Navratri fasting rules and food- Vrat recipes This detailed post is about the Navratri vrat/fast rules, food ingredients allowed for navratri vrat and puja. Navratri are the ‘nine nights’ which is celebrated devoted to Goddess Durga who symbolizes purity and power or ‘shakti’. In India lunar calender is followed and Navratri is celebrated in March/April as ‘Chaitra Navratri’ and in September/October as ‘Sharad Navratri’. Navratri festival combines ritualistic puja and fasting and is accompanied by resplendent celebrations for nine consecutive days and nights. Many people keep fast during Navratri to purify the mind and body. It is a very good time to make progress in your spiritual practice or to invoke the energy of mother Goddess. Every year the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very important junctions of climatic change and solar influence. These two junctions have been chosen as the sacred opportunities for the worship of the divine power.  Due to the changes in the Nature; the body and mind of people undergo a considerable change, and hence we worship the divine power to bestow upon all of us enough potent powers to maintain our physical and mental balance. Fasting food: There is no fixed rule as it varies from community to community. Some people eat only one meal (vrat food) in a day and rest of the day they take fruits, milk or tea etc. those who cannot go for such strict diet, take two meals (vrat flour based diet). For those who cannot follow rigorous fasting rules like old or sick people and nursing mother there is always relaxation of rules.    Kanya Pooja: Many families do kanya pooja or kanjak pooja on 8th or 9th day. Nine girls who have not reached the puberty stage are worshiped. They represent the nine forms of Goddess Durga. After the customary Navratri Kanya pooja, small girls are offered Prasad which is usually poori, black chana and halwa. The coconut which is kept in house temple is broken during this occasion and is part of Prasad. Minimum two girls should sit for kanya pooja. No restriction on doing pooja with more than 2 girls but minimum two girls, older than one year of age is must. Along with the Prasad; gifts, fruits and money is given to the girls. When Navratri fast is broken: On the day kanya pooja is done, the Navratri fast is broken. Mostly it is done on 8th or 9th day.     In North and West India many people keep fasting for 9 days. Navratri fasting rules varies little from community to community. Some people fast on certain days of the month, such as; Purnima (full moon) and Ekadashi (11th day of the fortnight). Fasting at festivals like Navratri, Mahashivratri and Janmashtami also has the same fasting rules.  With Navratri the festive season is in full swing. Nine nights of dancing and merriment goes hand in hand with intense fasting. So here I bring you the recipes which are cooked and served during Navratri season. I hope this post will be helpful to you all. You can also check this post which shares Fasting (vrat) recipes. Food allowed for Fasting or Navratri Vrat Flour and grains allowed for fasting: Kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour) - you can make pakoda, poori, paratha, halwa. Singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour) - is used to make poori, paratha, pakoras and halwa. Rajgira ka atta (amaranth flour) – you can make paratha, vrat ka halwa, poori and thalipeeth. Roasted rajgira (amaranth) – make laddos and can also be had mixed with fruits. Sama ke chawal ka atta (barnyard millet flour)- can be used to make idli, dosa or roti. Vrat ke chawal (barnyard millet)- make kheer, pulao, sama potato patties, idli, dosa, khichdi or just plain steamed. Spices and herbs allowed for fasting: Black pepper powder Rock salt (sendha namak) – also called as upvas ka namak Green cardamom (choti illaichi) Black peppercorns (sabut kali mirch) Cinnamon and nutmeg (dalchini and jaiphal) Dry pomegranate seeds (anardana) – use it as souring agent or make chutney or raita. Ginger (adrak) Green chili (hari mirch) and lemon (nimbu) There are certain spices which are optional and used by some: Coriander leaves (dhania patta) Mint leaves (pudina) Curry leaves Cumin seeds (jeera) – use it in tempering or directly in the recipe. Make Jeera aloo. Dry mango powder (amchur powder) and chaat masala Red chili powder Black salt (kala namak) Carom seeds (ajwain) Vegetables allowed for fasting: Potatoes – make dahi aloo, aloo ka raita, jeera aloo, halwa and aloo chila. Sweet potato (shakarkand) – you can make tikki, Shakarkandi halwa, Khees (spicy halwa) and caramelized sweet potato. Raw banana – Banana chips and curry. Raw or semi ripe papaya – Papaya halwa and papaya salad Pumpkin – Kaddu ki sabji, halwa, pakora or Khatti meethi kaddu ki sabji Colocasia (Arbi or kachalu) – Arbi ke chips, Arbi sukhi sabji, Dahi arbi sabji, arbi cutlets and even arbi tikkis. Yam (Suran or jimikand) – you can use regular or purple yam and make suran ki sabji or suran chips. Some people use some additional vegetables, but not agreed by all like: Tomatoes, spinach (palak), bottle gourd (lauki), cucumber (kheera) and carrots (gajar) Other food or ingredients allowed for fasting/vrat: Sabudana (tapioca pearls) – It is used to make sabudana khichdi, sabudana vada, sabudana thalipeeth, kheer and pakora All fruits – fruit raita, fruit salad, fruit chaat, fruit juices or milkshakes or have them raw. All dry fruits – you add them to halwa or other dishes and can make dry fruit ladoo and dry fruit milkshake. All milk products like paneer, curd, white butter, cream, ghee, khoya, malai, condensed milk. Coconut and coconut milk – Make coconut ladoo and use coconut in various dishes. You can use coconut milk in milkshakes. Makhana or phool makhana – you can make makhana kheer, roasted makhana or even makhana sabji Sugar, honey, jaggery (gur) Peanuts, melon seeds Groundnut oil Yogurt Kokum and tamarind are optional and not used by all. Food to be avoided for fasting/ Vrat: Flour and grains to be avoided for fasting: Wheat flour (atta) Maida (all purpose flour) Sooji (semolina or rava) Besan (gram flour or chickpea flour) Rice and rice flours Note: If you want to make roti, poori or paratha for fasting then use above mentioned flours and for making rice based dishes, use sama ke chawal. Other ingredients to be avoided: Onion and garlic are strictly avoided Common salt is not used No lentils and legumes Other spices like hing (asafoetida), mustard (rai or sarson) turmeric (haldi), garam masala, dhania (coriander powder) and fenugreek seeds (methi) are not allowed. Alcohol and non-vegetarian food is strictly NO during this holy period. Navratri vrat rules are flexible and vary from family to family. The most important thing in religious fast or acts is your devotion and purity of heart. If some how you miss ant rule or make mistake, don’t worry. Mother Goddess is always kind to her devotes. Disclaimer: the above compiled list and info is based upon the food ingredients that we include for Navratri fasting in our family and inputs from friends. If in doubt, please consult your family elders.