Navaratri is the time of the year to shift from taamsik diet to saatvik diet like kuttu ka prantha, singhada chilla and samak pulao. It is a way to honour Goddess Durga. If you want to cook some food that is light on stomach and high in energy, samak pulao is the best choice. You can add many healthy vegetables which are permitted to be eaten during this fasting period to this pulao. Here is the recipe of this vrat pulao which includes some healthy vegetables like bottle gourd and tomatoes.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Samak rice (barnyard millet): 1 cup

Bottle gourd: 250 grams

Potato: 1 (medium)

Tomato: 3 (medium)

Green chillies: 4

Coriander leaves: 1 cup

Pure ghee: 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Black pepper powder: ½ tsp

Lemon juice: 2 tbsp

Curry leaves: 10

Method

Wash samak rice thoroughly and soak them in water for 15 minutes. Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add cumin seeds. When they start to crackle, add curry leaves. When curry leaves get roasted, add finely chopped tomatoes and green chillies. Cook tomatoes on medium-low flame until tender. Cut potato and bottle gourd in small cubes. Add them to the cooked tomatoes. Add salt and black pepper powder.

Pour two and a half cups of water into the pan. When a boil comes on high flame, add soaked samak rice after draining the water in which it was soaked. Add lemon juice. Give a good stir and cover the pan. Cook the veg samak rice on low flame for 20-25 minutes or until cooked and water gets absorbed completely by the rice. Turn off the flame.

Let the pan remain covered for 10 more minutes after turning off the flame. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with fresh yogurt and green coriander-mint vrat chutney.

You can add carrots and green peas also to this pulao recipe if these vegetables are permitted in your family to be eaten during Navaratri fasting.
This simple recipe will add on to the festive spirit. This is a very easy and simple recipe.

Make this vrat pulao just before you want to eat or serve. It tastes best when eaten fresh and hot. On cooling, it becomes dry and does not taste good.
This dish is a powerhouse of energy and nutrition.