Sabudana Khichidi

Sabudana Khichidi
Sabudana khichidi is one of my fav things to eat...ever. It is quite easy to make but the main thing is that the sabudana itself has to be of good quality. If the sabudana doesnot soak through properly, then the resultant khichidi is very hard to eat. Soak it more, and the khihidi turns a soggy mess. My mom used to make this khichidi whenever she used to fasts. makes sense eating this during fasting, being rich in carbohydrates and everything...I learned how to make the right khichidi from my MIL. Personally, I think she still makes the better khichidi.:)
Recipe:
1 cup sabudana, soaked in water overnight. make sure that you wash the saubadana first and the water is just one layer more than the sabudana. cover the sabudana while soaking.
1/2 cup roasted, coarsely ground peanuts
1 potato boiled and chopped in medium-size chunks
3 minced green chillies
salt to taste
sugar to taste
2 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp oil
2 tsp clarified butter
chopped cilantro for garnishing
Procedure:
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, when hot add cumin seeds. Add the potato chunks and green chillies. Then add the roasted peanuts and then the soaked sabudana. Saute the sabudana on medium-low flame. Keep on doing it till the sabudana is transperant and soft to touch. Donot cover while cooking.
After the khichidi is cooked, garnish with cilantro and add clarified butter for extra flavor. Traditionally, this khichidi is prepared in clarified butter, but cooking in oil cuts down the extra calories.
Serve this khichidi when hot and with a side of yogurt. Some peopl like wedge of lime and grated coconut with this. The above quantity serves 2 people.
Enjoy
Dipti!

Stuffed Eggplant

Eggplants with dried shrimp

Eggplant stuffed with dried prawns, onions and spices

Yum yum yum. This is my mom's speciality. I remember when as a kid I used to wait for my mom to make this absolutely delicious recipe of eggpplants stuffed with dried shrimps and potatoes. Alternately, this recipe can be made with roasted peanuts. S has an aversion to eggplants but I make sure to add lots of potatoes and he loves it. My little duckie loves to eat this too though he is not fond of the dried shrimps in it. And me, I love the entire thing. So it just works well for the three of us.

Recipe:

4 small eggplants, washed and cut at the top into slits.

2 large potatoes cut into 1/4" rounds

2 medium onions, minced

1 handful dried shrimp, soaked in water and marinated w/ 1/2 tsp red chilli, 1/4 tsp tumeric powder, salt to taste and some tamrind pulp and paste made of 2 cloves garlic, 1/2" ginger, 2 green chillies and some chopped cilantro.

1 cup masala powder of dried dessicated coconut and fried onions

salt to taste

1 tsp garam masala

little sugar to taste
4 tsp + 2 tsp oil for cooking

Preparation:

Heat a heavt bottom pan with 2 tsp oil. When hot, add a pinch of asafoetida to it. Then add the marinated shrimp to it and roast till cooked. When cold, add onions, coconut masala powder, garam masala powder, salt and sugar and mix well. Stuff the eggplants with this mix. Heat the pan again with 4 tsp oil and when hot gently lower the eggplants into it along with the potato rounds and the leftover mixture. Cover and let it cook on low flame. When cooked, serve hot with chappatis and rice and varan.

Enjoy

Dipti!!

I know this recipe seems a little lengthy, but its definetley worth it.