Ekadashi Recipes: Sabudana Khichdi, Samak Pulao and Phalahar Dishes
A practical, tradition-aware guide to Ekadashi fasting food: sabudana khichdi, samak (barnyard millet) pulao, rajgira preparations, and simple fruit and potato dishes — with clear notes on which sampradaya permits which ingredients.
A practical, tradition-aware guide to Ekadashi fasting food: sabudana khichdi, samak (barnyard millet) pulao, rajgira preparations, and simple fruit and potato dishes — with clear notes on which sampradaya permits which ingredients.
Quick answer: Popular Ekadashi phalahar recipes include sabudana (tapioca) khichdi, samak (barnyard millet) pulao, rajgira roti or ladoo, and simple fruit and boiled-potato dishes. Most use non-grain flours, sendha namak (rock salt) and permitted vegetables. Rules vary by tradition and family, so confirm what your sampradaya allows before cooking.
Ekadashi is observed twice each lunar month by many Vaishnava and Smarta households, and a large part of the day is shaped by what is eaten — or deliberately not eaten. This guide gathers the most common phalahar (fasting-food) recipes: sabudana khichdi, samak pulao, rajgira dishes, and simple fruit and potato preparations. The aim is practical cooking, with honest notes on where traditions differ, so you can adapt everything to your own family custom rather than treating any single list as universal.
There is no one Ekadashi menu. Some observe nirjala (no food or water), some take only fruit and milk, and some eat a single phalahar meal built from permitted ingredients. The recipes below assume the last case. Before you begin, it helps to know your sampradaya's rules and to break the fast correctly the next morning — see our detailed note on the parana window, which is always computed from your own local sunrise on Dwadashi.
- Meal type: Phalahar (fasting) — vegetarian, grain-free
- Common base: Sabudana, samak, rajgira, potato, fruit
- Salt used: Sendha namak (rock salt) in most traditions
- Avoided by most: Rice, wheat, lentils, onion, garlic, common table salt
- Best eaten: Once or twice as light meals; some fast fully
- Confirm first: Your family/sampradaya's exact permitted list
Which ingredients different traditions permit
The single biggest source of confusion on Ekadashi is the ingredient list, because it genuinely varies by region, sampradaya and family. What one household treats as pure phalahar, another avoids entirely. The table below shows broad tendencies only — treat it as a starting point and defer to your own elders or a trusted local panchang, all of which are equally valid.
| Ingredient | Commonly allowed | Often avoided | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabudana (tapioca) | Yes, widely | Rarely | Staple of many phalahar plates |
| Samak / barnyard millet | Yes | Some strict Vaishnavas | Treated as a fruit-grain, not true cereal |
| Rajgira / amaranth | Yes | Rarely | Used as flour for roti, ladoo, puri |
| Kuttu / buckwheat | Yes (North India) | Some southern homes | Very common for fasting puri and pakora |
| Potato, sweet potato | Yes | Rarely | Boiled or roasted, lightly spiced |
| Rock salt (sendha) | Yes | — | Standard fasting salt in most traditions |
| Onion & garlic | No | — | Avoided across almost all fasting customs |
Sabudana Khichdi
Sabudana khichdi is the best-known Ekadashi dish across much of India. The trick is soaking: get it right and the pearls turn soft and separate; get it wrong and they clump. Plan the soak several hours ahead, ideally the night before.
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Sabudana (tapioca pearls) | 1 cup |
| Raw peanuts, roasted & crushed | 1/3 cup |
| Potato, boiled and cubed | 1 medium |
| Cumin seeds (jeera) | 1 tsp |
| Green chilli, chopped | 1-2 |
| Ghee | 2 tbsp |
| Sendha namak (rock salt) | to taste |
| Sugar & lemon juice | 1 tsp / to taste |
| Fresh coriander | to garnish |
- Rinse the sabudana in water two or three times, then soak in just enough water to cover it by a finger-width. Leave 4-6 hours or overnight until each pearl is soft and squashes easily.
- Drain any excess water and fluff the pearls; mix in the crushed roasted peanuts and rock salt so they coat evenly.
- Heat ghee in a wide pan, add cumin seeds and green chilli, and let them crackle.
- Add the boiled potato cubes and toss for a minute.
- Add the sabudana mixture and stir gently on low heat until the pearls turn translucent — do not overcook or they harden.
- Finish with a little sugar and lemon juice, garnish with coriander, and serve warm.
Samak (Barnyard Millet) Pulao
Samak, also called barnyard millet or moraiyo, cooks much like rice and gives a satisfying, savoury plate. Many families treat it as the fasting-day equivalent of a rice meal. It pairs well with a simple potato-and-peanut side or plain fasting curd.
