A heartfelt offering from a devotee’s kitchen to Krishna’s lotus feet
Hare Krishna! dear devotees 🙏
There’s something incredibly special about Ekadashi. It’s not just a day of skipping rice or grains—it’s a full heart reset. A chance to slow down, remember Krishna, and offer our love through the simplest acts, like cooking, chanting, or just sitting quietly with the holy name.
In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Ekadashi is treated with deep reverence. It’s not just “what we eat” but why we eat the way we do. The idea is simple: we want to serve Krishna with a clean heart and clean food. No onion, no garlic, no grains, no pulses. Just sattvik, fresh, light food made with devotion. That’s the spirit. And that’s what this meal is all about — not fancy, not modern — just real, rooted, honest food cooked with love for the Lord.
Let me take you into a simple devotee’s kitchen. No chef hats here. Just a few brass bowls, some ghee, fresh vegetables, and a heart that wants to please Krishna.
🌿 The Mood Before Cooking
Before the first ingredient is chopped, we stop. We bow our head. We chant the maha-mantra:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
We remember — this is not “our food.” This is Krishna’s food. He is the enjoyer, we are just serving.
🌸 The Ekadashi Thali: What We’ll Offer Today
Here’s a simple, complete meal, made without grains, pulses, or spices like turmeric. All sattvik, all suitable for Ekadashi, all lovingly rooted in Gaudiya tradition:
- Raw Banana & Coconut Stir-Fry
- Shakarkandi Chaat (Sweet Potato)
- Sweet & Spiced Pumpkin Sabzi
- Lauki Coconut Curry
- Kuttu ke Pakode (Buckwheat Fritters)
- Mint-Coconut Chutney
- Fresh Curd with Cucumber
- Banana-Almond Halwa
- Tulasi leaves and Gangajal for offering
Let’s walk through each of them.
1. Raw Banana & Coconut Stir-Fry
This is grounding. Raw banana has that comforting, warm feel—like a blanket for your soul.
What you need:
- 2 raw bananas
- 3 tbsp fresh coconut (grated)
- 1 tsp cumin (jeera)
- 1 tsp ginger (grated)
- Ghee
- Rock salt, black pepper, coriander
How to make it:
Boil and cube the bananas. In ghee, add cumin, ginger, and curry leaves if you like. Add the banana, rock salt, pepper, and coconut. Cook slowly for a few minutes. Top with coriander. Simple. Honest. Made with love.
🍠 2. Shakarkandi Chaat (Sweet Potato)
It’s sweet, tangy, light, and beautiful. A perfect side dish.
What you need:
- Boiled sweet potatoes
- Pomegranate
- Lemon juice
- Rock salt
- Coriander
How to make it:
Chop sweet potatoes into cubes. Mix with pomegranate seeds, lemon, salt, and coriander. Serve fresh. Offer to Krishna first, always.
3. Sweet & Spiced Pumpkin Sabzi
This one tastes like temple prasad. Soft. Slightly sweet. Deeply satisfying.
What you need:
- 2 cups yellow pumpkin, cubed
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin
- Ginger
- Rock salt, black pepper
- Jaggery (optional)
- A pinch of cardamom
- Coriander to garnish
How to make it:
In ghee, add cumin and ginger. Add the pumpkin, salt, pepper. Cover and cook till soft. Stir in jaggery and cardamom. Garnish with coriander. It’s gentle, like Krishna’s smile.
🥥 4. Lauki Coconut Curry
Cooling and creamy. A sattvik sabzi full of soul.
What you need:
- Bottle gourd (lauki), chopped
- Coconut milk
- Ginger
- Cumin
- Rock salt, black pepper
- Ghee
- Coriander
How to make it:
Boil lauki till soft. In ghee, sauté cumin and ginger. Add lauki, coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer a few minutes. Finish with coriander.
🧆 5. Kuttu ke Pakode
Crispy outside, soft inside. Total comfort food. But sattvik.
What you need:
- Kuttu (buckwheat) flour
- Boiled potatoes
- Rock salt, pepper
- Coriander
- Ghee to fry
How to make it:
Mash potatoes, mix with flour, salt, and coriander. Add very little water to make a thick batter. Fry spoonfuls in ghee till golden. Serve with chutney.
🌿 6. Mint-Coconut Chutney
Fresh, green, and vibrant. The perfect companion to the pakoras.
What you need:
- Fresh mint
- Grated coconut
- Ginger
- Lemon juice
- Rock salt
How to make it:
Blend all into a thick chutney. Keep it raw. Cool. Clean. No spices. No show. Just real taste.
🥛 7. Curd with Cucumber
After all that warmth, this one cools you down.
What you need:
- Fresh homemade curd
- Grated cucumber
- Rock salt
- A little coriander (optional)
How to make it:
Mix everything together. Serve chilled. So simple, but so comforting.
🍮 8. Banana-Almond Halwa
A small bowl of this… you’ll close your eyes and smile.
What you need:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 10 soaked almonds
- A pinch of cardamom
- Mishri (optional)
How to make it:
Mash bananas and cook in ghee. Add crushed almonds. Cook until thick. Add cardamom and mishri. Offer warm to Krishna. Let it melt in your mouth after.
🌸 9. Bhoga Offering
Now that everything is ready, take a clean thali. Arrange all dishes in small bowls. Add a tulasi leaf on each. Place Gangajal in a small lota or glass.
Chant softly as you offer:
Chant hare krishna mahamantra , shri panctattva mantra and shri krishna pranaam mantra ( or simply request him to accept bhoga and convert it into prasadam and your love ).
Let it sit for a while. Let the Lord eat first. Then it becomes prasadam — sacred. Holy. Nourishing.
🙏 After the Offering: Eating with Heart
Sit on the floor. Serve prasadam to others. And then yourself. Don’t rush. Don’t waste. Chew slowly. Thank Krishna. This is not food. This is mercy.
❤️ Final Thoughts
Ekadashi is not about starving. It’s about remembering. And what better way to remember Krishna than through cooking, offering, and honoring His prasadam?
This thali isn’t fancy. It’s not complicated. But it’s full of soul.
From raw bananas to banana halwa, from simple curd to coconut curry — every bite carries the flavor of bhakti.
This is Gaudiya cooking. This is Gaudiya love.
Pure Bhoga. Pure Bhakti.
Hare Krishna🙏 Jai shree Radhe ✨