Navratri Snack Recipes: 3 Easy And Tasty Fasting-Friendly Dishes To Try

Navratri is celebrated with religious fervor almost all over India. It's also a festival that's celebrated quite differently in various parts of the country. In South India, Navratri marks the display of golu or kolu, an arrangement of dolls and idols of gods and goddesses. Every evening, a special snack is prepared and placed as an offering to the hungry idols on display.

Up north, it is time to fast, as women pray to various avatars of Goddess Durga for their family's well-being, and the men abstain from eating non-vegetarian food. Some people, like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even go on a nine-day water-only fast! But most of us end up eating more than we usually do because of the yummy Navaratri dishes, including the vrat khana or sattvic dishes.

Special snacks are prepared using ingredients such as soaked chickpeas, fox nuts, sago, and millets. In many North Indian households, sendha namak (rock salt) is used to make certain foods during Navratri.

So, if you want to plan for Navratri snacks, here are three easy recipes you can try.

Makhana Mix

Serves 4 

Makhana (lotus seeds) are also called fox nuts. Easily available in the market, it's a low-calorie, low-carb food, which makes it a perfect snack to eat when fasting. Here's a makhana recipe that can be made in a jiffy.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups makhana
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup cashew nuts
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup shelled peanuts
• 2 tsp sunflower seeds
• 3 tbsp ghee
• I tsp kala namak (black salt)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp amchur or dry mango powder (optional)
• 2 tsp coconut (finely sliced into half-inch pieces)

METHOD

1. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the sliced coconut pieces. Sauté till they turn golden.
2. Add one more tablespoon of ghee, and add the cashew nuts and peanuts. Sauté till they turn slightly golden.
3. Now add the almonds and raisins. Sauté for a minute and add the makhana.
4. Sauté the mix for 3 minutes. Add the sunflower seeds and mix well. Turn off the heat.
5. Add the chili powder, amchur, and kala namak.
6. Mix well. The spices will cook in the heat of the pan. You can store this mix for two weeks in an airtight jar or finish it right away!

Moong Dal Pittu

Serves 2 

A healthy South Indian evening snack bowl, sweet or savory.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pittu

• 1 cup moong dal
• water for soaking

For sweet Pittu 

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 10 g cashews
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 3 tbsp grated coconut
• 4 cups water

For savory Pittu

• 2 tbsp onion* (chopped) (optional)
• 2 tbsp tomato (chopped)
• 1 tsp green chili (chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger (chopped)
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• a few curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

METHOD

For Pittu

1. Soak the moong dal in water for 1 hour.
2. Strain the dal. Grind the moong dal into a paste in a mixie, without adding water.
3. Steam the ground moong dal paste in an idli cooker for about 10 minutes.
4. Refrigerate it for 3 hours. When you take it out, it will have solidified.
5. Crumble it down to match the consistency of breadcrumbs.

For Sweet Pittu  

1. Heat a pan and add the ghee. Then add the cashews and fry till they turn golden brown.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the crumbled moong dal, grated coconut, sugar, and cardamom powder. Stir well. Sweet moong dal pittu is ready to be served!

 For Savory Pittu 

1. Heat a pan and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, chopped chili, ginger, and onion.
2. Sauté until the onions turn translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves. Sauté for 1 more minute.
3. Add the crumbled moong dal and salt. Give it a good mix and remove it from the heat. Your spicy moong dal pittu is ready.

*Many households avoid onions when fasting.

Handvo, a yummy and nutritious Gujarati dish

Serves 5

An easy-to-make snack, handvo makes for a healthy bite any time of the day. Many people consider it the best vrat wala khana. You can prepare the flour and store it in an airtight jar for up to a month or longer in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS

For the flour

• 4 cups sama rice (barnyard millet)
• 1 cup sabudana (sago pearls)  (This will yield 1 cup flour)

FOR THE HANDVO

• 1 cup curd
• 2 - 4 tbsp water
• 1 cup grated bottle gourd, carrot, and spinach
• 1 fistful of coriander leaves
• a paste of two green chilies and one thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric powder* (optional)
• sendha namak (rock salt) to taste
• 1 tsp baking soda or Eno

For tempering  

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp oil 2
• a few curry leaves

METHOD

1. Heat a kadhai to the smoking point and throw in the millet and sago. Dry roast them for exactly a minute without any oil.
2. Turn off the stove and leave the mix in the hot kadhai for one more minute. Then spread it on a plate and leave it to cool.
3. Once it is completely cooled, grind the mixture to a coarse flour. This flour can be stored in an airtight container for a week.
4. Mix the flour with the curd and set it aside for 30 minutes.
5. Add 2 - 4 tablespoons of water to make a thick batter. Now add the chili-ginger paste, grated vegetables, coriander leaves, salt, and turmeric powder. Mix well, but do not whisk or the handvo will become hard. Just stir till it all comes together. Now add the baking soda/Eno and mix well. Do not wait too long after this step.
6. Take a heavy-bottomed pan (use a nonstick pan if you're making handvo for the first time). Add oil, and when it's hot, add the cumin seeds, white sesame seeds, and curry leaves. Roll the pan or, with a spatula, spread the sputtering mix all over the base of the pan. Slowly pour the entire batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
7. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 15 minutes. Then flip it over and cook for an additional 8 -10 minutes.
8. Flip the prepared handvo onto a plate, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and serve hot.

* Many households do not use turmeric when fasting.

Last updated on: September 22, 2025