Healthy Navratri Fasting Recipe – Quinoa Granola

Looking for a healthy, protein-rich, high-fiber, low-carb breakfast?

Or are you looking for a 5-minute, absolutely easy, quick, and delicious breakfast recipe?

Whatever your reason, you have to make this grain-free, gluten-free, no-sugar granola recipe and keep a jar of it in your kitchen at all times. Since it is homemade, you can be assured that it is made with high-quality ingredients with no unnecessary chemicals, preservatives, or other additives. And guess what, this recipe has NO SUGAR & OIL.

Story Time

Let me share how I came up with the idea of creating this particular recipe. I always made granola at home. I never bought it from the stores because homemade is the best. It contains all the good quality ingredients, no chemicals, and preservatives. Moreover, making it at home is quite easy. I keep bragging about my granola on my Instagram stories and how we would like to eat it for breakfast and even for snacks too.

One day, it just hit me that everyone should be able to enjoy granola. It is not just quick and easy but also healthy and delicious. I know a lot of people do not or can not eat grains even if it is oats. There are people who are allergic to gluten and avoid anything that contains gluten. And then there are even some people who avoid eating grains or prefer gluten-free breakfast (or any other meal). That is why I decided to create a granola recipe that is grain-free and gluten-free so that they can also enjoy it.

I also saw puffed quinoa in the stores and wanted to use it for some recipes. And when this idea came up, I decided to try out this gluten-free, grain-free granola recipe with puffed quinoa. I could not believe that I could create something so healthy and tasty at home. And whenever we eat it for breakfast or an evening snack, it just feels very happy and delightful. I feel extra happy when I see Jatin eating it with so much excitement.

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:

1. Vegetables like potato, tomato, arbi, cucumber, carrot, bottle gourd, eggplant, pumpkin, etc.
2. Fruits
3. Dairy Products
4. Coconut
5. Nuts and Seeds
6. Quinoa, Buckwheat, Little Millet (Samai or Samak), Water Chestnut Flour (Singhade Ka Aata).
7. Spices like cumin seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cardamom, carom seeds (ajwain), cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, etc.
8. Rock Salt

What food items are not allowed in Navratri?

Food items that are not allowed during the Navratri season are as follows:

1. Onion and Garlic: They are Tamsik in nature and hence not consumed.
2. Lentils and Pulses like moong dal, chana dal, kidney beans, chickpeas, etc.
3. Grains and their flours like wheat flour, gram flour (besan), etc.
4. Eggs, Non-Vegetarian Food Items like chicken.
5. Alcohol (some people avoid smoking too).
6. Salt
7. 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.

What is Granola?

Granola is a quick and easy breakfast or snack food that is made up of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and some sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc. All these ingredients are mixed well and then cooked or baked together until golden brown and crispy. It comes in different varieties and flavors too and if you are making it at home, you can actually customize it as per your own taste buds.

You can add different kinds of nuts and seeds that are available, dried fruits like mango, apple, pineapple, etc. You can even add some spices like cinnamon, gingerbread spices, and nutmeg. Because we get so many different kinds of rolled grains these days like wheat or millet, we can customize it by using different kinds of grains and make it extra healthy and nutritious.

The best part is that you don’t need to cook it while serving it like other cereals or Musli. Just add it over curd or milk, top it up with some fresh fruits, and enjoy.

How to eat Granola?

Granola is a quick and easy breakfast (or snack). You don’t need to cook it further while eating because it is already baked or well-toasted. You can simply add it to milk or over the curd, yogurt, or Greek yogurt. Top it up with some fresh-cut fruits like bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, mango, apple, etc. to make it even more delicious and wholesome.

Is Quinoa a grain or a seed?

Quinoa is a pseudo-grain or a seed and is a member of the spinach, chard, and beet family. It is often considered in a cereal grain group and cooked like rice or other grains. But it is a seed of the Chenopodium plant. This plant is also used for medicinal purposes and its leaves are consumed as a vegetable. But this ancient ingredient is grown for its seeds and to cook many recipes like soup, bread, pulao, salad, cutlets, etc.

What are the benefits of Quinoa?

Humans have been eating Quinoa for more than 7000 years. It is an ancient ingredient that has gained popularity in recent years. It is high in proteins and lots of other vitamins and minerals too. Quinoa is also rich in magnesium, zinc, and iron. Red and black quinoa have about twice the antioxidant power.

We consume it regularly and make salads, pulao, cutlets, energy balls, and granola.

Can we make the recipe in the microwave?

You can make the recipe in the microwave if it has a convection setting. Preheat the microwave (for around 10 minutes) and then bake the same way as given in the recipe card below.

Can we make the recipe on the gas stove?

Yes. Of course. You can make the recipe on the gas stove but it would be more time taking and you need to keep mixing it continuously to avoid burning. To make this on the stove, you can mix all the ingredients together and add them to a greased pan. Cook on the lowest flame and toast until golden brown and crispy.

Is this recipe Vegan?

Yes. All the ingredients used in this recipe and plant-based and vegan. You can try more vegan recipes from the website like Avocado Hummus Sandwich, Protein-Rich Gond ke Ladoo (Indian Energy Balls), and Spinach Pesto.

How to store Granola?

Granola can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for around 2 to 3 weeks. It can last a long time so you can make a big batch.

Ingredients List – for quick reference

More Navratri Fasting Recipes

1. Roasted Makhana
2. Makhana Kheer
3. Amaranth and Dates Energy Bars
4. Quinoa Cutlets
5. Kuttu Ka Cheela (Savory Buckwheat Pancakes)
6. Sabudana Khichdi

Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this quick and easy breakfast at home. I am sure you and your family will enjoy it and from now on will never buy it from the store. Homemade ones are always tastier and contain the best quality ingredients. You can enjoy it for a quick breakfast and even for a healthy and tasty evening snack too.

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