Complete Vrat & Fasting Foods List 2026: What to Eat, How to Prepare It, and Easy Recipes for Shravan, Ekadashi & Navratri
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Confused about what's allowed during a Vrat? This is a complete, practical guide to fasting-friendly foods — what they are, how to cook them, and which dishes to make — for Shravan Somvar, Ekadashi, and Navratri 2026.
What Are Vrat (Fasting) Foods?
Vrat foods are ingredients traditionally permitted during Hindu fasting observances — Shravan Somvar, Ekadashi, and Navratri. The common rule: no regular grains (wheat, rice, most lentils), no onion or garlic, and no common processed table salt. In their place, a specific set of grains, flours, fruits, dairy, dry fruits, and natural sweeteners are used. Below is the full list, organised by category, with how to prepare each one.
The Full Vrat Foods List
1. Grains & Pseudo-Grains
- Barnyard Millet (Bhagar / Varai / Samo / Sanwa): A naturally gluten-free millet, light on the stomach, used as a rice substitute.
- Rajgira (Amaranth / Ramdana): A complete-protein pseudo-grain, available as whole seed or flour (atta).
- Singhare ka Atta (water chestnut flour) and Kuttu ka Atta (buckwheat flour): Common in North Indian vrat cooking, used for puris and parathas.
2. Natural Salt
- Sendha Namak (Himalayan Rock Salt): Unrefined, hand-mined rock salt — the only salt permitted during most fasts.
3. Natural Sweeteners
- Dry Dates Powder (Khajoor/Khareek Churn): A clean substitute for refined sugar in kheer, laddoo, and milk-based dishes.
- Jaggery: Used in moderation for traditional sweets.
4. Dry Fruits & Seeds
- Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds: Used both as snacks and as recipe ingredients — added to kheer, chikki, laddoo, and porridge for protein and healthy fats.
5. Fruits, Dairy & Others
- Fresh fruits, milk, curd, paneer, makhana (fox nuts), sabudana (sago), and peanuts round out the typical vrat pantry.
How to Prepare Each Ingredient
Barnyard Millet: Rinse well, soak 15–20 minutes, then cook like rice (1:2 millet-to-water ratio) for khichdi, upma, or pulao. For dosa or thalipeeth, use the stoneground flour instead.
Rajgira (whole seed): Can be dry-roasted until it pops (like popcorn) for laddoo and chikki, or boiled into a porridge. The flour is used for rotis, purees, and thickening kheer.
Rajgira Atta / Barnyard Millet Atta: Both are gluten-free and slightly denser than wheat flour — knead with a little extra water or mix with boiled potato/singhare atta for pliable roti dough.
Sendha Namak: Use exactly as you would regular salt — but in coarser or powdered form depending on the recipe; it dissolves slightly slower than iodised table salt.
Dry Dates Powder: Stir directly into warm milk, porridge, or laddoo mixtures as a 1:1-ish substitute for sugar, adjusting to taste since it's naturally less sweet than refined sugar.
Dry Fruits (cashew, almond, walnut, pumpkin seeds): Best lightly dry-roasted before use to deepen flavour — added whole to kheer, chopped into chikki, or blended into a paste for creamy porridge and halwa.
Vrat Dish Ideas — What to Make With What
| Dish | Core Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Barnyard Millet Khichdi | Barnyard millet, peanuts, sendha namak, ghee |
| Barnyard Millet Upma | Barnyard millet, roasted peanuts, curry leaves |
| Barnyard Millet Dosa | Barnyard millet flour, curd, sendha namak |
| Rajgira Pancake / Dosa | Rajgira flour, boiled potato, sendha namak |
| Rajgira Porridge | Rajgira flour or popped rajgira, milk, dry dates powder |
| Rajgira Laddoo / Chikki | Popped rajgira, jaggery or dry dates powder |
| Makhana Kheer | Makhana, milk, dry dates powder, cashew-almond |
| Sabudana Khichdi | Sabudana, peanuts, sendha namak, potato |
| Dry Fruit & Date Energy Bites | Dry dates powder, cashew, almond, walnut |
Shravan Somvar vs Ekadashi vs Navratri: What's Different?
The core fasting-food list overlaps heavily across all three, but strictness varies:
- Shravan Somvar (Mondays): Many households follow a partial fast — a single vrat meal, often including fruits, milk, and one vrat-grain dish.
- Ekadashi: Typically the strictest — grains (including some vrat grains, depending on family tradition) are avoided by many observers in favour of fruits, milk, and dry fruits only.
- Navratri: A nine-day fast where vrat grains like rajgira and barnyard millet, sendha namak, and dry fruits are used most liberally across daily meals — making it the biggest volume period for vrat foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I eat during a Vrat fast? Vrat grains (barnyard millet, rajgira), sendha namak, fruits, dairy, dry fruits, makhana, sabudana, and dry dates powder as a sweetener — with regular grains, onion, and garlic avoided.
Is Rajgira the same as Ramdana? Yes — Rajgira and Ramdana are regional names for the same ingredient: amaranth.
Can diabetics or health-conscious people eat vrat food? Vrat foods are often naturally lower-GI and fibre-rich compared to refined staples, but individual dietary needs vary — this isn't medical advice, so consult a doctor or nutritionist for personal guidance.
What is the healthiest vrat grain? Barnyard millet and rajgira are both nutrient-dense, naturally gluten-free options — barnyard millet is lighter and easier to digest, while rajgira offers more protein.
Can I use normal table salt during Vrat? No — only sendha namak (rock salt) is traditionally permitted, as it's unrefined and unprocessed compared to iodised table salt.
All the ingredients on this list — single-origin Barnyard Millet, Rajgira, hand-mined Sendha Namak, sun-dried Dry Dates Powder, and premium Cashews, Almonds & Walnuts — are available traceable and traditionally processed in Dhatri's Vrat & Sattvic Collection. [Shop the collection →]