A feast for a fast

With karva chauth around the corner, here’s a lowdown on how to get through the day smoothly.

Karva chauth is a demanding day for married women. It’s the day when they fast the whole day to seek health and prosperity for their husbands. Not a single morsel of food or drop of water is taken in between sunrise and sunset. For young brides, this can be quite a task!

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That’s why sargi, the pre-dawn meal, and the post-fast meal become important. The former is traditionally cooked by mothers-in-law for their bahus and consists of kheer,sewaiyan,paranthas, aloo tikki, fruits and mathris. Of course, lots of water and other fluids are taken in to get through the long day ahead.

Once the moon is out and the puja is over, it is time to break the fast. It’s the husband who offers the first bite and sip of water. And then it’s time to dig in. After depriving the body of nourishment, it becomes important to eat a wholesome, healthy meal.

Healthy foods to get you through the day

Pre-dawn meal

1. Go for sawein using sugar-free tablets instead of sugar. Use skimmed milk instead of toned milk.
2. Eat plenty of fruits
3. Have stuffed paranthas. Mix the dough with wheat bran to add to the fibre content.
4. Make oats kheer with nuts like almonds, pistachios, etc. Oats have a low Glycaemic Index (GI), which means it releases energy slowly and hence keeps you fulfilled for longer during the day. The nuts add to the vitamin
content of the body.
5. Avoid oily foods like samosas and pakoras.
6. Make sure to take a balanced meal in the morning to get you through the day.

Breaking the fast

1. Start from lighter foods and move towards heavier
foods.
2. Begin with a banana. It’s a complete food and immediately diminishes hunger pangs.
3. Next, have vegetables and curries with brown rice.
4. Have a dish of lentils for protein content.
5. For dessert, you can have rasgulla or shahi tukda.

— Komal Taneja, cookbook author