The season of festivals has arrived.  Everyone around the country is now eagerly awaiting for these auspicious occasions. Especially in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, people relate to Navratri for the celebrations of Garba and Dandiya.

All about Navratri

Navratri is a 9 night festival that is celebrated at the end of the monsoon. It is a time of prayer, celebration and fasting. With the limited food options available during this festival, there are many kinds of foods that are consumed during this time. Actually there are four festivals of Navratri celebrated across the year for different reasons. However, the Sharada Navratri celebrated in September-October is the one which is most popular.

For many young people, Navratri is a time to have some lip-smacking food that is specially prepared for this occasion. This includes sweets and savory snacks that are consumed. Let us see some of the most popular snacks had during Navratri and a little more about them.

Samosa

Though this is widely considered an Indian delicacy, the truth is that the samosa was introduced to India through traders in the Middle East. Samosas became popular gradually in the 13^th and 14^th centuries. Over time, the recipe for the samosa has changed. Initially it was made with a meat filling, gradually came the spiced potato filling to respect the sensitivities of the Indian palette.

Now, every region has a different recipe for the samosa. In Punjab, you can get a large sized samosa while the ones in the South are relatively smaller and come with a variety of fillings. Navratri is the best time to taste this yummy snack during breaks of DandiyaRaas.

Ragda Pattice

Though much is not known of this dish, Ragda Pattice is one of Western India’s most famous street food dishes. It consists of two components- the ragda which is a mildly spiced gravy of dried white peas which is served with a pattice( a localized term which originally meant patties) of spiced potatoes which are pan fried.

In cities like Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad and Pune, you can pretty much find this dish at every location.This is a tangy, salty and crunchy dish that is relished by all.

Veg Paneer Puff

Puff pastries are an English import to India. During colonial times, the British bought us the puff, a common snack back in the UK. There, the puff had a meat filling, which was the norm for the British.

The Puff pastry can be anything-sweet or savory. Here in India, people created the Veg Paneer puff to match the sensitivities of the vegetarians.  The Veg Paneer puff has become widely popular- being available at most bakeries and served as a snack during important events.