The beginning of fresh Hindu year is marked with Chait Navratri. It is the time of the year when all the Hindu families in India throng to worship Goddess Durga and her nine divine forms throughout Navratra days. Morning prayers accompanied with synchronized bells ringing in the temples cast a different aura in the environment. Navratri, one of the biggest Hindu festivals is celebrated twice a year with great fervour across the country. Devotees worship the different avatars of Goddess Durga for nine days. Goddess Durga is believed to have nine different incarnations and each female deity signifies a distinct power. The word ‘Navratri’ refers to the nine auspicious nights during which Goddess Durga is worshiped and most people observe fasts. It is celebrated twice a year, at the beginning of spring and during the onset of autumn. During Navratris most people give up non-vegetarian food while many others also eliminate onion and garlic from their meals. Usually a large part of north, west and central India observes a fast on all nine days. Some people may choose to fast only on the first and the last day of the festive period. Fasting is a way to pay your gratitude to the Goddess.
Navratri festivities give you a chance to get back to the roots and deviate from the day-to-day affair. Ingredients like kuttu atta, singhara atta, fresh vegetables, milk, yogurt and makhanas are preferred as they are light on the stomach and can be digested easily. Instead of regular salt, rock salt or sendha namak is used as it is pure and unprocessed. Those who do not wish to fast may follow a vegetarian satvik diet where ingredients like garlic and onions that produce heat in the body are avoided to allow your body to detox.
One can embrace the joy of this festival with some cool fasting recipes such as:
- Sabudana Khichdi: Sabudana is full of starch or carbohydrates which gives you the much needed energy boost while fasting. This helps in supplementing the body with the required amount of energy.
- Kuttu: This Navratri move over the usual kuttu puris and rustle up something different. A crisp dosa recipe made of kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour) with a potato filling.
- Singhare ke Atte ka Samosa: Feast while fasting! Your favorite tea time snack made with fasting ingredients like water chestnut flour, sendha namak and a filling of spiced chironji.
- Low Fat Makhana Kheer: Desserts inspire a cheer, here’s for you low fat kheer recipe made with makhana and nuts. Indulge without worrying about the weighing scale!
- Navratra Thali: The wholesome food which is specially prepared keeping in mind the precautions of ingredients and pureness required for people who are on fast. One can now order Special Navratra Thali in train. Choose your station from the Railrestro website or Railrestro App and order special Navratra Thali in train.
Order Special Navratra food in train. Place your orders on the go via Railrestro App available for Android & iOS devices. Availa flat 10% off on your pre-paid orders. Use Code: “RESTRRO10”