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Navratra fasting, a style statement now

Navratra fasting, a style statement now

Author: S Shanthi
Publication: The Times of India
Date: September 22, 2006
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2015628.cms

Shanu Sharma, a 14-year-old school student, is all set to have a gala time this Navratra. She is planning to go for fasting all nine days.

Ask her why she wants to starve herself, she says, "Fasting is cool and you don't need to starve. In fact, you get to eat yummy food."

Fasting during Navratra is fast emerging as a style statement. And why not, when the city's restaurants are coming up with special delicious offers and a whole range of Navratra food items?

Enter any lane in the city, you can find posters and banners on special Navratra offers, displayed in a way that even a non-faster will decide to fast.

"Navratra is no longer about eating fruit diet or gulping just a glass of milk. It's about eating sumptuous food," says a shopkeeper at Pandara Road in central Delhi.

The traditional dal roti diet is being replaced by saboodaba namkeen , cold drinks and special potato chips.

"Navratra food is relished by even those who don't fast. In fact, the sales of Navratra food have gone up a lot over the past few years," says Sandeep Madan, general manager, Nirula's.

Nirula's has come up with a special range of thalis priced at Rs 95 for each of the nine auspicious days.

These thalis offer a combination of old favourites such as paneer makhani , aloo dahi curry, rice kheer and some new inclusions such as the kashiphal and paneer kofta , arbi curry and phool makhana kheer .

Such special offers have come as a blessing for working women, who don't get time to make such food at home. "After a tiring day at office, I don't feel like making special food. During Navratra we go out and have food," says Priyanka Wadhwa, a resident of IP extension. "Though I don't fast, I love to eat the Navratra food. So, I take my family to a restaurant," adds her husband Rahul.

Five-star hotels also come up with interesting menu every year. "We have lined up an array of items, including samwat ke chawal ka dhokla , khasta kachori singare ke atte ki , saboodana vada , Gujrati kadi , chirongi ki daal , kutoo ke parathe , saboodane ki khichdree , kutoo ki dahi ki pakodi , narial ki chutney and singare ka halwa ," says Jagdeep, chef, The Grand. The price ranges from Rs 850 to Rs 1,050.

If you don't want to strain yourself going to restaurants, you can simply visit your neighbourhood grocery shops and munch on those packets of special potato chips.

You can even go for special chaats available at markets like Chandni Chowk and Bengali Market, ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 60.


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