• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Food Blogging Resources
    • Kitchen DIY
  • Work With Us

Rachna's Kitchen

Tasty Food Happy Life !

  • Recipe Index
  • Eggless Bakes and Cakes
  • Festival Recipes
  • Home Made Ingredients
  • Recipes for Kids
  • Protein recipes
  • Recipe Collections
  • Vegan

September 30, 2016 By rachnaskitchen 13 Comments

Navratri Recipes | 40 + Navratri Vrat Recipes

Navratri Celebration (Ram Navami)

As many of you know that it is one of the most important festival in Hindu culture which is upcoming on 1 October 2016.

So I thought to share some information on the festival and the rituals performed during this great and one of the longest celebrated Navratri festival in Hindu culture. I have also included Navratri recipes in this post.

Navratri is celebrated in honor of one of the most popular incarnations of the Goddess Shakti known as Mother Goddess Durga (Mata Rani). This festival celebrates the victory of the goddess over infamous demon Mahisha-sura. Navratri is combination of two words Nav + Ratri. Nav- means nine and Ratri means nights. It’s a festival of faith, fun and determination which is celebrated over 9 nights.

There are 5 major Navratri but commonly two Navratri are celebrated. First one is ‘chaitra navratri‘ celebrated in March-April which is the beginning of Indian Summer season and second one is ‘sharad navratri’ celebrated in October-November which is the beginning of Indian Winter season. Chaitra Navratri, also known as Vasant Navratri, symbolizes the start of New Year of Hindu Lunar calendar. Navratri is also meant to be a great start for all auspicious things like marriages, buying something new etc.

Navratri – ‘a celebration of the power of women’. Maa Durga represents Shakti (the sublime, ultimate, absolute creative energy). Navratri is dedicated to the worship and invocation of Shakti.

About Indian womanhood, the popular Indian mystic Sri Sri Ravi Shankar remarks, “In India, the female energy is depicted as Shakti the embodiment of strength against injustice combined with beauty, love and compassion. Shakti is also represented in the trinity of Durga, goddess of valour and vitality, Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and well-being, and Saraswati, goddess of knowledge and art. Women just need a reminder that all these Goddesses are holding such important portfolios (Defence, Wealth and Education) and that they better start claiming their own portfolios too.”

How Navratri is celebrated:

The information I am sharing here is based on my experience and observation of celebration in Northern India. Navratri is also celebrated with great fervor and devotion in West Bengal and South India.

In these 9 days of carnival, nine forms of Durga Maa are worshiped. During Navratri, Nine forms of goddess Shakti (Durga) are worshipped i.e. Bhadrakali, Jagadamba, Annapoorna Devi, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika.. Whatever form anyone worships, whatever ritual anyone follows, the ultimate goal is to seek blessings and pay reverence to Maa Durga.

 

Navratri 2015

Nine forms of Maa Durga

 

Cleaning – Before the navratri starts, clean your house as clean as possible. It is said that clean house pleases Mata Rani. Elders in India also suggest sprinkling some GangaJal (Water of Holy River Ganga) to make your home pious.

First Day and Navratri Fast: On the first day of Navratri a small bed of mud is made and barley seeds are sowed on it. Later on the tenth day, the little shoots from the bed are pulled out and given to the devotees.

Navratra 2015

Devotees keep fasting during Navratri which is believed to help in purifying and cleansing body and soul.

Some people keep fast for all 9 days and some keep for 1 or 2 days according to their reverence and health concerns.

Worshipping Mata Rani involves chanting of mantras, prayers, religious hymns (bhajans) and also reading Ramayana (Holy Epic of Lord Rama and his wife Sita).
Lighting the incense sticks, (Agarbatti), or Dhoopbatti or Diya infront of Goddess is very common. Some people, like my mother, also light Amarjyoti or Jyoti Kalash (that is lighting earthen diya with ghee continuously for 9 days of Navratri without any interruption) and on final day of festival Jyoti Kalash immersed in river or other water bodies.

Last Day and Navratri Fast Closure: The devotees observe fasting for seven to eight days, and break their fast on the either eighth day (Ashtami) or ninth day (Navami) of the festival, by carrying out ‘Kanya Pujan’ or ‘Kanchika Pujan’ which means ‘girl worship’. This ritual also has great significance in symbolizing the respect of girls in a historically male dominated society of India.

I remember when I was kid; I used to go to my aunt’s house for Kanya Pujan as Kanya. There were 8 more girls for this worship. She used to wash our feet with water. Then tie Mauli/Kalava (red color string) on our hands and put Tika on our forehead. Then she would offer Halwa Poori as Prashad (food) to us (some people offers Dahi Jalebi), touch our feet and give some coins and fruit to take away. There is no hard & fast rule but for more information you can also read kanya pujan on wikipedia. Ritual practices may differ in different regions & communities of India.

Don’t Compromise Health:

Headache, vomiting, indigestion, improper bowel movements, bloating, weakness and acidity are common health problems people face while fasting. Fasting can cause health problems to people who suffer from diabetes, hyper acidity or gastroenteritis. So if you face any health problems while fasting, please consult your doctor without any delay.

Don’t starve: While fasting, many people skip meals completely and rely on water. It may not be a good idea to starve as your body needs vitamins and nutrient supplements. Prolonged fasting can also lead to some serious health issues.

