Delights of fasting

Shraavan is the month when people fast for a specific number of days and give up foods made of cereals, onions and garlic, among other things. There are certain foods that are allowed, for example fruits and tubers which give you ample amount of carbohydrates. A lot of recipes are innovatively made to ensure fasting is followed by delicious feasting!

Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients

Ingredients
Sabudana or Tapioca pearls 1 cup
Potatoes 2 medium sized
(boiled and peeled)
Peanuts ½ cup
(roasted and skins removed)
Curry Leaves 10-12
Whole Cumin 1 tsp
Ginger 1 small piece
(grated)
Green Chilli 1
(chopped finely)
Fresh Coconut ½ cup
(optional but recommended)
Lemon Juice 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste (rock salt)

Method

• Soak sabudana overnight, drain it in a colander and lay them on a clean kitchen towel or in a wire soup strainer to dry off.
• Chop the potatoes into small pieces and set aside.
• In a pan dry roast the peanuts till browned, remove the skins and cool. Coarsely grind them in a dry grinder. It should look roughly chopped.
• In a bowl, mix the chopped potatoes with the peanuts and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a kadai, add the cumin and allow to splutter, add the curry leaves and green chilli pieces and sauté. Add the grated ginger and fry for a minute.
• Add the potato-peanut mixture with salt, sauté for 2 minutes till it is well fried.
• Add the washed and drained sabudana, stir well and cook without disturbing it too much on a low flame till the sabudana starts to become translucent. Take care not to over cook the sabudana because it may turn lumpy and hard.
• Add the grated coconut as garnish, lemon juice and serve hot.

Bhagar ka Sheera

Bhagar is a grain that grows wild (it is cultivated now) and the seed is used as a replacement for rice in a lot of preparations. It is served mildly tempered as Bhagar in Maharashtrian families to be eaten in place of rice, there are various preparations of khichdi and also kheer. Here is a recipe for a sheera that is delicious.

Ingredients

Bhagar ke chawal / Swang chawal 1 cup
Ghee ½ cup
Unrefined Sugar/ jaggery 1 cup
(broken into small pieces,
adjust according to taste)
Elaichi 2
(finely powdered)
Dry Fruit ½ cup
(cashews, raisins, almonds, pistachios)
Water 2 cups

Method

• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat a teaspoon of ghee and roast the dry fruit till they turn golden brown. Remove into a plate and set aside
• Wash the bhagar rava and drain it on a towel overnight.
• Add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the same pan and roast the bhagar till it is changing colour, about 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the unrefined sugar and stir well, till it has melted. Add ½ cup water and stir till it has dissolved.
• Add the powdered cardamom and remaining water and cook stirring on low flame till the bhagar is cooked through. About 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining ghee, fried dry fruits and serve hot.

Sweet Potato Pattice

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes 4
(washed & boiled, substitute with regular poatoes)
Green Chilli 1
(finely chopped or crushed coarsely)
Arrow Root Flour 2 tbsp
(substitute with water chestnut flour, singhada ka atta)
(or buckwheat flour, kuttu ka atta)
Amchur Powder ½ tsp
Lemon Juice 1 tsp
Cumin Powder ½ tsp
Cashew Nuts 10-12
(roasted and chopped)
Raisins(washed) 10-12
Rock Salt According to taste
Oil for frying

Method

• Skin the potatoes and mash them well. Add all the ingredients and divide into 6-8 equal parts.
• Roll each portion between your palms and flatten to make a patty.
• Dust lightly with a little buck wheat flour / arrow root flour or water chestnut flour.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan, when ready, add the patties, with a little space between each one and fry on medium heat till crisp and golden, flip and repeat on the other side.
• Serve hot