Chaitra on your mind

Ingredients

• Tapioca pearls/sabudana 150 gm
• Potatoes (two medium sized) 100 gm  
• Cumin seeds powder one tsp
• Coriander seeds powder 1 tsp  
• Fresh coriander 25 gm
• Desi ghee 50 gm  
• Sabudana/sago/ javarisi  1/2 cup
• Roasted peanuts 100 gm
• Rock salt (sendha) to taste

Method

• Wash tapioca pearls in cold water and rinse until water comes out clean (not cloudy). Soak overnight (minimum 5 hours).
• Remove excess water from tapioca pearls.
• Boil potatoes until almost done. 
• Now, grate potatoes and add soaked tapioca pearls, cumin seeds powder, coriander powder, roasted peanuts, lemon juice, chopped coriander and rock salt to taste.
• Mix well until the ingredients combine into a chunky dough.
• Divide dough into small balls.
• Apply oil on your hands and gently flatten the balls into thin rounds roughly around .5 cm thickness.
• Heat a nonstick pan and add ghee.
• Place the thalipeeth on the pan and cook each side for one minute on medium flame or until golden brown in colour.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, serve with pudina chutney.

Kashi Halwa

Ingredients

• Ash pumpkin/petha 1 kg
• Unrefined sugar 300 gm
• Saffron 20 strands
• Desi ghee 200 gm
• Green cardamom powder 20 gm
• Toasted nuts (Almond, cashewnut and pistachio) 50 gm

Method

• Peel ash pumpkin, remove seeds, grate using a hand grater or food processor.
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed kadhai.
• Add grated pumpkin to the kadhai and cook on medium heat while stirring continuously.
• When water leaves the pumpkin, add saffron strands.
• Cook till the water disappears and add sugar.
• Cook on a medium flame till the pumpkin turns translucent and sugar is dissolved.
• Stir in green cardamom powder and remove from flame.
• Garnish with toasted nuts and serve warm

— Recipes courtesy Chef Arun Karara, head cuisine creation