My mother believed in fasting. It was fascinating how she kept tabs on the lunar calendar via an almanac (also called a panchang) that gave you all the dates for any function or ceremony that the gods required you to do! Her fasts for Ganpati bappa were a source of great delight to us as we got to eat all the yummy foods that these fasts demanded. Why is fasting food so delicious?
This Crunchy Potato Peanut snack ( also called 'Batatyachi Upasachi bhaji' was a great hit and we waited for the two Chathurthis of the month to arrive!
Ingredients
1. Boiled potatoes - 2 cups
2. Toasted, de-skinned groundnuts
3. Green chilli chopped fine - 2 tbsps
4. Jeera - 1/2 tsp
5. Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tbsps
8. Red chilli powder
9. Gaon Fresh groundnut oil - 2 to 3 tbsps
10. Himalayan pink salt - to taste
Method
1. Heat the groundnut oil in a karahi.
2. Add the green chillies and the jeera (cumin seeds)
3. Stir fry for a few seconds and then add the toasted, de-skinned and coarsely crushed groundnut.
4. Stir fry for a minute or two and then add the red chilli powder - stir for a second and add the diced, boiled potato.
5. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. (These are ommited in case you are making it for a fast.)
6. Serve hot with Peanut Chilli Dahi.
More ways to eat this!
- Use it as a filling in a toastie
- Use it as a base for sabudana vada
- Use it as a layer in a vegetarian club sandwich
*Topmost image by Justin Rabindra
All other images (except credited otherwise) are shot and styled by Kaanchan Bugga