Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami is celebrated all over India as the birth of Bhagwan Krishna. This year Janmashtami is on 30 Aug, 2021. Here I share 55 recipes that consist of sweets, snacks and fasting recipes that you can make for the Janmashtami festival. Most of these recipes are from the North Indian and Western Indian cuisine.
About Janmashtami
Janmanshtami is also known as Gokulashtami or Sri Krishna Jayanthi and is celebrated with great fervour all over India.
Though each region or state celebrates the festival differently. Example: In the state of Maharashtra dahi handi is played and is very popular. Whereas in some parts of North India, devotees show images of Krishna’s childhood which are placed in swings and cradles outside their homes.
Most of the temples are decorated and people visit the temples till late midnight as this is the time Krishna was supposed to be born. Places which are associated with Krishna’s childhood like Mathura, Gokul and Vrindavan are visited by many devotees.
Some families make a variety of sweets and offer to their Krishna in their home temples. Later these sweets are distributed as prasad with the family members and friends.
In North India many Hindus keep fast on this day and in this post, I am sharing fasting recipes for Janmashtami, in case you are also planning to do fast on this holy day. Fruits, dairy products and only some vegetables and herbs are eaten during the fasting period.
I list below only the grains and flour that we use during the Hindu religious fasting.
Flours and grains for Janmashtami fasting
- Water chestnut flour (singhare ka atta)
- Buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta)
- Amaranth flour (rajgira ka atta) and amaranth seeds (rajgira or ramdana)
- Barnyard millet flour (sama ke chawal ka atta) and barnyard millet (sama chawal or vrat ke chawal)
- Arrowroot flour
- Tapioca pearls (sabudana) or tapioca flour
We use edible rock salt (sendha namak) instead of normal salt. In some of the recipes listed below, replace edible rock salt with regular salt.
All the rules which applies for Navratri Fasting applies to the recipes that you make for the Janmashtami fasting. Kindly follow your family’s rules on the ingredients like spices, herbs, oil etc you include in your fast.
Janmashtami Recipes For Fasting
In this section of Janmashtami recipes, you will find dishes that you can eat for a brunch or for a lunch or dinner. Usually some people eat only fruits and some just have one meal a day. Some of these dishes keep you full for some hours and this is the reason they are included as a part of the fasting diet.
Take into account your health, age and physical constitution when deciding to fast. Consider eating light meals and have plenty of fluids like water or juices.
Khichdi Variations
Moderate
25 mins
Sabudana ki khichdi is a delicious dish of tapioca pearls (sago) made with potatoes, peanuts and usually had during Hindu fasting days like Navratri, Ekadashi, mahashivratri. It is also a gluten free recipe. In this recipe post, you will get many tips and suggestions to make the best non-sticky sabudana khichdi.
1 hr 35 mins
Samvat rice khichdi recipe – savory porridge made with barnyard millet and potatoes.
30 mins
Buckwheat khichdi is easy to prepare khichdi with buckwheat groats (sabut kuttu), potatoes and peanuts for Navratri fasting. Wholesome super food.
Easy Vegetarian Mains
30 mins
Vrat wale aloo or vrat ke aloo recipe – crumbled potato recipe for fasting without onion-garlic.
Moderate
35 mins
Kaddu ki sabji is an easy and delicious vegan pumpkin recipe made with yellow pumpkin, whole spices and herbs. This is a satvik recipe made without onions and garlic.
15 mins
Easy and quick to prepare rajgira kadhi for Navratri fasting or upwas.
45 mins
Vrat ke chawal ka pulao or samvat pulao is a simple and easy pulao made for fasting days.
20 mins
Simple and easy jeera aloo for fasting or Navratri vrat.
25 mins
Shengdanyachi amti recipe – a simple and easy peanut curry for Navratri fasting from the Maharashtrian cuisine.
28 mins
This Dahi aloo for Navratri fasting is a light curry made from potatoes and yogurt
30 mins
Aloo tamatar ki sabzi recipe is easy lightly spiced curry made with potatoes and tomatoes.
40 mins
Aloo palak recipe for fasting or vrat. This is a no onion no garlic spinach potato curry made for Navratri fasts.
Fasting Breads
Moderate
40 mins
Rajgira roti or rajgira paratha is a healthy gluten-free flatbread made with rajgira atta or amaranth flour for Hindu fasting days.
Difficult
50 mins
Singhare ki poori is a delicious Indian fry made with water chestnut flour, mashed potatoes, edible rock salt and a few spices.
50 mins
Rajgira poori or amaranth poori is fried puffed breads made from amaranth flour & boiled mashed potatoes.
