So Ekadashi is the 11th day from the new moon and full moon. It is considered auspicious for prayer, chanting and is good to stay away from grains on this day. Scriptures reveal that one who fasts on this day, is mukta from all sins and not only him/ her but their ancestors are also redeemed from their sins.
For people who have known me, know my love for food. Fasts and me are like two opposite poles. We grew up in a house where Bapa was a hardcore allopathic doctor and we had no rules of veg and non veg eating. Fish was cooked everyday… so much so that I looked down upon it as a teenager ( what teenagers love doing). I grew up on chicken, chicken and more chicken. There was the iconic Telco Club chicken fry ( my sister often joked that they must be adding some drugs to make it so so good), Bou’s chicken kassa, Khudi’s chilli chicken. The list was endless. ( Well this is not sounding like an Ekadashi post at all)
All through my wonder years, my sisters had a great influence on me. I had the vicarious pleasure of listening to their adventures at college and I grew up much faster than my years…. Thanks to both of them. One such experience she shared was about the miracle of meditation… I was fascinated by it. Then I read books about experiences, listened to various gurus, tried out so many programs and very slowly, a change gathered momentum. There came with age, a strong urge for something deeper.
Then as they say, the universe just conspires to give you what you want. Career which till now occupied quite a big space in my mind, seemed to dim in comparison to what started to happen. The roller coaster ride of life began. Life became very volatile… almost like a movie where I did not know what would happen. A high risk pregnancy, a very critical baby in the NICU for months, seeing my active and sharp father lose his memory and strength in front of my eyes … his struggle with life and then his passing away. It changed me forever.
My relationship with life changed. I understood what death meant and it gave a new meaning to life. Find love, peace and joy in every moment… nothing else matters. To cultivate this mindset, discipline is crucial. Hence, started my endeavour to work on myself. I started fasting on ekadashi last year after Bapa left us for the heavenly abode. It’s been a year now and I have grown, become much more aware of myself during this year. Being disciplined about food has made me much stronger as a person.
And here comes my favourite food on Ekadashis…. Sabudana Khichri. This is traditionally a Maharashtrian and South Indian delicacy and I was introduced to it by my dear friend, Nidhi on one of the Janamasthami fasts we did during our MBA days. Then I learnt the nuances of Sabudana khichri during my stay in Mumbai from all my house helps and cooks … Sanjana, Manisha and Anima. It s simple to make and is perfect to soothe your mind, body and soul. So here goes the recipe ….
Ingredients :
2 cups Sabudana ( soak overnight in a bowl with the water level just one inch above the pearls)
3 medium potatoes boiled and diced ( you could chop and fry raw potatoes for more crunch)
1/2 cup peanuts ( roasted and coarsely ground – you could add more or less as per your taste)
Curry leaves (6-8 leaves)
Coriander leaves(again as per liking)
Green chillies -2 slit
Gota jeera – 2 teaspoons
Salt and sugar ( finding the correct balance among the two is crucial and so is our search for balance in life)
Lemon(optional)
Pure cow ghee (to your liking)
How to make it: The process is very simple.(You can’t really do arduous cooking when on a fast, anyways).
Keep everything ready before you switch in the stove. Drain the Sabudana pearls(if any excess water exists). Add the coarsely ground peanuts( the peanuts soak the excess moisture in the Sabudana and add a crunchy texture). This is a key step and decides how oily or sticky your khichri will turn out.
Heat a pan. Add the ghee. Once hot, add the jeera, chillies, curry leaves. Once they release their flavours, add in the potatoes. Fry them so as to get a lovely golden colour. Add in the Sabudana with the peanuts and mix. Add your salt and sugar. Once the pearls turn translucent, add in the coriander leaves. At this stage, you may add some lemon juice. And this soul food is ready. You may serve this with curd or fruits. Offer it to the Lord and enjoy this pleasure.
For all souls who are not inclined to fasting and BPL food( Bina piyaz lahsun), give it a try for breakfast someday. It can give a lot of energy for the day.
P.S : Don’t worry if it sticks to your pan. The taste will be good. It just means the Sabudana had more water in it while soaking. You will get it right in a few attempts.
Foodforthesoul 