Unlock the magic of the Navratri fasting recipe with Chef Anoop Kumar! Explore a delicious easy-to-make fasting dish that blends tradition and taste, perfect for your festive celebration!
Navratri is a vibrant Indian festival celebrated over nine nights, dedicated to the worship of the goddess Durga in her various forms. Typically observed in the lunar month of Ashwin, which falls between September and October, Navratri marks the triumph of good over evil and is a time for spiritual reflection, fasting, and fervent devotion. Each of the nine nights is associated with a specific form of the goddess, and devotees engage in various rituals, including dance (garba and dandiya), music, and prayers.
The festival culminates in Dussehra, symbolizing the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana, reinforcing themes of righteousness and moral virtue. Celebrated with great enthusiasm across India and among the Indian diaspora worldwide, Navratri showcases rich cultural traditions and community spirit, making it one of the most significant religious observances in the Hindu calendar.
“Navratri Fasting Foods: Tradition and Nutrition
As Navratri unfolds, a vibrant culinary tradition takes centre stage, centred on fasting and preparing special dishes that honour religious guidelines. Devotees often embrace a diet free from grains, non-vegetarian foods, and certain spices.
Navratri fasting food is rooted in traditional practices that focus on purity and simplicity. During the nine-day festival, devotees abstain from regular grains, pulses, and spices and consume meals made from specific ingredients like buckwheat (kuttu), amaranth (rajgira), and water chestnut flour (singhara).
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and raw bananas are commonly used for their high energy content, while rock salt (sendha namak) replaces regular salt due to its purity. These foods are recommended because they are light on the digestive system, allowing the body to detoxify, and they align with the sattvic diet principles, promoting physical and spiritual well-being.
Traditionally, the fast lasts for nine days, corresponding to the nine nights of Navratri, though some devotees fast only on specific days like the first and last days. The fasting practice is believed to cleanse the body and mind, preparing devotees for meditation and devotion to Goddess Durga.
The recommended foods are thought to support energy and stamina throughout the fast, as they provide essential nutrients without taxing the digestive system. This period of fasting is not just a religious ritual but also a way to reset one’s diet, focusing on wholesome, nutrient-rich foods.
If you’re looking for the perfect Navratri fasting recipe to celebrate Maa Durga, Chef Anoop Kumar at Skyview By Empyrean has just the dish for you!
Peanut and Almond Darbari Kebab by Chef Anoop Kumar- Skyview By Empyrean
Darbari Kabab is a popular healthy and delicious appetizer cum snack made with peanuts, Almond, Cottage Cheese and a few Indian Spices which can be consumed during fasting.
INGREDIENTS: –
- Roasted Almond
- Roasted Peanuts
- Boiled Potato
- Cottage Cheese
- Sendha Salt
- Chopped Ginger
- Jeera Powder
- Chopped Coriander
- Singhada Atta
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make this yummy kebab recipe, chopped Nuts green and keep aside. Heat two tablespoons ghee in a wok and once the ghee is sufficiently hot, add the cumin seeds.
- Once the cumin seeds start to splutter, add Ginger along with Nuts, Cottage Cheese, Boiled Potato, Singhada Atta And salt and sauté over medium flame till getting the brown color. It will take about five minutes. Once done, remove from the gas and let it cool.
- Divide this Nuts dough into portions and shape them into ovel shape, and then flatten them. Heat enough ghee in a heavy-bottomed frying pan to form a thin layer.
- Fry the flattened kebabs in the hot oil over low flame, turning in between till crisp and brown. Darbari kebab is ready, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with tomato-Ginger sauce and coriander chutney.
Read more: Food Voyager
