Maharashtrian Desserts (Navratri): 8 Fasting-Friendly Sweets from Maharashtra

Written by smriti dey | October 1, 2024

8 Fasting-Friendly Maharashtrian Desserts for Navratri

Sabudana (tapioca pearls) is the main ingredient of this creamy pudding, which is easy to make with fasting foods. It really is a classic of all Maharashtrian households during Navratri and other fasting days. The flavor is lightly sweet, creamy, and slightly chewy with the soft tapioca pearls. To prepare, soak sabudana and gently simmer in milk until the pearls are translucent and soft. Can be served warm or chilled, topped with chopped nuts and a pinch of cardamom. Not ideal for serving as a gift, as it remains soft and like a pudding all the way through. Combine sabudana khichdi for a wholesome traditional fasting meal combination all around.

The ladoo is an important item of fasting during Navaratri and is made with amaranth, also known as rajgira, which is a staple food of Maharashtra. The seeds of amaranth are first popped and then joined together with warm jaggery syrup to form balls. Nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet with a pleasant light crunch all the way through. Pop rajgira seeds, and add thickened jaggery syrup to it quickly. Roll into balls when the mixture is still warm and very malleable to form balls. These last longer in storage and are ideal for small and informal occasions. Serve with roasted makhana to have a healthy, fasting-appropriate snack combination during the fasting period.

The base of this halwa is singhare ka atta, or water chestnut flour, which is used as fasting-friendly flour. Widely consumed in Maharashtra and other areas where the rules of the Navratri fasting are followed strictly. It has a warmly sweet, nutty, and slightly earthy flavor, due to the water chestnut flour base. Make it by roasting the flour to a good roast in ghee and then cooking with sugar and water. Serve hot, topped with chopped nuts, as a true fast dessert that is satisfying. This does not travel or store very well; it is good for immediate use. When served with shingada paratha, it makes a complete traditional Maharashtrian combination for a fasting meal.

The traditional dish is usually a savory preparation, but here a sweet, fasting-friendly twist has been added with jaggery. This adaptation is a reflection of Maharashtra's hands-on approach to cooking in the context of both festivity and fasting. The flavors are a blend of the mild chewiness of sabudana and the warmth and caramel-like sweetness of jaggery throughout the bite. Mix boiled and mashed sabudana with grated jaggery and shallow fry until crisp. Serve hot, preferably freshly cooked on the pan, for the best texture possible. Not all of these are travel friendly and, as such, are not suitable for gifting. Combine with a light yogurt-based side dish, not heavier namkeen side dishes available.

The main ingredient in this pudding is roasted fox nuts or makhana, which is a fasting-friendly food. It is popularly prepared during the Navratri fasting period in particular every year throughout Maharashtra and North India. It starts from the roasted makhana, which is lightly sweet, creamy, and quite crunchy all the way. Make it by roasting makhana first and then soaking it in milk with sugar till soft. Serve hot with saffron & chopped almonds for an authentic festive look. It's not the consistency that is soft and wet throughout that's suitable for giving. Serve with roasted peanuts for a simple textural contrast, apart from the kheer, which is an ideal pairing for this fast. Serve with roasted peanuts for a simple textural contrast apart from the kheer, which is an ideal pairing for this fast.

The crunchy brittle is a combination of popped amaranth and coconut to create a textured, sweet fast food. It is a popular Navratri recipe in Maharashtra, due to its high-energy, truly 'fasting-friendly' formulation and ingredients. Very sweet, nutty, and satisfyingly crunchy with a nice tropical coconut flavor. To prepare, melt jaggery and then quickly add the mixed-in popped rajgira and grated coconut. Once completely set, cut into pieces for convenient serving. This sweet is highly travelable and can be stored for a long time, really, an ideal fasting season gift box. Enjoy with roasted peanuts to make a great energy-dense fast food snack combination during the day.

The buckwheat flour-based halwa is another favorite of the fasting day of the Navratri Festival. Common in all of Maharashtra and surrounding states during the fasting period in the year while the fast is strictly observed. Overall, it has an earthy, warm, sweet, and subtle nutty taste, enhanced by the buckwheat flour base. To prepare: roast kuttu flour in ghee until it gets thoroughly cooked, and then add sugar and water. Serve hot and top with chopped nuts as a true comfort fasting dessert. This is not a travel or storage item but more for snacking at home. In a traditional combination, eat with kuttu puri for a wholesome, traditional Maharashtrian fasting food.

A sweet made from strained yogurt and is popular throughout Maharashtra and is easily adapted to use as the fasting food for Navratri fasting observance every year. A fasting version of this dish, which is traditionally eaten at festivals, in which rock salt has been used in place of table salt. Lively, creamy, and tangy with a delicate sweetness of cardamom and saffron. Make it by straining the yogurt overnight, adding sweetening and flavor. Serve chilled, garnished with chopped pistachios and a scatter of a few saffron strands. Not suitable for travel or long-time storage. Combine with sabudana vada for a tasty and filling Maharashtrian fasting meal all day long.

During Navratri these Maharashtrian dessert recipes show that fasting does not mean at all that you have to compromise on the real taste of the festival. All of the recipes feature fasting-friendly ingredients but are still satisfying and traditional sweets with a sense of sweetness throughout. This year, experiment with some of the other foods that are typically eaten during the fast, along with some new ones! These recipes serve as a tribute to tradition and are indulgent—yet satisfying—to eat.