​Navratri, the vibrant festival celebrated across India, is a time of fasting and spiritual reflection. Each day of this nine-day festival is dedicated to a different manifestation of the goddess Durga. On the fourth day, devotees seek blessings from Maa Kushmanda, who symbolizes warmth, creativity, and energy. While fasting during Navratri, it is essential to maintain a balanced and nutritious diet to keep your energy levels high. Here, we present four scrumptious Vrat recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that will not only tantalize your taste buds but also nourish your body during this special time.

Breakfast: Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients:

1 cup sabudana (sago pearls)
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
2-3 green chilies, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
A handful of fresh curry leaves
1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
2 tbsp ghee
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions:

Soak the sabudana in water for about 2-3 hours or until they become soft. Drain any excess water.

Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, green chilies, and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute.

Add the diced potatoes and cook until they turn golden brown and are tender.

Add the soaked sabudana and ground peanuts. Mix well and cook until sabudana pearls turn translucent.

Season with rock salt and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Lunch: Lauki Ki Sabzi (Bottle Gourd Curry)

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized bottle gourd (lauki), peeled and diced
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tbsp ghee
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions:

Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. Sauté until they start to crackle.

Add the diced bottle gourd and sauté for a few minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt and add sendha namak, red chili powder, turmeric, and roasted cumin powder.

Pour the yogurt mixture over the bottle gourd and stir well.

Cover the pan and let it simmer on low heat until the bottle gourd is tender and the curry thickens.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Dinner: Rajgira Paratha with Mint Chutney

Ingredients:

For Rajgira Paratha:

1 cup rajgira (amaranth) flour
2 boiled and mashed potatoes
Sendha namak (rock salt) to taste
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Ghee for frying
For Mint Chutney:

1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
2-3 green chilies
1-inch piece of ginger
1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions:

For Rajgira Paratha:

In a mixing bowl, combine rajgira flour, mashed potatoes, sendha namak, and red chili powder. Knead the mixture into a smooth dough using a little water if needed.

Divide the dough into small portions and roll them into parathas.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry the parathas until they turn golden brown.

For Mint Chutney:

Blend mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger, sendha namak, and lemon juice in a food processor until you get a smooth chutney.
Enjoy these wholesome and delicious Navratri Vrat recipes on the fourth day of the festival. May your fasting be filled with joy, nourishment, and blessings. Jai Maa Kushmanda!