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A special flour which can be used for various purposes during fasting periods.

On Hindu fasting days (Navaratri mainly, also Maha Shivaratri), northern states of India eat items made of buckwheat flour, because, unlike wheat or rice, buckwheat is not a cereal, and thus deemed acceptable. Cereals are not generally eaten during Hindu fasts. Rules of the fast are left for the individuals to decide; some people do not drink water during their fast (nirjal upwaas), while some just give up cereals and salt. The preparation varies across India. The famous ones are kuttu ki puri and kuttu pakoras. In most of northern and western states, they call this kuttu ka atta. In Punjab, it is called okhla, too, and is extensively used in flour form.