Ultra presents Navratri superfoods
Discover a healthy way to fast this festive season.
The festival of Navratri is a celebration of the divine female power. It is also a time to fast, cleanse the body, revitalize the mind and shift focus inwards, into ourselves.
Traditionally Navratri is celebrated with nine days of fasting. Staying away from rice, wheat and other cereal heavy meals and switching to millets, pseudo-cereals and grains during this period is believed to reduce the impact on the digestive system, allowing it to help cleanse the body.
Ultra explores traditional Navratri dishes that are prepared through the country. Try these new recipes and make this a healthy festive season.
Buckwheat flour Poori – Kuttu ki Poori
Image source: shutterstock images
Buckwheat is a gluten-free pseudo-cereal. It does not come from the same family as wheat. However, it has a high carbohydrate content and is used as a substitute for rice and wheat dishes. Its high dietary fibre helps in cleaning the gut and regulate blood sugar. It is also a rich source of manganese, copper and magnesium.
INGREDIENTS
Makes: 4
10 MINS
10 MINS
20 MINS
10 MINS
10 MINS
20 MINS
2 Cups buckwheat flour
1 Cup water (hot)
1 Tsp cumin powder
Salt
Oil
Method:
1. Mix salt and cumin with the buckwheat flour
2. Add the hot water and mix well to form a dough. Rub a little oil and set aside.
3. Roll into pooris and fry.
4. Serve hot.
Sabhudhana Kichidi
Sabudhana kitchidi is a tasty and healthy breakfast dish. It’s quick to make, has antioxidants and is a resistant starch. Resistant starch are not easily digestible but act like dietary fibre and help clean the gut. This makes the dish an ideal fasting meal.
Image source: Shutterstock images
INGREDIENTS
Makes: 2 portions
10 MINS
10 MINS
20 MINS
10 MINS
10 MINS
20 MINS
1 Cup sabudhana / sago pearls
1 Cup water (to soak)
1 Potato (cooked and roughly crushed)
1-2 green chillies (slit)
¼ Tsp black pepper (cracked)
1 Tsp cumin
1 Tsp mustard
¼ Tsp turmeric
2 Sprigs curry leaves
¼ Cup peanuts (roasted)
Salt
Oil
Method:
1. Thoroughly wash and soak the sabhudana overnight. Drain and set aside.
2. In a pan, add oil, green chillies, cumin, mustard, turmeric, curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes.
3. Add the sabhudana and cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
4. Add peanuts whole or crushed.
5. Serve hot.
Singhaada Kheer (water chestnut)
Image source: Shutterstock images
Water chestnut is a healthy and fibrous edible corn that is consumed in various forms across several cultures. Besides being high in antioxidants, it also helps purify the blood and regulate blood pressure and cholesterol.
Singhaada flour is used in preparations in the Maharashtrian household during vrat or fasting days.
INGREDIENTS
Makes: 2 portions
5 MINS
10 MINS
15 MINS
5 MINS
10 MINS
15 MINS
2 Tbsp Singhaada flour
2 Cups milk
4 Tbsp ghee
1 Tsp cardamom powder
1 Tbsp chopped nuts
4-5 Tbsp sugar
Method:
1. Make a roux by adding ghee to the pan and adding the singhaada flour, a little at a time.
2. When the flour in roasted in ghee for minute, add the milk, one ladle at a time while stirring continuously to mix all the lumps in.
3. Add the sugar, nuts and cardamom and serve hot.
Watermelon rind subzi
Image source: Shutterstock images
In some households, vrat is observed with just consuming fruit and dairy. Fruit consumption is a big part of Navratri fasting. If you have a watermelon to enjoy, use the rind and make a new and interesting subzi for lunch.
INGREDIENTS
Serves: 4 portions
20 MINS
10 MINS
30 MINS
20 MINS
10 MINS
30 MINS
4-5 Cups watermelon (white rind without the pink or green part)
1-2 Tsp jeera
1 Tsp ginger (grated)
1 Sprig curry leaves
1 Tsp asafoetida/hing
1 Tbsp ghee
2 Red chillies (dry)
Method:
1. In a kadaai, add the ghee, jeera, ginger, hing and curry leaves.
2. Add the watermelon rind and sauté for 5-8 minutes.
3. Add a cup of water and cook covered on a low flame till tender and done.
4. Serve with hot rice.
Elgi Ultra Optiflame
Gas savings, less cooking time and high safety are compelling reasons to choose the Ultra Optiflame gas stove.
70%+ GAS EFFICIENCY IN ALL BURNERS
Unique design for efficient air/gas mixing.* Verified and certified by Goverment Approved Lab.
8MM THICK TOUGHENED GLASS
More durable and safer than thinner glasses.
FAST COOKING
The burner unit assembly is optimised to produce more heat, by burning gas more efficiently by cooking fast without gas.
FORGED BRASS BURNERS
Stronger, safer and more efficient than ordinary cast burners.
SABAF FLAME FAILURE SAFETY DEVICE
Cuts off gas flow to the burner when flame goes off accidentally.
SPACIOUS DESIGN
Wide space between burners and a spacious top for easy cleaning and resting ladles.