Mix Veg Samak Khichdi (Savory Barnyard Millet Porridge) is a quick and easy Navratri fasting recipe. It is loaded with vegetables, has no spice other than salt, and is tempered with curry leaves. It tastes simple yet satisfying and gets ready in just 10 minutes. Isn’t it great?
Eating this during the fasting season is nutritious, wholesome, and comforting. You can enjoy it for lunch or dinner. It makes a very light dinner recipe. With this recipe, you can get protein and iron in your fasting meal. Let’s quickly check the recipe and learn how to prepare this veggie-loaded, simple, and light meal.
What is Khichdi?
Khichdi is a traditional Indian dish made with rice and lentils and seasoned with spices. It is a comforting one-pot meal enjoyed as a wholesome and nutritious dish. It is known for its simplicity, versatility, and ease of preparation. Since it is very light, it is often cooked when someone is ill or sick.
The basic ingredients of khichdi include rice, lentils, spices, herbs, and ghee. Ghee makes it tastier. It is served with Indian pickles, crispy papad, salad, and buttermilk. Everything is dumped into a pressure cooker and cooked until soft to prepare this. Then it is tempered and served hot. That is why, it is perfect for busy people.
You can customize the recipe as you like. For example, you can add different grains, lentils, and spices. You can even add plenty of vegetables to make it even more healthy. It is considered a wholesome and balanced meal because it is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, and essential nutrients.
What is Samak or Barnyard Millet?
Barnyard Millet, also known as Samak or Sama in India, has a long history dating back thousands of years. It is a gem of the ingredients for its versatility and impressive nutritional profile. Millets are highly nutritious, but highly ignored because of the lack of awareness. Recently, there has been a growing interest in ancient grains and pseudo-cereals.
Despite having a small size, Barnyard Millet packs loads of nutrition. It is gluten-free and rich in essential nutrients and fiber. Do you know that Barnyard Millet has five times more iron than steak? (Source)
What are the health benefits of Barnyard Millet?
Barnyard Millet is not only delicious but also packed with nutrients. Consuming it regularly contributes to overall health and well-being. Let’s dive into the health benefits of Barnyard Millet (Samak).
- Gluten-Free – It is naturally gluten-free. That is why, it is perfect for those sensitive to gluten.
- Rich in Protein – It is a good source of plant-based protein making it a perfect choice for vegans and vegetarians.
- High in Fiber – It is rich in dietary fiber and promotes digestive health. It regulates blood sugar levels and helps lower cholesterol levels.
- Nutritious – It contains vitamins and minerals like magnesium, iron, phosphorous, and zinc.
- Weight Management – It has high fiber and protein content. It can promote feelings of fullness and satiety. That is why, it also helps in weight management and appetite control.
What is the Navratri Festival?
Navratri (also known as Navaratri or Navrate), is a joyous Hindu festival. It is celebrated over 9 to 10 days. “Navratri” is a word from the Sanskrit language – Nav means nine and Ratri means night. This festival is celebrated two times a year, once in the spring (Chaitra Navratri) and once in the autumn (Sharad Navratri). Sharad Navratri falls during September or October and is widely celebrated all across India.
One of the main aspects of Navratri is fasting (known as Vrat or Upvas). During fasting, devotees avoid eating some foods, like grains, pulses, onions, garlic, alcohol, and non-vegetarian items. But they eat fasting food items like fruits, nuts, dairy products, etc.
What food items are allowed in Navratri?
Food items that are allowed during the Navratri season are as follows:
- Vegetables like potato, tomato, arbi, cucumber, carrot, bottle gourd, eggplant, pumpkin, etc.
- Fruits
- Dairy Products
- Coconut
- Nuts and Seeds
- Quinoa, Buckwheat, Barnyard Millet (Samak), Water Chestnut Flour (Singhade Ka Aata).
- Spices like cumin seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cardamom, carom seeds (ajwain), cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, etc.
- Rock Salt
What food items are not allowed in Navratri?
Food items that are not allowed during the Navratri season are as follows:
- Onion and Garlic: They are Tamsik in nature and hence not consumed.
- Lentils and Pulses like moong dal, chana dal, kidney beans, chickpeas, etc.
- Grains and their flours like wheat flour, gram flour (besan), etc.
- Eggs, Non-Vegetarian Food Items like chicken.
- Alcohol (some people avoid smoking too).
- Salt
- Canned Food Items
Everybody has their own beliefs and follows their own rules during the fasting period. That is why, I suggest you adjust the recipes based on how you follow your fasting and celebrate Navratri.
Is this recipe vegan-friendly?
This recipe of Samak Khichdi (Barnyard Millet Porridge) is vegan because all the ingredients used in this recipe are plant-based.
Ingredients List – for quick reference
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
More Navratri Fasting Recipes
- Creamy Makhana Curry
- 15-Minute Zucchini Sabzi
- Kuttu Ka Cheela (Savory Buckwheat Pancakes)
- Ultra-Soft Kuttu Ki Roti (Buckwheat Flour Tortilla)
- Aloo Paneer Curry
Conclusion
Barnyard Millet is a highly nutritious and wholesome ingredient. That is why, you need to include it in your regular meals. This Khichdi recipe is perfect for celebrating Navratri fasting. Pair it with some fasting-friendly Kadhi. It would make a comforting and satisfying Navratri meal.
Grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this delicious Navratri meal. It is quick, easy, and gets ready in 10 minutes. You can eat it for lunch or dinner. It makes a light dinner recipe.
If you try this recipe, please share your reviews in the comment section below. Do share a photo on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We love seeing your recreation of our recipes.
Happy Cooking. 🙂
Love from us.
Richa
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