Thaaro Foods

Navratri Vrat Recipes with Ghee: Sabudana Khichdi, Kuttu Puri and More

By Thaaro Foods · 8 October 2026

Fasting food made with ghee: sabudana khichdi, kuttu puri, roasted makhana and singhare ka halwa. Simple vrat recipes for Navratri.

During Navratri many families keep a vrat, eating only certain foods: no grains, no onion or garlic, and sendha namak (rock salt) instead of common salt. Customs vary from home to home, so follow your own. Ghee is used in almost every vrat kitchen.

1. Sabudana khichdi

Serves 2. 1 cup sabudana, ½ cup roasted peanuts (coarsely ground), 1 boiled potato (cubed), 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin, 2 green chillies, sendha namak, lemon, coriander.

  1. Rinse the sabudana until the water runs clear, then soak it in just enough water to cover for 4–6 hours. It should feel soft when pressed.
  2. Mix in the peanuts and sendha namak.
  3. Heat ghee, add cumin and green chilli, then the potato. Add the sabudana and cook on low heat, stirring gently, until the pearls turn translucent (5–7 minutes).
  4. Finish with lemon juice and coriander.

2. Kuttu ki puri

1 cup kuttu (buckwheat) flour, 1 boiled potato (mashed), sendha namak, ghee for frying.

  1. Knead the flour with the potato and salt into a soft dough, adding water only if needed.
  2. Roll small puris between two sheets of plastic, as kuttu dough is delicate.
  3. Fry in hot ghee until they puff. Serve with aloo sabzi made without onion or garlic.

3. Roasted makhana

Warm 1 tbsp ghee in a pan, add 2 cups makhana and roast on low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until crisp. Sprinkle sendha namak and black pepper.

4. Singhare ka halwa

Roast ½ cup water chestnut (singhara) flour in 4 tbsp ghee on low heat until golden. Carefully add 1½ cups hot water with ½ cup sugar, stirring all the time, and cook until it thickens. Finish with cardamom and nuts.

Tips

  • Cook vrat food in ghee: it suits the flavours and keeps puris crisp.
  • Keep sendha namak in its own jar during the fast.

Shop A2 cow ghee for your vrat kitchen, and a jar for the Navratri diya.

Questions

Why does my sabudana khichdi turn sticky?

The sabudana was not rinsed enough or was soaked in too much water. Rinse until the water is clear and soak in just enough water to cover.

Is ghee allowed during Navratri vrat?

In most homes, yes; ghee is the usual fat for vrat cooking. Follow your own family’s custom.

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