With Chaitra Navaratri beginning on Saturday, it’s that time of the year when Hindus observe nine days of fast. However, Navratra fast does not mean you need to starve yourself. You can actually feast on some delicious Navratra food simultaneously detoxing yourself.

Navratri means nine nights in Sanskrit — nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti or Devi Durga are worshipped. Navratri is celebrated four times a year but Sharad Navaratri and Vasant/Chaitra Navratri are most significantly celebrated across the country. Chaitra Navratri signifies the start of the Hindu new year. It will be observed from April 6 to April 14. Devotees across the country will keep fast and perform pooja during these nine days.

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Here are some innovative recipes that celebrate Navratri food

Kuttu Atta Pizza

Ingredients

Kuttu Atta: 300 gms
Salt: 5 gms
Sugar: 10 gms
Yeast: 5 gms
Mozerella Cheese Fresh: 100 gms
Peeled tomato: 200 gms
Basil: 15 gms
Cottage cheese: 50 gm
Green chilles chopped: 10 gms
Olive oil: 25 gms
Salt: to taste
Black pepper crushed: 10 gms
Oregano: 5 gms

Method:

Make a smooth dough using kuttu atta, salt, sugar, yeast and olive oil. Let it ferment for at least 4 hours. Knock back the dough and let it rest for half hour. For pizza sauce chop peeled tomatoes. Add oil in a pan. Add tomatoes, chopped basil, green chilles, black pepper and cook for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Roll the dough in Bis Disc. Spread pizza sauce on it, put dized cottage cheese and bake in oven at 250 celsius for 5-7 minutes. Take it out. Sprinkle chopped basil and oregano. Pizza is ready to serve.

Sabudana Thalipeeth

Ingredients

Sabudana: 2/3 cup
Potatoes: 2 medium or large peeled, boiled and mashed
Cumin powder: 1/2 tablespoon
Peanuts: 4 tablespoon, roasted and coarsely grounded
Ginger: 1/4 inch finely shooped or grated
Coriander leaves: 1/4 cup, chopped
Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
Sugar: 1 teaspoon or as required
Rock salt: to taste
peanut oil or ghee: as required for frying

Method

Pick and rinse the sabudana well till you get transparent water when rinsing. Soak them overnight in enough water.The next day, drain them really well.Make sure there is no moisture in them.Add the mashed potatoes and all the ingredients to the soaked sabudana. mix well.Heat a non stick frying pan.Spread 1 or 2 teaspoon of peanut oil or ghee on the pan.

Apply some oil on your palms.Take some portion from the mixture and flatten it with your palms.You can also flatten on a ziplock bag.Place the flattened round (thalipeeth) on the frying pan.Fry till both sides are golden brown and crisp. repeat.If you have a large pan, you can cook 2-3 thalipeeths at the same time.Serve sabudana thalipeeth with a phalahari chutney or raita.

( Recipe courtesy: Kuttu Atta Pizza- Chef Amit Kumar, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort

Sabudana Thalipeeth- Chef Avinash Jha, Jaypee Vasant Continental )