BENGALURU: The auspicious festival of Navratri is a time of religious reflection and fasting for many people, while it’s also an occasion for celebrations and feasting for others. The nine days during which Goddess Durga is worshipped, the food is vegetarian and made with pure ingredients such as rock salt, tapioca pearls, water chestnut flour and root vegetables.
During this auspicious time, Courtyard Bengaluru Outer Ring Road is offering a sattvic bhojan at the MoMo Café. Foods like Farali Dhokla, Farali Wada, Kacche Kele ke Vada, Singhara Puri, Thepla, Samake Chawal, and Sabudana Khichdi will form a part of the Navratribhojan.
These delicious dishes will be accompanied with natural thirst quenchers like tender coconut water, masala buttermilk, and desserts such as Basundi and Lauki Halwa. Glass Kitchen & Bar at the Holiday Inn Bengaluru Racecourse has planned a sattvic menu to celebrate the ethnic delicacies and forgotten recipes curated by the hotel’s master chefs.
Available across nine days, some of the specials in the thali will include Sabudana Khichdi, Sabudana Kheer, Kuttu Atta ki Poori, Phool Makhana, Singhare Atte ka Halwa and more. The most delectable vegan food is served at Vegan Vogue in Indiranagar and their Navratri Vrat Aahar features veganised versions of favourites from the festive seasons fasting menus.
For appetisers, there is Sabudana Vada and Roasted Phool Makhana and, for mains, head chef Chidananda will present Kuttu Atta ki Puri, Matar Kachori with Aloo Dum, Bengali Basanti Pulao and Vrat ke Chawal Pulao. This special plant-based meal can be topped with two delicious desserts – Sabudana Kheer and Singhara Atta ka Halwa.
This Navratri, Khandani Rajdhani is offering a traditional special vrat thali which packs in all the goodness of the Navratras in one meal. Available across all outlets, the thali will include delicious sattvic vrat foods made from simple and healthy ingredients thoughtfully curated by corporate chef Maharaj Bhawar Singh.
Some of the mouthwatering dishes to savour are the Sabudana Vada, Farali Pattice, Fruit Shrikhand and Sabudana Kheer. A few vegetarian specials for the festival will be included in the Sunday brunch at Angsana Oasis Resort & Spa Bengaluru, while all four of NH8 restaurant locations in Bengaluru will serve a special thali during Navratri.
ASLAM GAFOOR
(The writer is a Bengaluru-based hospitality professional, food lover and travel enthusiast)