Janmashtami, the celebration of Lord Krishna's birthday, is a festival filled with fun, devotion, and feasting. Many devotees make varieties of bhog offerings, which are predominantly rich in dairy, to present to the Lord, who is a known lover of butter and sweets. However, today, with the rise in vegan lifestyles, many people are seeking ways to celebrate this holy festival in association with a plant-based diet. Even if you are vegan or simply feel like trying something a little different this Janmashtami, you could easily make up a delectable and satisfying bhog devoid of any animal products. Easily substitute coconut milk for regular milk, and ghee made from vegan sources for baking up some traditional dishes in a vegan way while keeping the basic essence of the festival alive. Following are recipes for six bhogs that you can cook at home for Janmashtami, along with how you can substitute the traditional ingredients for the vegan version.
Vegan Kheer
It is among the most common desserts used in offerings on the occasion of Janmashtami. To prepare for vegans, replace the cow's milk with almond or coconut milk. These plant-based milk match the exact creamy texture of dairy milk and thus keep the flavour as rich as possible. Sweeten the kheer itself with jaggery or coconut sugar and use rice, quinoa or even chia seeds for the base. Garnish it with slivers of almonds, cashews, and a touch of cardamom for the perfect finish to this comfort dessert.
Coconut Ladoo
Another sweet dish that can easily be made vegan is coconut ladoos. Traditionally, they would contain condensed milk; the vegan version uses a combination of coconut milk and coconut sugar. Desiccated coconut, coconut milk, any natural sweetener of choice, mixed—to produce such juicy and melt-in-your-mouth ladoos—roll them in extra desiccated coconut to finish nicely. They are also super fast to prepare and make for a perfect offering.
Vegan Malpua
A very popular sweet for festive occasions, Malpua rather effortlessly goes vegan with a few dairy substitutes. Prepare the batter using almond or soya milk as an alternative to milk, and deep-fry in coconut or peanut oil instead of ghee, resulting in these crispy golden-brown pancakes that need to be soaked in a sugar, saffron and cardamom-flavoured syrup. Enjoy this vegan Malpua with similar indulgence to its traditional avatar and let it make up for a great addition to your Janmashtami spread.
Sabudana Khichdi
On Janmashtami, this Sabudana Khichdi is one of the most popular fasting foods. This is easy to make as a vegan recipe, as traditionally the recipe contains only ghee, so use coconut oil or olive oil instead. mix the tapioca pearls (sabudana) with peanuts and a dash of green chilli, it makes for quite a tasty and wholesome offering. Finally, finish with some chopped fresh coriander and give a squeeze of lime for added freshness.
Shrikhand
Shrikhand is a creamy and sweet dish, conventionally made from strained yoghurt. However, it has lately been made vegan with plant yoghurt, such as almond or coconut yoghurt. It is generally flavoured with saffron, cardamom, and perhaps a wee bit of jaggery. If using plant-based yoghurt, the flavour is not compromised in any way; it's just the texture. Serve it chilled with chopped nuts on top for a refreshing and indulging dessert.
Peanut Chikki
Peanut chikki, which is again a crunchy snack, is naturally vegan. Made with roasted peanuts and jaggery, this simple, yet delicious, preparation is just perfect for Janmashtami. The nutty flavours and the sweetness of jaggery make it a very satisfying snack, which doubles for greater utility as a super energy booster when fasting.
Ingredients to Substitute With for Vegan Preparations :
Milk
Almond milk, coconut milk, or you can use soy milk as an alternative.
Ghee
Use an option here, like coconut oil, olive oil, or vegan butter.
Yoghurt
Whipped up any almond, coconut, or soy yoghurt
Condensed milk
Coconut cream thickened with almond or other nut milk, sweetener of your choice.