Before you start
Navratri fasting looks a little different in every home. Use this plan as a base and swap ingredients to match your rules. Always use sendha namak and keep meals light and sattvik.
Commonly eaten: fruits, dairy, nuts, seeds, sabudana, samak, kuttu, singhara, rajgira, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lauki, pumpkin, arbi, basic whole spices, ghee.
Commonly avoided: regular salt, grains like wheat and rice, lentils, beans, onion, garlic, and in some homes turmeric.
If you are unsure about an ingredient, check with a family elder and follow your tradition.
Quick glossary
- Sendha namak = rock salt
- Sabudana = tapioca pearls
- Samak = barnyard millet, also called vrat rice
- Kuttu flour = buckwheat flour
- Singhara flour = water chestnut flour
- Rajgira = amaranth
- Makhana = lotus seeds or foxnuts
- Lauki = bottle gourd
- Arbi = colocasia
How to use this plan
- Pick one option for each meal.
- Cook once and reuse smartly. Leftover samak becomes lemon samak the next day. Soaked sabudana turns into cutlets or chilla.
- Add a little protein at every meal with yogurt, paneer, peanuts, or rajgira.
- Drink water often. Lemon water with a pinch of rock salt helps if energy dips.
Quick vrat recipes anyone can cook
All serve 2. Use rock salt to taste. Times are for active cooking.
1) Samak Khichdi 12 minutes
- You need: 1 cup samak, 2 tsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin, 1 green chili, 1 small potato diced, 2 tbsp peanuts, rock salt, lemon
- Steps: Rinse and soak samak for 10 minutes. Heat ghee, add cumin, chili, potato. Add peanuts. Stir in samak, 2 cups water, salt. Cook covered till fluffy. Finish with lemon.
2) Sabudana Khichdi 10 minutes
- You need: 1 cup soaked sabudana, 2 tbsp peanuts, 1 small potato, 1 tsp cumin, ghee, rock salt, lemon
- Steps: Rinse soaked sabudana till water runs clear. In ghee, temper cumin, cook potato till tender. Add peanuts, then sabudana and salt. Toss on low till pearls turn glossy. Squeeze lemon.
3) Kuttu Cheela with Paneer 8 minutes
- You need: 1 cup kuttu flour, about 1 cup water, rock salt, pinch roasted cumin, ½ cup grated paneer, chopped green chili
- Steps: Whisk a smooth batter. Pour a thin layer on a hot pan. Sprinkle paneer and chili. Flip once set and cook through.
4) Sweet Potato Chaat 5 minutes
- You need: 2 boiled sweet potatoes, lemon, rock salt, black pepper, coriander, pomegranate optional
- Steps: Cube potatoes. Toss with lemon, salt, pepper. Add coriander and pomegranate.
5) Makhana Kheer 15 minutes
- You need: 2 cups milk, 1 cup makhana, 1 tsp ghee, 2 to 3 tsp sugar or jaggery, cardamom, chopped nuts
- Steps: Roast makhana in ghee till crisp and crush lightly. Simmer milk, add makhana. Thicken slightly. Sweeten and add cardamom and nuts.
6) Dahi Aloo 8 minutes
- You need: 2 boiled potatoes, 1 cup whisked yogurt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ghee, green chili, rock salt
- Steps: Temper cumin and chili in ghee. Toss potatoes. Lower heat and stir in yogurt. Simmer gently for a minute. Season.
7) Vrat Kadhi 12 minutes
- You need: 1 cup yogurt, 2 tbsp singhara flour, 2 cups water, cumin, grated ginger, ghee, rock salt
- Steps: Whisk yogurt and flour with water. Temper cumin and ginger in ghee. Add yogurt mixture and simmer till slightly thick. Salt to taste.
8) Rajgira Banana Pancakes 10 minutes
- You need: 1 cup rajgira flour, 1 ripe banana mashed, 1 cup milk, pinch cardamom, honey to serve
- Steps: Mix batter and rest 5 minutes. Cook small pancakes on a greased pan. Serve with honey.
9) Paneer Bhurji Vrat Style 7 minutes
- You need: 200 g paneer crumbled, 1 tsp ghee, ½ tsp cumin, green chili, tomato optional, rock salt
- Steps: Heat ghee, add cumin and chili. Add tomato if using and soften. Add paneer and salt. Toss 2 to 3 minutes.
10) Lemon Samak Rice 6 minutes with leftovers
- You need: 2 cups cooked samak, 1 tsp ghee, ½ tsp cumin, 2 tbsp peanuts, curry leaves only if allowed, lemon
- Steps: In ghee, temper cumin and peanuts. Toss in cooked samak. Add lemon and herbs.
11) Peanut Chutney 5 minutes
- You need: 1 cup roasted peanuts, 2 tbsp yogurt, green chili, rock salt, lemon
- Steps: Blend to a coarse paste. Balance with lemon and salt. Add a spoon of water if needed.
12) Lauki Yogurt Soup 12 minutes
- You need: 2 cups diced lauki, 1 cup yogurt, ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp ghee, rock salt
- Steps: Boil lauki till soft and blend. Temper cumin in ghee. Stir in lauki puree and yogurt on low. Season. Serve warm.
Prep once, save time
- Soak sabudana the night before.
- Boil and chill potatoes and sweet potatoes for the next two days.
- Dry roast a jar of makhana and a jar of peanuts.
- Keep peanut chutney and mint yogurt ready in the fridge.
- Knead kuttu or singhara dough fresh for better texture.
Shopping list for two people
Flours and staples: sabudana, samak, kuttu flour, singhara flour, rajgira flour
Vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, lauki, pumpkin, arbi, tomatoes if allowed, cucumbers, lemons
Dairy and fats: milk, yogurt, paneer, ghee
Fruits and nuts: bananas, apples, pomegranate, raisins, almonds, peanuts, coconut, makhana
Spices and extras: cumin, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, green chilies, coriander leaves, rock salt, jaggery or sugar
Small tips that help a lot
- Add protein often with paneer, yogurt, peanuts, and rajgira.
- If you feel low on energy, sip warm lemon water with rock salt.
- Keep portions moderate. Light meals keep you active during puja and work.
- If turmeric is not used at home, lean on ginger, cumin, and black pepper for depth.
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