Jain Paryushan Recipes. Paryushan is an annual holy fasting period for Jains that typically lasts for about 8 to 10 days. This is the most important festivals for Jains and is that time of the year when the rules of Jainism are observed more strictly. Paryushan is to celebrate 5 main rules of Jainism – Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthful), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya and Aparigrah. They strictly follow their religious and cultural vows which is also reflected in their food choices.
People who follow Jainism do not consume any root vegetables and many green leafy vegetables too. Many Jains do not follow this rule exactly as they eat all vegetables except onions, potatoes and garlic but we have still mentioned a few examples of ingredients that Jains avoid. During Paryushan parva especially, Jains avoid mostly all these ingredients.
List of foods that are not consumed by Jains
1. Onions
2. Garlic
3. Green ginger and Turmeric
4. Yams
5. Carrots
6. Bambo Karela
7. Radish
8. Funghi (mushrooms)
9. Tubular vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes
10. Green Leafy Vegetables like coriander, spinach, methi, cabbage, cauliflower greens and suva bhaji are avoided during the monsoon season.
11. Cauliflower
12.Many seeded vegetables like eggplant
13. Pods of many trees including banyan tree, pipal tree etc
14. Yeast
15. Alcohol
16. Mixing of pulses (kathor) with raw milk/yogurt is not permissible.
17. Honey
Jainism is based on the concept of "Ahimsa" which means non-violence. All the food consumed by a Jain is meant to cause least disruption and hurt to other organisms and "jivas" in the world, both visible and microscopic. For example – the reason for avoiding any vegetable that grows underground is that to procure such a vegetable, an entire plant has to be uprooted which causes unnecessary death of such a plant which is against the principles of Jainism and ahimsa.
It is encouraged to consume grains, pulses, dairy and vegetables that cause least harm to plants and microorganisms. Starting with breakfast, you can have simple things like Corn Upma, Jowar Upma or Whole Wheat Khakhra. Made with basic, simple ingredients, that cause no hard to other living beings, these breakfast items are perfect! Khakhra is not only delicious, but is easily stored for long periods of time and is usually enjoyed with Gujarati style sukha moong. For snacks, Jains can make Sweet Banana Uttapam or Mag ni Dal na Dhokla, both of which are absolutely delicious!
Jain Main Course Recipes for Paryushan
Bajra Khichdi is a household favorite during Paryushan. This delicious item is not only healthy but is also very easily made once the bajra is soaked. As no grain is forbidden during Paryushan, you can eat any number of rice dishes you like. For curries, Jains use dry ingredients like papad, sev or ganthia in subzis. You can make papad methi nu shaak or even Sev tomato to eat with rotis or rice. A great accompaniment with lunch is tomato soup that can be enjoyed by all Jains.
As jains do not eat root vegetables, they prefer to use raw bananas in their food as they give a very similar texture to potatoes. Kacche Kele ki Subzi is one such preparation that is relished with rotis. If you do not want to want plain rotis, you can even opt for puranpolis
Sweets like Badam ka sheera are used for breaking the fast of a Jain. This tradition called Parna also includes things like Moong water and Gud water which is then fed to the person who was fasting. Lapsi, this fabulously tasty Gujarati sweet features the goodness of broken wheat and the tantalizing aroma of cardamom. It is a hot favorite across the world but is mainly eaten during paryushan.
A few practices observed by Jains during paryushan are –
1. Many seeded vegetables like eggplant (baingan) are avoided as they are considered to be the carriers of new life, owing to the fact that they have many seeds.
2. Similarly, green leafy vegetables are also avoided during "chaturmaas" ie a holy observance period coinciding with the monsoon season, as the chances of mistakenly eating micro-organisms increases.
3. Due to the increase in microorganisms in food the next day, leftover food is also not permitted.
4. Any food that requires overnight fermenting is avoided as well.
5. No food and water is consumed after sunset till sunrise.
We hope you like these Jain Paryushan Recipes. Enjoy our other Jain articles as well.
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