FASTING SPECIAL...

Shengdana Batata Bhaaji


Simple to make. Yet so good. The potato marries the fresh shelled peanuts with just the right amount of spice from the green chilies. The cumin seasoning with ghee imparts a fragrance that associates it immediately to the divine.

A hot plate of Shengdana Batata Bhaaji, a squeeze of lemon and a bowl of curd and you will keep promising your favorite God that you will fast more no. of times.

This bhaaji is never garnished with cilantro though you might want to do it to add color. Hey but hold it. Cilantro is out of boundaries during fasting.

You want to give it a try then here is the recipe.

Ingredients

1/4 kg Boiled potatoes
1/2 cup shelled fresh peanuts
2 green chilies
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon ghee
salt to taste
a pinch of sugar

Peel and dice the boiled potatoes.

In a wok heat the ghee to smoking point. Add the cumin and before it burns be quick to add the chopped green chilies. Follow in with diced potatoes and fresh shelled peanuts. Stir well and cover and cook for 5 mins. Add the salt and sugar and stir. Cook for another 2-3 mins and you are ready to serve it.

Never use dried peanuts for this recipe. It is all about fresh shelled peanuts in this recipe. Biting into well cooked peanuts and just right cooked potatoes is bliss. I can gorge on entire platefuls.

This is again one of my Aai's recipes that I flip on. This month is when I lost her and it is also the month of a mother n daughter's birthdays. It is in her memory this recipe is posted here today.

"While I don't want to pull back your spirits to the world that you have left, I am still in those bonds that you brought me into. I remember you"




Sabudana Vada


Making Sabudana Vadas taught me this lesson. Small batches make better vadas.

So new joinees here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup sabudana/ sago
1 cup butter milk

Prepare sabudana by soaking in butter milk and storing it overnight.

3/4 cup boiled mashed potato
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
3-4 green chilies, fine chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
salt to taste

Oil for frying

Mix everything together with overnight soaked sabudana to get a dough. Divide into ping pong sized balls. Flatten them for frying. This helps to use lesser oil and they can be shallow fried. Fry until golden and crisp.

Serve with Upavasa chi Chutney and curd if you are fasting. These can be shaped and frozen but after frying need to be served immediately. Once cold they turn rubbery and cannot be enjoyed.

He he... we don't fast anymore in the family. It's a tradition long lost. Hey but let me check with Mothi Aai if she does, Aruna Kaki does not I know for sure.


Upavasa chi Chutney

Ingredients

1 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tablespoon roasted groundnuts
1 tablespoon curds
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 green chilli

Grind all the the ingredients together to make the chutney.