makhana kheer, arbi kofta, vratwale chawal ka dhokla, and a lot more. For our Mesmara readers, we have curated two best Navratri vrat recipes for 9 days of the celebration. So, here you go!
Two Best Navratri Vrat Recipes
Recipe 1: Sabudana Khichdi
It is one of the most popular Indian fasting dishes. Not only it tastes yum, but it fills your tummy too and gives you the energy to sustain during Navratri vrat. Here is a quick and perfect sabudana khichdi recipe that you must try this Navratri.
Ingredients
- Medium-sized Sabudana – 1 cup
- Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Green chilies – ½ slitted
- Curry leaves – 7-8
- Peeled and diced potatoes – ½ cup
- Roasted peanuts – ½ cup
- Chopped cilantro – for seasoning
- Mesmara groundnut oil – 1 tablespoon
Method
Wash the sabudana until the water runs clear. To get a perfect sabudana khichdi, you need to soak it just right. Take a wide bottomed pan and soak the sabudana in cold water so that they are just submerged.
Take a pan and heat oil. Throw in the cumin seeds, curry leaves, and chilies and stir fry for a minute. Now add the potatoes and cook until fried. Add the sabudana and stir fry. Add salt to taste. Now add the roasted peanuts and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Pro tip: Remember, sabudana swells up when soaked, so ensure the vessel has enough space for it. Also, sabudana becomes gooey when over soaked. Press it with your finger and if it mashes without any effort, you know your sabudana is soaked right. Depending on the pearl size, you may need to soak it for a few hours or overnight.
Recipe 2: Vrat wale aloo ki sabzi
This dish is one of the most popular dishes in Indian fasting and cooked at almost every household during Navratri vrat. It is a great accompaniment with puri, sabudana khichdi, rajgira roti, rajgira puri, sabudana thalipeeth, etc. You can eat this tasty sabzi as is or make an accompaniment with rajgira paratha to make a complete meal. Here comes the recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes – peeled and diced
- Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
- Chopped green chilies – ½ teaspoon
- Peanuts – ½ cup
- Rock salt – to taste
- Red chili powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Mesmara groundnut oil – 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
- Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tablespoon
Method
Take a pressure cooker, pour oil and heat it. Add cumin seeds and wait until it crackles. Add the green chilies. Sauté for a minute. Now add the potatoes and stir-fried it until the color changes to a golden-brown color. Stir in the peanuts and stir fry well. Add salt to taste. Add the chili powder. Mix everything well. Add water and put on the lid with the weight. Let it whistle for two times and then turn off the gas. Once the pressure settles in, open the lid and mash a few of the potatoes with a spatula to get a thicker gravy. Garnish with lemon juice and coriander leaves. Serve with rajgira puri or paratha.
Pro tip: As it cools, the gravy is thickened. If it is cooked and served many hours later, all gravy will be absorbed by the potatoes. You can keep the gravy consistency depending upon your serving time.
Team Mesmara wishes all our readers a happy Navratri! Enjoy the best navratri vrat recipes with your family and friends! Use Mesmara’s cold pressed oils to enhance the flavour and safeguard your health.