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Banana Sheera for Ekadashi — Rajgira Banana Halwa (No Grain, No Onion, No Garlic)
Banana Sheera is a deeply satisfying Ekadashi sweet that brings together the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with the nutty, earthy flavour of rajgira atta (amaranth flour), all cooked in generous ghee with warm cardamom and garnished with golden cashews and plump raisins. In the Vaishnava devotional kitchen, sweets hold a special place — Krishna is described in scripture as having a particular love for sweet preparations (mishthanna), and offering a beautifully made halwa as Ekadashi prasadam is both a devotional act and a practical one. Banana sheera is beloved in South Indian, Maharashtrian, and Gujarati Hare Krishna communities alike; its preparation requires no soaking, no grinding, and produces results in under 30 minutes. Rajgira atta — flour ground from Amaranthus grain, also called ramdana or amaranth — is one of the quintessential Ekadashi flours: it is not a cereal grain and is therefore fully compatible with fasting when grains are prohibited. Paired with ripe bananas, which provide natural sugars, potassium, and creaminess, the sheera needs very little additional sugar while still achieving a lush, dessert-like richness. This preparation follows the Vaishnava Ekadashi fasting principles.
Why This Recipe Is Ekadashi Approved
Rajgira atta is ground from Amaranthus hypochondriacus (amaranth), a pseudocereal — botanically a seed from the Amaranthaceae family, not a cereal grain from the Poaceae family. Vaishnava Ekadashi scripture prohibits anna (grain, specifically cereal grains); rajgira is explicitly listed among the permitted Ekadashi flours alongside kuttu (buckwheat) and singhara. Bananas are fruit, fully permitted. Sugar, cardamom, cashews, raisins, milk — all permitted. Ghee is the traditional sattvic cooking medium. No onion, no garlic. This preparation is fully consistent with the Ekadashi fasting standards followed by ISKCON devotees.
🙏 Srila Prabhupada's Guidance: Srila Prabhupada described offering food to Krishna as a fundamental devotional act — the cook's absorption in chanting while cooking transforms simple ingredients into transcendental prasadam. Banana sheera, made with rajgira, ripe bananas, and pure ghee, represents the Vaishnava tradition of offering the sweetest and most nourishing preparations to Krishna on auspicious fast days like Ekadashi.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed smooth (about 1 cup mashed)
- ½ cup rajgira atta (amaranth flour)
- 3 tbsp pure ghee
- 3 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste; ripe bananas are naturally sweet)
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp raw cashews, halved
- 1 tbsp raisins
- ¼ cup full-fat milk (optional, for a creamier texture)
💡 Key Tip
Use very ripe bananas (with brown spots on the skin) for the sweetest, creamiest result with the least additional sugar needed. The bhuna (roasting) stage of the rajgira atta is non-negotiable — properly roasted flour gives the sheera its characteristic aroma and prevents a starchy, raw-flour taste.
Nutritional Note
Rajgira (amaranth) is one of the most nutritionally dense Ekadashi flours — higher in protein than most cereals, rich in iron, calcium, and lysine. Bananas provide potassium and quick natural energy. Ghee provides healthy fat-soluble vitamins and promotes digestion. Cashews add protein and healthy fats. A sustaining Ekadashi sweet.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Fry Cashews and Raisins
Heat 1 tsp ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add cashew halves and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until golden. Add raisins and fry for 30 seconds until they puff up. Remove and set aside — these will be the garnish.
- 2
Roast Rajgira Atta
In the same pan, add the remaining ghee (about 2.5 tbsp). Add rajgira atta and roast over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the flour changes from pale to a light golden-amber and releases a pleasant, nutty aroma. Do not rush this step — under-roasted rajgira tastes raw and bitter.
- 3
Add Bananas
Add the mashed bananas to the roasted rajgira flour. Stir vigorously to combine — the banana moisture will instantly hydrate the flour. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously, as the mixture comes together into a thick mass.
- 4
Add Sugar and Milk
Add sugar and milk (if using). Stir well and continue cooking on medium heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring almost continuously, until the sheera thickens, pulls away from the sides of the pan, and the ghee begins to appear around the edges. The mixture should look glossy.
- 5
Finish with Cardamom and Serve
Remove from heat. Add cardamom powder and stir to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the fried cashews and raisins. Serve warm. Banana sheera is best eaten fresh and warm — it firms up as it cools.
🪷 Offer to Krishna First
Before honouring this prasadam, offer it to Lord Krishna with love. Place the preparation before a picture or deity of Krishna and offer it with a sincere heart, chanting Hare Krishna. Food offered to Krishna becomes prasadam — sanctified food that nourishes both body and soul.
Make your cooking a meditation — chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra while you prepare this offering: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. You can also play bhajans from our bhajans collection while cooking.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Recipe
- Following Srila Prabhupada's Ekadashi standard (Yamuna Devi's Lord Krishna's Cuisine)
- Consistent with ISKCON Desire Tree's Ekadashi food guidelines
This recipe is prepared according to the Ekadashi fasting standards followed by ISKCON devotees.