30 mins
Kuttu ke atte ki puri are crisp and tasty Indian fry bread made with buckwheat flour for religious fasting or vrat.
Moderate
8 hrs 30 mins
Sabudana thalipeeth are crisp and soft pancakes made with tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes, ground peanuts and spices. They are also called as Upvasache Thalipeeth in Marathi language and can also be referred to as Sabudana roti.
Easy Janmashtami Snacks
Here you will find snacks that are made without onion and garlic. Some of these snacks are easy to make. Some are deep fried or shallow fried, but you can choose to bake or air-fry these snacks.
Moderate
5 hrs 30 mins
Sabudana Vada is a popular savory deep fried snack made during Hindu fasting days, featuring tapioca pearls (sago), potatoes, peanuts and herbs. They are naturally gluten-free and vegan. This fool proof sabudana vada recipe gives you a super delicious crispy vada with a soft and light interior.
9 hrs 10 mins
Vrat ki idli recipe – idli made without rice which you can make for fasting or for regular days too.
Moderate
1 hr
Farali pattice is an easy snack of crispy and tasty patties made with potatoes and stuffed with a sweet filling of coconut, nuts and raisins. This dish is from the Gujarati cuisine that is made during fast or upvas.
30 mins
Aloo chaat recipe – little spicy, tangy and crispy potato chaat.
Easy
5 hrs 20 mins
Sabudana tikki also known as sabudana cutlet are pan-fried thin patties made with tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes and spices. These crispy patties make for a delicious snack that will get over in no time.
4 hrs 15 mins
This sabudana bhel is an easy and quick recipe for religious fasting days. All you need are boiled potatoes, roasted peanuts and cashews.
Easy
8 hrs 20 mins
These Sabudana pakora made for fasting or vrat are crisp, golden fritters made from tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes and roasted crushed peanuts.
Easy
10 mins
Healthy snack made with roasted makhana, phool makhana or foxnuts
30 mins
Crisp, spiced pan fried patties made with raw unripe bananas. Navratri fasting recipe.
40 mins
arbi tikki
Arbi patties recipe is a simple fasting recipe made with colocasia roots.
1 hr
Crisp, fried and tasty spiced arbi recipe.
Easy
30 mins
This Delhi style tasty fruit chaat is spiced, savory, sweet and tangy. Fruit chaat is made of a mix of fresh seasonal fruits and tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Moderate
30 mins
Perfectly salted French Fries that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Make these homemade french fries or finger chips recipe easily with a few techniques and customize it with your favorite herbs and spices or toppings.
30 mins
Vrat ke palak pakore recipe – spinach fritters made during fasting with buckwheat flour and spinach.
40 mins
Kaddu pakora or pumpkin fritters made for fasting or religious vrat.
30 mins
Nylon sabudana chivda recipe – crispy and tasty fasting snack made from nylon sabudana & dry fruits for the Navratri fasts.
Easy
30 mins
Sweet Potato Tikki recipe is a fasting recipe made from sweet potatoes or shakarkandi.
Sides for the Snacks
5 mins
Phalahari chutney recipe is a green chutney made for fasting or vrat with coriander leaves.
Easy
5 mins
Cucumber raita is a popular savory raita dip made with cucumber and curd (yogurt). This simple, refreshing, cooling cucumber raita recipe comes together in 5 minutes.
10 mins
A no onion no garlic coconut chutney made simple and easy with just three ingredients.
Easy
10 mins
The classic Chaas (Chaach/Mattha) also known as the Indian version of buttermilk is a refreshingly cooling summer drink made with creamy yogurt and seasonings. It is an excellent body cooler, digestive and appetizer. Find two easy chaas recipes – Masala Chaas and Pudina Chaas.
Janmashtami Sweets
Sweets especially milk based ones are Bhagwan’s Krishna’s favorites. You can make a variety of sweets and offer to Bhagwan Krishna and later serve this prasad to your family and friends.
I share below, Indian sweets which I have updated on the blog and do not contain cereals or grains that are not consumed during the Hindu fasting.
Easy
15 mins
Shrikhand is a delicious and simple dessert recipe made with thick yogurt flavored with sugar, saffron and cardamom. Get two ways of making shrikhand recipe with hung curd as well as greek yogurt.
Moderate
15 mins
Make coconut ladoo with three recipes. The first one is a quick 3 ingredient recipe made with fresh coconut, milkmaid and cardamom powder. The second recipe has 2 ingredients – desiccated coconut and condensed milk. The third recipe is made with desiccated coconut and sugar.
