Navratri 2025: 10 delicious and vrat-friendly ways to enjoy sweet potato (shakarkandi) during fasting

Sweet potato, also known as shakarkandi, is one of of the most popular and nourishing foods during fasting. It is rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which provides steady energy and keeps you fuller for longer—perfect for days when meals are limited. Packed with essential vitamins like A, C, and B6, along with minerals such as potassium and manganese, sweet potato supports immunity, digestion, and overall stamina. Here are a few tried and tested sweet potato dishes that one can easily make at home during fasting and enjoy.

This is one of the most famous sweet potato dishes that can be enjoyed during fasting. To make it, toss boiled cubes with rock salt, lemon juice, green chutney, and pomegranate and your simple and easy tangy-spicy snack is ready.

These are pan-fried mashed sweet potato patties spiced with sendha namak, green chili, and coriander that can be easily made at home and enjoyed during fasting.
Shakarkandi Tikki
These are pan-fried mashed sweet potato patties spiced with sendha namak, green chili, and coriander that can be easily made at home and enjoyed during fasting.

This snack is best paired with chai and to make it, mix boiled mashed sweet potato with singhara or rajgira flour, along with boiled seasonal veggies and spices and then shallow fry into crisp cutlets.

This dessert is for sweet tooth lovers and to make it, cook grated sweet potato in ghee, milk, and sugar or jaggery; and then garnish with nuts.

To make this tea time snack, thinly slice peeled sweet potatoes and air-fry or bake for a crunchy vrat-friendly snack. One can top them with sendha namak and black pepper.

This one makes for a healthy breakfast and to make it, combine grated shakarkandi with kuttu flour, sendha namak, green chilli, pepper, coriander leaves, and lemon juice. Mix well and cook savory pancakes on a non-sick tawa.

This side dish goes well with chilla or paratha and to make it, add boiled, diced sweet potato to chilled yogurt, flavored with cumin, black pepper, and rock salt.

This side dish goes well with chilla or paratha and to make it, add boiled, diced sweet potato to chilled yogurt, flavored with cumin, black pepper, and rock salt.

This one makes for a filling treat and to make it, roast whole shakarkandi and stuff with spiced paneer or nut filling for a hearty vrat dish, that can be baked to perfection in an oven even in an air fryer.

This is also a healthy snack and to make it, cut sweet potates into wedges, season with rock salt and pepper, and bake until golden and crisp.
All Images Courtesy: istock