Chutni pudi poha.

Whenever we have to go to attend any function in temple or whenever we have a puja at home or any socio religious function like gruh pravesh etc in the mornings,in our community ( Madhva Brahmin community), it is preferred, to eat fruits or a no cook snack.The most common item is any snack of poha. Poha dahi or chutni pudi poha, or banana poha is common. We can eat poha any time, ...actually, all the time !

Cooked poha  like the batata poha & upma is allowed for upvaas as well.

Even for ekadashi upvaas, poha cooked as also uncooked versions are allowed. Even upma is fine for ekadashi.

Ingredients : 1 cup thin poha, 2-3 tsp chutni pudi, 2-3 tsp kachha tel (raw oil without warming or heating even ) , 1 small cucumber peeled & grated, 1 small carrot peeled & grated,1/2 capsicum finely chopped, 1 tsp lemon juice, finely chopped coriander for garnish, salt to taste.

Method : Mix poha, oil & chutni pudi in bowl.Sprinkle salt.Salt must be added very carefully. This is because, poha has salt & chutni pudi has salt as well.Add grated carrot, grated cucumber, chopped capsicum .Mix all nicely. Add lemon  juice .Mix Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Enjoy the taste as you tuck into it !

Vegetables are optional....one can add any raw vegetable except onion & garlic as that will make it unsatvic.Cucumber is most common. Carrots, capsicum , coriander are optional.For tangy poha, add lemon juice.

Sabudana khichdi

This is a very popular Maharashtrian dish.It is eaten during fasts.I love this snack with &  without potatoes.

 Sabudana  is washed & soaked overnight .The standing water level above the sabudana must be half an inch.By morning, the sabudana would have soaked in all the water.  Peanuts are roasted dry & powdered to get a granular powder .I used to remove the skin of peanuts after roasting.My neighbour told me that I was wasting the healthy part of the peanuts & from that day onwards ,I have powdered the peanuts with the skin on .Earlier, I used to dread making this dish as I found deskinning the roasted peanuts too tasking .After my padoasan enlightened me on the healthy side effect of the peanut skin,I find making this dish a breeze !

Ingredients : 2 cups sabudana soaked ,1 cup roasted &  powdered peanuts, 2 tbsp oil,1green chilli finely chopped,1 boiled  & diced potato (optional),2 tsp jeera( cumin),1/4 tsp hing,1 sprig of curry leaves washed ,a bunch of coriander leaves -washed & finely chopped for the garnish,1/4 lemon to add tanginess,salt to taste.

Method :Take a kadhai & add oil.Heat the oil.Add jeera.When they splutter add hing ,green chillies,kadipatta, potatoes & mix .The oil will coat the potatoes.Take the peanut powder & add to the soaked sabudana.Any water which Mix the two nicely with your hands in a bowl.Now add salt to this bowl & mix nicely.The potatoes would have turned colour.Now add the mixture from the bowl to the kadhai.Mix all the ingredients nicely.Cover with a lid & allow it to cook.After 5-10  minutes,uncover the lid & mix again so that there are no lumps.Again cover with a lid & cook.After another 5-10 minutes,uncover the lid & there will be a change of colour- the sabudana would have turned translucent & browned a little.Mix again.Sprinkle water if it has started touching the bottom of the kadhai.Mix again & cover with a lid.Cook for 5 more minutes.Turn of the gas.After five minutes, uncover the lid.Now sprinkle chopped coriander & squeeze juice of quarter of a lemon.Mix again & serve hot.

For fasting, this snack will be prepared in  ghee instead of oil.

Sweet Potato snack

This is also known as ratalu khees in Marathi.It can be eaten during upvaas.Sweet potato has lot of fibre -hence it is very healthy.

Ingredients :3 medium sized sweet potatoes,one medium bowl  roasted peanut powder, 1 tsp jeera,1 green chilli,curry leaves,1/2 inch piece of adrak,some sprigs of coriander for garnishing, 1/4 tsp hing,one tbsp oil & salt to taste.

Method :Wash the sweet potatoes to remove the dirt.Then peel off the skin.Now grate it.Take oil in kadhai.Put jeera & hing.After jeera have spluttered,add the grated sweet potato,the green chilli,curry leaves & grated adrak .Close the kadhai with a lid.After a minute,add the roasted peanut powder to the kadhai & mix all. Close the kadhai -the snack is ready.Just add the salt & agin mix all.Close the kadhai.Put off the gas.

Garnish with coriander & squeeze a lemon  if you want a tangy taste.

Tip: Sweet potato gets cooked very fast-so you have to be very careful.Otherwise,it may get struck to the kadhai.