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6 Days, 6 Navratri Snack Ideas for Air Fryer, Guilt-Free Festive Indulgence Begins Here

This Navratri, step up your snacking game with 6 tasty, air-fried snack options that are light, healthy, and vrat-friendly.

Navratri is a period of spiritual introspection, colorful revelry, and let's face it, delicious food. But festive foods need not be sinful.

This Navratri, step up your snacking game with 6 tasty, air-fried snack options that are light, healthy, and vrat-friendly. Whether fasting or just wanting to eat clean for the festival, these options will keep you happy on the taste buds and on track for your health goals.

Day 1: Air-Fried Sweet Potato Fries

Begin the festival with Sweet Potato Fries. Simply toss them in a small amount of sendha namak (rock salt) and some cold-pressed oil or ghee. Air- fry until golden brown and crispy.
Why it works: Sweet potatoes are chock-full of fiber and antioxidants, and these fries achieve the perfect sweet-salty flavor without the deep-fried heaviness.

Day 2: Sabudana & Peanut Tikkis

Mix soaked sabudana (sago pearls), mashed potatoes, roasted peanuts, and mild spices. Make small patties and air fry until golden brown.
Why it works: Sabudana gives energy, peanuts give crunch and protein, and air fryer provides that perfect crispy texture without oil excess.

Day 3: Kuttu Flour Crackers

Prepare a plain dough from buckwheat (kuttu) flour, sendha namak, carom seeds (ajwain), and a little water. Roll thin, cut into small crackers, and air fry until crispy.
Why it works: Kuttu flour is gluten-free, high in fiber, and ideal for fasting days. These crackers are a great tea-time snack.

Day 4: Tandoori Soya Chaap Bites

Cut Ready-to-Eat Tandoori Soya Chaap (400g) into bite-sized pieces, brush with a thin layer of ghee, and put in the air fryer. Offer with a coriander-mint chutney or a zesty vrat-approved dip.
Why it works: These are protein-filbeat, filling, and bursting with that smoky tandoori taste without the mess or the time waiting for marination.

Day 5: Air-Fried Banana Chips

Thinly chop raw bananas, toss with a light coating of coconut oil or ghee, add a sprinkle of sendha namak, and air fry until crispy.
Why it works: Classic banana chips are deep-fried, but this air-fried alternative is equally delicious and so much lighter and they remain crunchy for days.

Day 6: Makhana (Foxnut) Chaat

Air fry makhana with a pinch of ghee until crispy. Let them cool and combine with cubed boiled potatoes, cucumber, curd (yogurt), and mint chutney for a cool vrat-friendly chaat.
Why it works: Makhana has negligible calories but good protein and calcium content. The chaat-like presentation gives it an indulgent feel, though it's totally clean.

Guilt-Free Doesn't Mean Flavor-Free. These 6 air fryer snacks are evidence that Navratri food can be healthy, celebratory, and flavorful all at once. With a few clever substitutions and appliances such as the air fryer, you can indulge in your favorite traditional flavors without going crazy on deep-fried indulgences.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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