BOILED SWEET POTATO

This is called avicha sakkaraivalli kizhangu in tamil. Very healthy and vitamin packed.

INGREDIENTS:

Sweet potato - 1/2 kg.
Salt - to taste
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp.

METHOD:

Cook sweet potato in water alongwith salt until done. Peel, sprinkle pepper powder and offer it to the Lord. Serve hot.

FARALI CHUTNEY / CORIANDER DIP

"Farali" is fasting in North India. This is a chutney made during vrat days and used as a dip too. This goes well with sabudana vada, sabudana khichdi, sabudana thalipeeth and batata vada.

INGREDIENTS:

Coriander leaves –  2 cups (roughly chopped & tightly packed)
Green chilies – 3

Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons (optional)

Roasted peanuts – 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice – 2 teaspoons
Oil – 1 teaspoon

Sugar - 1/4 tsp.
Salt – to taste

METHOD:

Wash and  chop coriander leaves with the stem. Discard the root. 

Mix all the ingredients(except oil) in a blender, to a smooth paste
Do not add any water.
Add oil and give a whip.
Farali chutney is ready to serve.

NOTE:
Store in an air tight container and refrigerate. Shelf life when refrigerated is about 10 days.

SHIVRATHRI RAITHA / SHIVARATHRI RAITHA

Pictured by Mrs.Safeera, my friend

INGREDIENTS:

Sweet potato  - 1 small

Organic cucumber  - 1

Singhara (Water chestnuts) - 3

Curd - 2 cups

Roasted peanuts - 2 tsp. (Roughly crushed)

Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped)

Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)

METHOD:

Boil sweet potatoes and roughly mash it or cut it to small pieces. Boil, peel and chop singhara. Cut cucumbers finely. Beat curd until smooth. 

Mix all the ingredients. Offer to the Lord. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

SABUDANA THALIPEETH

Sabudhana thalipeeth is a popular Maharashtrian vrat (fasting) recipe. Its a flavourful dish with the aroma of peanuts and sago in ghee. Its very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

Sago(Javvarisi/sabudana) - 1 1/4 cup
(medium sized, regular variety and NOT the nylon one)
Skinless roasted peanuts (coarsely ground) - 1/4 cup

Potato - 2 medium sized
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Green chillies - 2 or 3 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves  - 3 tablespoons (finely chopped)
Salt - to taste (approx. 1 level tsp.)
Ghee - 3 tablespoons
Oil - 3 tablespoons

METHOD:

Clean the sago without mud and stones, wash gently two or three times and drain the water completely. Now pour in VERY LITTLE WATER, JUST TO COVER OR IMMERSE THE SAGO AND KEEP ASIDE FOR 2 HOURS. Rake the sago gently with a fork once an hour.

Boil, peel and mash the potatoes. Keep aside.

After 2 hours, separate the sago pearls gently with your hand. By this time the sago would have absorbed all the water. It will be moist but no trace of water will be there. Add mashed potatoes, cumin seeds, roasted  & crushed peanuts, chopped green chillies, coriander leaves, salt and knead well.


Heat a tawa. Wet the hands, take a medium sized ball out of the sabudana mixture and flatten it on the tawa to a thin, round thalipeeth. Make one or two holes and pour  little oil / ghee into the holes and around the thalipeeth. Cook for a while and flip both sides until golden on both sides.  Serve hot with dahi, pickle or any chutney of your choice. 

SABUDANA VADA / SAGO VADA / SAGO PATTIES

This is a filling snack served during festivals & when observing a fast. It is an easy and tasty vrat ka khana. 

INGREDIENTS:

Sago (Javvarisi / sabudana) 1 cup
Potatoes- 2  medium

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Roasted peanut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 3
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice - 11/2 teaspoons
Salt  - to taste
Oil - to deep fry

METHOD:

Clean sabudana without mud and stones, wash gently two or three times and drain the water completely. Now pour in VERY LITTLE WATER, JUST TO COVER OR IMMERSE THE SAGO AND KEEP ASIDE FOR 2 HOURS. Rake the sago gently with a fork once an hour. After 2 hours, separate the sago pearls gently with your hand. By this time the sago would have absorbed all the water. It will be moist but no trace of water will be there. 

Boil and mash potatoes. Finely chop green chillies. Coarsely grind peanuts. Keep aside.

Mix together sabudana, mashed potatoes, peanuts, cumin seeds, green chillies, coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt. Mix well without any lumps. 

Make small balls out of the mixture (It can also be shaped as patties). Heat oil in a kadai. Ensure medium heat and deep fry vadas till golden brown. Serve piping hot with ketchup or any chutney and a cup of tea.

SABUDANA KHICHDI / SABUDANA KHICHRI (MAHARASHTRIAN STYLE)

Ekadasi vratham is observing total fast (suddha upavasam) on Ekadasi tithi. Those who cannot observe a complete fast, the elders and children are permitted to observe this vratham by taking fruits and milk. Grains, rice and hing are not permitted on fasting days and certain restrictions are there in vegetables too. Sabudhana khichdi is a popular Maharashtrian vrat (fasting) recipe. Its a flavourful dish even without hing and with the aroma of peanuts and sago in ghee. Its very easy to make. This recipe serves two.

Quite often people end up with sticky , rubbery khichdi and many end up without the glossy, translucent look of this. My way of preparing this khichdi is guilty free of sticky khichdi with the pearls separated and translucent also. Just follow the simple steps and you will definitely get a perfect, non-sticky and glass like khichdi.

INGREDIENTS:

Sago(Javvarisi/sabudana) - 1 1/4 cup
(medium sized, regular variety and NOT the nylon one)
Peanuts (coarsely ground) - 1/4 cup
Peanuts without skin - 1 tablespoon

Potato - 2 medium sized
Salt - as per taste (approx. 1 level tsp.)
Ghee - 3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Green chillies - 2 or 3 (finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Lemon - 1

Scraped coconut - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - few

METHOD:

Clean the sago without mud and stones, wash gently two or three times and drain the water completely. Now pour in VERY LITTLE WATER, JUST TO COVER OR IMMERSE THE SAGO AND KEEP ASIDE FOR 2 HOURS. Rake the sago gently with a fork once an hour.

Boil, peel and cut the potatoes to small pieces.

After 2 hours, separate the sago pearls gently with your hand. By this time the sago would have absorbed all the water. It will be moist but no trace of water will be there. Add the salt , mix well but gently.

Heat little ghee in a pan, fry the peanuts without skin in ghee. Keep aside. In the same pan, add remaining ghee, and when hot, add cumin seeds, when they sizzle, add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Now add the potatoes, little salt (just for the potato) and saute for 2 minutes. Now add the coarsely ground peanuts and sago. Mix everything well.

Now, sprinkle a spoon of water with your hand on this and cover with a lid. Repeat it two or three times until the sago turns translucent.  Stir gently each time.This process takes about 3 minutes. Add the scraped coconut. Mix gently. Switch off the stove, squeeze the juice of a lime. Again mix gently.

Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with coriander leaves and top with ghee-fried peanuts.

Sabudana khichdi is ready. Serve hot.