Ekadashi Fasting Food | Ekadashi Vrat Food

Ekadashi Fasting Food

Devotees can decide the type of Ekadashi fasting during Sankalp according to their will power and physical strength. In religious texts four types of Ekadashi fasting has been mentioned.

1. Jalahar (जलाहर) i.e. Ekadashi fasting with only water. Most devotees observer this fasting during Nirjala Ekadashi. However devotees can observe it on all Ekadashi fasting.

2. Ksheerbhoji (क्षीरभोजी) i.e. Ekadashi fasting on Ksheer. Ksheer refers to milk and milky juice of plants. But in Ekadashi context it should be all products made of milk.

3. Phalahari (फलाहारी) i.e. Ekadashi fasting on fruits only. One should consume only high class of fruits like mango, grapes, banana, almond, and pistachios etc. and should not eat leafy vegetables.

4. Naktabhoji (नक्तभोजी) i.e. having single meal in a day just before sunset. Single meal should not have any variety of grains and cereals including beans, wheat, rice and pulses which are forbidden during Ekadashi fasting.

Staple diet for Naktabhoji during Ekadashi fasting includes Sabudana, Singhada (Water caltrop and also known as Chestnut), Shakarkandi, Potatoes and Groundnuts.

For many Kuttu Atta (BuckWheat Flour) and Samak (Millet Rice) is also staple diet during single Ekadashi meal. However validity of both items as Ekadashi food is debatable as those are considered semi-grains or pseudo grains. It is better to avoid these items during fasting.

Fasting is a form of penance and not a day of festivity. One should eat frugally during fast so that one can perform daily duties without any disruption. Drik Panchang has created list of food items which have become part of daily diet of most Indians.

General advice has been given without any strict yes and no. It is up to the individual to decide based on his or her devotion towards Lord Vishnu.

1. Can I drink Coffee or Black Coffee during Ekadashi fast?

Coffee beans are not grains. They are seeds of the coffee fruit, often called a coffee cherry, and are part of a fruit, not a grain. However, coffee are beans, and all sorts of beans are prohibited during fasting.

Hence, without going into debate whether coffee is dry fruit or bean, it should be better avoided during fasting. On similar lines, milk coffee is also avoided during fasting.

As coffee, which is mostly categorized as bean, has high percentage of caffeine and addictive, a true devotee of Lord Vishnu should avoid coffee during fasting.

2. Can I drink Cocoa Powder during Ekadashi fast?

Like coffee beans, cocoa beans are not a grain. They are the seeds of the fruit and not a legume or grain. However, cocoa are beans, and all sorts of beans are prohibited during fasting.

Hence, without going into debate whether cocoa is dry fruit or bean, it should be better avoided during fasting.

As Cocoa, which is mostly categorized as bean, has caffeine and addictive, a true devotee of Lord Vishnu should avoid cocoa powder during fasting.

3. Can I eat Chocolate, which is mainly made of Cocoa powder, milk, sugar and nuts?

As Cocoa beans are prohibited during Ekadashi fast, all sorts of chocolate are also prohibited during fasting.

4. Can I drink Milk Tea or Black Tea during Ekadashi fast?

As tea is dried leaves of a plant, and is generally consider a shrub, it should be permissible during Ekadashi fasting. As, tea shrub was introduced to Hindu society by British invaders, it has no reference in religious books.

As tea has caffeine, which is addictive, should be avoided during the fast.

If a day without tea gives you severe headache or migraine, then please go for it as it will not break your fast. Taking a tea is better than popping headache pills like Disprin, Crocin or Combiflam during the fast.

5. Can I eat Cottage Cheese i.e. Indian Paneer during Ekadashi fast?

A knowledgeable devotee of Lord Vishnu would not consume Paneer, during the Ekadashi fast, even if milk derivatives are generally allowed during Ekadashi fast and as per the definition of "milk derivatives" Paneer would pass the test.

Paneer is deformed form of milk and deforming Gaurasa i.e. liquid of cow, to create Paneer creates Dosha. Astrologically, Ketu keeps enmity with Moon. When a single drop of lemon (Ketu) pours into Milk (Moon), it spills and turn into Paneer.

Similarly, all sweets made of Chhena (छेना) e.g. Bengali Rasgulla, Khiramohan, Angoori Ras Malai are also not consumed during Ekadashi fast as Chhena is also a type of Paneer. In Braj region, especially Vaishnav in Mathura and Vrindavan avoid Chhena sweets during the fast.

However, cow milk and other derivatives from cow milk like, Dahi i.e. curd, yogurt, buttermilk, Mawa i.e. Khoa, butter, Ghee can be consumed during the Ekadashi fast.

6. Can I drink Buffalo milk or Goat milk during Ekadashi fast?

Ideally, one should consume only cow milk. Buffalo and goat milk should be avoided during Ekadashi fast.

7. Can I take my regular Allopathy Pills on the day of Ekadashi?

If you are on medicine, then please consult your doctor before you do Ekadashi fast. Make sure tablets you take are vegetarian. Not all allopathic tablets are vegetarian. Some may contain animal-derived ingredients like Gelatin, Glycerin etc.

8. Can I take my daily Vitamin Supplements on the day of Ekadashi?

Even if your vitamin supplements are labelled as vegetarian, you should avoid taking them on the day of fasting. Your daily Omega-3 supplements even derived from vegetarian sources like flaxseed should be avoided during the fast.

Flaxseed, like sesame seeds, are not allowed during the fast.

9. Can I eat Chyawanprash on the day of Ekadashi?

Chyawanprash, is an Ayurvedic health supplement, does not primarily contain grains or legumes, but rather a blend of herbs, spices, and other ingredients like Amla, Ghee and honey. As, Chyawanprash is prepared with over 40 ingredients, one or another ingredient might be prohibited or debatable during Ekadashi fast, it is better to avoid it during the fast. E.g. if it has sesame oil extract then it might spoil the fast.

10. Can I add fresh Green Peas in my Ekadashi food recipe?

Green Peas are legumes and prohibited during Ekadashi fast. There are no two opinions on green peas, all sorts of green peas either freshly peeled or frozen one is not allowed during Ekadashi fast.

11. Can I drink Rooh Afza milk shake during Ekadashi fast?

Here's a detailed breakdown of the Rooh Afza ingredients:

• Sugar: The primary sweetening agent.
• Distillate of Fragrant Screw Pine: Contributes to the unique aroma and flavor.
• Distillate of Rose: Adds a floral note to the syrup.
• Citric Acid: Used for flavour and as a preservative.
• F.D & C Red 40: A food colouring that gives Rooh Afza its characteristic red hue.
• Sodium Benzoate: Acts as a preservative to extend shelf life.
• Xanthan Gum: Used as a stabilizer and thickener.
• Aqua Distillate: Water.

As, it is full of Citric Acid, Artificial food colours, chemical, stabilizer, etc. It is better to be natural and avoid any complex concoction of ingredients like Rooh Afza during Ekadashi fasting.