Sharad Navratri 2026 · 11–19 October

    The only snack that survives all 9 days of Navratri

    Makhana is grain-free, sendha-namak friendly, and genuinely filling. Here is how to stock, roast and eat it through Navratri without running to the market on day five.

    Stock makhana for NavratriView raw makhana

    Why makhana wins during Navratri

    Navratri vrat rules out grains, regular salt and most packaged snacks. That leaves very few foods that are actually satisfying. Makhana is one of them.

    • Grain-free and falahari — fits vrat rules across North and West India
    • High protein and low glycemic — keeps energy steady through long puja days
    • Roasts in 5 minutes with ghee and sendha namak
    • Stays crisp for days when stored airtight

    Stocking plan for 9 days

    1 person500g raw or 250g roasted
    Family of 41.5 – 2kg raw or 750g roasted
    With prasad / kheerAdd 250g extra raw makhana

    Tip: Mid-Navratri restocking is when most people end up buying adulterated or old makhana. Stock once, stock right.

    3 vrat-safe ways to eat makhana

    Simple recipes that use only vrat-allowed ingredients: ghee, sendha namak, milk, elaichi and dry fruits.

    Ghee-roasted vrat makhana

    5 min

    Roast raw makhana in 1 tsp A2 ghee. Add sendha namak and black pepper. Store in an airtight jar.

    Makhana kheer

    20 min

    Roast 30g makhana in ghee. Simmer in milk with elaichi and jaggery or dry fruits. Classic prasad.

    Makhana chaat

    3 min

    Mix roasted makhana with boiled potato cubes, sendha namak, lemon and roasted cumin. Light evening snack.

    Choose your Navratri makhana

    Raw Mithila Makhana

    Best if you want to roast fresh every morning with your own ghee and sendha namak. GI-tagged, 5-suta grade, directly from the Mithila belt.

    View raw makhana

    Roasted Ghee Makhana

    Ready-to-eat, roasted in A2 ghee with sendha namak. Keep a jar at work, in the car and on the puja table. Saves time on busy vrat days.

    View roasted makhana

    What NOT to eat during Navratri vrat

    Regular grains

    Wheat, rice, oats and most millets are avoided in the grain-free vrat.

    Table salt

    Sendha namak (rock salt) is used instead of regular iodised salt.

    Sattu

    Roasted Bengal gram is not falahari. Save it for Chhath Puja and Sankranti.

    Packaged snacks

    Many "vrat" snacks use palm oil and hidden flours. Read labels carefully.

    Stock once. Fast clean for 9 days.

    Message Muskan with your family size and we will recommend the right raw or roasted makhana stock for Navratri.

    Stock makhana for Navratri