- By Bornika Das
- Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:27 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Navratri Spices To Eat: Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day festival celebrated across India with great joy and enthusiasm by Hindus. The festival worships nine forms of Durga, and the devotees observe a strict sattvic fast during these nine days. According to the regulations, one might choose between fasting for the entire nine days or doing it as jodas. People restrict themselves from eating regular wheat and rice, onion, garlic, alcohol and other tamasic foods. Moreover, you can have certain spices during Navratri, while certain spices are restricted during the festival fasting.
During the Navratri fast, devotees tend to eat light food and cleanse themselves from within. Too much spicy food can give rise to tamas guna (attributes of chaos and destruction). Certain spices lead to heating of the body, which are strictly not allowed to consume during Navratri fast. There are certain spices that are considered as sattvic and can be eaten during Navratri that keep the body light and aid easy digestion. Here’s a list of six spices that can be eaten during the Navratri fast.
Spices That You Can Eat During Navratri
Sendha Namak
During Chaitra Navratri, regular table salt is forbidden to be consumed. The proper ingredient is sendha namak, which is also known as rock salt. The purity of this salt makes it the best option to be added to the fasting food. Sendha namak is considered the ideal option as no processing is involved.
Cinnamon
Dalchini or cinnamon, is another pure spice that is allowed during the festival of Chaitra Navratri. It is used to temper and add a flavouring spice that enhances the aroma of the food. Also, cardamom helps to regulate blood sugar levels, improve digestion and aid in pain relief and discomfort associated with gastrointestinal conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers.
Cumin Seeds
Cumin seeds or cumin powder is permitted to be used during the nine-day festival fast. It is a great spice for flavouring rice and fruit dishes and works well in savoury dishes like curries and vegetable fries. Cumins seeds are mainly used for tempering while cumin powder is used as seasoning.
Cardamom Can Be Eaten During Navratri (Image Credits: Freepik)
Green Cardamom
This spice has been used in Hindu vrat ka khana for centuries. Choti elaichi is used both in sweet and savoury sattvic dishes and provides ample health benefits.
Cloves
This is an age-old, highly prized spice in India and has been used since 800 AD when it was regarded as the country’s “divine blossom.” Laung or clove is a common ingredient that is during in sattvic cuisine. It is used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Carom Seeds
Also known as ajwain, carom seeds are considered one of the purest condiments. It aids in digestion. Many devotees incorporate ajwain in puris. Moreover, it is added to balance the savoury dishes permitted on the sattvic diet.
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