Recipes for Navratri:

During these 9 days of fasting, devotees follow strict vegetarian diet and consume Phalahari food. Phalahari means phal (fruit) + ahaar (food). So Phalahari is essentially a fruit diet. Along with fruits some vegetables, herbs, dry fruits, cereals and yogurt are also part Phalahari diet. In North India some flours and grains are allowed to have on fasting days or upvas like

  • Sabudana or sago seeds
  • Sama ke chawal ka atta (barnyard millet flour) and vrat ke chawal (barnyard millet)
  • Rajgira ka atta (amaranth flour)
  • Kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour)
  • Arrowroot flour
  • Singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour)
  • Peanuts
Some Herbs and Spices allowed during Navratri Vrat
  • Rock salt (sendha namak )
  • Carom seeds (ajwain)
  • Cumin or cumin powder (jeera or jeera powder),
  • Black pepper powder
  • Nutmeg (jaiphal)
  • Green cardamom
  • Cloves
  • Black peppercorns
  • Dry pomegranate seeds (anardana)
  • Cinnamon

Why not try following recipes this season from Rachna’s Kitchen and make it a healthy and happy Navratri.

Makhana Kheer, Phool Makhana Ki Kheer

 

Sama Ke Chawal Ki Kheer, Samak Ki Kheer

 

Carrot kheer /Carrot payasam / Gaajar ki kheer

 

Rasmalai Recipe

 

Bengali rasgulla recipe

 

Angoor rabdi recipe

 

Kaju katli recipe

 

Mango Burfi Recipe, How to make mango burfi | Mango peda

 

Coconut Peda Recipe

 

Chum Chum Recipe

 

Spongy Ragulla recipe

 

Kaju pista roll recipe

 

Mango Lassi Recipe

 

 

Anardana lassi

Kesar badam milk recipe

 

Sweet lassi recipe

 

Mango mastani recipe

 

Watermelon Juice

 

Mango Milkshake Recipe

 

Kalakand Recipe In Microwave

 

Phalahari Chutney Recipe – Green Cashewnut Chutney Recipe For Fasting

 

Jeera Aloo Recipe – Stir Fry Boiled Potatoes With Cumin Seeds

 

Spinach Raita Recipe – Easy Palak Ka Raita – Indian Style Spinach Dip

 

Vrat Ke Aloo Recipe |Potato Curry

 

Sabudana Khichdi (Savory Tapioca Pearl Breakfast Pudding )

 

How To Make Malai Peda(Milk Fudge) At Home

malai peda

 

Tapoica pearls(Sago seeds) Chaat | Sabudana Chaat

 

Sabudana Vada Recipe(Sago Seeds Pattice)Step By Step Pictures

 

Carrot Laddu (Carrot Coconut Truffles)

 

Easy Carrot Fudge Recipe|Indian Gajar Halwa

 

Thai Iced Tea

 

Easy Coconut Ladoo|Macaroon|Nariyal Ke Ladoo

 

Paneer Peda Recipe In 15 Min|Indian cottage cheese sweets

 

Apple Rabri/Kheer – Apple dessert with Condensed Milk

 

Mathura Ka Peda – Brown Milk Fudge Recipe

 

 

Mango pudding recipe

 

 

Strawberry blueberry smoothie

 

 

 

Shrikhand recipe 

 

Mango iced tea 

May this Navratri bring you health, wealth and prosperity!

JAI MATA DI !

Filed Under: Fasting Recipes, Festival Recipes, No Onion No Garlic Recipes, Recipe Collections

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ritu Ahuja says

    March 20, 2015 at 6:58 pm

    Lovely collection of recipes for Navratri. Delicious 🙂

    Reply
    • rachnaskitchen says

      March 20, 2015 at 8:31 pm

      Thanks Ritu.

      Reply
  2. farin ahmed says

    March 20, 2015 at 10:44 pm

    Lovely write up and superb collections dear…

    Reply
    • rachnaskitchen says

      March 21, 2015 at 12:04 am

      Thanks farin 🙂

      Reply
  3. Savita @ ChefDeHome says

    March 23, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    great collection of recipes, Rachna! Loved the pictures and a well explained post.

    Reply
    • rachnaskitchen says

      March 23, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      Thankyou Savita, Glad that you liked it.

      Reply
  4. padma says

    March 24, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Lovely collection of recipes and beautiful write up dear:)..Great job!!

    Reply
    • rachnaskitchen says

      March 26, 2015 at 5:05 pm

      Thanks a lot Padma !!

      Reply
  5. best hotel management colleges in Kolkata says

    March 30, 2015 at 10:31 am

    I came across your blog while looking for some Indian food recipes and liked a lot. How amazing! I will keep an eye out for all your recipes 🙂

    Reply
  6. Manali @ CookWithManali says

    October 22, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    great collection of recipes Rachna! Happy Dussehra!! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Gauri says

    October 23, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    Such a beautiful compilation of recipes and great information about the festival. I had no idea that there are 5 navratris celebrated in a year.

    Reply
  8. Sundari says

    October 27, 2015 at 6:32 pm

    very well explained and lovely collection!!

    Reply
  9. Amrita says

    April 6, 2016 at 2:49 pm

    Very nice collection dear…visit my page too

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

You may like these recipes

  • Malai Kofta Recipe In White Creamy Gravy
  • How To Make Greek Yogurt At Home, Homemade Yogurt Recipe
  • Rhubarb rose ice cream floats for valentines day
  • Chicken Vindaloo Recipe, Authentic Chicken Vindaloo Recipe
  • How to grow indoor mustard micro-greens in just 3 days

Footer

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Rachana Photography Portfolio

Copyright & Terms Of Use

Copyright & Terms Of Use © The blog and it's contents, rachnas-kitchen.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material (text, photos or both) without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used and are welcomed, provided that full and clear credit is given to rachnas-kitchen.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content/blog post. Feel free to drop a line at rachnaskitchen email and I'll be more than happy to work with you in case of queries.

Copyright © 2014–2025 rachnas-kitchen.com

 

Loading Comments...