Dussera Navrathri Special fasting recipes
During Dassera Navratri festival which marks the onset of autumn is celebrated with different varieties of recipes all over India. Dussera Navrathri festival is celebrated from the first to ninth date of Ashwin Shukla Paksha of the Hindu calendar for the worship of Goddess Durga. This festival is celebrated with full of dance and music for ten days. Most famous recipes of Dussera Navrathri festival are coconut laddoos, payash, bundi sweets. The Indian recipes are famous for their variety.
During Dussera Navrathri festival in most of the communities, people observe fast and eat only one meal a day at sunset with special courses and is strictly vegetarian. Even onion and garlic are not allowed due to their foul smell. Specific ingredients and vegetables are used that may vary from region to region. Spices like red chilies, turmeric and cumin seeds are restricted to take and only rock salt is used. However, one can eat milk, curd, fruits and nuts.
As there are numerous festival in India, each and every festival is incomplete without delicious food. Since Dussera is a long festival celebrated for ten days a large variety of dishes are made and served during this festival.
Dussera Navrathri recipes that are made in South, mainly consists of:
Sundal
Kaaramani Sundal
Kadalai Paruppu Sundal
Masala Sundal
Nava Dhanya Sundal
Pattani Sundal
Payaru Sundal
Sweet Corn Sundal
Thengai Mangai Pattani Sundal
Vellai Karamani Sundal
Jeera Rice
Aval Payasam(Poha kheer)
Ambalapuzha Pal Payasam
Vermicelli Payasam
Tomato Rice
Mango rice
Chenna Payesh
Yellow Pumpkin Payasam
And in North, people mostly observe fast for nine days during Dussera Navrathri festival, the recipes prepared with great care. Some of the recipes of North consists of:
Saboodana Vadaa
Sabudana Kheer
Singhare Ke Pakore
Spicy Shakarkandi Recipe
Sukha Aloo
Aloo Khichdi
Aloo Mewawale
Arbi-Yam Oondhiya
Boondi Ka Raita
Kaju Burfi
Coconut Chutney
Dal Stuffed Puri
Finger Chips
Fried Arbi
Sabudana Khichdi
Singhara Ke Burfee
After eight days of fasting, people would break their fast on the ninth day by worshipping young girls and are served with the ritual offer prasad to the young girls called Kanchika Pujan which consists of puri’s, halwa and Bengal gram curry. Then people who observed fast take blessings of the young girls (kanchikayen) and break their fast.