The Navratri festival has arrived, and it is time for both celebration and fasting. The auspicious occasion is distinguished by indigenous cuisine, which is specially prepared for those who fast for all or part of the nine days of the festival in order to invoke the energy of the mother goddess and purify the body and mind.
The fasting rules for Navratri vary by community; the basic premise is that the food should be healthy and light. Kuttu atta, singhara atta, nuts, fresh vegetables, fruit, milk, yoghurt, and makhanas are among the preferred ingredients. Because it is unprocessed, rock salt, or sendha namak, is used instead of regular salt. Also Try our Homemade Detox Waters
Because the festival coincides with seasonal changes, immunity levels tend to drop, so you should focus on eating healthy immunity-boosting foods while fasting, such as our Homemade Energy Bars.
For those with a sweet tooth, this may appear to be a time with few options. However, if you look closely at traditional sweets and desserts, you’ll notice that simply substituting unhealthy ingredients for healthier ones can provide you with sattvic dessert options that are both low-calorie and healthy.
Here are three healthy sweet dishes to try this Navratri season without worrying about gaining too much weight.
1.Apple Cinnamon Rajgira/Amaranth Porridge
A creamy apple cinnamon amaranth porridge is a great way to switch up your usual bowl of oatmeal with this new unique seed/pseudocereal.
Amaranth Yogurt Parfait is a delicious dessert that you can easily prepare at home. Besides being delicious, it is highly nutritional as it is made from amaranth seeds which are rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibre, protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin B6 and magnesium.
Cooked Amaranth of about 100 grams provides 103 calories. It has a moderate amount of dietary minerals (iron, manganese, and phosphorus) and high lysine and protein components.
The best part of Amaranth grains is that they are gluten-free, which allows gluten intolerant people to eat them without worries.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup uncooked amaranth
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup skim milk
- ¼ teaspoon fast salt
- 1 large apple
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons walnut pieces
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Method:
1. Drain and rinse amaranth. Combine with one cup of milk, water, and salt. Bring amaranth to a boil, and reduce to a simmer (all the way to low.) Cover and let simmer for 25 minutes until the amaranth is soft but there is still some liquid left. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 10 more minutes to thicken amaranth. Add a bit more milk to thin the texture out if desired.
2. Toss together the 1 teaspoon honey with the walnut pieces. Roast until the walnuts are toasted and the honey has dried, 10 to 15 minutes. Walnuts will become quite fragrant when done.
3. Along with the walnuts, dice the apple and toss with the remaining spices. Roast in a roasting pan for 15 minutes, until the apples are tender.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand, covered for 5 to 10 minutes. Divide amaranth among bowls and top with pumpkin seeds
2.Puffed Amaranth and Berry parfaits
Popped amaranth makes for a great cereal option. It is easy to make as well, and is not only delicious but also highly nutritional.
How to Puff Amaranth/Rajgira
It is extremely simple to pop raw Amaranth grain at home. It’s similar to popping popcorn in a large pot. To puff up Amaranth, simply place a teaspoon of grain in a hot pot, shake it up, and they will puff up instantly. In a matter of minutes, you’ll have a large bowl of puffed up Amaranth. Yes, due to the puffing, some grains scatter all over, so a high-end pot is recommended.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp low-fat yogurt
- 3 tbsp pomegranate
- 1/3 cup chopped banana slice
- 4-5 strawberry
- 1 – 2 dry figs
- 4-5 roasted almonds
- 1 tbsp Amaranth seeds
- Honey optional
Method:
1. Preheat a nonstick skillet. Put 1 tablespoon dry amaranth grains in a hot pan.
2.Peel and chop banana, strawberry, and pomegranate. Set aside the chopped dry figs and almonds.
3.Layer 1 to 2 tablespoons yoghurt in a glass. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon honey, or as desired on the yoghurt .
4.Then add a layer of fruits. Add the dry fig, almonds & layer with some of the popped amaranths.
5.Repeat the layering of yoghurt. Top with the strawberry portion
Immediately serve the amaranth yoghurt parfait.
3.Sago or Sabudana Yogurt Parfait
Tapioca , sago or sabudana are the most commonly used during fast days and my love for sago made me to try this and luckily it came out tasty.
Sago is one of the rich sources of carbohydrates, and the white globules are known for their quick energy-boosting property. Sago contains a nice amount of Iron, a tiny amount of protein with a feeble amount of Calcium, Vitamins, and other minerals. 100 grams serving of Sago can yield up to 350 Calories with 85.5 grams of carbohydrates and 0.2 grams of Protein.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Tapioca Flour (Sago), soaked, boiled
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1 Ripe Banana, sliced
• 1 Apple, cubed
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tablespoon Honey
• 2 tablespoon almonds, roasted, sliced
Method:
1.We begin by soaking the tapioca pearls in water for about 4 hours. Then later drain the water and boil it in water with 1/2 cup of water for about 5 minutes till it is soft and done.
2.Keep all the fruits ready and cut. Mix the boiled sago with yoghurt, fruits, and nuts in a bowl. Drizzle the honey over it.
3.Serve your Sago Yogurt Parfait (Creamy Tapioca Pearls With Assorted Fruits) for a quick breakfast for a healthy start.
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