Less is more

Keep your upvas in check with these dishes that don't skimp on taste

Keep your upvas in check with these dishes that don't skimp on taste

Rajgire aur Kele ki Puri
Ingredients
2 cups rajgira atta + for dusting
2 small ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
3 tbsp pure gheeu00a0u00a0u00a0
2 tbsp sour yogurtu00a0u00a0u00a0
Rock salt (sendha namak) to tasteu00a0
1/2 tsp red chilli powderu00a0u00a0
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds (til)u00a0u00a0
Oil for frying
Method
Place rajgira atta in a deep bowl. Rub in melted ghee.
Add mashed banana, sour yogurt, rock salt, red chilli powder and til.
Knead into a semi-soft dough using water only if required.
Divide into twelve-sixteen equal sized balls.
Roll, using rajgira atta for dusting, into small thick puris.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry puris till done on both sides.u00a0 Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot with chhunda or yogurt.

Sabudana Thalipeeth
Ingredients
1 cup sago (sabudana)u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 large potatoes, boiled and gratedu00a0u00a0u00a0
2-3 green chillies, choppedu00a0
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 tbsp cumin seedsu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushedu00a0u00a0
4-5 tsp pure ghee
Method
Wash and drain sabudana, sprinkle a little water and keep it covered for forty-five minutes.u00a0
Loosen the sabudana grains and transfer into a bowl. Add potatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, salt and crushed peanuts and knead well.
Heat a tawa. With wet hands take a portion of the sabudana mixture and spread it on the tawa as thinly as possible.u00a0 Make a few holes and put some ghee in the holes and also around the thalipeeth.
Flip over when the underside is light golden and cook till the other side is cooked equally golden.
Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Upasacha Batata Vada
Ingredients
6 mediumu00a0 potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashedu00a0u00a0
2 tbsp gheeu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tsp cumin seedsu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 green chillies, choppedu00a0
6 black peppercorns, crushedu00a0u00a0
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leavesu00a0
Rock salt (sendha namak) to tasteu00a0
1 cup water chestnut flour (singhade ka atta)
Oil for frying
Method
Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds and green chillies. When the cumin seeds change colour, add potatoes, peppercorns, coriander leaves and rock salt and mix well.
Allow the mixture to cool. Divide the mixture into lemon sized balls. Set aside.
Make a thick batter using water chestnut flour and water. Add rock salt to taste.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai, dip the vadas in the batter and deep fry. Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot with coriander and coconut chutney.
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Geraldine D'Souza from Santacruz wins an autographed copy of Chaat, Chef Kapoor's book
Kickstart Healthy Drink
Ingredients
2/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp health-drink powderu00a0
1 1/2 tsp sugaru00a0
Method
Take coffee powder, health-drink powder and sugar in a bowl, pour one third cup warm water and whisk till smooth.u00a0 Pour warm milk and then put the mixture in the blender jar. Blend for one minute. Pour into a glass and serve. This serves one portion.u00a0