Moderate
35 mins
Makhane ki kheer is a sweet dessert pudding made with Makhana (foxnuts), milk, ghee, sugar and dry fruits. This is an easy and popular sweet that is often made during Hindu fasting days.
Easy
35 mins
Sabudana kheer is a sweet pudding made with tapioca pearls or sabudana, milk and sugar.
20 mins
Rajgira kheer is a simple easy dessert pudding made with amaranth grains. Navratri recipe.
1 hr 30 mins
vrat ke chawal ki kheer
vrat ke chawal ka kheer – a creamy kheer made with samvat rice or barnyard millet.
Easy
25 mins
Paneer kheer recipe is a quick and easy Indian cottage cheese kheer for the festive season. Ready in less than 25 minutes.
30 mins
Delicious kheer made with bottle gourd or opo squash.
Easy
30 mins
Javvarisi payasam or Saggubiyyam Payasam is a sweet creamy pudding made with sago(tapioca pearls), milk, ghee, sugar, raisins and cashews.
40 mins
shakarkandi halwa recipe – delicious halwa made with boiled mashed sweet potatoes scented with cardamom and saffron.
55 mins
Papaya halwa recipe is a vegan Indian dessert made with semi ripe papaya.
Easy
25 mins
Basundi is a thickened, sweetened milk flavored with cardamoms, spices and nuts. This basundi recipe is a quicker version made with sweetened condensed milk and comes together under 25 minutes.
Moderate
45 mins
Apple halwa recipe made with apples, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Apple halwa is a delicious halwa that is easy to make. This apple halwa does not use sooji (rava), milk, khoya or milk powder. Just apples, sugar (optional) and ghee. Flavorings and nuts of your choice can be added to the halwa.
Moderate
1 hr
Lauki halwa is also called as dudhi halwa. It is a rich Indian sweet made with bottle gourd (opo squash), milk, sugar and ghee. The method of making lauki halwa is similar to making gajar halwa. Making lauki halwa is easy but takes some time. This is a slow cooked halwa and what you get after minutes of slow cooking is super deliciousness.
Easy
20 mins
Easy Dry fruits laddu recipe without any added sugar or fats like ghee or oil. Packed with nutrients, good fats and fibre, these energy balls are made with dates, figs and various nuts. Dry fruit laddu recipe gets done quickly and comes together under 20 minutes.
Easy
15 mins
Amaranth Yogurt Parfait
Healthy and nutritious parfait made with popped amaranth, yogurt, honey, fruits & dry fruits.
1 hr 25 mins
Easy and tasty coconut burfi recipe made with condensed milk and desiccated coconut.
This Janmashtami Recipes post from the archives (August 2013) has been updated and republished on 28 August 2021.
Hi dassana,
I was looking for a granola bar recipe.
Most recipes i looked up online were from western bloggers and guess what, many of them add honey & then bake it. Now as per ayurveda honey gets toxic on heating.
Other recipes contain maple syrup. My Indian kitchen doesn’t have any!
As substitute i thought of sugar syrup.. But to keep it healthy i wanted to avoid sugar or any artificial sweetner????
Then there are the no-bake recipes but they require added effort of roasting the dry ingredients first which i feel lazy to do… Also i feel that baking would ensure ‘more even roasting’ and crispy golden texture which i’d like..
So you see i am in such a huge dilemma ????
Can you suggest some way out?
Sorry i ended up rambling in the comment. If it feels too long, just edit it short as suitable
hi ruchi, no problem. you can write long comments. i can understand. you can choose from the following option:
1. dates – blend dates in a mixie and add. you won’t need to add any sweetener. you can even use dried figs along with dates. but soak dried figs in hot water for an hour before blending.
2. dates syrup – a thick dates syrup will also help in binding.
3. a jaggery block – since it has some stickiness and will help to bind. do not use jaggery powder, as they are dry and powdery.
4. kakvi (jaggery molasses) – it has a lovely taste. in maharashtra we get it and known as kakvi in marathi. i don’t know what it is called in hindi. i checked on amazon and kakvi is available, so you can use this. you can read about kakvi in the eggless gingerbread cookies recipes which i have already posted on the blog.
i searched on google and got a recipe for you from anushruti who i know and is a friend. so you can check her recipe here – https://www.divinetaste.com/homemade-granola-bars-without-honey/
hope this helps and let me know how the granola turns for you.
Wow! You have a wonderful collection of fasting foods…very informative and helpful indeed. I had been contemplating of posting them during the navratras.
Hey dassana..what a wonderful recipe list u hv provided..will be making a few of them tomorrow
Lovely and great collection