It is an important festival for Hindus all over India. It has been celebrated between February and March. It is celebrated to worship Lord Shiva. It is one of the purest Hindu rituals. People perform various pujas worshipping Lord Shiva. On this day, Lord Shiva performed the cosmic dance or Thandva and married Goddess Parvati. People celebrate this day by fasting, singing bhajans, and meditating using chants related to Lord Shiva. People make different food items when they fast on this day, such as Sabudhana kichdi, Javvarasi upma, and Pumpkin Payasam. You can create various fasting recipes with minimal ingredients. Let us see twenty foods to eat at this festival.
1.Sabudana Kheer
Kheer or payasam is a desert. One makes it using grains, rice, and lentils. Sabudana or sago or tapioca pearl contains many nutrients. It would be tasteful if you add jaggery to it. It is a perfect sweet dish to serve on Sivaratri.
2.Dry Fruit Barfi
Barfi is made of milk and nuts. It is from the Indian subcontinent. You can make it using dry fruits and jaggery to make it more nutritious. It is one of the yummiest snacks. Children to adults enjoy these.
3.Puli Aval
Aval or flattened rice is a good source of fiber. In Tamil, tamarind is called puli. Puli Aval is a leisurely breakfast. You can make it in less than twenty minutes. It is one of the best snacks for this festival. It is one of the foods served during fasting in Tamil Nadu.
4.Javvarisi Upma
Sago or javvarisi is one of the best ingredients for making easy food items during fasting. This upma contains many nutrients. You can soak the javvarisi overnight to make it soft. People make these vrat dishes without using onions and garlic.
5.Thandai
People make this Indian cold drink using various ingredients. You can make it in different flavors, such as mango, papaya, and apple. People add watermelon kernels, pepper, and saffron to the milk to make it flavorful.
6.Roasted Fox Nuts
They look like popcorn. Fox nuts or makhana are a popular snack in North India. They are expensive yet worth the price. People make it during festivals in India. They are low-calorie yet delicious snacks.
7.Rajgira Roti
All types of rotis are famous all over India. These rajgira or amaranth seeds or thandu keerai seeds contain multiple health benefits. People make the yummiest rotis using these amaranth seeds for fasting purposes.
8.Pumpkin Payasam
Pumpkin Payasam or kheer is one of the easiest and healthiest desserts during fasting season. Sago or tapioca seeds are added to the grated pumpkin to make the payasam. People make it during Navaratri festival too.
9.Samak Rice Pulao
People usually make pulao using basmati rice. During fasting, people make this pulao using samai or samak or little millet. It has various nutritional benefits more than rice and wheat. You can follow the same steps of making the regular pulao to cook this dish.
10.Vrat Wale Aloo
Vrat or upvas khana or fasting foods are made during many Hindu festivals. Aloo or potato is an easy ingredient to make this dish during festive times. Peanuts and potatoes are the main ingredients in this dish. It is a different version of potato fry. You can also make these during non-fasting days.
11.Kasi Halwa
Kasi Halwa or, pusanikai halwa, or pumpkin halwa is famous among Indians. You need simple ingredients like sugar, white pumpkin, and ghee. It is rich in taste. People make kasi halwa using the ash guard or white pumpkin. This famous dish is from South India.
12.Farali Dosa
It is soft and easy to make. You can make the farali flour using various millets and flours of barnyard millet and amarnath seeds. Farali means foods eaten during fasting in India. You can make multiple dishes using farali flour, such as farali aloo khichdi and farali pattice.
13.Kaddu Ki Sabzi
It is one of the foods that break your fast on Sivaratri. People make it using pumpkin, and adding some spices. It is famous in North India. The spices give an amazing aroma to the dish.
14.Sabudana Khichdi
Khichdi is a famous dish among Indians. This sabudana khichdi made with sago or tapioca pearl is an excellent way to break your fasting. It is a nourishing meal. You can add various herbs to make it more healthy yet tasty.
15.Carrot Bottle Guard Juice
During Mahasivaratri people eat food made using vegetables and fruits. This carrot and bottle-guard juice gives the energy to continue fasting. The bottle guard cools and the carrot gives vitamin A to your body.
16.Buckwheat Khichdi
Buckwheat is a small grain used for making various healthy and tasty dishes. This buckwheat khichdi is easy to prepare. Everyone loves it during the Navaratri and Mahasivaratri festivals. It is a wholesome meal containing peanuts and vegetables.
17.Yam Pakoda
These crispy and delicious snacks are perfect food during the festival season. Potatoes and peanuts to the purple yam might make it more flavorful. It is called upvas kand aloo pakoda in North India. It is a deep-fried snack to enjoy in the festive evenings.
18.Amaranth Puri
Amaranth seeds or rajgira are packed with nutrients. You can make puffy bread using amaranth flour. These are deep-fried breakfasts. They are one of the main vrat foods in India. These delicious puris are easy to make.
19.Water Chestnut Halwa
It is one of the Indian sweets to eat during fasting. You can add ghee to give richness to the sweet. In India, water chestnut is called singhara. It has various medicinal values. This singhare atta ka halwa is a famous vrat recipe among North Indians.
20.Bottle Gourd Kheer
Grated bottle gourd, ghee, and sugar are the main ingredients. Bottle Gourd Kheer or lauki kheer is an easy Indian-made dessert. You can add cardamom to make it flavorful. It is a creamy dessert or pudding served during festivals in India.