Mom's Recipies

Fasting Aloo Tikki is a potato-based dish has all the spices that are allowed during fasts. A very common fasting dish.This dish is very popular among all age group people.

 Ingredients:

5 potatoes (boiled and mashed)
1 tbsp sago /sabudana flour
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp green chilies paste
1 tsp lemon juice
Oil as requird
Rock Salt / Sendah Namak to taste
coriander leaves to garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

2. Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions or balls  & shape each portion into a round,
    flat tikki.

3. Heat a non-stick pan, cook each tikki using a little oil, till both sides become  golden brown in colour.

4. Drain on an absorbent paper or tissue paper.

5. Fasting aloo tikki is ready to serve.

6. Serve it hot with any Chutney .

Rajgira pooris are made from rajgira atta (Amaranth flour) .Rajgira atta is gluten free flour. Rajgira flour is allowed to eat during the Navratri fastings or Ekadashi vrat or any Other fasting days.
Apart from making pooris, Rajgira Flour is also used to make rotis, parathas, pakoras and even as a binding and thickening agent.

Since rajgira atta is gluten free flour so to bind it together I have added boiled potato.

These pooris are quite heavy. 3-4 pooris per person with subzi /curry  on side is enough as a filling meal.




While making Rajgira poori, you need to consider below points to make it perfect:

1)  While making dough add very little water (about 1 teaspoon) at a time and knead. If you pour all the water at once, dough will be sticky and watery. If by mistake dough becomes sticky  then add little more rajgira atta and knead. Dough should not be sticky at all..The Dough should be not too soft not too hard.

2)   Roll the poori at medium thickness , meaning not too thick not too thin. If it is thick then it will sink into the oil,which  will take more time to cook. If it is thin then it may break and will not puff at all
.
3)  Fry the pooris in a HOT Oil or Hot Melted Ghee. If oil is not hot enough, then it will absorb too much oil and will not puff well.


Ingredients :-

Rajgira  Atta / Amaranth Flour -  2 Cups
Boiled Potato / Aloo - 1 ( Large )
Rock Salt / Sendha Namak  - as required
Water - as required
Oil /Ghee - for deep frying

Method:- 


 1) Boil the potato. Let it cool completey. Peel and mash it in a mixing bowl.
 2)  Add rajgira atta and Rock Salt /Sendha Namak  and two tablespoons of ghee . Mix the whole mixture well.Dough almost come together.
 3) Then add very little water, just about to 1 tsp and begin to knead the dough.
 4) Again add ½ to 1 tsp water and knead so that there is no dryness in the dough.
 5) The dough should not be sticky. If the dough feel sticky add some Rajgira flour and again knead well.Keep aside covered for 15 minutes.
 6) Divide into equal sized balls. On a dusted work surface, make medium sized pooris, neither thin nor thick .
7) Heat sufficient ghee in a kadai and deep-fry the puris on medium heat till golden. Drain and place on an absorbent paper or paper napkins to remove excess oil.
8) Serve rajgire ke pooris hot with any vegetable curry/sabzi or paneer curry or chutney.

Serving suggestions: During the vrat, this rajgira puri can be served with any side dish like sukhi bhaji, aloo ki sabji, sweet potato sabji, dahi aloo, suran sabji, sukhi arbi ,chutney

Maha Shivratri is a festival where people spend the entire day fasting and the entire night worshiping .The word Shivratri literally means “The Night of Shiva.” The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night with milk, curd, honey, rose water,coconut water etc . Offerings of bael (wood apple) leaves are made to the Shiva Lingam .People chant the mantra, "Om Namaha Shivaya",
continuously.
            Devotees observe a strict fast on Mahashivaratri. They do not consume anything other than the diet formulated especially for the occasion.Some devotees observe nirahar vrat( meaning not eating food and  drinking even beverages like tea, milk or even water).
          While some people who can't keep nirahar vrat eat a diet which is without anything made with rice, pulses or wheat. The devotees may eat fruits and drink tea, milk or coffee during the fast, if they have not observed nirahar vrat (fasting without the consumption of any form of food).


            Those who fast, diligently follow the set rules as to what can be eaten and what should not be eaten. The food taken during mid-day consists of non-cereal preparations made without using onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric powder,rai etc. Instead ingredients such as cumin seeds, rock salt and chillies are used.  The sweets can be of milk without the use of lentils .  No meal is taken during the night. After a night long worship of the Lingam, the fast is broken the next morning.

Sendha namak (rock salt) is used to prepare the food for the fast. 

Here are some recipes that are suitable for Maha Shivaratri Fasting and which you can prepare easily during the occasion.
 

Kuttu Ki Puri	Sabudana Thalipeeth	Sabudana Vada /Sago Vada

Sabudana Khichidi	Aloo Jeera / Potato curry	Peanut curd chutney

Sago Ladoos/Sabudana Ladoos	Apple Halwa	Shrikhand

Gauva Halwa /Peru Halwa	Papaya Halwa	Sweet Potato Halwa

Sago Payasam /Sabudana Kheer	Thandai	Badam Doodh /Almond milk