Bhishma Panchaka Recipe Book 1

Compiled by ISKCON Magadi Main Road, Bangalore

New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham, Bangalore – 560 091, India

Under the inspiration of H. H. Jayapataka Swami Maharaj

What is Bhishma Panchaka?

The last five days of the holy month of Kartika— from Utthana Ekadashi to Kartika Purnima — are known as Bhishma Panchaka or Vishnu Panchaka. These are considered among the most spiritually potent days in the entire Vaishnava calendar.

The vrata commemorates Grandfather Bhishmadeva, who, lying on his bed of arrows after the Kurukshetra war, fasted in this manner while waiting for the auspicious uttarayana to give up his body in the presence of Lord Krishna (Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Chapters 9-10). His glorious departure — fixing his mind on the four-handed form of Vishnu and offering some of the most beautiful prayers in all of scripture — is the model these five days seek to honour.

The Hari-bhakti-vilasa of Sri Sanatana Goswami describes that those who are physically capable should observe austerities during this period for the great pleasure of Lord Vishnu. Even a small, sincere offering during Bhishma Panchaka is said to award the result of many ordinary days of devotional service.

How to Use This Recipe Book

All preparations below are designed for Level 2 fasting— only fruits, roots and milk-free items, with saindhava(rock salt) instead of regular salt. No grains, no lentils, no regular salt, no onion, no garlic.

Most importantly, every preparation must first be offered to Lord Krishna on the home altar with a sincere heart before the family honours the prasadam. Cooking that is not offered is simply cooking; cooking that is offered becomes maha-prasada — and eating it is itself devotional service.

These recipes are written so that even first-time cooks can participate in Bhishma Panchaka. Choose two or three items per day, keep the menu simple, and use the time saved in the kitchen for extra rounds of japa, reading of Srimad-Bhagavatam (especially the Bhishma-stuti in Canto 1, Chapter 9), and offering of lamps to Lord Damodara.

Soup Options

1. Potato Soup

Ingredients: Potato, Ginger, Saindhava salt

Boil the potatoes. Peel them
Blend the potatoes along with some ginger and salt
Add enough water as per the preferred consistency and boil
Offer and honour

2. Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients: Sweet Potato, Ginger, Saindhava salt

Boil the sweet potatoes. Peel them
Blend the sweet potatoes along with some ginger and salt
Add enough water as per the preferred consistency and boil
Strain it to get rid of the fibre
Offer and honour

Salad Options

3. Fruit Salad

Ingredients: Apple, Banana, Mango, Chikoo, Cashews, Almonds, Raisins, Dates

Cut all the fruits into small cubes
Cut cashews, almonds and dates into small pieces
Mix them all together along with raisins
Offer and honour

4. Coconut, Raisins and Banana Salad

Ingredients: Grated fresh coconut, Banana, Soaked raisins

Soak few raisins in water
Grate fresh coconut
Cut the banana into roundels
Mix all the above
Offer and honour

Drinks and Juices

7. Coconut Milk

Ingredients: Fresh coconut, raisins

Grind the coconut
Remove the milk by squeezing the paste or by using a muslin cloth
Steam for 5 minutes. Do not let it become hot
Make some paste with a few raisins and mix it with the coconut milk
Offer and honour

Note: This milk can also be used in dry fruit shake. Do not boil too much.

11. Dry Fruits Shake

Ingredients: Soaked Cashewnuts, Dry grapes, Dry Dates, Almonds (Soak overnight)

Remove seeds of Dates and peel off the Almond skin
Cut into pieces, add Kimia dates and grind into a smooth paste
Add water according to desired consistency
Offer and honour

12. Banana Milk Shake

Ingredients: Banana, Coconut milk, Dates

Peel and cut banana
Add the dates, banana & coconut milk into a blender
Blend into fine juice
Offer and honour

Note: To make it richer, you can add few nuts.

15. Pineapple Juice

Ingredients: Pineapple, Raisins or kimia dates

Peel and clean the pineapple, cut into pieces
Add the pineapple pieces and raisins/kimia dates in the blender
Add some water and blend into a smooth juice
Strain the juice and offer

Snacks

17. Roasted Nuts

Ingredients: Nuts, Saindhava salt

Roast all the nuts
Mix some Saindhava salt in water (10 ml or so)
When the nuts are almost fried, sprinkle this water and roast for few more seconds
It will be very crispy and tastes best

18. Vegetable Patties

Ingredients: Potato, Sweet potato, Raw banana, Ginger, Raw mango, Saindhava salt, Roasted cashew/ground nuts

Boil all the vegetables and peel them
Grate the raw mango, coarse grind the cashew/ground nuts, grate ginger
Mash all the veggies and add all the ingredients together
Make into small balls and pat them like cutlets
Fry on a non-stick tava on both sides on low-medium flame

Note: Use more ginger as potato and sweet potato cause gastric issues.

Chutneys

20. Coconut Chutney with Groundnuts

Ingredients: Coconut, Ginger, Saindhava salt, Groundnuts

Grate the coconut
Roast the ground nuts
Blend the ginger, coconut, groundnuts and salt together along with some water
Offer and honour

23. Raw Mango Chutney

Ingredients: Raw mango, ginger, salt

Wash and grate the mango
Add little ginger and salt
Blend into a fine paste
Offer and honour

Note: Tastes good with cutlet.

Subji and Other Recipes

27. Gauranga Potatoes

Ingredients: Baby potatoes, Saindhava salt

Boil the potatoes and peel them
Add some salt and bake them until golden brown
Offer and honour

29. Potato Subzi

Ingredients: Potato, ginger, Saindhava salt

Boil the potato until 75% cooked
Peel and cut into small pieces
Take a non-stick kadai, add the potato pieces and some grated ginger and salt
Saute and cook until completely done
Offer and honour

31. Hashbrowns

Ingredients: Potato, Saindhava salt

Peel the potatoes and grate them
Add the grated potato into a bowl of water
Wash and pat dry using a towel (helps make it crispy)
Take a non-stick tawa, spread the grated potatoes and sprinkle salt
Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 min on both sides
Offer and honour

Sweets

32. Dry Fruit Ladoo

Ingredients: Cashew, Badam, Raisins, Kimia dates, Ground nut

Dry roast cashew and badam
Blend cashew, badam, raisins, kimia dates
Make into balls
Grind the roasted ground nut and roll the balls in this powder
Offer and honour

33. Sweet Potato Halwa

Ingredients: Sweet potato, Kimia dates

Boil and peel the sweet potato
Blend the sweet potato and the dates together
Take a non-stick kadai and put this mixture into the kadai
Fry for some time
Offer and honour

34. Ground Nut Ladoo

Ingredients: Roasted Ground nuts, Kimia dates

In a blender add the dates and roasted nuts
Blend into fine paste
Make balls
If you want a richer taste, roll the balls in cashew powder
Offer and honour

This recipe book is dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his faithful followers.

🍽️ Ekadashi Fasting Recipes

Looking for what to cook on Ekadashi? See our full collection of vrat recipes — no onion, no garlic, no grain.

View all Ekadashi Fasting Recipes →

Gratitude to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

We offer our humble obeisances at the lotus feet of our founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, without whose causeless mercy the priceless prayers, bhajans and sacred literature of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition would have remained inaccessible to most of the world. By his herculean preaching efforts, his unparalleled translations and his founding of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the holy names, pastimes and instructions of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are today chanted in every town and village.

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine

All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to the Vaishnava acharyas in the disciplic succession.