Ekadasi food - what is allowed?

[Gaurasundara]

Is brocolli allowed to be eaten on Ekadasi? How about cauliflower?

[Sunanda]

 

 

 

From Purebhakti.com

 

 

 

Rules for Fasting and Miscellania

Standard for Ekadasi Break-fasts

 

If you have observed a complete fast (without even water) you do not need to break it with grains. You can break it with caranamrita or fruit. But if you have observed Ekadasi by eating fruit, vegetables, etc., then it should be broken on the following day by taking grains at the times mentioned herein.

Maha-dvadasi is observed like Ekadasi.

 

 

Ekadasi

 

The essence is to eat simply, once or twice, so that one can spend as much time as possible hearing, chanting and remembering Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Never eat meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic, carrots, red lentils (masur dahl), green flat lentils, mushrooms or products thereof.

 

• Restricted foods on Ekadasi:
  
• Tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, beets, bitter melon (karela), loki, parmal, toroi, kunli, drumsticks, bindi (ladies' fingers) and banana flowers
  
• Peas, chickpeas and all types of beans, including products made from beans (e.g., papadams, tofu, tempeh)
  
• All leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, salads, cabbages) and leafy herbs like parsley, coriander leaves, celery and curry leaves
  
• Grains (e.g., millet, barley, farina, pasta, rice, corn) and all types of flour made from grains and beans (e.g., rice flour, chickpea flour, urad dahl flour)
  
• Starches from corn or grains, and products made from or mixed with these starches like baking soda, baking powder, certain soft drinks with corn syrup, custard, certain yoghurts and puddings, certain varieties of cream and cottage cheese, certain sweets and candies, and tapioca balls
  
• Oils made from grains (e.g., corn oil, mustard oil, sesame oil) and products fried in these oils (e.g., fried nuts, potato chips and other fried snack foods)
  
• Honey, and sweets made with starches
  
• Spices used on Ekadasi: black pepper, fresh ginger, pure salt and fresh turmeric, all taken from a new and clean package
  
• Spices not used on Ekadasi: hing (asafetida), sesame seeds, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, tamarind, fennel, cardamom and nutmeg
  
• Foods that can be taken all days of the year, including Ekadasi and Caturmasya:
  
• All fruits (fresh and dried), all nuts and all oils made from nuts
  
• Potatoes, pumpkin, cucumber, radish, squash, lemon, avocado, olives, coconut, buckwheat, all sugars
  
• All pure milk products (except yoghurt during the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> month of Caturmasya and milk during the 3<SUP>rd</SUP> month)
  
• For sannyasis, brahmacaris and vanaprasthas: shaving head and cutting nails is to be done on full moon days

 

 

Caturmasya

 

 

• Restricted foods during the entire four months of Caturmasya:
  
• Eggplants, tomatoes, loki, parmal, urad dahl and honey
  
• Particular foods that are restricted during each of the four months:
  
• First month: No leafy vegetables, such as spinach, salads of all types, cabbages of all types, kale, leafy herbs like coriander, mint, parsley, curry and powdered leafy herbs and teas
  
• Second month: No yoghurt (if one requires it for health, it can be mixed with water)
  
• Third month: No milk (if required, it can be mixed with a drop of lemon juice)
  
• Fourth month: No mustard oil or sesame seeds

 

 

Purusottama Masa

 

 

• Restricted foods during the month of Purussottama:
  
• Eggplants, tomatoes, loki, parmal, urad dahl, honey, mustard oil or sesame seeds
  
• No shaving for brahmacaris and sannyasis

 

[gHari]

Wow! Fasting looks safer. Tomatoes and honey - I never would have guessed. I just thought it was grains and beans.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

But, red lentils cook so quickly!!

 

Of course, they're *definitely* no good for Ekadasi.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

Wow! Fasting looks safer. Tomatoes and honey - I never would have guessed. I just thought it was grains and beans.

 

Different Mathas (and different Ashramas/Temples within the larger communities of those Mathas) seem to follow different standards.

[theist]

 

Wow! Fasting looks safer. Tomatoes and honey - I never would have guessed. I just thought it was grains and beans.

 

Narayan Maharaja has his group avoiding a lot of foods like Srila Prabupada never did.

 

Personally I don't follow ekadasi so I am no authority but it's just something I have noticed.

 

I don't buy honey but for different reasons.

[theist]

.

[Hari Bhakta dasa]

 

Wow! Fasting looks safer. Tomatoes and honey - I never would have guessed. I just thought it was grains and beans.

 

Srila Prabhupada's standard is fasting from grains and beans. Many of the items listed above are allowed (such as califlower). Srila Prabhupada allows peanuts on ekadasi also.

 

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying the list above is wrong. I am just saying that for followers of Srila Prabhupada it is different.

 

I am trying to find a list to post here but so far no luck altho I have found some ekadasi recipe pages such as:

 

http://www.salagram.net/ekadasi-recipes1.html

 

http://www.salagram.net/ekadasi-recipes.html

[Shakti-Fan]

 

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying the list above is wrong. I am just saying that for followers of Srila Prabhupada it is different.

 

Prabhupada's instructions on what can be taken on Ekadasi are clearly a concession that he made in order to preach Krsna Consciousness to a group of people who were not accustomed to practicing austereties. If one was to tell Srila Prabhupada that they were following a stricter dietary regime on Ekadasi, do you really think that he would object? Anyway Srila Narayana Maharaja has told his Western followers that if they are unable to follow the Gaudiya Math style Ekadasi then they may follow Srila Prabhupada's concessions.

[Hari Bhakta dasa]

 

Anyway Srila Narayana Maharaja has told his Western followers that if they are unable to follow the Gaudiya Math style Ekadasi then they may follow Srila Prabhupada's concessions.

 

That's nice.

[Yofu]

Eating peanuts, on Ekadasi, is bogus as they are a bean....

[Sunanda]

Yes, it seems to be different standards.

My father in law is Prabhpad disciple and, along with his wife, they follow different.

 

My diet on Ekadasi is generally:

Potatoes with cheese

fruits

 

or fasting completely !

 

much love

[Hari Bhakta dasa]

 

Eating peanuts, on Ekadasi, is bogus as they are a bean....

 

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada authorized us to eat peanuts on ekadasi. Sorry you think his instructions are bogus.

[Hari Bhakta dasa]

 

Yes, it seems to be different standards.

My father in law is Prabhpad disciple and, along with his wife, they follow different.

 

My diet on Ekadasi is generally:

Potatoes with cheese

fruits

 

or fasting completely !

 

much love

 

Potatoes seem to be an ekadasi staple in my house also. Potato soup is the soup of the day here. The ekadasi recipes look tempting but really I thought the idea was to remain simple on ekadasi in order to put our time into serving and chanting more.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

Potatoes seem to be an ekadasi staple in my house also. Potato soup is the soup of the day here. The ekadasi recipes look tempting but really I thought the idea was to remain simple on ekadasi in order to put our time into serving and chanting more.

 

I would think, if one is being very strict, that potatoes would be no good for Ekadasi. They are starchy, and, while they are not technically a grain, they certainly fill a similar nutritional niche.

 

Aren't potatoes indigenous to South America and a relatively recent introduction into India, Europe, etc.?

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada authorized us to eat peanuts on ekadasi. Sorry you think his instructions are bogus.

 

It's not that his instructions are bogus, it's that he is very merciful.

 

According to Wikipedia, peanuts are indeed a legume (and legume is another word for bean).

 

As Shakti-Fan says, Srila Prabhupada made concessions.