Janmashtami 2020: What can you eat on Janmashtami fast?

Krishna Janmashtami is observed to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth ‘avatar’ of Lord Vishnu. He was born on the eighth day (Ashtami) in the pious month of Shravana. Janmashtami 2020 will be celebrated on August 11. The devotees celebrate this day with a lot of enthusiasm every year, by holding a day-long fast, offering prayers and making sweet delicacies for Lord Krishna. If you are planning to observe a Janmashtami fast, here is what you can eat on this day-

This list contains the main vegetables, spices, flours, fruits etc. that are permitted to be consumed during Janmashtami fasting. However, it may vary according to particular traditions followed by the family. It is recommended to consult with family elders before having any food item from this list.

You should avoid flours such as wheat and rice flour. But, you can make recipes with buckwheat flour (kuttu), amaranth flour (rajgiri atta), water chestnut flour (singhoda atta), samu, barnyard millet (varai), tapioca pearls (sabudana) or arrowroot (ararot). Dishes such as sabudana vada, sabudana khichdi, kuttu ka paratha etc. are made across the country on Janmashtami for lunch.

You can have some permitted vegetables during your fast such as potato (aloo), colocasia (arbi), sweet potato (shakarkandi), yam (jimikand), raw banana, bottle gourd (lauki), yellow pumpkin (kaddu), raw papaya (papita), cucumber (kheera), lemon (nimbu), green chilli (hari mirch), ginger (adrak) and coriander (dhaniya). Dishes like kattu aloo pakode, jeera aloo, ajwain arbi sabzi etc. are simple and tasty dishes that you can enjoy during your Janmashtami fast.

Consumption of dairy products is not restricted on Janmashtami. Hence, you can have milk, paneer, yoghurt, khoya, malai, cream, ghee, butter, lassi etc. That is why sweet dishes made with dairy products like makhana kheer, lauki ka halwa, sabudana kheer etc. are relished across the country on this day.

Although it is suggested that your food on Janmashtami should not be spicy or pungent, there are a few simple spices you can use to add flavour to your food. Rock salt (sendha namak), mango powder (amchoor), pepper powder (kali mirch), coriander seeds (dhaniya), cumin seeds (jeera), carom seeds (ajwain), asafoetida (hing) and cloves (laung) can be used in your preparations for the day. You can make masala sabudana khichdi or dhaniya panjiri on this day using the permitted spices.

You can have any and as many fruits as you like during your Janmashtami fast. No matter if they are sweet or sour, raw or ripe, you can have them. Sweets made with khoya, paneer, milk, nuts etc., are allowed on this day. For example, sweet desserts made with fruits or permitted vegetables mixed with dairy items such as sweet potato kheer, doodhi halwa, potato halwa etc. can be enjoyed.

Although you can use any cooking oil in controlled quantity when cooking your food on Janmashtami, it is recommended to use sunflower or peanut oil instead of any other vegetable refined oils. Try to keep your foods during Janmashtami fasting as simple and light as possible.

Devotees start the fast by only having one meal a day prior to the event. They only break the fast at midnight of Ashtami, which is the time when Lord Krishna was born. Throughout the day, the devotees do not consume grains and cereals. They only eat meals consisting of milk, water and fruits. People who can observe a strict fast choose to hold a ‘Nirjala’ fast, which translates to ‘starvation’. Devotees do not consume a single drop of water throughout the day until the fast is broken at midnight after completing all rituals. However, most people choose to observe a simple fast where they consume dishes made with permitted food items.

Happy Janmashtami 2020!