6 Lip-Smacking Mahashivratri Vrat Recipes (& More On Why The Festival Is Celebrated)

During Mahashivratri, Lord Shiva is worshipped all over India. It spans for two days, starting from the morning of Mahashivratri and culminating on the next day morning. In the morning, abhishek is performed with water and milk, along with other puja items like bilva fruit, bilva leaves, and dhatura. The devotees of Lord Shiva keep a fast for the entire day to seek the blessings of the Lord. 

The commencement of Mahashivratri as a festival dates back to the times when the Gods and the asuras were always at war with one another. On a rare occasion, on the advice of Lord Vishnu, the Gods and the asuras churned out the Ocean of Milk to receive amrita, which is the source of immortality. As they used the serpent king, Vasuki, who winds itself around Lord Shiva’s throat, the first ingredient that came out was poison. The Gods and the asuras jointly prayed to Lord Shiva to save them. Hence, Lord Shiva drank all the poison. 

Goddess Parvati came to his rescue and was anxious that the poison may cause him pain if it enters his body. Therefore, she held on to his neck for a day and a night to prevent the poison from seeping down through his body. This explains why the Lord turned blue, giving him the name, Neelkantha. Since then, it has become a tradition to fast day and night, known as the Mahashivratri vrat, and stay awake all during this auspicious festival. 

Fasting Ritual & The Benefits Of Shivratri Vrat Food

The tradition of Mahashivratri vrat is referred to as Siddha Yoga Path. Devotees can only eat sattvic food as a part of ritualistic fasting as it has health benefits and is also easy on the digestive system. It keeps their mind and bodies calm. One cannot eat even after sunset as it is considered to be the best for our physical self. This promotes the concept that the body is as sacred as the temple and must be respected at all costs.

As a part of Shivratri vrat food, milk, yoghurt, fruits, dry fruits, ginger, peanuts, sabudana, honey are allowed as they are light foods. Heavy foods like potatoes can be eaten only when one has one meal a day. For devotees who want to stay away from food altogether, they can sip on water, fresh juices, and jaggery water throughout the day to cleanse their bodies and feel lighter. 

If you stay away from food on the first day of Mahashivratri, take care to not return to eating heavy meals and snacks the very next day. This will allow the body enough time to return to your original diet, without causing digestive issues. 

6 Shivratri Vrat Food Recipes For Mahashivratri Upvas

Here are some of the most common recipes for Mahashivratri upvas. 

1. Sabudana Khichdi Recipe For Vrat

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sabudana
• 1 cup water
• Potatoes
• Peanuts
• Curry leaves
• Chilli flakes (optional)
• Sendha namak

Preparation Time: 4 – 5 hours

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Steps: 

1. Take a skillet and heat oil in it.
2. Add peanuts and roast them, continuously stirring for 5 minutes to ensure that they turn golden brown. Once done, set them aside.
3. Add diced potatoes to the skillet and saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame or until they turn tender.
4. Add the cooked peanuts to the skillet.
5. Add curry leaves and the spices, and mix well.
6. Pour the soaked sabudana that you have soaked for 4 to 5 hours, if not overnight.
7. Blend them well and keep stirring occasionally till the sabudana turns translucent. Eat it to keep your Mahashivratri upvas.

2. Sama Chawal Or Mordhan Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sama chawal
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp cumin (jeera)
• 3 pods cardamom
• 1 tbsp ghee
• ½ potato
• ½ carrot 
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• ½ tsp sendha namak 
• 2 tbsp peanuts
• 5 almonds
• 10 cashews
• 2 tbsp dry coconut
• Makhana (handful)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Soaking Time: Soak the sama chawal for 25 minutes

Steps:

1. Heat ghee in a skillet. Add cumin, cardamom, pepper, and saute.
2. Add the diced potato and carrot, and saute again for about 3 minutes until they are semi-cooked.
3. Add the soaked sama rice after draining off the water completely.
4. Pour 2 cups of water and add sendha namak.
5. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice has been completely cooked.
6. Take a separate pan, heat up ghee and then add the peanut, almond, cashew, makhana, and dry coconut. Roast on low flame till they become golden brown.
7. Pour these roasted nuts and coconut over the rice and blend well.
8. Add lemon juice and coriander, and mix well.
9. Finally, serve this with curd to keep Mahashivratri vrat.

