Upvaas special danyachi amti...

I don't keep regular fasts; it's impossible for me to spend entire days eating nothing... More importantly,on the fast day.. you have to continuously watch yourself before popping anything in your mouth. That's so difficult. Open the cabinet, see the pack of chips, stuff some in your mouth. There goes your fast down the drain. Last year, I did something very bad. I was fasting for ganesh chaturthi and had spent the entire day on fruits... I met my best friend in the evening and enjoyed a plate of bhel with her:((. I had completely forgotten that I was fasting. Oh God, forgive me! So, it's more from the fear of breaking fasts that I don't do many.

However, there are a couple of fasts that I keep and abide by. There have been a couple of additions to the list since I got married. Last Saturday was Mahashivratri. On this very day we worship shiva-almighty,seek his blessings by visiting his temple...worship him by offering fruits..pray him by standing in long queue in rain but this happens only in India..In US it was not raining being summer, we just visited hindu temple of kentucky and worshipped god..This day also calls for a full-day fast. Now, I consider fasts as an excellent oppurtunity to eat my favorite items such as sabudana khichadi,sabudana vada,ratalyacha khees.On this day, I made sabudana khichadi,kakadichi koshimbir,varyache tandul and my favorite curry - Danyachi Amti. It is my favourite curry since childhood...I used to love danyachi amti prepared by my mom...Yesterday I missed her a lot when I prepared this...I wished I was in India with her and enjoying delicious amti prepared by her with her sweet hands.. I remember my colleagues complimenting its taste and uniqueness whenever I carried it in my lunch box.The curry is a Maharashtrain upvaas special...Here we go with the recipe...

UPVAAS SPECIAL DANYACHI AMTI

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted and grounded peanut powder

1 cup water

Salt to taste

1/8 tsp tamarind pulp

3 green chillies chopped fine

1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup washed coriander leaves(optional)
few slices of potato or sweet potato
a pinch of hing
1 tsp of jeera
1 tsp ghee

Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender or grinder and blend till smooth. Heat a pan on medium flame. Transfer the curry to the pan and boil for 5-6 minutes. Stir frequently.To it add slices of cooked potato or sweet potato.

For the tempering:

Heat another pan and add 1 tsp ghee to it. Next, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida or hing. When the cumin seeds splutter, add this tempering to the above curry and mix well.

Serve hot with sabudana khichadi or varyache tandul.

Note:Coriander leaves are optional.It gives amazing color to recipe but some people do not eat coriander leaves on fast day so it totally depends on you whether to include it or not.My mother in law prefers it while my mom does not.So as per your family rituals you can use it or not for upvaas.

This is my contribution to WTML guest hosted by kalyani and wonderful event by Gayathri....