Looking for vrat meal ideas? Mumbai chefs share four innovative recipes

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As Indians across the world fast during the holy month of Shravan, traditional fasting foods have been passed down for generations through families. 

|While dishes made from sago (popularly called as sabudana), barnyard millet (samak), and sweet potatoes are common during the fasting period, Indian chefs say there is a lot more that can be done with these ingredients. 

Mumbai-based chefs are reimagining these traditional ingredients with innovative recipes, while giving classic vrat dishes a contemporary twist. They have shared some of these tempting vrat dishes, including misal, pancakes, and even kadhi.

Sweet Potato & Peanut Misal (Farali Misal)

Taking the classic farali misal and innovating with it, Vividh Patil, executive sous chef at Sofitel Mumbai BKC, says you can make sweet potato & peanut misal.

He explains, “This farali misal celebrates the simplicity of traditional Shravan ingredients while bringing together contrasting textures and flavours. Sweet potato provides natural sweetness, roasted peanuts add richness and protein, and the yoghurt lends a subtle creaminess, making it a wholesome and satisfying vrat dish.”

Ingredients
300 gm Sweet potatoes, boiled and diced
150 gm Roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
2 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 nos Green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
8–10 nos Curry leaves (optional if followed in your fasting tradition)
50 gm Fresh grated coconut 
1/2 cup Thick yogurt (curd)
2 cups Water
2 tbsp Roasted peanut powder 
1 tsp Roasted cumin powder
Rock salt (Sendha Namak) to taste
1 tsp Sugar or jaggery (optional)
1 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

For garnish
Fresh grated coconut
Coriander leaves
Roasted peanuts
Pomegranate pearls
Lemon wedge

Method
1. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan and add cumin seeds. Allow them to crackle.
2. Add chopped green chillies and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute until aromatic.
3. Add the boiled sweet potato cubes and gently toss for 2–3 minutes.
4. Stir in the coarsely crushed peanuts, roasted peanut powder, grated coconut, roasted cumin powder and rock salt.
5. Pour in the water and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the flavours blend and the gravy thickens slightly.
6. Lower the heat and whisk in the yoghurt, stirring continuously to prevent curdling.
7. Add sugar or jaggery if desired and finish with fresh lemon juice.
8. Garnish with grated coconut, coriander, roasted peanuts and pomegranate pearls.
9. Serve hot with Farali Puri, Rajgira Paratha, or enjoy it as a wholesome fasting meal.

Kuttu Na Poodla

While there are many different kinds of dishes you can make, Chowpatty-based Varsoo’s founder Pinky Chandan Dixit suggests making Kuttu Na Poodla, a simple and nutritious buckwheat pancake, perfect for a fasting meal or snack. She says these are sweet, salty, and spicy and ideal to satiate the taste buds.

Ingredients: Servings: (Makes 2 pancakes and Prep time: 30 minutes) 
3/4 cup whole buckwheat (kuttu)
1/4 cup buckwheat flour or Sama flour 
1/2 cup curd
1 chopped green chilli, cut into slices 
Salt and sugar to taste
Oil to cook

Method:
1. Wash the buckwheat very well till the water is clear.
2. Add to a bowl with the curds and 1/2 cup of water and soak for at least 30 minutes.
3. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
4. Adjust the consistency so it is like a pancake batter by adding some buckwheat flour or water.
5. Make 2 medium-sized pancakes over a medium flame, using a little oil till they are golden brown.

Sweet Potato Rosti with Cashew Cheese Melt

Innovating with classic dishes, Shailendra Kekade, who is the head chef at Santé Spa Cuisine in Mumbai, says you can easily prepare a sweet potato rosti with cashew cheese melt as well as crushed peanut and kokum kadhi with steamed sama millet for your fasting days. 

He explains, “These recipes are my interpretation of how traditional vrat ingredients can be elevated with contemporary techniques while preserving their authenticity. They encourage people to look at fasting not as a period of limitation, but as an opportunity to reconnect with wholesome, indigenous ingredient-led cooking that is both satisfying and flavourful.”

Kekade adds, “These recipes celebrate familiar fasting ingredients such as sweet potato, barnyard millet (samaa), peanuts, kokum, and buttermilk, while presenting them in a contemporary, restaurant-inspired format. The sweet potato rosti with cashew cheese melt combines global culinary techniques with traditional vrat-friendly ingredients, while the crushed peanut & kokum kadhi with steamed sama millet offers a refreshing take on a classic fasting comfort dish.”

Ingredients
200 gm Sweet potato (grated)
15 gm Parmesan cheese
10 gm Paneer
3 gm Salt
1 gm Black pepper
15 ml Olive Oil

Method
1. Mix the grated sweet potato with parmesan cheese, paneer, salt, and black pepper.
2. Shape the mixture into a rösti.
3. Pan-roast with olive oil until crisp and golden on both sides.

Cashew Cheese Melt

Ingredients
150 gm Raw cashews (soaked)
100 ml Water
15 gm Nutritional yeast
15 ml Lemon Juice
3 gm Salt
10 ml Olive oil

Method
1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
2. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens.
3. Serve warm over the Sweet Potato Rösti.

Crushed Peanut & Kokum Kadhi with Steamed Samaa Millet

Steamed Samaa Millets

Ingredients
80 gm Samaa (Barnyard Millet)
200 ml Water
2 gm Salt
5 gm Ghee or olive oil

Method
1. Wash the millet thoroughly.
2. Steam or cook with water until tender (approximately 15–18 minutes).
3. Fluff gently and keep warm until serving.

Crushed Peanut & Kokum Kadi

Ingredients
30 gm Roasted peanuts
20 gm Fresh coconut
25 ml Kokum extract
180 ml Buttermilk
3 gm Green chilli
3 gm Ginger
1 gm Cumin powder
2 gm Salt
5 gm Coriander
15 gm Ghee
1 gm Curry leaves
2 gm Mustard seeds

Method:
1. Coarsely crush the roasted peanuts and fresh coconut.
2. Blend the buttermilk with kokum extract, ginger, green chilli, cumin powder, and salt.
3. Heat the ghee in a pan and prepare a tempering with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
4. Add the peanut-coconut mixture to the buttermilk blend and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve chilled.

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