Fasting food

The Navaratri thali by Firdaus has food items that are in keeping with the Navaratri menu and are completely devoid of spices

Navaratri is a time for festivities and celebration. It is also a time for devotional fervour and fasting. In north India, men and women fast during the Navaratri. People worship Goddess and fast (vrat) whereby they abstain from eating cereals, spicy food, and eat mainly fruits, milk products like curd and meals containing sago (sabudana), kuttu (buckwheat), singhada atta (atta of water chestnut), rajghira atta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yellow pumpkin, bottle gourd. Onions, ginger and garlic is avoided during these nine days. The vrat ka khana is non-spicy, generally with only green chillies, cumin seeds (jeera) and sendha namak (rock salt) used in the cooking.

Keeping in mind the Navaratri season, Taj Krishna in its Firdaus restaurant has introduced the Navaratri thali. All those who happen to eat in the hotel need not worry as requirements have been taken care of by chef. “Earlier we used to make the dishes as per the guest’s request during Navaratri. From last year we decided to have a thali on a regular basis,” says executive chef Nithin.

The thali has a few items that are within the Navaratri menu, devoid of spices. It is a simple thali comprising Alu Sabudana Tikki, Kuttu ki Pakodi, (with Nariyal ki Chutney), Alu ki Tari, Lauki ki Sabzi (bottle gourd), Kaddu ki Sabzi (yellow pumpkin) and Singhada ki Sabzi (water chestnut). To go with these sabzis there are two puris – Singhada ki puri and Kuttu ki puri. The food is very satvik with a mild taste. The puris made of kuttu flour are slightly thick and are good as long as they are hot. The Alu Sabudana Tikki, too, with chutney is yummy when hot. One can end the meal with Sabudana Kheer and Badam Halwa (which is made in the north Indian style). For a change from the normal routine one can try this thali. But be warned it will not be spicy!

The thali costs Rs 1,000 plus taxes.