Ekadasi

Ekadasi can be quite challenging, yet it can also be quite easy.  Usually we work on the protein side of the meal because we are missing the dahl.  Here is a sample of a menu that could work for Ekadasi but it is best to check with Maharaja first.

Quiona (usually spiced up with nuts or fresh herbs)
soup (a vegetable soup)
a few subjis
savory
chutney
sweet
ekadasi chapati

Here are some ideas:

Quiona flake savory:

1 cup of Quiona flakes
1 cup of shredded baby marrow
1/2 cup of quiona flour
1/4 cup of homemade yogurt
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp of spice mixture
1 tsp of soma salt
1 tsp of ekadasi baking powder
water to make the batter

First add the quiona flakes with 1/2 cup of water to sit for 10 mins. Then add baby marrow and other ingredients and let it sit for 5 mins. Add enough water to make a thick pancake mixture.  Heat a nonstick pan and pour a little ghee and pan cook them with a lid.  They take about 12 mins to cook. This can be served with chutney.

Madumbi tikis

Madumbi(taro root) is a great substitute for potato. It is the root vegetable that is hairy on the outside. Peel them and boil them until cooked  Mash them and add spice mixture, soma salt, fresh cilantro and pan cook them with alittle ghee.

Paneer patties

Take the soft paneer and knead it soft in food processor.  Add 1/2 tsp of spice mix, 1/2 tsp of soma salt and fresh cilantro. Make patties and pan cook them on a nonstick pan.


Ekadasi chapati

There are two ways to make these chapatis. One is the traditional way and the other is like a pancake. The traditional way requires some flours that may be hard to get in SA, however the Indian shops usually carry chestnut flour or buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is not in his diet, however if it will be fine if occasionally used.

Chapati 1

1/2 cup quiona flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 tsp soma salt
water to make a medium dough

Make your dough and you will need alot of quiona flour to roll out the chapatis. Cook the chapatis as normal.

Chapati 2

1/2 cup of quiona flour
1/2 cup of amarantha flour or singoora flour
1/2 tsp soma salt
1/2 tsp of ekadasi baking powder
2 tablespoons of yogurt
enough water to make a runny pancake mix.

Put your flours into a bowl and add everything to the flour except for water. Gradually add water until you have a batter that is like pancake batter.  Pour the batter onto a greased nonstick pan and cook on Med heat.

Ekadasi cookies

Use the cookie recipe on this blog and replace the spelt flour with one of the ekadasi flours like Quiona, amarantha, or singora flour. Omit the vanilla and add some ground elachi.

Some tips for summer season

When it is very hot outside, make light prasad.  A meal will consist 50% vegetable preparations, 25% grain, 25% protein. This will make the meal light and easy to digest in high heat.  Below is what a summer lunch consist of:

Rice (very cooling for summer)
dahl with drumstick leaves
three different vegetable dishes
one savory
one chutney
one sweet

This way the meal has the ratio that I gave above. Best to always check with Maharaja and he will guide you as to what he wants.

Small amounts of fresh coconut can be used for a cooling effect for summer season.  If you serve yogurt at lunch make sure you don't serve a milk sweet for lunch. Yogurt and milk should not be mixed in one meal.

You can make sauces for subjis or cakes with fresh coconut.  Simply put 1/2 cup of freshly grated coconut, 1 1/2 cup of warm water and blend until smooth.  For a sweet you can add 2 tablespoons of agar-agar powder and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Boil on flame until thick and add 1/2 tsp of ground elachi and rose water and let cool and cut and offer.  For subji you can blend the coconut milk with curry leaves,ginger and fresh dhania and soma salt. Blend til smooth and pour into subji.

Rasgoolas are cooling and can be made ahead of time.
Sandesh is also a cooling sweet.

Please do not use chilis for this will have a bad effect on Maharaja's health.

Yogurt in Summer season

Yogurt in the summer season is very good for cooling and giving us more probiotic in our diet.   In some of these recipes mix water with yogurt because yogurt is very heavy and needs to be made easy to digest, and not cause any clogging effect on the body.  Also homemade yogurt is the best and is used in all these recipes.

Loki and yogurt

100 gm shredded loki
200 ml fresh yogurt
1/4 tsp spice mix
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
ghee for chaunce
1/4 cup of water
1/4 tsp soma salt
3-4 curry leaves.

Make a chaunce and add cumin seeds and few curry leaves.  Then add shredded loki, water, spice mix and soma salt.  Cook until loki is soft and cooked.  Let it cool and add the yogurt. No need to add water to yogurt because the loki and water will balance this preparation out.


Bindi in yogurt

1/2 cup of bhindi sliced very thin.
ghee
1/4 tsp dania seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp of fresh coconut grated
4 curry leaves
11/2 cups of yogurt
fresh dhania leaves.
Sautee the bhindi until well cooked. Dry roast dhania, cumin seeds and black pepper and grind to powder. Add to cooked okra and heat together for few mins. and add freshly grated coconut, and turn off flame. Let it cool and add fresh yogurt and fresh cilantro.

Cucumber raita

1 cup of grated cucumber
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 large papad roasted on flame and then cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp spice mix
3 curry leaves
1 tablespoon of chopped mint
1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp soma salt.

Grate the cucumber and add the yogurt. . Make a chaunce with little ghee and add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Pour into yogurt, add salt and herbs. Before serving add the papad.

For variation you can omit the papad.
Another variation you can add raisins.

Green protein

GREEN PROTEIN


Ingredients:

2 cups of mixed greens (such as chard, beet greens, collard greens,

drumstick leaves, mustard greens, spinach)

1 tablespoon paneer

1 tablespoon parsley

1 cup spring water

1/4 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp soma salt

1 tsp spice mix

1/4 tsp ghee

1/4 tsp lime juice



Make a chaunce with all the spices on low heat. Add the paneer, mix well,

and cook for 7 mins. Then add the chopped greens, parsley, and water, and

cook until the greens have just cooked and the color is still green. It is

very important that the color of the greens does not change to dark green.

It must be bright green. Take off the flame and blend right away. When

blending, make sure the paneer blends well into the greens.



A few suggestions for reheating: It is important to keep this preparation

from overcooking, so heat it only when Maharaja is sitting at the table and

asks for it. The lime juice enhances protein synthesis and is added just

before serving. Do not add the lime juice and then reheat the preparation.

Only add the lime juice right before serving the preparation.


This recipe is good for Maharaja and is considered as an immune booster . It will give him strength and it is considered to be a medicinal subji. This preparation gives him great amounts of protein. If you have drumstick greens, please include in this dish. Drumstick greens are amazing for ones health and is recommended in Maharaja's diet. It can be cooked in dahl or as a subji, and of course, in this preparation.