By Nimakshi Chanotra

Copyright republicworld

Navratri is the most auspicious and vibrant festival celebrated in Hinduism. During the festival, devotees worship the divine feminine energy, Goddess Durga and her nine forms, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.This year, Navratri will begin from Monday, September 22, 2025, to Thursday, October 2, 2025. The nine-day festival sees most of us either observing fast or following a saatvik diet. The diet includes light, nutritious foods, and makhana is one of the most popular foods people have during this festival.This milky dessert with the goodness of makhanas and dry fruits is ideal for your festive spread. To make this dish, first fry makhana in ghee, then mix it into milk on a low flame for 5-10 minutes. Add grated coconut, dry fruits and serve.Make vrat-special tikki with makhanas, boiled potatoes, sendha namak, and other ingredients of your choice. To make this tikki, you’ll have to soak the makhana for a couple of hours until it turns mushy, which can be included in the tikki mix.Add roasted peanuts, cashews, pistachios, raisins and coconut shavings and mix everything with salt, pepper and amchur powder, and you’ll get a flavourful namkeen snack that you can munch on whenever hunger strikes.This is a simple dish made by cooking tomatoes with your spices and then adding boiled potatoes and makhanas, and some water for gravy. This can be within 5 minutes.READ MORE: Eating Right With Nature’s Clock: The Ayurvedic Way To A Balanced NutritionSimply grind some makhanas in a mixer, then add them to your barfi mix. Makhanas with besan, pistachios, cardamom powder, ghee and sugar make for a great sweet that you’ll love to have in your Navratri feast.