3. Kutti Ki Puri

Ingredients:

• 2 cups buckwheat flour or 250 grams kuttu ka atta
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon rock salt (edible and food grade) (sendha namak)
• peanut oil for deep frying, add as required
• 1 cup hot boiling water

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Steps:

1. Take buckwheat flour or kuttu ka atta in a large bowl.
2. Add cumin powder and sendha namak. Blend them well and then add the boiling water. Mix everything well again.
3. Cover the bowl and keep it aside for the mixture to cool down. 
4. Start kneading the mixture. You can add warm water, if required, in case the mixture looks dry. Ensure that the mixture is not too sticky, otherwise it will become difficult to roll the puri.
5. Make small-sized balls from this dough. 
6. Spread oil on the surface of the rolling board and also on the dough ball before placing it on the board.
7. Roll the dough ball to a round circle on the board with the help of a rolling pin. 
8. Next, heat peanut oil in a deep frying pan – hot enough for the puris to fluff up and come out easily.
9. Maintain a medium temperature while frying.
10. Place a round puri gently on the hot oil. If the puri does not fluff up on its own, take some hot oil from the pan and pour over the puri and then press the surface with a flat-surfaced ladle.
11. Fry till the puri turns golden and crisp. Turn over the puri to fry the opposite side as well.
12. Once fried, place the puri on a tissue paper to soak the extra oil.
13. Repeat the same steps for as many puris as you want to eat. 
14. The kuttu ki puri is ready to be served with vrat ke aloo, or vrat ki kadhi, or vrat ke dahi. You can pair these side dishes with singhara atta puri as well. 

4. Vrat Wale Aloo

Ingredients:

• 3 boiled and diced potatoes (medium)
• 1 tbsp yoghurt
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder (exclude if you don’t have it during vrat)
• Sendha namak
• ½ tbsp ghee
• Coriander leaves (handful)
• Water, as per preference 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Steps:

1. Take a skillet and heat ghee in it.
2. Add cumin and when they splutter, add tomato (optional during vrat) and yoghurt. Blend well and saute for one minute.
3. Pour all the spices and bring it to boil.
4. When the oil separates from the masala, pour the boiled potatoes. 
5. Add water depending on how watery you want your gravy.
6. Bring it to boil and add coriander leaves and serve with vrat ki puri.

5. Samak Ki Kheer

Ingredients:

• 5 cups full cream milk
• ¼ cup samwat / parsai ke chaawal, washed
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 green cardamoms
• 10-12 raisins
• 10-12 almonds, blanched and shredded

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Steps:

1. Mix milk and rice in a deep pan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir the rice and milk mixture over low seam, until the milk thickens. This takes about 25 minutes.
3. Add sugar, cardamoms, and raisins. Stir well so that the sugar dissolves and 10 to 15 minutes after that.
4. The kheer is ready to be served hot or chilled with almonds as garnish. 

6. Paneer Vrat Recipe

Ingredients:

• 10 broken cashews
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 2 green chilies
• 3 red chilies
• 3 tomatoes, medium-sized (if you eat it during vrat)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 200gms paneer
• Coriander leaves (handful)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Steps:

1. Take ginger, chillies, cashews, tomato, and grind it to a smooth paste in a mixer.
2. Take a skillet and heat oil on medium heat.
3. Add cumin and saute for a few seconds.
4. Add ground masala and bring it to a boil.
5. Next, let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the oil has separated.
6. Pour a little water to get the consistency that you want.
7. Add paneer cubes and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Garnish it with coriander leaves. 

Mahashivratri, apart from paying your obeisance to Lord Shiva, is an opportunity to cleanse your bodies, minds, and souls of impurities. Shivratri vrat foods make it possible for you to do so. Follow the recipes and devote a day to your health.