Sawan, or Shravan, is a sacred month for Hindus in which the devotees pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. A lot of people across the country also observe a fast on Mondays during the entire month while abstaining from certain types of food all over Sawan, like kadhi, saag, baingan (eggplant), and more, depending on different cultures and preferences.
If you, too, observe a fast on Mondays (Somwar) in the month of Sawan, you might need recipes that do not include table salt. While you can replace regular salt with sendha namak, this article can help you explore vrat-friendly options that are not just easy to prepare but delicious as well.
Dahi Aloo
Potatoes, be it boiled, mashed, half-fried, or deep-fried, are one of the go-to ingredients while fasting. But if you want to keep your meals light and healthy, you can indulge in dahi aloo. All you need to do is boil some potatoes and cook them in curd-based gravy that is infused with the spices that you allow yourself to eat while fasting. The simple yet filling dish will give you the benefits of both curd and potatoes without adding to the fat content.
Sabudana Tikki
Sabudana tikki is another popular vrat-friendly dish that is popularly made during Navratri and Somwar fasts. To make a crispy snack at home, you can take some soaked sabudana (tapioca pearls) and mix them with boiled and mashed potatoes. Shaping the mixture into patties, you can pan-fry the tikkis and enjoy them with imli (tamarind) or pudina (mint) chutney.
Beetroot Salad
Since one of the major goals of observing a fast is to move towards a Sattvic diet, you must not forget about the greens, salads, and fruit bowls. To make a colourful and nutritious bowl, you can try a classic beetroot salad. Just take some finely chopped beetroot and mix it with other vegetables like cucumber, carrot, and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with chopped mint leaves, and your vrat-friendly salad bowl will be ready.
Kuttu Dosa
If you avoid regular flours like wheat or rice while fasting, you make a gluten-free dosa with kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour). For a South Indian-style meal, you can make kuttu dosa with a smooth batter made with kuttu atta, green chillies, cumin seeds, a little water, and sendha namak. After cooking it on both sides, you can enjoy the crispy dosa with a side of mashed potatoes or coconut chutney.
Meethe Pude
Meethe Pude, sweet pancakes, are a delightful treat enjoyed during festive occasions and fasting periods. Even though they are traditionally made with wheat flour, while fasting, you can make a batter with kutta atta or singhare ka atta, as you prefer. Mixing it with ghee and sugar, you can cook small portions to perfection and enjoy a sweet treat.
Fruit Custard
To end your Sawan Somwar vrat on a sweet note, you can make a fruit custard. You can make it either from scratch or by just adding milk to a custard premix. Once the vanilla custard is ready, you can add some chopped seasonal fruits like plums, peaches, bananas, grapes, berries, etc, and mix. Now, all that’s left is to refrigerate before relishing the creamy dessert.