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Samak (barnyard millet) | 1 cup |
| Water | 2 cups |
| Potato, cubed | 1 small |
| Cumin seeds | 1 tsp |
| Green chilli & ginger | to taste |
| Ghee | 1 tbsp |
| Sendha namak | to taste |
| Roasted peanuts | 2 tbsp |
- Rinse the samak well and soak for 15-20 minutes, then drain.
- Heat ghee, add cumin, ginger and green chilli, and let them sizzle.
- Add the cubed potato and sauté for two minutes.
- Add the drained samak and roasted peanuts, stir for a minute to coat in ghee.
- Pour in the water, add rock salt, cover and cook on low heat until the water is absorbed and the millet is fluffy, about 12-15 minutes.
- Rest covered for five minutes, fluff gently and serve.
Rajgira and Kuttu Dishes
Rajgira (amaranth) and kuttu (buckwheat) are the go-to fasting flours in North Indian homes. Rajgira makes soft rotis and a popular ladoo, while kuttu is used for puri and pakora. Because these flours have no gluten, dough is bound with boiled mashed potato and warm water, and rolled between two sheets or by hand rather than dusted with wheat flour.
- Rajgira roti — knead rajgira flour with mashed boiled potato, rock salt and warm water into a soft dough; pat into rounds and cook on a hot tawa with a little ghee.Rajgira ladoo — melt jaggery to a soft-ball consistency, fold in puffed rajgira (amaranth pops), press into small balls while warm.Kuttu puri — bind kuttu flour with mashed potato and rock salt, roll small discs, deep-fry in ghee until puffed.Kuttu pakora — make a batter of kuttu flour, rock salt and chopped potato or spinach; drop spoonfuls into hot ghee and fry until crisp.
Simple Fruit and Potato Preparations
When you want something quick, or your tradition keeps to lighter fare, fruit and potato dishes cover the day comfortably. A boiled-potato sabzi seasoned only with cumin, green chilli and rock salt is a classic; so is a fresh fruit chaat dressed with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of rock salt. Roasted sweet potato with a little ghee and black pepper is another gentle option, and plain fasting curd or a glass of milk rounds out the meal.
Keep spices minimal and skip turmeric, asafoetida (hing), mustard, onion and garlic unless your family specifically permits them — restraint is part of the observance, not a shortcoming of the food. Cook fresh, keep portions modest, and let the day feel light rather than elaborate.
A Note on Fasting and Health
Fasting on Ekadashi is a devotional choice, not a diet or a weight-loss practice, and the food here is offered simply as tradition. If you are pregnant or nursing, elderly, unwell, or living with any medical condition such as diabetes, please consult a doctor first — and know that you need not fast at all. Devotion is not measured by hunger, and staying well is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the day.
Related reading
- linkEkadashi dates 2026https://hindutone.com/festivals/ekadashi-dates-2026/
- linkEkadashi food listhttps://hindutone.com/festivals/ekadashi-food-list/
- linkEkadashi parana time explainedhttps://hindutone.com/festivals/ekadashi-parana-time-explained/
- linkAja Ekadashi 2026https://hindutone.com/festivals/aja-ekadashi-2026/
- linkBhadrapada Masam 2026https://hindutone.com/festivals/bhadrapada-masam-2026/
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sabudana allowed on Ekadashi?
In most fasting traditions, yes — sabudana (tapioca) is a common phalahar staple and is not a cereal grain. A few strict households limit even this, so confirm your own family or sampradaya custom, all of which are equally valid.
Can I eat samak or barnyard millet while fasting?
Many families permit samak, treating it as a fruit-grain rather than a true cereal, and use it like rice for pulao or kheer. Some strict Vaishnavas avoid it. Follow your tradition's permitted list.
Why is rock salt used instead of regular salt?
Most fasting customs replace common table salt with sendha namak (rock salt), considered the appropriate salt for vrat food. If your family uses only rock salt on Ekadashi, keep to that in every recipe here.
Which flours are used for Ekadashi rotis?
Rajgira (amaranth) and kuttu (buckwheat) are the usual grain-free flours. Because they lack gluten, the dough is bound with mashed boiled potato and warm water rather than wheat flour.
Can I use onion and garlic in fasting recipes?
Onion and garlic are avoided in almost all Ekadashi fasting customs. The recipes here are built without them, relying on cumin, green chilli, ginger and rock salt for flavour.
Do I have to eat these dishes, or can I fast fully?
Ekadashi observance ranges from nirjala (no food or water) to a single phalahar meal. These recipes suit those who take one or two light meals; if your tradition is a full fast, that is equally valid.
When can I break the Ekadashi fast?
The fast is broken during parana on Dwadashi, a window computed from your own local sunrise. Do not rely on a printed clock time — confirm the parana window from a trusted local panchang.
Are these recipes safe if I have a medical condition?
Fasting is a devotional choice, not a health regimen. If you are pregnant, nursing, elderly, unwell or managing a condition like diabetes, consult a doctor first, and remember you need not fast at all.