Wednesday, April 17, 2013

sama ke chawal aur moongphali ki kadhi | Fasting recipes for Navratri....


 Jeera rice made using sama ke chawal or Barnyard millet is as tasty as jeera rice cooked with any short grain rice. You have to try it to believe it. And if it is served with a kadhi, it becomes a comforting meal that is light on the system. The kadhi I am talking about is made using peanuts. Fasting foods are made using a limited number of ingredients but that doesn't mean it has to be boring and bland, or repetitive by any means.

So now you can enjoy kadhi chawal during fasting days as well, this recipe of peanut kadhi makes yummy kadhi and the tempering doesn't make you realize it is not the real thing. You would end up slurping the last bits believe me.


Recipe of sama ke chawal ka jeera rice...

ingredients...
(2 meal servings)
3/4 cup sama ke chawal
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp or more black peppercorns
pinch of salt
1 tsp ghee
1.5 cup hot water

procedure...

Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cumin and black peppercorns. Add the pinch of salt and the washed and drained rice. No need to soak the rice.

Dry fry the rice just for about 30 seconds stirring constantly, add the water, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. It gets cooked quickly.


The sama looks slightly sticky at this stage, is al dante too, cover and let it cook further in it's own heat after taking the pan off heat. After about 10 minutes you can fluff up the rice using a folk. It fluffs up nicely with each grain looking separate. Khila khila as we call it.


Do start with the kadhi as soon as you cover the lid to simmer this jeera rice.

recipe of the peanut kadhi....

ingredients...
(for 3 servings)
3/4 cups soaked peanuts (I used sprouted)
2 green chilies
an inch piece of root ginger
salt (pink salt or sendha namak) to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 cup very sour yogurt

Tempering to be done to finish the kadhi.. 
1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp red chilly powder.


procedure...

Make a paste of the kadhi ingredients without adding any water, no need to peel the peanuts.

 Pour this paste in a kadhai or deep pan. Add 3 cups of water and start simmering on medium heat, stirring all the while till the first boil comes. Lower the flame to very low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

For tempering, heat the ghee in a ladle or small pan, add cumin and wait till the cumin splutters. Add the red chilly powder and take the pan off heat. Pour the tempering ghee into the cooked kadhi.


This would make a yummy meal for navratri, vary satiating and filling and yet light on the system, detoxifying and cleansing in properties.

I served it with a quick stir fry of potato wedges, carrot batons and zucchini slices that I cooked while the kadhi was simmering. Just with a seasoning of salt and pepper.



I have won accolades for these two recipes and for this particular meal. Have served it on non fasting days too and people have ended up taking third and fourth helpings.

The leftovers reheat well if you are wondering how you will manage if you are fasting alone. Make it for 2-3 days refrigerate in portions, reheat in microwave and serve with different vegetable stir fries on the side. This is what I used to do when I was in research eons ago.

Hope you enjoy having kadhi chawal for your fasting days. I am enjoying a few fasting recipes though I am not fasting and have been eating my fish fries on the side...

Please do let me know if you try the recipe.

6 comments:

  1. Sangeeta, I loved the collage of pictures; the vegetables are the loveliest.

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  2. oh! the pics make me long for the 'fast food' .
    In maharashtrian household the kadhi is called -"DANE Ki AMTI" in which roasted moongphali dane are used .Another small variation is adding either a dash of curd while grinding or kokam while boiling with a little bit of sugar ,just enough so that you have a hint of sweetness.
    It would be totally worth fasting if the kadhi chawal menu is on offer.

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  3. mouth watering. i add bit of sugar/jaggery to make gujarati kadhi- my ultimate comfort food.

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  4. this kadi chawal look droolworthy!

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  5. Hi Sangeeta...my hubby loves sama rice and funnily loves the fasting season only for this meal.I never tried a peanut kadhi, however it is now a new addition to my very limited fasting meal option. Good one.
    I also see a stir-fry and that looks soo good.
    Thanks for sharing.

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