Tired of eating bland vrat food on Navratri? Try these 5 fasting-friendly recipes to add variety to your celebrations

Who said vrat food has to be bland and boring? Try these fasting-friendly recipes by chef Swapnadeep Mukherjee to spice up your Navratri!

Navratri is a time for celebration, dancing and festive feasting, but for those observing a vrat, it also means being mindful of what goes on their plates. With restrictions on certain ingredients, planning meals that are both satisfying and fasting-friendly can feel like a challenge. But vrat food need not be bland or repetitive; all it takes is a little creativity in the kitchen.

To make your festive menu more exciting, we have put together five interesting fasting-friendly recipes by chef Swapnadeep Mukherjee, executive chef at The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, that bring flavour and variety to your Navratri celebrations. Check out the recipes below!

1. Paneer aloo sticks

Paneer aloo sticks made with unpeeled potatoes and cottage cheese.

Ingredients

• 500 g potatoes
• 100 g cottage cheese (paneer)
• 10 to 12 soaked cashews
• 10 g chopped green chillies
• 10 g chopped coriander
• 100 g chestnut flour
• Sendha namak and black pepper, to taste
• 500 g sabudana crumbs
• 1 litre refined oil, for deep-frying
• Parsley, for garnish

Method

1. Wash the potatoes and cut them in half. There is no need to peel them.
2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil over a medium-to-high flame. Add the potatoes and cook until tender.
3. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then mash them in a bowl using a masher or spoon. Set aside to cool further.
4. Add the chopped green chillies, coriander, sendha namak and black pepper to the mashed potatoes. Mix well.
5. Blend the cottage cheese, soaked cashews and a pinch of salt into a smooth paste.
6. Take a portion of the potato mixture and flatten it in your palm. Make a small indentation in the centre and add some of the cottage cheese and cashew paste.
7. Seal the filling inside the potato mixture and shape it into a log, ensuring the edges are even.
8. Coat each stick with chestnut flour, followed by sabudana crumbs. Place the coated sticks on a tray lined with baking paper.
9. Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-to-high flame.
10. Carefully add the sticks to the hot oil and fry for about three minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Fry in batches.
11. Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with parsley and serve with chutney or sauce.

2. Malai kuttu bhalla

Malai kuttu bhalla made with buckwheat flour.

Ingredients

• 300 g kuttu atta (buckwheat flour)
• 100 g potato starch
• 500 ml full-cream milk
• 10 g brown sugar
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 20 g chopped dry fruits
• 10 g pomegranate seeds
• 4 saffron strands

Method

1. Combine the kuttu atta and potato starch, adding water as required to prepare a smooth batter.
2. Shape the batter into small dumplings and fry them in oil over a low flame until cooked through. Transfer the dumplings to a bowl of cold water and set aside.
3. Pour the full-cream milk into a pan and simmer over a low flame until it reduces to a thick, smooth consistency. Set aside to cool.
4. Once cooled, whisk the reduced milk with the brown sugar and cardamom powder until well combined.
5. Remove the dumplings from the water and gently squeeze out the excess water.
6. Arrange the dumplings on a serving platter or in a bowl and pour the sweetened malai over them.
7. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, chopped dry fruits and saffron strands. Serve chilled.

3. Sabudana bhel

Sabudana bhel made with tapioca pearls wrapped in ragi papad rolls.

Ingredients

• 100 g sabudana (tapioca pearls)
• 30 g boiled potatoes, diced
• 10 g roasted cumin seeds
• 10 g sweet tomato sauce or jaggery, as available
• 50 g tamarind sauce
• 10 g chopped coriander
• 10 g chopped green chillies
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 100 g mint leaves
• 20 g dry ginger powder
• 50 g curd
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 10 g fennel powder
• 10 g cumin powder
• 10 g coriander powder
• Sendha namak, to taste
• 1 pomegranate
• 2 ragi papads

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the sabudana, boiled potatoes, chopped tomatoes, coriander and green chillies. Toss well.
2. Add the tamarind sauce and sweet tomato sauce or jaggery, adjusting the quantities to achieve the desired balance of sweet and tangy flavours.
3. Add the roasted cumin seeds, dry ginger powder, fennel powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and sendha namak. Mix well.
4. Add the curd and lemon juice, and combine thoroughly.
5. Heat the ragi papads over a low flame until soft and pliable. Shape them into triangular rolls.
6. Fill the ragi papad rolls with the sabudana bhel.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice, as desired.

4. Haryali cutlet

Haryali cutlets made with potatoes, coriander and mint leaves.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
• ¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1 to 2 green chillies, chopped
• ½ tsp sendha namak
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Sendha namak flour, for coating

Method

1. In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, chopped coriander, mint leaves and green chillies.
2. Add the sendha namak, black pepper and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined.
3. Shape the mixture into cutlets and coat them evenly with sendha namak flour.
4. Heat the ghee or oil in a pan over a medium flame.
5. Shallow-fry the cutlets until golden brown on both sides.
6. Serve hot with green chutney or yoghurt.

5. Yoghurt mixed fruit salad

Yoghurt mixed fruit salad made with a variety of fruits, nuts and Greek yoghurt.

Ingredients

• 100 g green grapes
• 100 g red grapes
• 10 g strawberries, sliced
• 10 g orange segments
• 10 g kiwi, sliced
• 50 g chopped walnuts
• 50 g chopped dates
• 50 g dried cranberries
• 100 g Greek yoghurt
• 10 g brown sugar
• 1 g cinnamon powder
• 10 g soaked raisins
• Sendha namak, to taste

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the grapes, dates, walnuts, dried cranberries and other fruits available.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the Greek yoghurt, brown sugar, cinnamon powder and sendha namak until well combined.
3. Pour the yoghurt dressing over the fruit and nut mixture. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
4. Arrange the kiwi slices, orange segments and strawberries on top.
5. Garnish with soaked raisins and walnuts, and serve fresh.