Eat right this Navratri

Resham Sengar Navratri means fasting time for many devotees out there. Sure, fasting is a great way to detox your mind and body but don’t let unmindful eating practices get the better of your health. Your fasting techniques should serve their real purpose and not make you feel starved and cranky by the end of the day. Here’s a lowdown on what you should include in your diet chart for the nine holy nights so that you don’t end up looking haggard and ill by the time the festivities finish: 1. Never start your day on an empty stomach. Always have a fruit of your choice on waking up to kick start your metabolism. Say no to tea/coffee/green tea in the morning. 2. Make sure you don’t skip breakfast. Kheer (rice pudding) made of Samvat rice, Samvat rice khichdi, sabudana khickdi stir fried potatoes or pakoras made of kuttu atta are great options. Just make sure you use pure ghee (clarified butter) to cook your food. 3. To save your energy from dipping, snack on peanuts and Makhana (Lotus seeds) roasted together in ghee. Other choices are nuts, fruits, fruits shakes, sweetened lassi and milk. 4. Coconut water contains electrolytes that ensure proper muscle function at the time of fasting. 5. Another important rule of thumb is to have at least 3 litres of water throughout the day to flush out the toxins. For the novices, here are a few easy Navratri recipes that can be prepared in the kitchen in a short time. Happy eating! Stir fried potatoes Serves – 2 persons Ingredients 6 Potatoes (boiled, peeled and diced)Sendha namak (rock salt)Jeera (cumin)Fresh Green chillies (chopped)Ghee (clarified butter) How to make Take an iron pan and add 3 tablespoons of ghee in it and let it melt and get heated. Now, add the ½ tablespoon jeera (cumin) to the pan and roast it.After that, add the diced potatoes and green chillies and fry it well. Add the rock salt, as per taste, and again fry it for a few minutes.Take the pan off the heat and serve the meal. Sabudana Khichdi Ingredients 1 cup Sabudana/sago 1 Potato (boiled, peeled and diced) 3 Green chillis (chopped) Juice of ½ Lemon 3 tbsp Peanuts 2 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)1 tbsp Jeera (cumin) 1 sprig of Curry leaves Sendha namak (rock salt) How to make Wash Sabudana well and keep it soaked overnight (or at least for 8 hrs) in water just enough to immerse the sago. Don’t immerse it in excess water.In an iron pan, add ghee and then roast jeera and curry leaves for a while. Add the potatoes with some salt and fry for a minute.Stir fry the above contents for a few minutes.Turn off the flame and add lemon juice to it after 2 minutes.Your meal is ready to be served. (Pic courtesy: flickr.com,cookcookandcook.wordpress.com)